fullcoupe

First bait I caught a bass with was a gold/black Rapala floating minnow, used my trusty Ugly Stick. I remember after I caught it, I didn't try anything else for a LONG time...

I used to use snap swivels; they are definitely convenient especially if you have one rod and want to make a quick change. The problem is that they usually disrupt the action of the bait in some way, get fouled up, or will bend out on a snag or bite. Snap swivels are longer than most swivels and snaps, so they have a tendency to find their way around hooks and get wrapped around your line during casting. Once I got multiple rods I gave up on them - not worth it. My 2C...tie straight to the bait. The more you do it, the faster you'll get at it.

I don't use a lot of mono, but in general I've found the cheaper the line, the less overall longevity. I change if my line doesn't feel slick/smooth anymore, makes a crunching noise when I press down on the spool, or knots/twists itself when I pull 8-10 feet off the spool. Line conditioner can help tremendously, but that's an additional cost - sometimes it is cheaper just to re-spool. I use straight fluorocarbon on several setups and some of those lines are expensive, so line conditioner is a must to prevent throwing $30 of line away. With conditioner, I find those lines can last 6+ months in some cases. As Wayfarer mentioned, inspecting the line after you get home (or prior to your next trip) and cutting a few feet off the contact end can prevent problems due to abrasion, nicks, kinks, etc. Another trick - do this 2-3 days before your trip - tie your bait on (or just clip a heavy sinker), take about 10-12 feet out and place the rod over a balcony, staircase, etc. This will stretch out the contact end and help minimize the coiling, and should make your first cast a little easier.

I use the Keitech Easy Shiner in ponds, small 2/0 EWG does the trick if it needs to be 100% weedless. Any kind of fluke-like bait would also be a good choice. But, unless you add a nail weight or something, they're still pretty light and don't offer a whole lot of feedback until you get bit. I would second the initial response on the Mepps (or walmart brand) inline spinners. Small bass, bluegill, crappie will just keep biting them all day, and the treble hook takes the frustration out of trying to set the hook. Sure it might get snagged here and there, but they're inexpensive and as long as the kid can crank fast, they're effective. If the weeds are sub-surface by a few inches, the 90 whopper plopper or a small wakebait could also be a good fit.

Apologies for yet another prop question. I have a '14 Ranger RT178 with the same year Mercury 75 four-stroke. I do about 5500 max RPM and can get close to 40 mph if it's just me and light gear. My motor is mounted in the second set of holes on the transom. I currently have an aluminum prop (the 'stock' one that came with the motor - I believe a 17P based on the attached image) that I'm looking to replace with a SS, mostly for strength. I'm not looking to set a speed record, so I guess overall efficiency and control are my goals. I do get into some choppy water sometimes, so having the control to navigate back home is still important. Generally, though, as long as performance with the new prop is close to what I have now, consider me happy. I've asked around - so far I've been recommended a Laser II 20P (dealer), the Spitfire X7 19P (one that the Mercury selector pointed me to and another dealer), and the Trophy Plus 19P. Just curious what you all would trust on the same boat, or what you're already using if you have the same setup. Thanks!

Yes, south of Havasu in the valley.

I'm going to be in the CA desert next week. There's a few lakes out there by the river that get trout plants - one of them got a plant earlier this month. I don't see any others scheduled. I'm not certain of the water temp, but I know the depth is around 12-15 ft in most areas. I'm thinking of trying the swimbait bite - is there anything else that might be effective this time of year? Maybe a swim jig, jerkbait, or a slow spinnerbait? I've always been fooled by the bass in the river...

Went out there yesterday for a few hours..no luck. Fished an LV 500 most of the time and covered as much water as I could - fished it both slow/stalled and fast. Then traded for a black/blue jig/trailer and then switched to a mag worm. Pretty sure I did find some new structure in the process though, so that helps! Water temp was around 58 in the morning. There was a lot of traffic out there, probably due to Thanksgiving weekend. I'll give some of your other suggestions a shot. Thanks everyone!

I'm more comfortable fishing fast and covering water. One of my weaknesses - I take forever to pick up the drop shot or T-rig, but when I do it's usually worth it. However - I've always preferred spinning gear. Easier to hold all day. My hands are crippled after a day or two of tossing crankbaits on casting setups. So a lighter setup isn't really all that bad in the end...

More time on the water! (x1,000) Throw things I've never thrown before and determine if they're worthwhile or not (in moderation of course - we all know how expensive that can get...). I'd also like to do some more fishing during the winter and hone those slow, cold water fishing techniques...

I just started using Rage Bugs the 2nd half of this year, they're not my favorite in terms of fishing heavy cover (the action tended to get diffused as I'd pull it through), but their Delta Red color did definitely get crushed. I'd use them standalone in more sparse cover. Fished them sort of like a spooked craw around dock pilings, rocks and crevices, etc. Haven't used them as a trailer...yet... I've used the Sweet Beaver for a while. I use Black and Green Pumpkin year round, both standalone and as trailers. Both can be deadly. Though it's not really a craw/beaver style, the Berkley Devil Spear is actually one of my favorites in the heat of summer when the weeds are thick. Very dense/fat bait, moves water so the fish take notice, and slips through cover extremely well!

I'm not sure what your bank is, but I use Shimano 300E's for stripers, cats, etc. as well as big baits for LMB. Had them for a few years now and they're holding up well. The drag is strong, they hold plenty of line, smooth casting, decent gear ratio. Can't ask for much more for a versatile setup.

Blood knot is easier to me than the double uni. I can tie a blood knot on the water with two hands in strong wind/chop/rain pretty easily - all the others I can't really get down to two hands. I don't use leaders all that frequently, but the ones I have caught fish on (or gotten snagged on for that matter) never failed me...

I've been frequenting this urban pond in Socal. Surrounded by concrete, has a small floating dock but other than that - not a whole lot of structure. No weeds, no rocks. There's some broken cement slabs submerged around the shores that I almost always get snagged on. Very little shade. There's a whole bunch of waterfowl activity, not to mention three fountains that splash up the surface (I avoid topwater for this reason). Small bluegill seem to be plentiful and I'm guessing that's the bass forage. On weekends it gets a lot of angler traffic - mostly guys with 8" Hudds and other giant swimbaits. Never see them catching anything though. The water has sort of a light inked blue tint to it (almost like the blue toilet bowl cleaners), but for the most part it's just stained. I can see maybe 12" down if the sun it straight up. I've casted out to the middle and I don't think it can be more than 4-5' deep. The bottom seems solid - it's not muddy. Maybe gravel or a mix of dirt/gravel. No steep banks anywhere - all very gradual or flat. I didn't think much of the place until I had a good 3-4 pounder on a spinnerbait. Brought the fish close to shore and it shook the hook. This was back in summer. My ? - now that the water is cooling off (40 degree nights becoming common), what should I be throwing? Also, should I focus on sunny areas near the surface or crawl the bottom out in the middle? I'm thinking it may be time to go to jerkbaits, hair jigs, maybe even glide baits. Anything I can suspend in the water column and then keep going. I just seems like the fish roam, and with no structure I don't know where they're holding at.

Agree with you here. It always gets fish for me, even if they are tiny, it still gets bites. That being said, if there's any shot at a reaction bite, the drop shot goes immediately out of mind. It's a boring, tedious way to fish in my opinion - and it takes everything in my power to work the worm slowly and carefully haha.