Koz

I do most of my fishing in nearby private lagoons where the fishing pressure is low and 99% of the time I catch something. Yesterday I took my son up to Lake Warren (SC) and we spent 6 hours cooking our butts on a Jon boat and caught nothing. It wasn't for lack of trying. We fished every type of cover out there with every bass rig and lure in our tackle bag. There are tons of log piles, grass, and rip rap there and we couldn't get a bite. We did see some crappie/bream coming to the surface but we didn't have the lures or bait to go after those. That was our choice. If your just out to catch fish and don't care whether they are bass or not my suggestion is to go out and get some nightcrawlers, a hook, and a bobber and throw it out there. You're bound to land some panfish and maybe a bass or catfish as well.

We made the trip up there today, fished 6 hours from a Jon boat - and nothing. Not one bite. We fished just about the entire lake, where you mentioned, and under the piers, docks and overpasses. Went through most of my tackle bag as well. The only thing about having to rent the boat is we can't get it until 8 am, so we miss 2-3 hours of prime time fishing in the morning. It wasn't too hot out today (90 or so) and the Park Ranger said people were catching a lot along shore lately. We fished there and out in the cypress trees out in the middle. The water was calm most of the day, then the wind picked up a little and spent more time jogging the boat than casting (no anchor with the rental). So we packed it in and drove home. I'm not sure if we'll head back up there. Maybe in the fall when everything cools down a little. It was a fun day on the water with my son, but getting skunked left a bad taste. Maybe we should have tried for catfish or crappie/bream instead.

I have the same issue as @MasterBasser with overgrowth along the shoreline. I did buy a big machete and have hacked a few areas clear but it's hot as heck out here and a few weeks ago I angered a wasp while clearing some brush. Gators also nest under the banks in these heavy foliage areas so we have to be really, really careful. Gators are also the reason I'm too scared to kayak fish. If you're cruising around in a kayak or canoe the gators pretty much leave you alone. But even when fishing from the bank if you have a fish on the line and there's a gator around that alligator usually comes at you and your catch full speed. I don't want to experience that on a kayak. I'm pretty sure I'd die or at least lose an arm or leg. Yeah, I know I've had a bunch of comments on here about alligators and it's like beating a dead horse. But they scare the #^@& out of me sometimes and they are a huge nuisance when fishing the lagoons. I need a bigger body of water and a bigger boat.

Just one more cast.... (2 hours later) Just one more cast.....

No. I use the 110 and the 130 with a Pleuger President 40 on a MH Ugly Stick with no problems.

I have the WP's in 90, 110, and 130. To me the biggest drawback of the 90 is that the tail does not always engage right away. Since most of my hits on the 90 come just after splashdown when I engage the lure the lure to me that's a big deal. The smallest weed on the rear treble or the body can also cause problems on the retrieve. That being said, it catches fish. I just bought the 110 yesterday and fished it for a while and I do like it more than the 90. It handles small weeds better and the tail engages immediately. If you bank fish you can throw it far and cover a lot of water. It does land harder than the 90, but I've found that with a low, sidearm cast you can land it a bit more gentle. Occasionally that wraps the line around the front treble. The 110 is my "go to" WP. Don't count out the 130! Although the 110 would be my choice if buying only one, you should consider adding the 130 at a later time. It's big and it's heavy, but I've caught a lot of fish with it with the Bone (I've been shut out on the Loon 130). It's definitely not the type of lure that you want to cast directly at your target because it may scare fish on splashdown. But it's great when you cast past your target, wait, then stop and start as you get to your target area. Get the 110 and you will not be disappointed as it is an "all around" WP top water. At a later time add the 90 and 130 to supplement your arsenal to fish specific locations that have different conditions.

I bank fish only and I think that influences what I toss on a daily basis. I've caught fish on jigs this year, but I don't throw them that often. If I was fishing from a boat I'm sure I'd fish them a lot more. Boom These are the ones that I toss every time I head out. If I don't catch something quick on these I know it's going to be a grind that day. Whopper Plopper 90,110,130 in Bone Texas Rigged Yum Dingers and GY Senko's Bust Swimbaits Crankbaits I've caught one fish each on a swimbait and crankbait this year no matter how I fish them. If fishing is slow on a given day these are usually the last things that I pull from my tackle bag. Now that my son loves to fish this is the first year that I have fished a lot in a while (we probably go out 3-5 nights a week). Not only does that make it fun, but I've caught fish on just about everything this year including jerkbait, jig, frogs, chatterbait. spinnerbait, beetle spin, popper, and trick worm. Biggest bass this summer was 4+ lbs, so the only thing that can make this year better is landing one over 6, even if it's not a PB.

Hands down it's Bone. I have it in 90, 110, and 130 and have caught fish on all of them. I've also caught some on the 90 Munky Butt. I have also a Loon 130 and have NEVER had a strike on that one even though I've thrown it a lot and where I have had lots of action on the Bone WP's.

