FishDewd

See, that's just terrible.... why even keep most bass? I've eaten bass before, they aren't the tastiest thing to eat. Frankly, I'd prefer catfish, perch, flounder, redfish, and carp over bass if I want to actually eat fish. Bass for me is just more of a challenge because I'm not too well versed in the types of finesse fishing required to catch them. Plus, my rod set-ups are not exactly the best for finessing: good backbones, but since most of my rods are more for inshore/meaty fighting fish like carp and catfish, they lack the tip softness to really work cranks, spoons, and whatnot to effectively catch bass. Sometimes I can get lucky though and find a rhythm that works. Poaching is the reason I haven't opened up my pond publicly. I have a pond that's around an acre in size, oval, always holds water well, and is very open without much bottom debris to get tangled on. It is primarily a catfish pond, but there are some perch in there as well as a small population of asian silver carp that I can't catch that help to keep the water clean. It wouldn't be too hard to get the pond stocked by TP&W but unless someone could sit there all the time and watch people, poaching would pretty quickly wipe out my little pond. People need to learn some respect for nature and self control... keep enough to feed your family for that night, but yeah... wiping out a pond intentionally is just.... gah that bugs me lol. I know of several places around here that has been stocked with adult fish by TW&P, but I also know that people go overboard and go catch-crazy. Which is partly why most people can't catch any nice fish there anymore. So I hear you on that front!

I have a Royale Legend that I use all the time on a Lew's rod... at some point I need a softer rod, but those Kast Kings are great for the money. Mine will outcast my Abu Garcia on the same pole and set-up. Plus I can throw light baits with it, like unweighted senkos. Just takes some careful tuning to do it.

Oh, I forgot about my Savage .22 LR, and my Browning BL-22 LR rifles!

I can't figure out how to actually attach an image on here... no IMG tags and it says 1.46 MB only. o.O Not gonna bother... I can provide a list though. Mossberg 500A 12 Ga. 18" barrel, pistol grip- bedside defender. Remington 870 20 Ga.- varmint gun, has a 3 lb. sport trigger and 10 shell mag tube extension upgrades, as well as an adjustable butt stock and pistol fore grip (just cause I felt like it) Remington 870 12 ga. 28" barrel- general hunting shotty A few other assorted 12 Gauges. Winchester 30-30- only 6 rounds ever shot through it (4 of which by me :D) Revelation .410 Colt .45 Peacemaker- don't shoot it cause it's a first gen frame and barrel with a 2nd gen cylinder, I don't trust it to shoot it, but it looks nice. I would sell this one though. Ruger New Vaquero .45 colt- I do shoot and sometimes carry this one in a carry lite quick-draw holster. Beretta PX4 Storm type F 9mm- open carry gun. Taurus PT40 G2 .40 S&W- conceal carry gun. Bersa .380 ACP "pre-firestorm"- is actually the "Thunder" model they made prior to releasing the Firestorm model, has all the features of an early Firestorm, but it's actually a Thunder. Rare little pistol- another conceal carry gun/lives in my car. S&W M&P .38 spl. 1st gen- this one needs a new barrel. Think that's all of them... One day I'll add a Saiga 12 ga. to my collection, and likely a few more pistols too.

