"hamma"

No problem, If you do get to go back,... flip the stumps. We used to slay them there, and they had that "steroid" fight to them. so much fun. For you to see 2 smallies in one outing? Someones either planting them, or they found a way in. Years ago there was just largemouth. With my buddy getting one smallie just before they sold the cabin.

I will use a silver buddy but in the colder waters of winter, just before and just after the ice, but in deeper lakes. I have some killer ice-out techniques and lakes to do so in. But thats another thread, and a couple are just too deadly to broadcast. Before long everybody would be getting their cabin fever fix on them, and hurting the lakes populations,, Kinda like if you want to keep a secret hotspot, lake or pond working for you, keep it secret. Nothing good comes from letting a secret bass pond out, before you know it, it's trashed, and the pigs you once caught are gone.

Bouy markers are bouy's that you toss out into the water, they have a weight and string attaching the weight to the bouy. once the weight touches the bottom the bouy will float on the surface showing you exactly where that drop, stump, rockpile, etc. you are "marking" is you can get them at bass pro shops cabelas etc. usually brightly colored yellow or orange. You can probably google fishing bouy markers, and get a look at some. As for being frustrated?,, its easy to do when beginning bass fishing. without a good understanding of the world you have entered, that world can seem cruel, even mean,. But you are in the right place to fix that. Glenn has put up a ton of videos on this site, anything you want, or need to learn is here. you can use the search engine, or go to the tackle forum and read any of the threads that will most likely have a video link. welcome to the best bass site I know of, and good luck.

The zip ties sound like a great idea, I never though of that. Kudos Catt.,......What I did many years ago when I came to this same situation, was buy a cheap fly tying vise. I use the bread wire ties to hold the skirt stable and carefully "tie" my skirts on. And it worked so well,...I do this now for every spinnerbait, and bass jig I have. Because once you put some scent on the skirt like real craw, or fish formula. the skirts would slide down on a jig during a hookset with the rubber band, and sometimes just burning a spinnerbait, and seeing as hooksets are free?,... ya know where this is going. My skirts no longer slide, and have yet to have to re-tie a single one as I dab a small amount of "hard as nails" clear nailpolish on the knot. (cheapo flytiers knot cement) All these "newer" multi colored skirts you find on spinnerbaits and jigs?,..I was tying back in the early 90's. Which weren't on the shelves back then. If I re-call stanley jigs had offered some colored tip strands, Black strands with a bit of color on the tips, I forget their name, firetip, or something like that. But different colored stranded skirts? just weren't around yet,.. I did this for the extremely clear lakes up here. 2,3 shades of black for the top, and then whatever color it was to be? brown, green, or blue? Id add a few different shades of that color and 3 strands of white on the very bottom. Whats really cool is that I can add, customize, even design my own colors, add in crystal flash. The options are endless, Hair jigs?,... Maribou? even bucktail and bear hair. I now have a complete tacklebox of tying materials. When I buy a new spinnerbait, if I like that color I just tie the skirt on, if not I take that skirt off, separate the colors, and place them in one of 3 clear planos, and then tie on what I want. Same with jigs.,... Next will be a melting pot and pouring nonlead jigheads, But to find a non lead material I can "homepour" then powdercoat, has proven to be a failed task.

I do use tubes sometimes salmotrutta, its just not a "staple" that I keep tied on all season. And a tony bean rod for 12 bucks! Sweet deal. I actually have 2 one thats a old original, and a newer updated model I picked up about 12 years later. I usually have a snapswivel for in-line spinners, and spoons tied on this one in the rodbox. These combo's are so freakin versatile. I actually met him at a B.A.S.S. university seminar. Great guy, who has some of the best tube rigging techiniques I ever saw. I like dubyadee's underspin, good schooling bait, when they are slamming baitfish balled up on the surface those things rock. And the plastic under it, is that a paddletail or reaper? I like the size, color, and shape. I have a grub tied on "all" year gundog, whenever the bite slows? It gets the nod and usually pans out

I just recently bought my first dropshot rod, and since its new to me, I followed Glenns advise in his video on getting the dropshot hooks that have a swivel built in right on the hook itself. I found them at dicks sporting goods,. Gamakatsu dropshot swivel hooks I believe their called,..expensive, but intelligent. I cant wait to hook up with that setup

First fall chasing smallies? I hope it all goes well for you Frenchman83, This can be the best time of year for smallies, at least in my opinion anyways., some days they will be timid and just nip at lures creating the lightest of strikes.,..and then there's those stallar days that they hit like a frieght train on the run. Slamming, and running for the hills. These are the days I like a spinnerbait, but hold on tight, that hit just might take the rod right out of your hands

I used to use alot of owner jigheads, in various styles, Just because they had stout hooks that lasted and kept a point well. But my state now has a lead ban and Im still searching for a good alternative. The owners are expensive but I felt they are worth it.