We took a 40 minute drive to Bass Pro in Savannah yesterday to pick up a few things including a 110 in Bone to go along with my 90 and 130. I agree with others that it is pretty much an ideal size. The 90 is OK if you have a weed free surface, but even then the tail does not engage right away all of the time. Since 50% of the strikes I have had on it occur on the first movement after splash down to me that's a big deal. I do like the 130, but I think that the heavy landing sometimes scares fish away. Anyway, I tossed the 100 last night and I liked the weight on it as the landing was a bit softer than the heavier 130. The tail end engaged quickly and while it shrugged off a small weed or two better than the 90 it's still susceptible to having the tail action stopped if more than that snags the rear treble or the tail. But with the action I get on this lure it's not a deal breaker. I had three fish attempt to hit it last night but only one made contact and I landed that one. Nothing big, it was just over a pound. The fish in that lagoon seem to like the Plopper and I've caught a bunch on the 90 there. I threw the 110 in another lagoon but had zero luck there. It may be a coincidence, but that lagoon has more alligator activity and I've never caught on on any sized Plopper there. I also bought a Booyah Pad Crasher and tossed it in that last lagoon and caught one just under 3 pounds. There's one spot on that lagoon where top waters work very well as the sun sets. But when I landed that fish a 6 foot gator came over and camped out in that area and ruined the night. This gator is a real nuisance. When we fished that lagoon earlier I was on the bank at the end of a point and I saw this gator approach. Rather than approach in open water I saw him hug the bank and try to sneak up on me through the weeds. He was in ambush mode so we left and fished another lagoon. When we came back to that lagoon later in the evening we fished atop the railroad ties about 5-7 feet off the surface of the water depending upon the location. After I landed that fish on the Booyah he hugged the railroad ties waiting to ambush. Then he kept slamming into the railroad ties and at one point lifted himself out of the water and crashed into the side. We weren't near him at that time and had already released the catch far away from him. I'm sure some idiot has fed him their catch and that's why he got aggressive. Anyway, so far I like the feel of the 110 better than the 90 and 130. I'll keep fishing it and hopefully will land something with more significant size.

I've been using a black/blue Z-Man with a dark green grub and chartreuse tail. After letting it fall I set me speed when I first feel the thump-thump-thump of the blade. Hits are mostly on a steady retrieve, but occasionally I pause and then rip a few cranks so it changes direction, then go back to my original retrieve speed.

A few nights ago I caught a 2.5 pounder on a chatterbait with a grub trailer. Not huge, but for the small lagoons I fish a good sized catch.

I agree - if you want to catch bigger fish try bigger bait. The first thing I'd try is a big ol' Senko type worm Texas rig and wacky rig. Both pumpkinseed or a dark black/blue with blue flakes work for me. Then I'd throw a jig with a craw trailer. Sure, there are other baits to throw, but these two are pretty universal to catch bigger bass. What baits have you been using?

Simple solution - go buy a machete. We have the same issue here with dense growth making many parts of our lagoons on a defunct golf course inaccessible. It's not fun to be out there in the blazing heat hacking away and I always have to be on the lookout for gators in the brush, but it has helped open up some spots to fish. As for the iBobber, I'm on the fence. Here are a few pros and cons: Cons Attracts alligators like crazy. It hits the water hard (probably scares some fish) and the gators go full speed at it. This is the main reason why it's seen limited use when I fish. Very frustrating. Limited 100 foot range so it's hard to see the structure and fish out in the middle of the lagoons where bass may be gathering in the summer heat. Since most of our lagoons are only 5-12 feet deep the sonar cones is fairly narrow if you're trying to live target fish. Pros Less expensive than the other portable units. When you use the function to map the bottom it does a good job of showing depth changes, drop offs, depressions, channels, and weed beds. Knowing where the drop off was on one lagoon gave me a target area to cast and I landed a 4+ pounder in that very spot. I can't say about rocks or other structures because we don't have those features in these man made lagoons. Just remember that with the narrow cone in shallower ponds and lagoons you're going to need to do a lot of casting to get a complete picture for one section of a pond or lagoon. You can take a snapshot of the sonar maps that you create and I probably need to do that more and tag the information in the app to recall it later. It seems to do a pretty good job, but the truth is I just haven't used it enough. I'd rather be fishing than casting that thing out and watching my phone screen and I got tired of having to reel it in quick so a gator wouldn't eat it. A few times we put it out there on a spare line and tried to fish around it but it got to be a pain because it was breezy that day. I also didn't have the patience to keep looking at my phone while trying to fish. A better solution might be to bring a tablet and then set the tablet up on a tripod with a hood so you can fish and glance at the screen. I think that if you're willing to put in the time and effort it can be a useful tool, especially for mapping out the ares that you fish. But I found it to be a pain to have to dig into my pocket, grab my phone, and try to live target fish at the same time. What they really need to do is pair the app with Google Glass. That would be an interesting combination.