Well, weather was good today, mid-70's, so I decided to try to do a little fishing. Since I didn't anticipate a great deal of action, I went to an standby- a local state park that usually has some bass and catfish. Today was mostly a trial day, cause as you may know, I had a lot of issues with snagging and whatnot. So I tried some different things, with reasonably good results! I caught 3 fish total- 1 little pounder bass (which ties my PB :P) and a couple of little 10" catfish. I missed one good bite that I presume was a large catfish. My set-ups was one modified slip float rig on a spincast that I allowed to drift along with the current- this one had a nibble or two but got nothing on it. My other rigs were more productive. I had a finessing rig set-up on my Lew's spinning reel/rod and alternated between weightless and carolina rigged baits/lures. I got the small bass on a makeshift Ned rig with a 1/8th standup jig head on my second to last cast of the day. Yay! First time I ever used the old Ned rig, and turns out it does actually work! Even if the Finesse TRD I used was the pink bubble gum color, lol. The water is so murky at the park I guess they preferred it to the larger mudbug colors I have in hula sticks and Big TRDs. The other lures I used had less results, but I did snag a catfish on a green pumpkin Zoom Magnum Lizard that I weedless carolina rigged with a 5/0 offset worm hook. The other I caught on a modified Kentucky drop shot rig, the modification being that I added a very small oval shaped peg float to the drop loop so it would hold it at a certain distance and not get tangled. I basically let this one and the slip float do their own thing while I worked the various finesse rigs that I tried. I missed one catfish while finessing though... looked over and saw the kentucky pole bending over and pulling off drag, but by the time I got over there to set it, the fish had taken the bait and ran. So, I'm figuring out this finessing stuff to not get snagged, and that's all that's important. I have a planned trip to an appealing location soon as weather gets more consistent, so I'll be ready at least! Can't wait! Come on, weather!

Navionics huh? Wonder if it covers waterways closer to my area... I'm definitely going to have to read through this thread more one of these day.

I'm not far from Louisiana... I too was going to try to go fishing this weekend, I am thinking sunday since that will give the waters a day or two to warm up steadily. Not that I'm a master bass fisherman, but I was going to rig one pole with soft baits like senkos and creatures... weightless or rigged I'm not sure yet. I think a zoom shad may be the ticket if I can emulate it dying. Figure I'll start weightless and go from there. Another pole I will set up with cranks, spoons, or my chatterbait. Alternate between the two doing slow finessing and see what happens. Plus I will have my smaller rod set up with a float and let it drift along looking for hungry catfish while I work the others.

My EDC is either a Taurus PT40 G2: .40 S&W, a Beretta PX4 Storm type F: 9mm, or a Bersa Firestorm: .380 ACP. This one is generally the one that lives in my car. I do have a few revolvers, but they are mostly for shooting in the back yard, or if I want to look good at a gun show. For example: My Ruger Vaquero in .45 colt. For EDC guns, I like to be able to conceal them in case I go to a place which frowns upon open carry, or if I just don't feel having everyone see it. Usually I do go concealed. So I don't like EDC weapons like 1911s and most revolvers.

I'm a Texas LTC holder, I always have at least one gun in my car, if not on my person. Here's my personal rules: If at a public park, it stays in my car, but I have a knife handy somewhere on me/in my bag. If I am walking around somewhere new, like a river or stream, doing some banking, it's mounted in a holster at my side, but generally concealed from view. If nothing else, for protection against wild animals. If I am on a boat, it'll be either on me somewhere or in the glovebox of the boat. If there are kids on the boat, I will lock the gun and carry the key to it on me.

I have a feeling I cast somewhat backwards to a lot of right handers. When I watch videos of people casting "right handed" reels, they seem to cast from their left side; if using a baitcaster they use their right hand to control the spool, while on a spinning reel they use their right fingers to hold the line on a cast. For me, this doesn't work well. I cast over my right side, with my right hand on the butt, and my left hand controlling the spool with a baitcaster, or left hand holding the line on a spinner. Then use my right hand to reel it in while I move my left downwards to settle in. It doesn't feel right if I try to do the opposite, doesn't matter if I am using a baitcaster or a spinner. I've tried leaving spinning reels in left-hand retrieve mode, but it feels awkward to me reeling that way. With spincasts I hold the button with my right thumb, and that's my power hand, but then I still retrieve right handed. Not sure how normal this is, or are there others that do this?