WOW! 4 lb test line? I have trouble getting a good hookset on 6 lb test,..kudos to you sir! And I find it amazing how versitile green pumpkin truly is. Seems it works everywhere. Thanks for sharing

Yes, Back in my earlier bass fishing days myself and bass buddy did have such a summer. We tried everything we knew, but to no avail. We didn't have computers back then, so all we had were magazines, books, and weekend tv shows to learn from. And we used what we learned to the T. Still not even a sniff. After all we did finally figure out that it wasn't us, per se. It was the trolling motor on the back of the coleman crawdad we fished from, it had a bunch of line behind the prop. Making a very high pitched sound that we couldn't hear while it was under the water. But one day as we were about to shove off he hit the handle accidentally and VOILA! there it was. A very distinctive sqweal we never heard before. We removed the line then and there, and had a stellar day of many fish and a hightened excitement. May not be you, just sayin, this is what was our folly. as for skunked off shore???, This has no relavence to a tm. so ,...As I cant say what is going on there, what kinked our season was a faulty equiptment issue.

You are most welcome, and even more? deserving,... Nitrofreak. give'em heck, but most important, have fun doing it

I still have some of the rebel "color-c-lector" lures. shad type cranks I picked up as they were bright lime green, and bright yellow,.. I figured would be good for muddied up waters after heavy rains, and they did just that ,...but i didnt get them for the unit in question. I wasnt going to spend the money on something I saw as a gimick back then. Beit verified to work or not, there's just too much clear water up here that demands natural colors (other than hvy rains)

Although I usually use a torpedo's for propbait needs. I do have a few devils horse's and I have the 1/2 oz size one with a opague colored body and black splotches on its back, and one thats black, and one with a yellowish belly, I use these when the skies are cloudy, the winds picked up and the torpedo just isnt working, the louder double props seem to make just enough noise that matches its bigger profile.,.. and yeah sometimes equals bigger fish.

My Favorite time of year, Fall. Technically here but yet to show,..Soon the waters we were relegated to share with all the summer boaters, will be ours once again. The jetskiers, water skiers, and pleasure cruisers will be back at work, showing off their summer pictures to co-workers, pulling in their docks, and winterproofing their water craft. The air and water temps will be falling, and our quarry will be forced to prep for winter. The lush green scenery will be changing to (hopefully) amazing colors that boggle the senses, touch the soul, and make for exceptional memories. Ones of tight lines, chilly mornings, which turn into favorable fishing weather around 10 am, and last til dark. Speaking of tight lines,... amongst the thousands of lure choices, what are the ones you tie on before leaving home for this coming time of year? And do you float your boat, or hit the shore before sunup? I do, not much gets my heart pumping like that early am fog on the water, as I step on the boat, and untie from the dock. Rods ready, lunch and snacks packed, batteries fully charged, gas/oil filled, on a favorable smallie lake that you know has some giants in it. Lures I have at the ready are: A rebel pop-r jr, tied on 10# mono with a berkley cross lock snap, rigged on a 5'10" med action Berkley AIR spinning rod coupled with a 2500 shimano saros reel A white 1/2 oz Manns classic spinnerbait with its white twintail trailer, on 12# mono, rigged on a 7" All star med. heavy action baitcaster with a shimano curado. A green pumpkin, or black/blue, jig craw combo, tied on 12# mono rigged on a 25 old shimano speedmaster flipping rod and a newer shimano citica A 1/4 oz jighead (style tbd by lake) with a 4" smoke/silver flake grub, tied on 10# test green stren, rigged on a Diawa 6' tony bean smallie rod with the matching Diawa td1300 reel A rapala 7/16 oz x-rap olive green, on 10# green stren, rigged on a cross lock snap, and a 6'6" med. action lews speed stick and a shimano curado A 1/8 oz lake fork tungsten weight and a gamakatsu #1 offset shank round bend hook with either a berkley powerbait bluegill colored pulse worm, or a green pumpkin with brown centerline zipperworm on 10# green stren, rigged on a old shimano xl speedmaster 5' 9" med. heavy spinning rod and a shimano 4000 symetre reel. These are my "staples" for fall smallie fishing, I wont leave home without them tied on and ready to go (the night before). They have done right by me up here in New England and I hope some of you will share what you use in your locale. I bring more rods ready for alternative lures if need be, ,... Good luck this coming fall, make sure you take some time to enjoy it, Keep ya line wet!