I have a similar lagoon where I fish in SC. Once the weather heated up all of the fish we were catching within 20 feet of the bank disappeared. I could see some activity out further than a "normal" cast. Max depth in this lagoon is only 10 or 11 feet so it wasn't a deep hole. So I took out my Whopper Plopper 130 (Bone) and bombed some casts way out there and was able to get some strikes and bring them in. It wasn't as much as we were catching earlier in the year, but it was something. The Plopper lands so hard that far out it may scare some bass as well. Another thing we did was work our way around the lagoon again and we found a few pockets along shore where we previously had no luck. To the naked eye most of the cover around the lagoon looks the same, but my guess is that these areas offer a little more shade or are better oxygenated than the spots where they were in the spring. Occasionally we also pull out the iBobber, not to look for fish but to map out any weed beds or drop offs. But it's range is limited and I'm too impatient out there. I'd rather fish than cast that thing around and then stare at my phone.

Have you caught anything on that? I haven't had one strike on my Loon 130. I find that odd because the Bone 130 gets hit all the time, no matter the time of day or the water condition. I also get hits under all conditions with the Munky Butt 90. But not one strike on the Loon.

I loved the Pflueger Trion combo I bought a few years back. That pole broke this year and now I have that reel on another rod. I also upgraded my primary reel to a Pflueger President this summer. One thing that I would suggest is that if you're bank fishing choose a bigger reel (35 or 40 size). Yes, they are heavier and you feel it late in the day, but the ability to cast further comes in handy fishing from the bank.

The first thing I try and do is move down or around the bank and see if I can free it from a different angle. Although I haven't tried this with braided line, if I get snagged I've had success by putting a glove on my hand then wrapping the line around the glove to get the line taught, then pull slightly. If the line stretches I wrap some more and pool slowly. More often than not I can pull the lure free that way.

Dynamite and a net. Works year round in any weather conditions. Nah, just kidding. Weightless Senko is the most consistent producer for me although lately I've been seduced by the Whopper Plopper.

Happy about the swag, but unhappy that his favorite Yankee prospect, Blake Rutherford, was traded to the White Sox last night. We met him earlier this year and he invited us to come up to see him again and hang out. Trip was planned for the end of the month but now he's traded. #BaseballLife

The problem appears to be an SSL issue. That might be in the server configuration, but in some cases it may in fact be a web browser issue if you are using Mozilla Firefox. Firefox is notorious for having problems connecting to some SSL setups. It might help Glenn if everyone reported what type of browser they are using to see if there is a pattern. It might also help if everyone reported what time the problem occurred so he can compare that with server load logs.

Living here in the south it's common to get thunderstorms almost every evening during the summer. If we see any lightning or thunderhead clouds we pack it in right away. I also have the Weather Channel app on my phone and have it set to alert me when there is lightning in the area. It's simply not worth the risk.

Most of the action I have had on the 130 is to cast, let it sit for one second, give it a quick pop, let it sit for another second, then start my retrieve. The hit comes as soon as I start the retrieve. I've never had a hit on the 130 midway through a steady retrieve, but on the 90 that happens all of the time.

We got our All Star Game swag from Wilson Ball Gloves today: Two shirts, a cap, and a bobblehead of Shigeaki Aso. No, Aso isn't an MLB pitcher from Japan. He's Wilson's Glove Guru. He's a Master Glove Maker, responsible for many of the Wilson models. If you're a top MLB ballplayer that wears the Wilson brand and your glove needs new laces, replacement leather, or you're breaking in a new glove he'll fly out to your city and work on your glove. Anyway, it was a cool gift package - but it's not the A2000 glove my son was hoping for. I'll have to try and come up with another creative photo and see if we can win the big prize in the future. FWIW, I've entered this #WilsonWednesday giveaway 5 or 6 times before and this is the first time we won anything. We did win an MLB Play Ball shirt and gift package last year.

That's a good way to look at it. I hadn't thought about that. When I first tossed the 130 I thought it was too big, but it produced almost every time out. I'm not sold on the 90 because on long casts it doesn't always engage the prop right away and I usually have to go tip up on the rod to get it started. That may not happen with a baitcast when you stop the line before hitting the water. I might have to try that on my spinning reel.

This evening my son and I were fishing a place we call "Hidden Lagoon" because it's 60 yards inside a dense tree line. Other than a two ten foot wide spots the trees are so dense you can't get to the shoreline. It's like casting out of a phone booth through French Doors. The area I was fishing was tight with a tree canopy hanging only 12-15 feet high that stretches 15 feet over the water. You can barely peek at the sky through the tree canopy. I rigged up my Bone Whopper Plopper 130 and on my third cast, just as I start to reel in, something overhead catches my eye. Within seconds a huge Red Tailed Hawk swoops down to the water and grabs my trusty lure in his talons. He starts to fly away with it and I notice his huge wingspan. Thankfully he only got 5 or 6 feet off the water and either the hooks or the tension on the line made him drop the lure. It was a pretty spectacular sight! I should have taken that as a sign. On what I planned to be my last cast of the evening with my new favorite lure I heard the telltale snap of the line and my beloved lure went sailing across the lagoon and landed about 15 feet from the opposite shore. There's so much dense foliage there on shore and over the water (that's why I casted in that direction) there was no saving it. With any luck I'll find it blown up on shore somewhere in the future. Other than that it was a great day fishing. I caught 7 largemouth ranging from 1 - 3 pounds. What was even better was that I caught them on a range of baits including jig, a spinner, a trick worm, and a Yum Dinger. Oddly enough, I caught nothing on a Whopper Plopper today.