I haven't heard about that, I'll definitely look into that gizmo, thanks! As far as line goes... I use any of them at a given time depending on what I am doing. Lately for my spinning type reels, I have gotten to where I really like to use a P-line co-polymer mainline because it seems to give me a nice blend between the properties of mono and fluorocarbon. I like that its the same strength as mono, but doesn't have the stretch or the memory that straight mono does, and that it sinks like fluorocarbon and maintains a small profile. I do prefer to run lower strength line on these, but given that I tend to snag maybe I should upgrade from a 12 pound to like a 20 pound or so. Sometimes I will run this straight to the lure, or sometimes I will attach it via small swivel to fluorocarbon or lighter mono, depending. If I am exclusively catfishing I will upgrade this to a 20 pound mono since visibility isn't an issue with catfish. My baitcasters run exclusively a braided mainline. My low profile reel runs a 20 pound Spiderwire EZ Braid, and I run a 50 pound version on my Abu Garcia and Penn reels. I normally only do a 12-20 pound leader line with these. They do break less than the spinners, but probably because the lines are stronger, and I don't finesse these as often. Though sometimes the casters are more useful for finessing, just depends on what I want to do of course. I've gotten some practice on my pond with skipping some texas rigged weightless lures, so maybe I can use that for some brush areas to pull out a bass or two. I really do prefer catfish though. I it very possible that I yank them too hard when snagged, that's an excellent point I'll keep in mind. I come from mostly a pond-lake background so I have to learn to adapt to rivers and streams a little more. There is a ton of bayous and streams around me... I've been looking at some spots along Chocolate bayou and Clear Creek that I think may be promising. I found an interesting spot on Clear Creek where two section of the stream converge in front of a park in Friendswood. There might be an eddy there where a big, fat 'ole fish may be sitting or hiding out. Could be a nice hole. I'll check that out for sure when the weather gets a bit better. Possibly could be some decent fishing days coming up in the next week or so to check out a few places.

Yeah... I've seen that page too. Several of those places don't even show up on GPS, so I have no idea where they even are. Archer Lake is anything but a lake last I checked. Next closest is Thurman, but I didn't have any luck there when I tried. Didn't see anyone else bank fishing either. Chocolate bayou is always an option, so long as I avoid the highway sides because we had a fisherman get murdered fishing from a bridge there not too long ago. But it's a heck of a stretch down that bayou... no idea where to start with it. Be nice if there were maps showing depth and currents of waterways here, but I've never found any.

So lately I am having no luck catching anything whatsoever; the ones I do catch are really small and not keepable. As much as I enjoying fishing, I feel like I am doing something very wrong, or simply have terrible luck. I mostly fish ponds and creeks. Occasionally lakes or rivers if the opportunity arises, but that's rare, and I've never had any luck fishing from lakes or rivers. The weather here has been pretty good lately, so on warmer days when I see the catfish in my own pond jumping or making ripples, I try a few local spots hoping to catch something larger than what my pond currently has. Plus, my pond cats are spawning and I don't want to bother them until spring time. I hate to ask this, but I need to find some spots worth fishing at. I've tried all the local parks... once in a blue moon I can actually catch something, but typically I watch others catch stuff, or simply hear rumors that "yeah, that place has nice bass and/or catfish!", but never catch anything notable myself at those locations. Never had a keeper anyway, ever. I've tried every rig, every bait or lure imaginable... I am really discouraged and about ready to just give up on fishing and just buy my eating fish at the fish market, or just eat the cats in my pond. I prefer fresh ones I catch obviously, cause they just taste much better than the fish market. Another issue I have is snagging. NO matter what I do, I will find the ONE SNAG underwater that costs me my term tackle, or my floats, and fishing trip is over for me. Supplies are not cheap, and it makes me angry when that happens. I am seeking spots where there are actually fish to catch, that don't have hidden snags, sticks, rocks, or aeration hoses to catch on, since "weedless" setups do not seem to work for me. If anyone lives in my area, or near it, and knows some places to go that aren't too far away, I'd appreciate a tip or two. Not looking to steal anyone's spots (since I am apparently very unlucky, it's unlikely I'll do any damage to your fishing hole anyway lol), I just want somewhere I can catch 1-2 nice fish and call it a day. I am also looking for a fishing buddy or two... that know what they're doing, if anyone is interested. I hardly think I am totally incompetent since I do a lot of research on techniques, seasons, temperatures, etc, and have actually been fishing for most of my life, on and off... but obviously I need to change something I do, whether it's my rigs, where I fish at, or how I fish. I don't have a boat either, I am purely a bank fisherman. I'd get a kayak if they weren't outrageously priced. Any advice or tips would be great.

