"hamma"

What I dont get is many anglers will hear "dock talk" about a certain lure, or technique thats working, and figure that they will give it a try. Why for the love of god would you "try" anything during a tournament. Stick with what you know and fish your strengths. Say your in a 2 day tourney and the first day the leader states he got his fish on a 4" cinnamon straight tailed worm on a dropshot rig, in 16' of water. If you don't dropshot, don't try it, even if your well schooled at dropshotting, why change your gameplan due to gossip Stick with your gameplan, he could be lying to throw others off his bite. At least, I have come across this before, and on the second day that guy came in 2nd but revealed the truth, he was cranking the first drop from 5 feet to 9 feet. In my tourney days, Id search out areas with a spinnerbait during prefish, and when I found some quality fish, Id switch over to a more subtle technique, when I established one that works well. That was what I went to first thing after take-off on tourney day, same area, same subtle lure. If that lure failed, then I would go back to that same spinnerbait. No guessing, no running around, unless my fish locked up. Then I would go to one of the other areas I found fish in during prefish, and only then. Point is ,...I wont let "talk" sway my time on the water. I had confidence in my areas and techniques and stuck with them As for "power fishing" If that's what they want, Id fish that way, If not, Id slow down til I found what they do want. But try and get to what they want asap, this is a tourney and time is ticking.

Having 3 daughters to take fishing I guess it was easy as all I had to say is "would you like it if she did that to you, please be respectful" Nowadays they all fish responsably and Im grateful for it as those early days were more than a bit hectic. Being as I was in a club years ago I can see your plight. You may want to curb him now before you join a club. Those actions are quite frowned upon and he may quickly get booted. Yeajray231 has a good thought there, and Id show him well before you join so its a much more enjoyable venture for you both. Otherwise it may turn into a negative venture that he will shy away from totally

Algae blooms can be a swimjig mecca, they have a similar vibe as a spinnerbait, but smaller profile, so short hits are reduced. Id go with a swimjig first, frog second, and a spinnerbait with a big colorado blade (as indianafinesse stated) third. Black will contrast that green well too.

I have a few, so to pick the number 1 is difficult. So, Ill pick the latest to the list. Rapala's X-Rap 10 in the olive green color

Many anglers are of the train of thought that a "run and gun" gameplan is the winning ticket. Targeting active fish can be a way to fill your limit, but in most cases the active bite produces the smaller bass. As they spend less energy to hit that fast moving lure. Thats not to say you cant get big fish run and gunning, you can, just its less frequent. Problem being once you are in that run and gun mentality, its hard to let go of that bite, and slow down for the kicker. Also, you need now to establish the slower bites pattern, and the clocks ticking. As some have stated a spinnerbait, crankbait, swimjig, bladebait, even a jerkbait would be good choices to run and gun with.,.. But dont be fooled, a worm, jig and pig, grub and other bottom bouncers can be fished quickly, hence Bluebasser and Catts response. One of my favorites for this scenerio is the 1/2 oz jig and pig. I can either cruise quickly, or manipulate a strong wind along a shoreline flipping and pitching, skipping, and even toss it up on lillypads and fish it like a frog (just moving),.... Even shut the trolling motor off and probe a good looking downed tree. All without picking up different rod, then fishing thru a compartment looking for the right plastic, attaching the plastic, by then you've usually drifted off that tree. Even if you have a followup lure ready, just changing rods is time thats ticking away in a tourney,... I stumbled on this funfishing one windy day looonnngggg ago, and it's stuck in my mind because it works, and works well. I have used it in and out of tournies fishing fast, or even just being lazy enjoying a funfishing day. I guess there "is" merit in experience has no substitutes. Proof once again, im gettin old.,...lol Am I advocating run and gunning? No, I dont believe in wasting time in a tourney. Being a smaller tin deep v hulled boat owner, I'm one of the slowest boats out there. On bigger waters Im last to the "hot spots",...but I've still placed, and even won some tournies in my time.,. I have had team partners that owned nitro's and such,... we tried run and gunning, still i didnt like it, it's hard to leave fish you know are down there... So if you think about it,...there's something to be said about slowing down and fishing "areas" instead of running and gunning the whole lake.

Sounds like you need to be fishing different locations, you will endure some catfish on crankbaits occasionally. But if thats all your catching, you need to relocate on the lake to a different area, or fish a bit deeper (especially in summer), or concentrate on lilypads with a frog.

