The Bassman

I buy stuff up when it's on sale................then when it's on sale again I buy more. Probably speak for others on here. Maybe we need a support group thread.

Bass don't have the instinctive ability to pack on weight for the winter. They're opportunistic feeders. @WRB's observation would be the best reason to throw big lures in the fall.

Just saw this. Missed supper, didn't I?

^^^^This. You won't do any better.

I agree with OP. Would add to that Yamamoto Fat Ika. It's been a real eye opener this season. You can even fish it in slop like a frog

I've got a 100B with a Chronarch 50 spool and upgraded handle. Casts as well as anything I own and that includes Aldebaran 50, Chronarch MGL, and Bantam MGL. I can see the benefit of maybe a little quicker retrieve for contact baits but give this reel a little TLC. It's timeless.

I'm working through the holiday. Got blanked last night except for one dink. I'll show those bass. No offerings from me for two days. So there.

Zodias 6'8" ML would be perfect.

I've minimized a lot of my losses by using more Z-Man stuff. One exception is my Yamamoto Fat Ikas. No substitute for them. At nearly a buck a pop I hate seeing those go flying from a jumping bass. As salty as they are I bet they'd spook someone real good if they got hold of one that had been soaking a while.

I had Erwin A Bauer's Bass Fisherman's Bible many years ago. I remember one quote in the lure section where he predicted a revolution in the industry with regards to soft plastics. Quite the prophet.

This coming from someone who's not a tech wiz but clearing cache just means clearing your browser's cookies, not just the site. Regular maintenance.

There's a ton of decent choices available. I see that you're not far from the Kodak BPS. Would be a good hands on place to start.

Lots of toys to play with. That's what makes bass fishing different.

As some have mentioned something like a finesse wacky that falls slowly. Gotta have some wind to throw anything reaction (at least in my experience). You posted this as I was writing. Certainly drives the point home.

You pretty much answered your own question. Feathering is the key word. Again, as in the driving/clutch analogy your thumb will develop a natural ability to ease the lure down. Flipping really doesn't involve any particular settings as you're manually dropping the lure in place. Pitching requires very light settings. I would initially focus on your casting. Looks like you're making good progress.

This has been addressed several times. Regardless the stated strength or brand use diameter as your point of reference. And take those numbers with a grain of salt. Braid is difficult to measure as accurately as mono.

Nice. Would pass for high end JDM.

What I see as I follow this thread is a very good student who is going to excel at this. My bit of advice is to understand that no matter how much one studies technique there's no substitute for experience. It's like learning to drive a straight stick. You develop a natural feel for it. The "educated thumb" comes with time.

Welcome. You're doing better than I did at 14. My bass boat was a pair of old canvas high tops for pushing the pedals on a generic Stingray bike.

You had your lure in the right place at the right time with the right retrieve. It just happened to be PB&J.

A little color in the water and a chatterbait go together real well. Add a breeze and all the better.

I'll never forget wading Sugar Creek by me several springs ago and catching smallmouth with parasitic lampreys attached. I think it occurred on about three fish. They were app. 8-10" long and would come loose when I reached for the fish. Only saw them that one spring.

Had a real productive outing today with the best being this one at probably 5.5 or better. Had a unique sight fishing experience where a duck served as my marker. Apparently a bass took a swipe at her and as she jumped up on the bank I followed with my Fat Ika. Result; one three lbr. with a taste for duck.

Surprised there's not more guys mentioning this. It's all I've ever known as well.

Remember how those flat rubber skirts used to stick together after they dried?