Brad in Texas

So many good ideas listed here. I'd only add what has already been said by several posters and that is to start on the finesse end of things, purchase lighter jigs employing smaller plastic trailers, and learn with these first: rigging the plastics, presentation, where to present it, feeling the bite, setting the hook. I suppose someone could learn with a 1 oz. jig, just a bit harder I think. I'd also start with short and up-close presentations, pitching into tough areas, banks with sharp fall-offs. I'd add any longer casting last. Colors? Three, I think: green pumpkin, black & blue and a final one with plenty of orange in it. And, the plastics don't have to match the jig color. It is quite okay to put a black and blue trailer on a green pumpkin jig. Too, something similar I am experimenting with called a "slither rig" and I see several makers of these . . . it is simply a tungsten bullet weight with an attached skirt. It is generally pegged with a rubber stopper up above the weight so it is all held together, then you add whatever hook you prefer, whatever plastic. The supposed advantages? Penetrates mats better with slightly lighter weightings, a bit more weedless, and since the hook isn't fixed to a weighted head, it seems to set hooks a bit easier, sort of kicks or flares on a hook-set and sticks the fish a bit better. Experimenting! Another post one day soon with results. Best of luck! Brad

So sad to know we, the consumers, are often actually field beta testers for newer products that come out about "half-baked." In the one or two videos making comparisons of the FishHunter and the Deeper, the reviews seem to give a modest technical/functional nod to the former. I actually care a bit less about seeing fish on a screen than all of the other things, contours, cover, structure, temps, etc. Just as an aside, at one point in the Classic coverage, one of the announcers mentioned that Kevin VanDam used his electronic gear solely for these purposes, not to actually spot fish. Of course, he might have had a different comment about it but they were implying that if he could find the right set-up, a particular environment for bass, the bass would be there. Brad

I have a St. Croix 5'6" Medium, Moderate, use it and love it from my kayak or canoe, all finesse applications. A short rod can be a real asset for up close fishing. No, for long casts, I'd want a longer rod. There are no 5'6" QBs in the NFL and there is a reason for that, too. Ha! I wanted to add that if you move away to a rod that loads up a little quicker and deeper, the lifting point then farther back toward your rod hand, the shorter lever creates a lot of power compared to a longer rod. One well known YouTube instructional angler mentioned that he likes that sort of action (more moderate) because the rod is less likely to straighten out and a big bass jump and shake it off. Makes sense and seems to work for me. And, with my short rods, I have that added pitching and short casting accuracy. Anyway, short = more power shifted to the angler who is essentially on the wrong end of the wrench. One does see a ton of longer and longer rods, even a rule change for the pro bass guys as of last year. In many instances, if you look at the big tackle retailers, peruse a make and model, all they offer will be fast, xtra-fast, few rods shorter than 6'6" or 6'8". Good topic! Brad

I suppose a decent analogy would be plants and trees budding out in the spring . . . and seeds set outside according to "average last frost/freeze dates," then we have one more hard freeze. Leaves shrivel, young veggies and annual flowers keel over. The trees and bushes thusly affected do come back. We have to replant the annuals. But, nature has perfected a response to unexpected weather events. For fish, in general the perfected response to unusual weather patterns as they relate to the spawns is fish species generally have early, mid and late spawners. LMBs, for example, don't all come up into the shallows at the exact same time or under the same circumstances. Maybe an add-on analogy is older fish, like older people often like their environments warmer, maybe they wait longer. Anyway, the LMB bass spawn here in Texas occurs over several months on many lakes. *** I want to retain my right to use weather as an excuse, though, whenever I have a bad day. It's an angler's prerogative! Ha! Brad

I'm relatively new here on this fine website and forum, need to learn more about this issue. On one topic recently, can't recall the nature of it, but people were talking about their "favorites" . . . and I mentioned a brand worm or lure that I fish with. Later, when I saw my post, I noticed that the name had been modified with asterisks. I read the rules and am not sure what the issue is or was. And, I'm just an enthusiastic consumer, not a pro staff member or hawking products for compensation. I'll be interested in seeing other responses. Brad