Of course the elites are talented anglers, but so are some of the regional or state, or even club level guys. The difference is what are you willing to do,. How far are you willing to take your fun sport of fishing... take it easy at the state level and have fun, move up to regionals and be on the road some, making fishing more of a part time job, or do you have the availablity/family and funding that allows you to travel the country most of the year turning it into your full-time position. Yes, the elites are a bit above, they are on the water more, have the resources available, like sponsorships, like hiring guides to "inform" them of unknown lakes, they will literally jump on a plane or helicopter and fly the new to them lake, looking for the best areas to check out once they actually hit the prefish period by boat. Some of them have researched angling so much they probably could pass as a Marine biologist. Its all In how far you are willing to take it, and whats your availability.and situation,.. Im sure there are anglers here that would outfish many of the "pro's" if they had the chance, opportunity, resources, and availability. Not peeing down the pro's backs at all, just an observation. Dedication is what it is, and some here are just as dedicated to this sport, just not in the same situation as a pro, so they fish as they can. There is something to be said about experience as a tourney angler though, it is a bit different than just fun fishing.,..but once you learn the in's and outs of tournies. the rest is just fishing, and being able to realize that its just fishing is big. So many anglers get so hyped and excited to finally be there,.in a tournament scene. They take themselves out of the game before morning take off. Overthinking, dock talk, expectations, all can play into a great bass angler skunking out at the big game. JUST FISH! Fish your strengths, be calm, do your thing. If your well rounded, it will show, and shine. If you do so from the club level and work your way right on up the ladder, do so in the bassmasters classic. If what got you there, got you there, why change now? Its easy to take yourself out by the three aforementioned entities. I saw it alot when I fished tournies, and im sure it still happens today.

LOL think maybe a frog?,... is the film "just" on the surface, or is it throughout the water, like a algae bloom? Nevertheless, I'd fish close to shore, as fish get brave in both of these conditions. And fish something with a good vibration, like a big swimjig, or spinnerbait,....lol,.....or a what?

For sure! I dont think i'd be fishing anymore if I didn't get the shakes, and it used to be like many stated, It takes a 6 or better, but nowadays it depends on the line im using. One particular day last year I was out on my small basshunter and staring at the skunks tail. So I put down the flippin stick, and picked up my light action 5'6" berkley Liteline series rod with a 1000 shimano reel spooled with 6 lb test stren and started tossing a 1/8 oz pins minnow around looking for some whitebass and perch. I got a few, and its alot of fun to catch them on that rod, then when I cast next to a downed tree, a big bass sucked it under before I got the first twitch in. I battled that fish for about a half hour. It first went deep, then back towards that tree, and back out deep, this time it stayed deep but was heading for the even deeper weeds and then around a well known boulder. Every piece of cover it headed for, I begged and pleaded to god "please let me lip this pig" I did all I could do, played that fish like a fine tuned fiddle, and finally,...I got my thumb on its lower lip, and yelped so loud it echoed around the lake. (im loud anyways) YYEEEEEHHHHAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!.,... People came out of their homes, and down on their docks to see what the commotion was about, other boaters cruised slowly by, as I was trembling to get the pliers on the lures hooks to remove them.(Its a small lake,) and it took a while as I was shakin so much. Finally I weighed it out to be 7.2 and let her go. I sat there for about another half hour just composing myself, smoked a couple cigarettes, and thought to myself. "thats almost better than sex". Just the idea I exceeded the lines rating and succeeded, kept me in a good mood for the next week,..I didnt sleep much that night either. Thing is, I woulda still been shakin if it was a 5+ on that setup. I think that now when my limits are tested, it triggers that rush. If I were to catch that fish on my flippin stick with 12 pd test I would of been happy, and said niiiicccce fish!!, and slipped her back, with a good mood about me, and maybe a smaller rush. But to get her on a tiny light action rod? Really fired me up, probably because I know that many years ago,... I woulda lost that fish. Adrenaline rush?,.... thats what hooks us all.

I still have plastics I bought back in the 80's/90's that have yet to be opened. I think (and this goes for us all) we see something on the stores shelf that fills a need, and we buy it to have it available when needed. Issue is,.. that need never comes up as we are fishing along, because whats tied on is working. Does a 4" black straight tailed worm have a use? you bet, but are you going to stop tossing that green pumpkin one thats slaying them? heck no. See my point? I must admit that I had TONS of extras that were never touched, but then my 2 huge tackle bags were stolen, and although I had extras to start off with, I have diligently watched my steps in replacing my staples and trying hardest to avoid senseless tackle purchases. So,. of course I had to find some 4" black straight tailed worms asap. and once I got my worm weights and jigs replaced, Massachusetts passed a no-lead law. Just my luck, here I go again. I wish seberts made 1/4 oz leadfree jigs in all styles

