the reel ess

I just bought a Chug Bug in the frog color. I've used it once. I notice it walks, whether I try to make it or not. I didn't get a bite, but I'll pull it out one evening at sundown. I know just the place I'll try it. It does have a rep from everyone I know for being a big bass lure.

I keep looking for a way to use my pitching combo and I keep coming back to a MH spinning combo with braid. Light or weightless is the way to handle the weeds. I did catch a couple on a fluke letting it drop into the weeds and yanking it back out.

I simply don't have the feel for jigs. I have a decent assortment of jigs and trailers. I get bites and miss the hookset. It's not that usual "tick-tick" feel of a soft plastic. There's a weedguard in the way of a fat hook that requires a major hookset.

I found that too. it was easier from a boat on short casts because I had the leverage to pull the baits up. My buddy is a power fisherman and he's on the trolling motor. His idea of finesse is slow rolling spinnerbait or slow cranking a Trap. So in order for me to get the bait in the zone with a breeze, I had to use 3/16 oz. When I use the kayak, I'll have better control with a lighter weight.

Do you guys ever use the T-Rig hooks with weights already attached?

No, I'm not. Smaller profile, right? Thus far, I've resisted it due to cost but as I dig deeper in the bag of tricks I find I can afford whatever is necessary to catch a fish. Thanks.

No, I was not pegging the weight. I never have. What's your favorite method? Thanks.

Well, it's getting hot. Fish are slowing down in the local reservoir. Its mossy in shallow areas, and weedy in the rest. Not the kind of weeds that grow to the surface like a mat. More like bottom grass. Yesterday, I broke out the T-Rigged Speed Craw and caught three on it, all decent fish. But of course it was fouled almost every cast. I'm sure I could catch more if I could keep it clear of weeds longer on a long cast. Any suggestions? Any sleeker rigs than the conventional bullet weight-straight offset 3/0-4/0 hook? Thanks, Rob

In case you didn't know, they're sterile (correct me if I'm wrong about this). They aren't replenishing themselves. If you catch one and it dies, you're out one grass eater. The bigger, the more valuable it is.

Ultra Light Barbie combo? Most people avoid catching the grass carp since they don't want to take a chance on hurting the fish they bought to eat the weeds. I saw some cruising a private pond maybe 4" below the surface. They would thrash about ever 20 min or so.

Or Torpedo in short rips.

I've had this happen. Sometimes they just want to kill it!

I've caught a lot of channel cats on hot dogs but never a bass.

I left home this morning with a Senko clone tied on. I was feeling extremely confident on it after it produced bigtime for the two trips. I only managed one dink on it. I caught about a 3 pounder on the Rat L Trap and several decent on a Zoom Speed Craw T-rigged. And a couple on a fluke. My buddy actually caught 3 on the Trap today casting to the deepest part of the pond. He even had one break him off. They bite the gold color so well there, we keep spares.

Today a Rat L Trap in deeper water and a frog in the scum found me some larger fish. Nothing huge today, just better than average for a pond. Just keep doing the right things and they will come-if they're there.

We have about the same idea A Hvy BC-Pitching jigs and heavy plastics, frogs MH BC-Spinnerbaits, Heavy topwaters, like Frogs, Flukes, things with single hooks M BC-Cranks, RatLTraps, topwaters, things with trebles MH Spinning-T-rigs, Trick Worms M Spinning-Jerk Baits, wacky rig, finesse stuff

If you use bottom-bumping lures, they'll always be fouled in the muck.Try those top- to mid-running lures. Topwaters, Trick Worm, jerk baits, flukes, spinnerbaits, etc. Comb the lake. Sparse cover makes it easier to pinpoint fish. You'll find the parts that hold fish. Then concentrate on them. But those places will change seasonally. In a lake that shallow, the fish can move from day to day.

Anybody ever "fizzed" a bass? I think it's to release air from their bladder after pulling them up from deep water. I wouldn't attempt this for fear of killing the fish needlessly.

I fish a similar pond. I've caught one over 6 lbs and tha next largest has been 2 lbs. I like the Roadrunner in 1/8 oz and small Jointed Rapala to catch both small bass and large bream. Kills two birds with one stone. But you need help catching and keeping fish to really make a dent in the populations. Or you could fish every day of the week a couple hours.

I was the opposite. I got on the BC bandwagon back in the day when people didn't use the spinning gear anymore for bass. I just bought a MH spin combo about 8 years ago. It was a good one and I still have it. I just added another M combo. Now I finally have the 5 combos that all the pros say they take on every fishing trip.Like having a full toolbox.

There's a thread on this board called "How do I catch bigger bass?" This is how. If you don't control the population, it's a lot harder to catch big ones when all there are are small ones.

I have probably been guilty of mistreating bass in the name of making the catch. I mean, we are conditioned to think that if it's not in the boat, we have failed somehow. Most of the smaller fish I catch will go to the deep fryer, so they're going to get abused badly at some point. But this thread reminds me to do a good job with those tiny and large fish I'm releasing. The kayak to me makes this easier because you're at water level. You have to lip that bass and you're at the right level to release it as unharmed as possible

I fish primarily 3 ponds. One is almost completely stunted. Another is mostly stunted and there are a very few bass over 5 lb. Another produces some trophies, especially for a big pond. This one has big gold shiners. Enough food for the bass population. The first two have very little harvest and very few people using it. The third has at least three people keeping as many small bass in the 3/4-3 lb slot as possible.

One think I forgot. Mostly because I haven't done it but keep meaning to. People are replacing skirts with swimbaits nowadays. It's supposed to give them an edge when fishing pressured situations. Seems like a great idea. Don' throw that SB away when the skirt gets destroyed.

I've caught more bass on the BPS brand of el cheapo SB's than any other. Colors you need: White and chartreuse-you can get other accents in the head, but probably doesn't matter. You need a Colorado blade for cold water and willow blades for warm water. There's really no reason for a single willow blade, so tandems will do. You need from 1/4 oz-1/2 oz. So,, that's 3 sizes in two basic colors. Use gold blades where there are shiners, use silver where it's shad. That will cover most of your daytime fishing. Now you can buy some specialty ones like black for nighttime/extremely low light. You can get one of those small ones like Pond Magic for small fish/small waters. If you fish a place with a different baitfish, you can try to match that hatch. Or you can buy them with painted or baitfish specific blades. I never have. Lastly, some people will disagree, even some pros, but I don't care...You should use a quality trailer hook. I put a good one on every SB I get when I get it. You'll catch a lot more fish with it. There will be fish you catch that you wouldn't even know were striking short. Worried about hanging up? Why? Go get the SB out of the snag. You usually fish less than 5' deep with one.