the reel ess

$20 Calcuttas. On my second pair in 8 or so years.

Daiwa Procaster Magforce 100. It still had the pushbutton spool release. I wanted it because Bill Dance used it on TV. Ahhhh, it was 1983. I remember it just like yesterday. I got her for XMas. I laid out of school "sick" to learn to cast it. I've had many after. But until recently, I never had a better one. I got a used Johnny Morris cheap and had it worked on by BPS. The Daiwa finally fell apart. It had been fixed 3X with free parts from Daiwa.

I got a bag of watermelon colored Zoom Speed worms in my stocking a few years ago. I was organizing bags I forgot I even had and ran across them. I've never used one. What application are they best for? Do you rig them weightless like a Senko? They seem heavy like those. edit: I should have mentioned they're the "cut tail" design.

I read of a study that showed bass in captivity preferred crawfish to bluegill 9:1. Make of that what you will.

I go to a place I know they are and occasionally catch a big one even when not specifically targeting big 'uns. Fish in winter. Pound the bank during spawn. Fish early and late...even nighttime in the summer. But my wife told me if I got wallhangers mounted I would have to build a shop to put my trophies in. That's cool and all. But I don't have the $$$ for that yet. So I haven't kept any trophies, or even a bass over 3#, in the last 12 years. It seems counter-productive to take a big bass out of the water where I want to catch big bass. The odds are too stacked against bass growing to trophy size. Plus it's very disrespectful to a landowner to do so. I just take pics and release.

Sage advice

+1 that! I have a 7' MH Lowrider that I bought for $50 from someone who sold their boat and got out of fishing altogether. I have a Johnny Morris reel on it loaded with 17# floro so it's even more sensitive. You could feel a tadpole fart on your lure from a mile away. I have been pitching with it but not using it nearly enough because I like reaction baits. On the cheaper front, I have three Lightning Rods that get the job done just fine at $40.

Thanks. Yeah, I was noticing it losing color. But I just had to break off the other day and it was very strong.

I just started using Fireline this spring. It's pretty awesome stuff. I use 20# test and it has the diameter of 8# mono. I've been landing more fish with better confidence. How long do you use it between changes? A whole season? I fish about once a week for 3 hours when possible. I use it on 2 spinning combos. Thanks

The mono gives +/-10% stretch so you won't pull the bait away by reflex. It also floats. Most topwaters were designed for mono and other lines will sink a little, pulling the topwater down on a long cast. But who wants to respool? Here's a fly fishing trick. Take some paraffin wax and rub the last 5 feet or so of your line to cause it to float. It'll last a while. They do that to avoid changing line and leader to fish a floating fly on a sinking leader. Not ideal, but a quick fix when afield. I'll admit I never tried it. You can use a rod with a softer tip to offset the line issue. Loosen your drag if in open water. You can also not watch the lure. I know that's hard to do. But it seems to help my reaction when I'm looking elsewhere, my mind's wandering and a fish blows up on the lure. You need to give a fish at least a half second to take the bait before you set the hook on it. If they miss it, reel up fast and toss a Senko to that exact spot. You'll catch a few that way.

I've painted a few cranks and got my daughter to color a white X-Rap to make it look like a gold shiner. That's about it.

If it doesn't have that ugly red mucky oily look, it's not stagnant. If beavers made it, it probably has no gamefish in it. But as mentioned before, you can stock it. It is a beautiful pond. Looks like a postcard from Canada.

Torpedo (40 in one day), wacky rig Trick Stick, weightless Trick Worm have caught most of my fish. I've gotten a couple over 5 lbs and several in the 3-4 range. But no trophies yet. At this point that's what I'm looking for. One on PopR, few on Rapala minnow, X Rap, Bomber A, Roadrunner. Fish have cooperated so I haven'y gotten to frogs yet.

Yes, it's tough. I've had a problem with that too. I wacky rig them. I'm thinking of an octopus hook. Problem is they think it's real and want to EAT it right away.

They're maybe engaged in spawning. Maybe they aren't hungry.

Here's another face: wacky rigged. Toss it to a target (stump or overhanging limbs) let it sink. If that doesn't work twitch a few times. Repeat. Such fun.

I don't use anything more than what's already on the plastic. Seems the anise scent works great. Sometimes I'll take a lure that's dry and dip it in a bag full of new baits. I have used Powerbait mullet minnows for flounder. They think they're real enough to bite and keep biting them.

Whenever they aren't biting, try something different. Different color, varied retrieve, new lure, new technique. If you succeed it'll give you confidence in that technique. If you don't, you'll learn something. Most people on this site think they know a good bit about bass fishing. And most do. But almost everybody has a technique they refuse to use or don't have faith in that others are successful at. Most have a lot of baits in the box that have never caught a fish because they've not been used. So keep an open mind. My weakest areas are finesse plastics and jigs. I just haven't used them enough to feel good about them.

My friend uses crappie size crankbaits in bubble gum color when he thinks fish are too pressured or turned off. He reels them down and lets them float back up. It gets a bite every now and then. But not at a much greater percentage than I get with the usual offerings. And often they won't hit his at all. I'd say go back to basics. Dig up some old standbys like Rooster Tails and Beetle Spins. Down size and use what others aren't or won't. Or...use live bait. Night crawlers have caught a many o' good bass.

SHHHH!!! Don't tell too many people. The fewer that use them, the fewer fish have seen them and the better they'll work. I think that's a lot of their appeal to fish. They haven't seen stick worms much. Fish think they're alive and won't spit them out even when they feel you pulling. And they're generally quality fish.

Hootie, I caught 5 decent size fish on a wacky rigged Senko-type worm this morning. I wouldn't have caught but 1 otherwise.

How do you do it? Stringer, cooler, other? I've tried stringer-slowed me down. Too much drag. I've tried a floating basket. Again too much drag. Have to pick it up to get anywhere. I've tried a Playmate cooler with ice. Works great. But fish are really noisy for a minute when you throw them onto ice. In a kayak, I'm sure it turns some fish off. Another drawback is it takes the space I like to keep my milk crate with rods holders in. I like to keep some fish to enhance the experience, but I haven't found a good method yet. Ideas?

My boat sits. Even when I use it, it's to go to a place I can't run a motor. I have to crank the motor every so often to be sure it'll run. I'm trying to decide whether to take it tomorrow morning or the yak. I think probably the yak.

I'll meet you there if you like. That way if I get run off I'll have a partner in crime.