Not to be disrecpectful, but,... The popular topwaters are: Propbaits, walkers, poppers, and frogs. You seem to have several of one type, and a couple of another. But have yet to round out the rest of the scene. I know confidence is huge, but to not cover your bases is just bad baseball to me. (forgive me if a whopper plopper is a popper, this old fart has never seen one) To not have a rebel pop-r or 5,.. is just a blaintant form of bass angling sacriledge in my opinion. lol,.... poppers are probably the number one topwater in my eyes. I dont think I could go fishing without at least a few with different colored bellies. To think of the early morning rippled surface bass you've been missing out on? OMG. Yeah a walker,or prop may work under those conditions, but a popper kills there. And dont you ever fish weeds? a hollow bodied frog is staple, many years ago I didnt like the "snag proof frog" hookup/catch ratio,...and used a johnsons weedless spoon and a white grub trailer for emerged weeds. But these days?,... there are new and improved frogs that hookup just fine. And seeing as its summertime and a "warm" one at that. Pigs lie in wait under those super thick lilypads, and frogs are the ticket. If I were you? I'd look into rounding out the topwater scene, as the options you've left on the table, are some of the best offered. period.

I searched for a thread like this, and didnt find one. ,,,,,so here goes. Twenty years ago I joined a club, with the idea that I was on my way to fame and fortune as a basspro. Fishing the bassmasters classic the hard way like Bryan Kerchal did, may he R.I.P. Those plans were quite controversially robbed from me, but I digress,.... It was a draw club, and "unbeknownest to me" the clubs president was well known, and quite controversial. He had been fishing New England tournies for many years, had his own radio show about fishing. He actually had a post on a NE site, called "the best ballarina" and it was about the same subject I have here for you all. I see you all as a broader, more experienced, and unbiased audience, and respect your thoughts and opinions a heck of alot more than the creeps that slit my throat,.ooops,.. again I digress.. I know some clubs are a team format, and have never fished a team format on a club level. Begging these questions,. with a intriguing conclusion. 1) If you fish club T's, what format club do you fish? team or draw,... and why? by choice or thats all there is? 2) if you fish state level T's, what format are they,.. and why,.. choice or forced ? 3) Which is utilized on the elite series? ,.....(I havent seen even one B.A.S.S. tourney on tv in years) 4) do you think draw format or team format produces better anglers? and why? I know its asking alot of you, but please just take this one question at a time, it does lead somewhere surprisingly informative, and intriguing. This could be very interesting.

The different format tournies are ones you "choose" to enter into. albeit at the club level or a state level. Are the draw formats less frequent? In some states,.. yes. In our state of Massachusetts,.. B.A.S.S. recognizes two different affiliations, I believe one is a draw club format, and the other a team format. The team club format, is you and your partner fish together every tourney throughout the entire year. The draw club format is when you fish with a different person at every tourney. Good for a beginner, because you usually learn techniques and strategies,.(Which is what I fished).. But,..within the same year, I did fish "team" tournies at the state level, with one of the anglers in my club. Which offers more of a payout, and the competativeness/strategy of a bigger tournaments atmosphere,... more boats also meant bigger waters fished so learning the bigger waters in your area opens the door for,.. the state fishoffs, tourney of champs, etc. as they are usually held on the bigger lakes. But that should be a different thread altogether. Maybe I will start one in the tournies page,...(which should prove to be good)

Poor etiquette on the water? the heck you say.,...lol. Over the past 50 some odd years of my fishing, you could say I've come across a few. Most on the water, some at the ramp, and even some at the local coffee shop nearest the ramp. There are people everywhere, and whenever you get strangers together there's bound to be disagreements. It just seems that you come across more while angling your favorite areas. They will buzz you close by while your bottom bouncing deep cover. They will run right over your line while topwater angling. They will invade the cove your fishing with jetski's providing incessive, self induced, wave jumping. They will come up and ask questions in a demanding manner. They will spotsuck your every move for the entire day. They will provide unnecessary info at the ramp, and expect you to offer your best areas to fish in return. They will cut you off, on and off the water.,They will climb on your boat and just trash it, or be back fishing your best spots on their buddies boat every weekend after. The lovely lakefront homeowner that "owns" the area abutting "his" dock. But what burns me the most?,... is the unsafe morons that just dont care. Whether its ignorance, or arrogance, doesn't really matter. Safety should be number 1 for EVERY boater. Boating can be dangerous enough, even without considering mental aptitude. But, when lack of mental aptitude is added to already dangerous activities, only bad things can happen. Consider the idiot thats towing a water skier, and watching the skier instead of his boats path. OR,. the moron that is beyond drunk, and is, as ZZ Top puts it: "Driving While Blind",... OR,. the putz thats cruising on "his" lake, on a 35 ft cabin cruiser, showing off to the hot blonde sunning herself on the rear deck, and he's looking at her curves instead of where he's going. ..Sadly, the list goes on and on. Spotsuckers, cut-off artists, and rude co-anglers drawn in a draw tourney, suck,.. while tourney angling, I have dealt with them all, believe me. Ive been frontended,... pulled off the spot I just livewelled the tournies lunker of the day from.,. denied my time on my spots,..etc. and this list goes on too. Nonetheless,...safety issues take the cake. Please, by all means, I beg all of you, boat safely