This is "good to know" information about the Lowrance product in this category of fishfinder. It'd swing me back in the direction of buying a Deeper. And, I am really loathe to conduct business with any company that won't respond to customer contacts regarding operational issues. None get much bigger than problems that render a piece of equipment useless. Maybe in short order, Lowrance will straighten things out and start advancing the technology for these toss-able fishfinders! Thanks! Brad

I'd likely list Jimmy Houston as my top TV fishing personality inspiration. He's a fine angler, for certain, doesn't have a big tournament record that approaches, say, Roland Martin or Bill Dance (not many do), but he is one heck of a good teacher and that is a special skill in and of itself. And, like the other two I've named, he is funny and very personable. If you watch Houston's shows you will note that he boils things down to the essentials in a very clear manner. From the anglers with great competitive records side of things, Rick Clunn is very insightful as is Aaron Martens who is a real student of the sport and he is constantly sharing his "latest" ideas and refinements. Brad

I'd also recommend a top-water frog. Stop and listen, watch, too . . . and you will likely see bass coming up and feeding at the surface. Here, in Texas, lakes that have bluegills and pads? One will hear a smacking or "kissing" sound when the bluegills come up to feed at the surface. Lakes where bass actively feed on panfish will find bass nearby to that smacking sound. They follow their food sources and/or else wait to ambush them. If you do see a bass swirl up and hit the surface, cast a frog over and beyond it by several feet, if you get lucky it'll land on a pad and lessen the thud a bit, then drag it up and down over the pads, twitch it, and look for a reaction bite from the same fish. It will not have moved much so the bass will still be in that location. One other very effective lily pad technique is to throw a shad or fluke rigged weightless and weedless up in pads, or even swim it along the edge of other sorts of vegetation. They will generally sink, more or less, and you will be able to cover water at different depths in the water column. Finally, and I think a bit more advanced in terms of technique, spinnerbaits come through some sorts of vegetation really well. You can pull them over submerged grass, toss them into bushes and pads, and they actually perform very well. If you want another moving bait, I'd hang in there and keep trying spinnerbaits to cover a lot of water. Brad

Note, too, that Lowrance bought out a company making these sorts of fish finders. It looks like it has a few additional features, strengths that Deeper doesn't currently offer. Lowrance is a big name so this could end up being a signal, pardon the pun, that there will be a push to optimize these units. For water temp, depth, contour mapping, structure/cover, why not? I plan to get one soon for my canoe/kayaks. One unit for several vessels, that and no issues mounting transducers, etc. Brad

I went back out today to Purtis Creek in east Texas ended up with 6 or 7 small males. Not bad, just no size. Sort of all looked like this one. Brad

Braid, the farthest in terms of casting, even forgetting test strength and comparing it straight up, that is, diameter to diameter with the other lines. But, on bait casters, you will run into some possible handling issues if you use a too light braid. And, lighter braids can create the occasional wind knot and also wrap around rod tips at times. Neither, in my mind, is all that big a deal. Agreed, that modern monofilament lines are superb for casting and ease of use. I love Sufix Elite monofilament as it behaves so well. Some people try too hard to use expensive fluorocarbon lines in my opinion. I have fallen into this category personally. No experience with co-polymers but full acknowledgement that several have great reputations. Fluorocarbon lines, for most people, will create the most cast handling issues. Some are softer than others, cast better, others are stiffer and more geared toward leader usage. For spinning reels, I think braid is the way to go and you can get away with super light test strengths. I use 2 lbs. test Sufix Nanobraid on a few reels and I'd say it has the breaking strength of 8 lbs. mono. One could use 6 or even perhaps 4 and never worry about breakage on spinning tackle. Here, I use fluorocarbon leaders to braid in many circumstances. Brad

I'd recommend you at least take a look at some of the YouTube videos show *** jigs. They have a reputation of being able to pull through anything. That's a good point about hooking a bass and how they react. Some try to yank them out of heavy wood, ski them back to the boat, others let the bass decide its direction believing it will be up and out of the tree. Brad

I went out today on my home lake, very little wind. Whew! Glad for calmer water after my last time out. I ended up with 3 fish, one large female, all on beds. I missed bringing 2 in. So, not bad for a few hours, that and I didn't get on the water until mid-morning. I used a wacky rigged worm and they seemed to be interested in it. Brad

