GrumpyOlPhartte

@DogBone_384: Mebbe the western Massachusetts bass are lazier, but I had similar results as you until I tossed one (Monkey Butt 110) and let it sit while I secured my kayak paddle and got clobbered while it was sitting there. (Danged think broke off and stole my lure when I tried to lift it into my yak and I watched my lure swim away! Felt bad for the fish, not to mention my wallet.) Anyway, I found that Bone and Monkey Butt both worked better for me if I let them sit until the ripples disappear, then do a couple of short sweeps (a foot or so) before retrieving. Still haven’t caught anything on a straight retrieve at any speed.

@Ruy Lopez: I feel your pain. Trying to get the yak out a few more times before it gets too cold. Only thing I can say is that air temp fluctuates much more quickly than water temp, but i’m planning on mostly tossing T-rigged worms and creatures and jigs early and if that doesn’t work, I’ll try flukes and maybe chatterbaits. Wish it wasn’t too weedy in the shallows for squarebill. I gotta think weedless or fairly weedless. Early evening I’m going to see what happens with a whopper plopper. (Would love to try swim jigs, but don’t have any that aren’t lead.) let me know how you make out.

Dang! After three years back in the sport, I just purchased my first three bags of 5” Yamasenko worms to try as the waters here in Massachusetts cool down. Not even sure if they’ll be a good fall fishing bait. Didn’t realize I’d need an engineering degree to use ‘em. I was just gonna start with a T-rig and mebbe a 1/0 wacky rig and see what happens. Now I gotta buy a scientific calculator? Sheesh! (Seriously - I think one of the best things about these forums is the wealth of info shared by you guys ... but at my skill level I’m afraid I’m gonna just heave ‘em out there and see what happens.)

@Glenn: Thanx! Works for me. Although I am a little disappointed that all those messages weren't announcements that I'd won something. I'm just glad you're taking care of me much better than Equifax! ?

To the Powers That Be: Didn't want to start a thread since I'm not certain whether your end or my end has an issue, but every time I log in to the Bass Resource site, I receive an e-mail from you folks stating that I've just logged in from a device your site doesn't recognize. The message is innocuous, but a nuisance because I log in several times a day from either an iPod or iPad. These emails are being treated as spam by my email server. I attempted to use a PM to raise this question since I'm not sure it requires a thread; however, that was unsuccessful. Would appreciate some advice/assistance in making this issue go away. Thanks in advance!

Yeah! I'll take a skool of bass any day!

What @Catt and @Munkin said!!! I am guilty of the same ol' habits myself. The weed-infested lakes around here discourage me from throwing anything with more than one hook. Lipless cranks, plugs, surface plugs (even the highly esteemed Whopper Plopper), and wacky or drop shot rigs drive me nuts in the weeds! But last year I found the weightless flukes. Had pretty good (for me) results so now they are part of my arsenal. This year I focused on spinnerbaits and jigs. Yeah, the spinnerbaits collect weeds to a degree, but in the period between the point where they enter the water and the time they get that first weed, they can get a lot of attention. A light jig, if worked v-e-r-y slowly is much more weedless than I thought. And a squarebill used in the spring before the weeds get thick also produces some results. So, I guess I can say I am slowly becoming a more well-rounded fisherman; I prefer to think of it as getting a little smarter. But still I love my creature/worm baits and frogs. I am thinking about leaving them behind this fall and giving jigs and those wacky and drop-shot rigs a serious try.

Hey, @fishwizzard! I gotta admit I am just starting to experiment with wacky-rigged stickbaits and I suck at it. So ... can you tell me how to wacky rig a six-foot anything? I have a chunk of old garden hose all ready but I'll be darned if I can find a hook for it. Sorry! Just couldn't resist but the typo caught my eye and I've been giggling to myself all day trying to imagine a bass seeing a six-foot roboworm drifting down. (I know it was a typo.) And since I have NEVER caught anything on a wacky rig or even a senko, I'm just gonna crawl back under my rock now! (Still giggling!)

