"hamma"

Location is very important, but not a cure all. You could think it to death, but location isnt the only factor in any fishing endeavor. You may be fishing the right locations, but wrong lure, speed, colors, depth, cover, etc. Fishless days are a road we all must travel sometime. And its usually more than not,.especially.in the first decade or so. If you haven't figured it out after ten years your not paying enough attention,.You stated that you have enough confidence in techniques, so that means you have educated yourself, and felt confident. To me that says you have some knowledge, applied it , and still no fish. Before you throw negativity into the equation that "Theres no fish here".. Consider this,.. no matter how the day is going; Keep your confidence level up, due diligence always, and remember this above all, When the going gets tough? the tough get going! In bass fishing that means,.. if you believe, think.. or even know you are fishing the right area, or just not sure for that matter,...and still are fishless?? Be confident in your choice of area before you scrap it,. Go to the tough places many bass anglers have trouble with. Think finesse,.... We'd all love days that the fish are hitting exactly what we want every time we hit the water, but thats not reality,.... Smaller baits, with lighter gear and slower presentations, will sometimes put some fish in the boat when that spinnerbait fails. or texas rigged ribbontail worm doesn't even get a sniff, you may have tried a dropshot rig, or a senko or some other slower presentation..But often it takes several attempts at finesse techniques before you find the one that works,.... You may still end up fishless but at the very least you gave it 100%, If you have educated yourself in enough techniques to be confident, be confident in your choice of area. Exhaust all the avenues,. ..After all the years I've been fishing? I can usually tell by the first few minutes of watching my sonar how the day is going to play out, (activity wise) Not always mind you. but often enough that I've noticed it and was correct.. But if not just for giggles,...I always,...ALWAYS !!!! have a finesse bait tied on for the day, before i leave home, considering where im going, with the possibility that the fishing will be slow., For me? its usually a 3 inch grub on a 1/8 or 1/4 jighead, and i choose that lure for a specific reason,... to describe that reason? is a small novel. But in short? that lure covers many applications for my region. it has worked wonders for me in the past. And,... I have enough room in my boat to have a rod ready that I may not even touch all day. So, when i'm having a "tough" day I reach for that first, before I start tying on a dozen or so other finesse lures We all would like total consistency catching bass, even the top pro's struggle with that,... thing is? We dont decide how the days gunna go, the fish do. The more weapons you have on your side, the better your chances to be just a bit closer to consistent,....study some more finesse techniques and apply them before throwing the towel. It may just turn a tough day, into a good one. I hope this helps you some,...Good Luck

The bigger bass are much harder to "locate" as you may think. They dont usually adhere to any prevalent "pattern", or seasonal "movement" other than bedding. They tend to write their own rules the rest of the year. Days most fish are shut down say ,....in sept,or any other month for that matter... the only active fish may be the lakes biggest pig,.....and days that the whole biomass of bass in the lake seem turned on , she may be the only one buried down in tight to cover with lockjaw. If we all had the answer, the classic would be won by No.1 at takeoff every year,.. or the fastest boat close after

Boat Gorilla got me! newer gas motor 2k, new ulterra 2600, helix 9 1k. and I dont even have my fishing license, Or ability to climb up on the boat to finish installing the helix.,... Im afraid to even look at my tackle now,.lol ,...Maybe someday i will get to fish this fall !!!

First off,....for topwaters, crankbaits, and jigs? I'd get one for the tops and cranks, and another for jigs. Reason being, treble hooked lures kinda require a med action, and Jigs a med heavy or heavier depending if your talking jigheads? or jig and pigs? the j&p you need a heavier action, not so much for jigheads, but still has its benefits to use a rod with some backbone for reels? before you just go and buy, check out left handed retrieve reels versus right handed retrieve reels. Although most reels are made as right handed, I found benefits to using a left handed models and dont own any right handed at all. Kinda limits my options, but Id rather have an instant contact to the reels handle after casting as I cast with my right hand (like most do) I dont need to switch the rod to my left hand after every cast. Some anglers dont mind doing that, I do. My first baitcaster was right hand retrieve, next reel was a left handed model and i never even thought about right handed retrieves ever since. Actually sold the right handed retrieve soon after. $500 could get you 2 curados (the $180 model), and then search out the rods for the remaining $. Some anglers prefer to spend more on the rod, buying g loomis, high end st criox, etc. There may be some benefits to that, But I look at it differently. As long as the rod has the action and sensitivity I need im happy no matter how cheap it is to purchase because when your kid slams the trucks door on it? the door doesnt discriminate how much it costs.. I have a high end st croix that i won in a tourney (expensive rod) thats a 7' med heavy, nice rod, and i like it. Then I have a 7' med heavy berkley lightning rod that cost me probably $40 that i like just as much. Its just as sensitive, and the actions the same. just that the st croix is slightly lighter. And i mean not a really noticeable difference. It comes down to personal preference As for the curados? i have 2 that I bought in the early nineties, just sent them out to Delaware Valley Tackle (per recommendations from this site) for their 2nd servicing ever needed. And Im not just a weekend warrior. These reels have seen some heavy use over the years. Thats over 8 years of use before service, heavy tourney use for the first few years at that! Best reel durability i've ever seen and i have been fishing for almost 50 years. Im no shimano pro, or rep, im just one of their biggest fans,...lol Hope this helps you some

