BassMaster_1

I haven't really dropshoted at all. My guess if your coming up empty is that something small is taking your bait off the hook. Again, Im not experienced enough to give you a definite answer, but try making sure you have taught line when you set the hook.

Its a short list..... :'( 1) NY 2) PA 3) FL

The flyrod, If your only going to use it only for bass and your new to the sport, go with $60 rod. You will need room to cast, I dont know if your bank fishing or streamfishing. I fly fish for salmon/trout, only done it once for bass early in the season with no luck. But useing a small popper on a pond i can't see you not getting bites. I say go for it!

Is that what you cashed in on for the fish? Or won in a tourney?

I got one! but its not a Bass, it was a Pike.... Fishing my private waters, casting a spinnerbait along the docks. This pike come out of no where to hit my spinnerbait, misses, comes clean out of the water and lands in a boat on the next dock. I had 2 of my buddies there to witness it, Crazy fish!

You best bet it to look for the stumps that offer a little more, example adjacent to deeperwater, or another type of cover. Target the shaded sides of the stumps. Cast beond the stump and reel to it or Drop it right next to it. Bang or deflect it off them this can cause reaction strikes. Spinnerbaits are more of a search bait, once you find out where they are holding move in with a finesse type bait, Goodluck!

roadwarrior.... I live close to great Smallmouth waters (Lake Ontario/Lake Erie) and dont really know much about fishing them. Just look at his picture, thats why!

What do you guys think about Classic Patterns, on OLN? I have about 8 shows DVRed.

Just try to modify your presentation a little, add maybe a feathered treble hook to the back of your crankbait, or maybe add some bait attractant. These could help you get a strike.

Toss it out, they mostlikely hit it on the initial fall. Then you can crawl it back, hop it back or if the water is more on the murkey side I like to shake it. To shake it, cast it out and just bound your rod tip without moving the bait. This works especially well if your sight fishing, just make sure you cast out infront of the fish so you dont spook them. Its pretty exciting to watch the fish sense the bait and shoot over and pick it up. Colors I only throw natural colors (watermelon, june bug, ect)

If your really having trouble ask some of customers if they can point you in the right direction.

I usually fish with a buddy of mine, who I also work with. We talk about everything, from the women, work and mostly fishing. We try to keep the work stuff to a minimum. When Im solo, I talk to myself sometimes, if there is a good strike or I make a good pitch to a small target. Caught my biggest bass by myself.... oh was I talking! When im alone I mostly like to sit and listen to my surroundings, very peaceful and quite. Its very healing!

Thats all I hear about up here(north) is people useing watermelon tube jigs and killing them, I have never had much luck with this. How do you fish them, on the bottom or lift and fall? When your watching your graph, looking for structure would you consider any type of bump off the bottom structure? I mean if there is a realitivly flat sloping point with say a baskets ball size rock, is that enough structure for them to relate to? Or would you look for something with larger rocks? Deep water is very new to me, I did a little last year with some success. Pitching a craw imitation shallow and hoping it down into deeper water or into weeds spots/lines on the point. Didn't have much luck casting cranks though...

upstate NY we have a bird called a Coremerads (Wrong spelling) but there are a water bird that can dive up to 80'. They have bad eye sight and sometimes bite fish that are way too big to eat, leaving the fish with lacerations. The usually habit an island and their crap is very acetic and kills all plant life. They can destroy a good fish population in smaller lakes. A buddy of mine told me about them. I guess they had them bad up at henderson harbor (Lake Ontario), hurting the fishing, so a bunch of charter captins went up there and blasted them. Some rich bird watcher put up a $1500 reward and someone turned them in.

I am also a shore line structure fisherman and Im very new to fishing deepwater structure. What are you looking for when you are fishing deep? How do you know where a good spot is? Where do you start and doesn't searching for structure waste time?

I seen this rig in the latest BassPro catalog, in tourney situations is this legal?

It use to be just catch atleast one bass, but with more experience this isnt a problem anymore. Now its just being out there, the water has a way of melting away all lifes problems. It can also be a great time to go out there and just get some personal time by yourself... usually thats when the fishing is best and no one is around to see it haha!

Thats all I have to say is WOW! This post caught my attentionbecause I was just complaining to my wife and then my fishing buddy how sore I am from fishing 12hrs this weekend. My back, shoulder, side, elbow(tendonitis), forearm all sore and here I am 26yr olds. Then I start reading this post, and it sounds like I have it pretty good... I use to be a 3 sports varsity athlete not too long ago and here I am sore from fishing.... I think my body is trying to tell me something! For all of you that are down and out, please get better and get out there!

I think I have the same pair that zebco, Strikeking cheap($10) glasses from walmart. I had another pair that I spend $60 on, they are currently at the bottom of the boat launch near my house. The ones I have now I like more than the more expensive ones. My buddy has the same pair that I lost and I can't tell any difference in quality. What I like better is the fit, the lenses on my cheap one come around my face more, shelding out the light from the sides. Which helps alot! I haven't experimented with the color lense, so I can't help you there. I use to never wear them and got by pretty good without them, anything was a step up. So I think I will stick with the cheap ones, I would rather lose cheap o's than a good pair. More money for new tackle! ;D

Seems that no matter where you are everyone is about the same. Except your chances are much better down south to get a monster.

How new are you, a year? a few months? I would atleast get the fundamentals down before you get into a club. Once you feel you have that a club is probably the best thing you can do to get knowledge to know what to use and when. I have been fishing all my life so I have a pretty good knowledge base. I do alot of reading and studying, and pick up alot from this site. I look forward to when I am able to join a club, because then you learn what other peoples strenghts/ go-to baits are.

you got all the tips you need... now pray to the fish gods.

Rockbass?

WOW! amazing... before you go can do this on a regular bases, check your local regs. I know here in NY that is illegal. But the look on the kids face is priceless... I know rapala makes a good looking bluegill bait. Where are you from?

Western NY huh? Im from Rochester so, you know the deal. Biggest bass I have caught was 24inchs 5#12oz, according to the digital scale I have. But I think its off anywhere from a half a lb to 1lb. I weighed my buddies 10# downrigger ball and it was 9#. Anyways it was big! I got it in late August, wish it was early April, full ov eggs. My dad dropped one at the boat that I guess was one of those once and a life time fish, upper 8's or 9's. Heartbreaker!!