I mostly use a kayak too. Really helps at Cheshire for me if I launch from Farnum Road and fish some of the islands. Or, if you launch at the boat launch there are some interesting lily pads directly across the lake (frogs/worms). As for shad patterns, I suspect that they may resemble some of the shiners, minnows, and young fish enough that the bass don't care. I personally just can't bring myself to buy any of the shad patterns. Definitely going to get out this week with the good weather. Won't be long until we'll be inside with lots of time to do research.

@Ruy Lopez: First, quit bragging! Some of us can barely remember being middle-aged. ? I know of no shad in the lakes I fish (Onota, Cheshire, Ashmere, Buckley Dunton). Closest I've found is golden shiners. If you go to mass.gov and search for "Pond Maps", there is a fairly comprehensive list of lakes broken down by district; for each there is a rudimentary topo map and a list of known species plus stocking info (trout). Much is out of date but they are updating. Check out Onota and Ashmere for examples of the updated versions. Never saw a mention of Shad in the local lakes. Hope this helps! (By the way, imitating bluegill with flukes has been productive for me, particularly the Reaction Innovations Sungill. Zoom flukes in baby bass are another option. But most of my fishing is with T-rigged worms.). PM if you wish - we can swap fishing lies and maybe I can answer questions - mostly about how NOT to catch bass in Berkshire County. Art

Hello from the cheap seats of far western Massachusetts! Glad to meet another kayak fishing enthusiast. Hope you're doing better than I am this year. The li'l beggars same to have migrated from my neck of the woods toward your area. I've washed a lot of lures; haven't exactly impressed anyone with my catches.

@J Francho: I never thought of the half hitches. Tried them with the FG knot with less than satisfactory results; they seemed to come loose so I had to learn the rizzuto finish. May have better luck here. Thanks!

Hey! Look at the bright side! The taxidermist can't charge too much to mount those for you. Just make sure he includes the lure in the mount! ?

Heck! I've had days that I'd use that fish to cull! ?

I'm no expert, but I live by the Alberto knot. (Well, there is the FG knot when I'm feeling ambitious, but I prefer the Alberto knot unless I'm using heavy (20-pound or more) leader.) I did have issues similar to those you describe but have found a couple of things that have helped. My personal preference is to use eight to ten wraps up and the same number of wraps back, but there is another thread in these forums where some very knowledgeable guys express varying opinions about that. First, I tie my knot the night before I go out and take my time to ensure the first ten wraps are neat and closely wrapped before I start wrapping back. I want to make sure the second set of wraps overlays the first set. Second, once the wraps are complete, I pull the standing ends as tight as I can, then pull the running ends tight. This seems to make the knot more compact and eliminates slippage. Oh, and for me, the running end of my braid has been problematic since for some reason I have difficulty cleanly cutting the braid close to the knot. I do use a drop of Loctite gel on that end of the knot and it seems to provide a bit of taper to pass through the guides more smoothly and prevent fraying. Lots of varying opinions on that as well. i recommend you do a search of the forums for "Alberto knot" to get a lot of good info. Hope this helps.

My experience is that if I give a little, I seem to get a lot. A couple of guys in a Jon boat saw me catch a couple of decent (1 1/2 - 2 pound) bass from one of my more productive spots and asked what I was using. They were using spinnerbaits with no success. We chatted a bit, swapping lies about how good we were, and I explained the weightless fluke I was using and how I was fishing it. They thanked me, then described how an old roadbed ran the length of the lake and how it meandered from one side to the other. Now this occurred last year, but this past weekend when I was having no luck fishing shallow, I remembered the info they shared and moved out deeper to where I guessed that roadbed was and apparently guessed correctly because I caught three decent fish in less than a half hour. Since I fish from a kayak with no electronics, I would probably never have tried the area they described if they hadn't shared their knowledge. A whole new area of the lake was opened up to me and as the weather here in Massachusetts gets colder, I suspect I'm going to be fishing this area more and more. There seem to be a lot of guys like me who just enjoy bass fishing and enjoy the camaraderie the sport provides. Now if they had been a couple of yahoos in one of those $70,000.00 fishing rockets, I would have told them I was using sardines soaked in panther sweat. My personal experience with that type is that they consider those of us who can't afford the fancy equipment as not being REAL fishermen. Not trying to rant - just relaying my personal experience. I have met a couple of them who were absolutely fantastic, but that doesn't seem to be the norm around here.