Another good outing on Quabbin,...congrats to you

I dont think there's a time of year that i struggle with. Those 110 degree days can bring a sweat on, but thats ok,.. i just beach the boat somewhere sandy and (as my mom used to say) "go jump in a lake" to cool off,...lol ,... and she says i never listen,..sheesh! Winter usually means Ice here, and crankbaits dont run true on ice, plus Im usually busy running the snowblower, so my fishing takes a back seat,..lol different regions, have different topography, so each time of year the whereabouts of bass may differ a bit but typically they arent "to far" from the bedding areas after the spawn, usually between spawning flats and summer haunts. what may change that anytime of the year is "wheres the,........bait" (you thought i was gunna say,. beef,... huh?) During the spawn, I leave the beds alone, and fish the "highways" females use to move in and out of bedding areas. Some females will hang in the shallows for the bluegills when done spawning, but they are usually skiddish and selective. With the advent of the new lifelike swimbaits, I may try one of two in said shallows,.... but typically when the spawn is over, done, kaputski !???? I've already transitioned into what i like to call pre-summer fishing. Thats another long winded subject,..lol In my region we have all different types of waters, so i approach them all with the criteria of the "close to spawning areas" train of thought during post spawn. may be slow sloping points on impoundments, or deeper weedlines on a natural lake, or first or second drop on a res, or buried in the cattails on a 30 acre pond Of course I'd rather be in a jacuzzi with the swedish bikini team but,...that was last week,...lol

No,.No,.No!!!......can't you see?,........ its a alien landing strip! (mumbling to myself) Dang,...gotta teach these kids everything,.... lmao

I have fished many jigs over the years and arkies were my favorite, hands down,.... with stanleys a close second,.. I got into tying my skirts on so they dont slip, then customizing them even further. but alas, Massacusetts passed a no lead ban on weights and jigs under 1 oz. And I've been reeling about it ever since. Only "cheaper" eco friendly jigs i've found so far are eagle claws, and I dont like them. There are some $6 dollar ones that i tried and were ok but I refuse to commit into buying a hundred or so,.. so i can replenish my arsenal. I can get into some heavy cover at times and tend to loose a few,... Id like to find a eco friendly jig that has the right hooks and bristle type weed guard, with the old arkie style head.,..... My search continues

it depends on the waters depth, if fishing 5 feet or less, a jig and pig, if deeper a weightless plastic (usually a 3 inch version), albeit a grub, slugo, or straight tail finesse worm. I dont fish senko's much at all,... I own a couple that i liked the color of, but very rarely even think about them. I think its because i had already had finesse type baits that work for me before senko's arrived on the scene. and I usually have a small light wire straight shank hook tied weightless on a med heavy action rod.,... like for a small worm or slugo, and it just looks funky with a wacky rigged senko on there

thats awesome!,... guard it with caution ,...Its not a "common" thing,.. but, ive found a few tiny ponds that produce larger fish, that most anglers wouldn't of even thought about fishing there due to their small size and accessability,..you'd think someone had planted them in there, but i know otherwise. theres no "clear" path to them, basiclly untouched surroundings, and nothing but naturally occurring biodiversity,..ie; baitfish, frogs, crayfish etc. what ever you do,..dont "buy" live bait and dump your leftover bait in the pond and mess with the biodiversity, its working,... dont mess with it.

I'd try a jerkbait or spinnerbait over the grass, when you find the deeper weed edge, fish a bluegill patterned crankbait parallel to it. Once you find fish. Jig and pig the heck out of that area looking for their "highway" onto the spawning areas. They will use it to move up and down throughout the spawning period. a grub on a jighead will do just as well if its a finicky day.