That "change" in you? is the open door, step in. Now,.. lakes you once fished "blindly" (while bank pounding) become much clearer to your insight. As you motor around, the suspending fish? tell you a story, the depth changes? paint a picture, even the thickness of the finders bottom line? tells you what the bottoms makeup is, mud, sand, rock, weeds. After a short while, that clearer insight will actually become so clear, that at the ramp, even off the water, you begin to picture, understand, and eventually depict whats going on at that moment, without even so much as turning on the fishfinder. You have a better understanding, and can almost pinpoint where the active fish are, and what should work. You might turn it on, but its just to verify your assumptions as to location, activity, and positions. The past several days of weather, its wind direction, cloud cover, air temps. Now decide just what those assumptions are. And now more often than not, your correct. The once seemingly impossible task of choosing locations and lures to toss, becomes clear to you. And when you go to those locations, and fish those lures to find nothing but exceptional success? Is like hitting the lottery. Places you once fished with no success? Become easier targets, and you know it, you go there and now start catching fish that once eluded you. Every fish caught, verifing your insight and further perpetuating the cycle. Painting that picture even clearer, pointing you in directions that you never even thought of, but are now obvious. Before you know it, your landing pigs that were once the fish you saw on the finders screen under you, and wondered why you werent catching them, telling yourself that someday you will figure them out. The time is nigh. Welcome to the wonderful world of Bass fishing,, it just keeps getting better

d**n..Im getting a heart monitor wed. afternoon!!! No bs

My topwater rod is a 25 year old beat up berkley AIR 5' 10" med action spinning rod with a much newer shimano saros 2500 reel spooled with 10 green stren mono. I use this as I love topwater fishing, and its light, allows the proper room for walking baits, casts a country mile. And I cant imagine how many big bass Ive caught on it. If ever loose it, or even worse break it, I will hold a heartfelt ceremony, followed by many days of grief. I do also have a old lews 6'6" speedstick with a curado and said 10# mono that I sometimes use for a full sized spook, devils horse, etc: For frogs? a 7' heavy action cheapo 29 dollar shimano convergence with a curado and 12 test mono. Love this setup too. Ive hauled alot of nice females out of thick lilies with this rig

Not the time to "learn", or to fish someone else's fish, tactics, areas etc:. Do "your" thing, relax and have a good time fishing your strengths. You can do this,... its easy to get distracted, anxious, and even overwhelmed. But if you just realize these "big sticks" are just regular guys, that need to catch fish too, you've already got half of them beat. I use to utilize a tactic I would employ when I was dart player, while tourney fishing. As I climbed the ladder to a "super a" dart teams status, I would get nervous, as these are the guys that used to kick my butt. But in reality? They are just people,.. alot of them would get uptight,.. and try to psych others out. Which in turn, I learned meant they were intimidated, scared, worried that they were about to fail miserably. They lost the fun of it all, playing darts was now "above" their enjoyment of the game, commraderie of good friends, and meeting new people. So, I would just play my game and have fun, and it worked wonders, I was now kicking their butts. Just the mere thought that these "super a" "icons" really were just scared, lost shells of their former selves. Trying everything they could to hold on to their fame/status. Made me stand back and take a good look at what I used to allow above me, were actually miles below. Their antics forced me to "not" become one of them, and be a better me, having fun, and really enjoy the game and all the positive it had to offer. I was never better at the game after that sunk in. The team I was on became state champs shortly after. I offer you this as I can see how a sponsored pro with all the trimmings, wrapped matching truck and boat. sponsored by the top tackle manufacturers with patches all over their shirts, stating they found good fish during prefish, at the ramp before take-off, can be quite intimidating. And throw anyone off their game, and it mostly does. So, when your at the ramp, and you see these "big sticks" cutting it up, or worse yet and I hope not, looking down their nose. Just smirk, and go have fun, doing what you do with your mind on "your" game and not theirs. You will perform much better and most important ,.,... you'll have fun If you already knew this? ,...awesome! If not? here's a little "present" for ya. Now go young skywalker, may the force be with you!,...lol ,...and by the way,...stay up wind,..jabba farts!! ,..lmao

Id be up for closing Quabbin right. If I could tag along I with you all, I would really like that, as I have't been there in 16 years. I remember the rental boats there, had the typical tin boat 3 bench seating. But since its been so long have no idea if they upgraded them. Those rigs are not good for my degenerated disc's as while sitting, my butts to low, and knee's are to high, which put's agonizing pressure on my spine. Ive been thinking of getting one of those clamp on seat bases and putting a cushioned seat on it just for Quabbin. But have yet to pull the trigger on it Je1946,.. If your Q boat is more like my boat with comfy raised cushioned seating, I could fish more comfortably. I'd be willing to come meet you first, beit a coffee or whatever. So it's not a blind meeting at the res. and if you feel like we could fish together, Id also be willing to throw some cash in for gas and so on, which could be discussed in advance. I too am out of work, and time is mostly wide open other than doctor appointments. Also,... I am seeking anglers that would like to join me fishing out of my 16 foot deep v tracker, 40 hp merc tiller, ulterra tm, with helix 9 and lowrance x 85. I cant go fish unless someone is with me as I need someone to drive the truck out after I load the boat back on the trailer, because,.. the new ulterra trolling motor is so big I cant climb over it to get out of the boat to drive the truck myself. My back wont allow it. You can pm me if you'd like, I just wanted to get this out here, since your all talking meeting up.

