Tw3ak

These canals are full of grass so while I agree with almost all above. I would add chatterbait and rattletrap because these are top "grass" baits. If your hitting submerged grass you'll catch fish. Also I love a swim jig in the more remote canals as trees overhang the water and they skip well.

Obviously adjustment must be made. However, a cost effective tournament where we level the playing field. The simple idea is make the " angler" the focus .in a perfect world same gear boat and lures new lake start from scratch. I live in a state where retired guys that used to fish big stuff. Guide now and fish every little tournament they are pro for all intensive purpose 99% of the time they cash a check. They don't work a 9 to 5 job.

The idea is to eliminate the extreme cost associated with tournament fishing. And eliminate the advantage that money gives. Make it a brain power deal. I fished b.a.s.s. for years. Spent too much money made state classic over and over. The more I spent the better I did. Not fair to the family One of my favorite formats I've seen was megabucks, after the first period of the day everyone was fishing used water. You had to be smart to get fish to bite behind other anglers.

The idea for the 25lbs of gear actually came from early bass tournaments. Tournaments at the pro level are one thing. Unrestricted. At the friends level local we all tend to get sucked into the competition and spend way more than we should . its not fair to our spouse or kids. No pre fishing expense minimal lures and rods .... I can make due with three rods two baitcasting and one spin.... With adjustments by season

1. Total weight of gear rods and tackle 25lbs. 2. Boat will not exceed 16ft. 3. Maximum 50 HP 4. Draw lake destination morning of tournament. 5. No electronics. Ok. Fire at will. LoL

Take line size with a grain of salt. I've walked 20+ sacks of bass in gin clear lakes with 65 pound braid tied direct. Fished Carolina with an ounce sinker for smallmouth in water you could see the bottom 65 ft. Down. Power fishing works in clear water too. Don't cut yourself short.

Fish a fluke fast on the surface, use a red hook simulate blood. If you are fishing fast because of clear water they don't get a good look. Trick worm is great weightless too. Run the worm an inch up the line Texas style then zara spook it

I found that often in weedy lakes that i find myself fishing more vertical hop a time or two. Then retrieve and short pitch again. Taking care to line watch and countdown to the bottom. This works from the deep lakes of the north to the shallow weed choked lakes of the south. Smallmouth, largemouth or spot.

First of all , topwaters are awesome in Clearwater lakes. Second jerkbaits and swimbaits as well. Hair jigs. Make long cast on windy days and burn a spinnerbaits fast just under the surface over submerged weed beds. Carolina rig a one ounce and reach those walls with a big 10 " worm. Senkos wacky style on slack days try fishing early and late or after dark

My friend a Carolina rig with a one ounce or larger sinker make those long cast to deep water fan cast the area and find rock piles and sunken trees that hold those summertime bass. Try different plastics till the bass answer you. I shore fish a ton . it works !!!! For shore bound fisherman.

Anything is possible. Remember braid is not like mono or fluorocarbon. Knots only test out approximately 50% of line test. Also quality of braids vary widely between brands. Fishing reeds in Florida they cut you off using even 65# test braid. There is no simple answer. I would only drop below 50#test where casting distance required it. In reeds I only use gamma hollow core braid 16 strand as I've never been cut off using it. I use 50# sunline braid or samurai when fishing edges and docks walking the dog retrieve. Visibility of the line has never been an issue for me.

Let the fish tell you what they want. Don't get caught up in what's normal for a given situation. The most important advise I can give regarding jig fishing is use line you can see be a line watcher. And when they bite reel in till you feel them then set hard..

You know a lot has been said about flipping pitching and punching my two cents is I can't wait for my first 10ft flipping rod actually I might actually make a 14-footer since I don't fish tournaments anymore I can flip so quietly I'm very good at pitching and punching but there are times when I'm flipping when it is so critical to be quiet flipping not pitching is the only way to go I'm not talking just about lure entry into the water I'm also talking about boat noise I won't use a trolling motor I Pole around quietly I wear camouflage and sneak around I've got some real monsters doing this Florida has many Clearwater ponds and Pitt's in the Fisher real skittish some days it doesn't matter you can pitch and be just fine but when the water is slick and the sky is high Bluebird days these big bass can be super skittish that's when I want a flipping stick I also like the sixteen thread Hollow braid because it doesn't make noise sliding through the grass and the Reeds won't cut it off we have Reed's here 12 or 15 feet above the water and pockets of water way back inside where they spawn I can reach those with that super long flip stick so just call me or Tule Dipper right there with mr. D

If I can't make it I don't fish it..... That's how I killed the lure hoarder in me. I accidentally stumbled on to a better mouse trap. My home made chatterbait style lures have a major advantage to me. I throw them on top of the slop and fish them like a frog, then keep retrieve going all the way back without a mustache. Haven't been able to do that with a zman lure ever.

Im a power guy. I carry two rods sometimes three bank fishing. Cranks cost alot so I don't throw from the bank because I can't retrieve. Exception traps. New water I love a Carolina rig with an ounce sinker. Its the poor mans depth finder. And structure finder. I fish it fast to find cover and fish. Bonus I usually cast further from shore than anyone so only boat guys share the offshore stuff I find. Big football jigs and biffle bugs add to arsenal

Observations from pay to fish ponds. First year all fish caught were tagged. And moved to new pond. Next year bass were continued to be tagged. And moved. Third year very few bass were caught and moved. Pond drained, 55% fish remained never caught once.

Fall is baitfish time! Swimbaits, bucktail jigs that imitate baitfish. Big jigging spoons and crankbaits.

Nothing wrong with a ten ft rod. Too many desk jockeys here. I see many places where I could use a 10 or longer rod to catch fish otherwise unobtainable. Tall reeds up and over quietly. Deep inside green trees overhanging the water. Not to mention special purpose shore fishing for long cast. Or great lakes spinnerbait. Or ledge cranking. Or float n fly smallmouth. Approximately ten ft longer cast for each additional ft of rod. Example 75 yd cast for 8 ft rod would be 85 yd cast 9 ft would add additional. 3-4 ft depth.

My only point was 1. A jig is almost indestructible. As im skipping trees not docks.very thick and close to the water. So I used cheap mono as so many branches cause for unavoidable collisions . I m not advocate any specific lure to catch fish. Just the economic choices to save cash. As for rods I use a med hvy rod because now I use braid with a soft tip. When they hit I reel down till I feel them then set the hook. I like braid as I can linewatch. My choice of big game was for economic reasons. .changed lines daily 20lb trilene big game. About 25 cents a spoolfull. I like 200 series reels 7.1 or faster.

My 2 cents. If your trying to learn to skip with a baitcaster, save yourself $$$$ . use cheap mono , buy a bulk spool. Leave all other rods at home. Get some living rubber jigs with hand tied skirts and superglue the trailer on. Have at it. Trying to pick out backlashes in braid is a nightmare. And expensive too.