I've had some bad days,.,.. lord knows some very expensive, some exiremely bloody, some life changing But that takes the cake may God bless you in your future endeavors

I'm glad you brought this topic up, ,. please bere with me for a few No matter where im going to fish my rods are always ready, a gameplan is in order, but its subject to change. And it usually does. None the less Im like spongebob, "im ready, im ready, Im ready",..lol....I know the smaller lakes and ponds around here because i made a tuteledge many years ago to scan them completely as i came to the same crossroads your at now,.. and when i plan to fish one now? i usually have the areas picked out and it mostly works. The larger bodies of water? I have yet to completely fish every area, but Im working on it. My favorite is Quabbin Res and i had fished all of the available areas there a long time ago (geez, almost 20 yrs ago, im gettin old), but up north theres a few i have yet to complete. I will complete them as well, as that tuteledge continues. I planned on doing this when i first bought my 7' 11" basshunter boat back in the early 80's, idea was to fish all the bass lakes and ponds in New England, (and beyond once im done), I started on the cape, and worked my way north and west. Massachusetts is almost done (Just a few out west) as well as New Hampshire (a little more on Winnepesaukee), Vermont has a few that i fished in the 90's (short of Champlain) Im skipping Rhode Island cuz its only got a few, and I have fished alot in CT already. Maine is going to be a task, i've probably spent more time fishing Maine than any other, and I have to say its nothing short of AWESOME. If you ever get the chance to fish there. DO IT! Theres great salmon, trout, and any species up there for that matter.,,, But the bass fishing? simply incredable. As Ive creeped my way up the state from south to north fishing any and all in my path I have been amazed, in awe, at the beauty and diversity of the bass waters available there Ive gotten as far as the cobbosecontee area so far with the "all" thing. And i must say it just keeps on getting better as I go further north. And from what Ive heard I got a long way to go Gameplan? you bet! Knowing where to fish?,...lol Same spots? ahhhh not really

If you were to fish the right waters up here, you may be surprised. My biggest in Massachusetts bass weighted 12.5,,.. and since then ive seen bigger fish swim away after following my lure., leave a dock,. and broken off. .And this has happened a few times in different lakes,.... they are here, its just a matter of placement, timing, opportunity, and stealth. Its much like hunting/stalking a huge buck. Eventually it will happen I'll give you that its going to be a tall order, a 16 lbr in a northern state sounds ify. Would take a long time for a bass up here to get that big.,... But,... there a couple dozen certain waters in our state that have the "secret" ability to produce monsters., And yes,.. im keeping the secret with me till i can officially weight in one at a state certified station. So dont bother asking, badgering, or berating me for it. I wont give it up Walter's state record fish was stalked by him,. he knew it was there, and he targeted that fish thru the ice and got lucky one cold day. State records show he caught that fish in Sampsons pond. From what talk is,,.. he caught it elsewhere. He just didn't want the true place getting pounded, And if you think about it, Consider how any bass guys are in this state? Just tournament anglers alone?? when I was tourney fishing there was at least 1500,. Mass Bass was booming, as well as Aba. Neba, and a few other t orginizations. And thats not counting the anglers that dont "t" fish .i cant say i blame him,....... I understand the doubt,....but I strongly believe it can be done Even if it doesnt get broken? im gunna have fun tryin

I have yet to find a better mono line than stren for any of my freshwater fishing, I use berkley big game for saltwater, and did eventually transition 12 and 15 lb big game, into bass fishing a few years ago for flipping and frog type fishing. Not that im against any other brands or even braids, just that ive been using mono for so long im used to it, and acclimated certain pd. tests for certain lures and presentations. It's tough to let go of what works for you. I have recently been "tinkering" with braid for my flipping and frog fishing. (on a old rod reel combo) But I'm in no hurry, nor am i fishing any tourneys as of right now to commit to it. but, to answer your questions, No problems with either stren or trilene, whether fish see them or not, Im not sure, but even if they do? mono still works,.. Black mono? not that i've ever seen

the temps your reading are probably "surface" temps. down deeper it may be alot cooler. if the water truely was in the higher 60's most of the smallies "should" be done spawning ,...If the lake is loaded with crayfish? fish a crayfish lure, ie: jig and pig, texas rigged plastic craw. suspending smallmouth bass are usually shutdown, But may be "turned on" with a finesse bait stuck in their face for a few, like a small grub on a darter head dropped down to just above their depth. or a straight tailed 4 inch worm. A suspending jerkbait or topwater should produce as well. give it a shot, cant hurt

thats some impressive success right there!, congrats!