I fish alot of clear water, some with 20 to 30 ft clarity, so I stay as far away as I can, and still make accurate casts.

Exactly the same as Scaleface, I primarily fished a bog, a small reservoir, and a couple small ponds. To only have the same magazines to go by, I was at a huge loss and struggled for years, then I eventually learned that the techniques depicted, needed to be applied in different manners to work up here. It took many years and I must say,...It would have been nice to have someone "teach" me, But then I wouldnt have become the angler I am now. My diligence and determination on the water is what it is, and I can attribute that to those days I struggled. I can remember using a old bagley's fat cat crankbait in the bog, as a topwater technique, jerking it to dive a few feet, like a dying bluegill, and snagging brush, slime, weeds, etc.,and not many bass....lol. Slowrolling a spinnerbait in the res, on the ever so slight "channel" in summertime searching for key cover on structure, which just wasn't there,. fishing that 90% of the res that had no fish,..... And casting a original berkley powerworm weightless on a eagle claw weedless bait hook, rigged with a slight twist by pushing the worm on just a bit too much, this created a "spin" for the worms presentation, hoping to create a better vibe in the weeds. Hence, how I learned the valuable lesson of fixing line twist,... To think of the money wasted on new line back then,..omg. I did catch a few fish, but under extremely aggravating conditions. As for baitcasting gear? OMG,.. 3 full seasons of pulling my hair out till I finally gave up. I "learned" from my team partner many years later. Also, I learned the hard way about: DEET, sunburn, heat exhaustion, and to never go barhopping the night before a early am canoe outing, cheap snaps suck, sunglasses are better than losing a eye, and before you push off a log with a paddle? look to see if there's a dangerous snake on that log first, they will slither down the paddle. Gigantic ancient snapping turtles will attempt to flip your canoe, if you have a bass on a stringer, hung over the gunnel into the water. Slow moving puddle jumper type rigs, are at a loss on big lakes, when there's a threat of lightning. Just for a few tips I "remember",... Im now like one of those old guys, I used to curse at the launch,..that took so long getting ready to shove off while I waited in my truck. And now I know why they did so. lol

Correct! It is when I learned about "skipping", I learned alot when I joined a draw format local club. And I used the exact same combo spooled with 12# test stren. and still do. I didnt get good enough with a baitcasting set-up to feel confident, until I joined that club in the mid nineties, and "thought" skipping was a new tactic, as I had never even heard of it at all. Even though I was a faithful B.A.S.S. member, and read everything I could in Bassmaster magazine, to learn everything I could. They were on track with the new and current techniques, offering them to their members. Hence my confusion. The first truely matched and balanced "bass specific" rod/reel I got was the Speedmaster spinning setup in question. (per a bassmaster article) Before this combo I used alot treble hooked gear, and didnt do much bottom bouncing other than a 1/4 oz jighead and grub, on a med action shimano bullwhip rod. And plastic worms were rigged on a weightless weedless shiner hook, pushed on a little too far to add a twist in the worm, and fished on top of extremely heavy weeds, and dropped in the holes. It worked well, at the bog I fished exclusively back then,..but after a few outings the line twist was beyond brutal, and I'd have to straighten it out trolling it behind the boat. After a few years of aggrevation I sought out a spinning rod that was med heavy for my worm,.Hence the "new" designated speedmaster spinning setup for all my worming needs. Then I joined the club, and learned the proper way to cast a baitcaster, and the speedmaster setup became strictly a skipping rod, with a 1/4 oz. jig and pig tied on, and still has one on it now. So, What I was getting at is, to see a southern pro, in a tourney, using a spinning rod for a worm. Was strange, (to me at least) as "most" worming seen was fished with a stout baitcaster back then, and I was hinting that he was possibly skipping with that rod during that tourney, on the hush hush.

This! ^^^^ When I was relegated to shore fishing,. This was my most productive and favorite lure to use . I added a 3 or 4 inch white grub on for a trailer. Just fish it just like a frog on top of the weeds, and constant retrieve while under the waters surface, you wont be disappointed.

Its amazing how such a small thing in life, becomes so huge. Congrats Lake! Be sure to frame that pic. Simply awesome!

Did you see the rod/reel Stanley was using with that swimming worm? A shimano speedmaster spinning reel with a quickfire trigger. Strange to be using a spinning reel for a worm? Not if he was skipping that lure. Yeah,... skipping is as old as the early 90's and although I didnt see him skipping (I watched pt 3) its making me wonder because, I still have the same setup I used back then, and its the exact same as he was using.