Sounds like me with fishing in general... all I really know to fish are public park ponds, cause I don't know where else to go. The information online is skint to non-existent for my area. It is really frustrating. I go to places where I know bass are... I caught one at a local park just a few weeks ago, my first (and I am guessing very last at this point) bass on a weightless senko while finessing in a cove through some bush and debris. Naturally, it wasn't even close to keepable, which tends to be my curse if I am fishing anywhere else other than the catfish/perch pond in my backyard. What's more frustrating is when there are other people fishing in the same area as you, similar rigs and same baits as you, and they manage to catch things while you skunk out. It's quite infuriating actually lol. A few weeks ago, I caught my first bass (idk what kind it was, skinny smallie I think), and a catfish within 20 minutes of being at the spot, with a senko. Then I went over to the dock where my stuff was (I should've put it at the bench where I was actually fishing, lesson learned), and while I was putting on a different lure, a family came up and spot bombed me. Literally within 2 minutes, this 6 year old little kid pulled a monster catfish out of the water from literally 1 foot off the bank, right where I was fishing. Ha, figures. Seems like the people who don't really know what they're doing catch the good ones in public parks.

Lack of sensitivity? That's really hard to believe... I have several Ugly Stiks ranging from UL-lite 5' poles that are as old/older than I am, up to a newer medium-heavy GX2 that I use specifically for my ABU C4. The GX2 is definitely less sensitive than the smaller, traditional Ugly Stiks, but I can still feel the difference between a crawfish and a perch bumping at my bait. You shouldn't be relying on the pole anyway, but using the line to feel what's happening as you reel in. For sensitivity, I will go with one of my smaller poles. I have a 5' 6" lite pole that has caught it's fair share of catfish and perch over the years, often bringing up fish much too big for what it's really for. It's sensitive enough that I spool it out 40 feet, get a friend to rub the line near the bait end, and I can hear the pole singing from where I'm holding it. It's plenty sensitive, especially for what it costs. Hard to beat. I like them cause I know they won't fail me. Edit: I use mine for tasks ranging from float fishing (I like slip floats) to bottom rigs, like drop-shotting, and occasional jigging. The lighter action ones work well with cranks and spinners for me, just need to use a gentle touch. I am not well versed in these lure baits though, so I am still working on my technique. Not much bass fishing here though.

The rear drag has a screw that allows me to remove the drag cap. I haven't actually tried depressing that screw. The spool cap on the front does have a button that I think is supposed to release the spool but doesn't. Basically what it appears to do is to spread the two ends of the pin that is there, thus releasing it from the shaft. I'll try just a bit of PB blaster and see if that breaks it loose. I am pretty sure at this point it's just stuck and needs some extra help.

Thanks. I was looking at that earlier actually to try and determine if whether there is something else holding it on. It looks like there could be a little cross pin in the shaft just behind where the spool sits, presumably to set the spool depth. Could be that or something else causing it to stick. But I am correct in thinking that the spool should just pull off after removing the front drag cap, spacer, and shaft pin?

I inherited some old rods/reels last week, and have been doing some maintenance on some of them that were a bit rough. I got a Daiwa SK4050 spinner that's actually in good shape mechanically, but has one slight issue: it has some braided line (about 50 lb. test I'd guess, Spiderwire probably) and I have not managed to get it free. I pulled it up enough earlier to see a small, legit knot that has wrapped around underneath the spool and tied itself together. I have no choice but to remove the spool to remove this trapped line. Problem is, I have never owned a spinning reel with such an apparently complicated spool system! I removed the front cap, washer, and retaining pin... and it won't come off. I have tried all variations of loosing/tightening the rear drag while turning/pulling the spool counter-clockwise. I even tried removing the drag knob cap... no luck. It has no release button or anything that would make the spool come off. I'm clueless, I have no idea. Maybe it just is not removable? Thanks for any advice. Edited: I just noticed the front of the spool cap reads "One touch snap-off spool". Okay, great. Problem is, it doesn't work either. Unless there is some way to set the reel to make it work? I put some oil down the shaft in case it is stuck... no luck yet. Shouldn't be this difficult to remove a spool.