for around here? my 1 2 pattern? that's kinda a trick question. there are so many different types of water bodies here that there really couldn't be such a thing, unless i were to fish just one. and even if I did fish just one? It would still depend on the fish's daily relation to its environments biodiversity. What I mean is, in most lakes here one day they could be on wood, next day they could be buried in weeds, and the next relating to rock, the next day they could be hiding from the sun under docks and shoreline shade. Etc.,.... Within each of these days there "may" be a pattern, and i really like having to figure it out. But there isn't just a 1, 2, "pattern" option,... unless i were to pick a pond with nothing but heavy weeds,... answer would be a frog type bait for the thick stuff, and a punch lure for follow up and edges. OR,.. a rocky impoundment? topwater for over boulders and jig and pig for the shady side of said boulders,... a sandbowl type pond? , a spinnerbait to search for where they are feeding and a small texas rigged straight tail worm to clean up. ,...a laydown laden river?,.. a squarebill crankbait for over and around wood and a 4 inch texas rigged black with chartruese tailed berkley power worm to probe said wood. Now,... are these really patterns? no,..... they are suggested lures for pond types, and i answered so,. because it seemed that this is what Rpratt was looking for,..... A "pattern" is a completely different and a much more in depth subject than merely suggested lures In your described strip mined pond??? id suggest my rocky impoundment answer because I"d imagine a strip mined pond would mirror a rocky impoundment, and I really dig topwater fishing and jig and pigs kick bass!!,....lol

I usually say "here we go" as well, then after I feel the weight I'll say either , "big one" or "di**"

First,..you should cruise around the lake for a while and see if you can locate baitfish on your sonar to determine what depth they are holding at. This will tell you what ledges and drops you should concentrate on for that moment. Say the bait is holding at 15' or so, then your ledge should work if the bait is nearby,... if the bait isnt nearby then find a drop or ledge, or some other cover on structure nearby relating to that depth. with bait nearby and FISH IT!,. Cover on structure is key, and if your ledge doesnt have any weeds or wood etc. on it,... it may not produce unless the bait is pinned against it Now for lures? I like a jighead with a 3 or 4 inch grub for "testing" drops, the reason i like such a smaller lure is that most fish will hit it, and that will tell me whats down there, if anything at all. And the reason i choose a bottom bouncing lure is that it "feels" out the bottoms topography, giving me a visual. If its a lake that I know bass are the predominent predator. I will throw a jig and pig, or texas rigged worm (size and type determined by conditions) Many anglers will throw a spinnerbait or some other search lure like a crankbait, or chatterbait, and id agree with that in a tourney situation, and I would follow suit,,,, But fishing for fun, id rather get right to canvassing the area,.This also will allow you to feel the subtle differences down there, and possibly stumble onto a sweet spot. But i will fish it "kinda" quickly as to not spend all day on one drop. I cast up shallow about 15 ft away from edges drop, work it to the edge, then pull it over the edge and give the line slack as to allow it to drop straight down while watching the line for any movement, ticks, hits, etc., jig it again, and again, and continue this action till Im satisfied its reached the drops bottom. With all the variables available in fishing ledges and drops? i could almost type out a book. So,.. consider these tips, I hope they help you some

Even those cooler gray days with wind, I miss out there. I know all too well how days can go out there, but whether you catch fish or not, it's always an experience to remember. The smallies are plentiful and the largemouth exceptional. then yet, any species you can catch in Quabbin has the potential to be the trophy of a lifetime. The scenery is unmatched in mass, and the waters clarity rivals any in new england, even sebago! She can be a b****, or a 200 fish a day fishery, glad you 2 did ok on a tough day Congrats on your success

just because it gets confusing considering options at the tackle shop,... some good advice in choosing gear? lures with treble hooks pair with med action gear single hook lures pair with med heavy or heavy gear typically i try topwaters in the am, spinnerbaits in wind, fish docks and weeds in the sun, and fish will spread out on cloudy days. just a few tips hope it works for ya

I use a berkley crosslock snapswivel for spinners and spoons only, and a berkley crosslock snap for crankbaits. Only use this type because they are the strongest and I have yet to have one fail

when i first started skipping i used a old 5' 9 " shimano xl med heavy spinning rod, paired with a wide spooled reel,... worked well and the shorter rod really gave me better control of the skip due to the angle it provided from the tip of the rod to the waters surface. as i progressed in skipping I adopted a pitch/skip technique (of my own design) with a flipping stick. as far as a full on skip with a casting rod i will use a med heavy action with a curado that I have adjusted to be a bit looser that if i was to cast that same jig, just need to thumb the spool a bit more than usual

If this is to be your 1st baitcasting rig, go to a basspro shops and handle a rod with both a right hand retrieve reel, and a left hand retrieve reel I did this many many years ago and dont own a right handed baitcaster, the left handed reel just felt right, and offers me a quicker reaction especially when flipping, skipping, pitching, and for topwaters, or quick striking bass on any lure for that matter Keep in mind that not all reels are offered in a left handed model,.. doesnt bother me though because most shimano's are, and i prefer curados anyways