Will ya catch fish? Probably. Will ya land 'em? Not so much. Depends on how thick the cover is. If you are planning on fishing lily pads or wood, you could be in trouble if they wrap you up. I've learned from the smart guys that the absolute minimum seems to be 30-lb. and the heavier you go, the better off you will be. Before choosing a line weight, I would recommend you give some thought to the setting in which you plan to fish. Hope this helps!

What @Stan Smith said! Wish I could take credit for this, but I saw it in one of the forums and modified it for my personal needs. I fill the reel with the backer, then go out in the yard with an old 1/2 - ounce sinker (or whatever weight is appropriate for rod/reel), hook with the barb snipped off, and a creature bait. Then I make the longest cast I can reasonably make. To give myself some latitude, I strip a little more line off the reel (approximately half the distance of the cast) and cut the backer at the rod tip. Then I tie on my "good" line at that point. I found the extra length covers the knot when I add the "good" line. It's a little bit of work, but I only have to do it once per reel and it saves a lot of money. I've never gotten to the backer when I fish. I happen to use the creature bait because for some reason, that's the combo I can cast the farthest. Use whatever lure (or equivalent weight) you cast the farthest with a particular rig.

I've seen mixed reviews on Trokar hooks; some folks don't like the way the chisel points tear up the plastic baits. I don't catch enough fish to have that issue, but they are definitely some heavy-duty hooks (in my opinion anyway).

When I bank fish, I always wear swimming trunks and old sneakers or water shoes. Always seems to be a place or two I can't reach from the bank. In the local lakes I've found that even wading out ten feet or so enables me to cast parallel to the shore and work my lures around overhanging brush. Using this technique, I've caught respectable bass that were hanging out in the shade. And, since fall is coming, the lakes will be cooling down and I'm not a fan of sitting in my kayak with cold wet feet, I'm thinking about getting some type of waders to extend my fishing season here in Massachusetts. As @WRB said, safety first. Know the bottom composition of the body of water in which you are wading ... and be prepared to remove an occasional leech if you are wearing shorts or swimming trunks ... and I find this is when insect repellant is a must. Mosquitoes and black flies can make you miserable.

Too much coffee before launching my sit-in kayak!!!!

What @BassNJake said! I avoided mentioning TVs because trying to use a 720p (typically 32" size) TV will not make you a happy camper; however any 1080P will be just fine.

Just a note based on what I've read - you may want to Google "Lenovo bloatware" or "Lenovo crapware" before buying. Real problems a couple of years ago. Supposedly, they have cleaned up their act ... I'd suggest doing the same for any PC you are considering. Most reasonably priced PCs will meet your needs; I'd be more concerned with privacy issues. Hope this helps. One other thought ... you might consider buying a large monitor to connect to your laptop for longer viewing sessions. Inexpensive option to ease viewing issues. I've used as large as 37-inch monitors for graphic work with no problems.

What @WestBranch said. At my age, stability and weight were primary factors ... plus ease of access and kayak storage over the winter. Three years ago I purchased my first kayak and, based on the above criteria (and budget), I was limited to a ten-foot (storage issue), sit-in with large cockpit (lightest with fairly easy access) which has served me well; HOWEVER, now as I get older, that sit-in is getting to be tough, but options are limited. Now I'm not sure where to go from here. I guess my point is that it sounds as though you are really thinking this through, but consider your future requirements as well. Just a thought from an old geezer. Oh, and most of the lakes I fish would choke a pedal- or motor-powered kayak, especially in late summer and fall.

Pee to the leeward side.