jig and pig

the action you used,.. got that fishes attention, often a quicker retrieve will generate the strike as the fish thinks its either going to get away, or the lure is actually, injured prey

Its all about the "feel". you need to feel that the fish has it. Thats the trick. But it all happens in a split second. The quicker you determine theres a fish on it the better. Personally I think 2 seconds is too long to wait. Think about it, when cranking in a crankbait a bass can hit it and you dont even know theres a bass on it sometimes. Within 2 seconds many bass will have had it and spit it out by then. I try to determine if a bass has it asap

typically wait a second and pull up on the rod feeling for the fish. If you feel one, drop the rod tip some,..reel in slack, and set the hook,...of course this is really quick in reality. dont feel one there after that second? continue fishing

Jig and pig,.. hands down

Thats awesome! The lake is great place to fish and theres some really big bass in it. Passing down the fishing bug is always a precious moment, and to see your son with that bigger bass,.. is a pic I'd frame for the mantle if I were you.

I will employ the, rod in water and reel in when you see the line coming up techinque. But also, I have the drag set to set the hook good, but when I hook a smallie,(especially the heavier feeling fish) I will loosen the drag just a bit, so the fish has some room to flee, therefore allowing it pull drag easier and not so much needing to jump. Of course this doesnt work 100%, smallies are fiesty and some will jump anyways, but any option I have to deter it is welcome, and this does seem to work most of the time

Nice,...dont be against fishing a topwater over deeper water in the am. Smallies will hit a topwater while racing up from 40+ foot depths, and usually at this time of year theres more of them deeper than shallow.

When I was younger, wind didnt effect my fishing much unless it was unbearable like J Franco's pic. And I liked a bit of wind as it positions bass in a more predictable manner. But now that Im injured and have progressed in years, I have more opportunities to fish when I want (or can due to pain) I chose a much lighter breeze. Fish are still positioned in a predictable manner, just the boat handling is alot easier, and therefore fishing more enjoyable.

Thinking outside of the box can be the difference of being skunked, or limiting out. Usually works on lakes that are pressured, but this can work on any lake for that matter. All it really is? Doing something different than the norm. If everyone is fishing say green pumpkin, and its well known that the lake in question that color slays them there. But you are fishing it and getting the same ole 2 to 3 pounders everyone else is landing. Merely switching color may produce more and bigger fish. OR, changing over from a plastic lure to a jig and pig,...or a change from a swimbait to a dropshot etc. It doesnt have to go as far as the angler you messaged took it, but thats a good one anyways,. I have one that works in late summer when the dog days slow the "norm" on some of the clear lakes up here that get pounded regularly. One technique everyone uses is burning a 1/2 or 3/4 oz white double willow spinnerbait just under the surface seeking active smallies. Typical right? I got some spike-it green metallic dye and dyed the blades on a few 1/4 oz stanley vibrashaft wedge spinnerbaits, that had chartruese heads, and tied on a skirt I made with several different shades of green skirt material, and finished it off with a green pumpkin 3 inch grub that I plastic dyed the end of about 1/4 inch chartruese. I toss it with 7 foot light action spinning rod with a 2000 sized reel spooled up with 8 pound test green stren. Does it work? Hell yeah, when I come to a dog day thats sketchy, I don't even think twice, I go right to it, and you'd think it was an active fall day that they are feeding up for winter. Big or small, they nail that thing, and odd thing is some of them hit it so hard they actually end up jumping right out of the water. And being on a light rod, you could say its a blast. I obviously have to play them right or they are gone, making it extra fun. Its amazing how a slow day all of a sudden is transformed into heart pumpin, action filled, seemingly wild, thumb scuffed, that was awesome, day. SSSSSSSHHHHHH!!!! lol

First off a quality reel is going to be most important, settings adjusted properly, and a lighter line like 10 pound test. Carefully casted with a fluid motion, is needed for any lighter lure on baitcast gear.