A couple of hundred feet to my boathouse/dock on Lake Athens here in Texas. But, I fish other places, too. To say east Texas has an abundance of opportunities would be a gross understatement. From my driveway: 1) 22 miles to Purtis Creek State Park; 2) 16 miles to Lake Palestine; 3) 25 miles to Cedar Creek Reservoir; 4) 25 or so miles to Richland Chambers; 5) 45 miles to Fairfield Lake (power plant lake); 6) 60 miles to either Lake Fork or Tawakoni; 7) 35 miles to Tyler Lake; 8) 19 miles to the Neches River; 9) 30 miles to Mill Creek Reservoir in Canton. I'm out of breath, fingers cramping, forgetting a few others . . . for all those I have listed, there are 2X as many within 60 miles. Not far to my south, Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend. I know several states are thusly blessed: Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana come to mind as do a few others with this sort of lake density. Oh! I mix it up depending on how I want to fish. Usually for me, 30 minutes will get me where I want to be. Brad

Rick, I went out today, just for a while in my Meyers Sportspal S-15. I stand and paddle almost the whole way out and back in. I sit to re-tie, grab things. It is THAT stable. It is much more stable than my Big Rig which is among the most stable of all kayaks. For me, in retrospect, the ideal canoe would be a Meyers Sportspal S-13 because it'd fit so easily on the back of my truck with a bed extender, it weighs 57 lbs., can use an outboard or a TM for those who want power. And, these canoes hold multiple people, tons of gear. Some photos: fish caught today, me in the S-15, and the S-13 stats. Brad

I love bank fishing, the "no fuss" way to get out in nature and have a blast. It can be the angler's version of Minimalism. I often do this from a kayak/canoe, just carry 1 or 2 rods, a single Plano box, water, paddle, vest. We usually know the time we will be fishing, the temperature, the time of year, the water conditions and more. This knowledge, alone, whittles down what we need to bring along, what we know we won't be using so why pack it. One big advantage of getting out this way? If you carry too much "stuff," I am convinced that when I do this, I end up losing my focus, switch around gear and tackle too often, move too often. I already know what should work (time, temp, time of year, knowledge of the water I'm fishing) so sticking to it and not giving up too soon usually pays big dividends. Brad

Elsewhere, I posted my "big wind day" about getting up last Sunday in the dark (DST), driving to Purtis Creek here in NE Texas, self-checked in to the state park, drove to the ramp's parking lot . . . and saw white caps in the dark under the pier lights. Then, it began to rain. So, I just reclined in my seat and took a nap; it looked like my day was over. Once the rain moved through, light began to show, it was horribly windy but 3 others drove up and began unloading paddle kayaks to fish. Well, if they can do it, so can I. It was so windy, we had a total of 8 kayaks on the lake at one time, most getting off after short days. What I did do, planned to do as I decided to launch (I'm not completely nuts), was launch and immediately stay on the wind break side of a lake point and cross less than a 100 yds. of water moving to my right and into a protected cove. The wind whistled overhead, all day, and other than one short jaunt holding tightly to the shoreline, I stayed out of the wind. And, it ended up being an excellent day, numbers wise, just working up and down a 100 yards of bank. Here in North Texas, if someone's cut-off wind speed is > 10 mph, you'd rarely be able to get out. So, it pays to have some tactics if you find yourself a bit out of the comfort zone. Some that work pretty well for me: 1) Protected coves especially tree lined ones (typical) and preferably pick a cove where the wind is moving across the cove and not down the barrel of it; 2) Under dams is often good depending on wind direction. If it is coming over the top of the dam, the water will usually be okay to fish below it; 3) Rivers with high banks, again finding a curl in the river, some stretch of it, where the wind is moving perpendicular to the flow of the water; 4) and, on the leeward side of any islands where the wave action and currents are diverted left and right around the island and there is that little dead pocket of water to sit in. These have all helped me in the past even on modestly windy days where it is less about danger than just a nuisance. For lighter winds, one last tactic I use often is to pull up on top of or into heavy vegetation where the lily pads or otherwise floating vegetation arrests wave action. If you have a brush clip (all kayakers should carry one), you can attach it to a lily pad stem or a handful of vegetation for a bit more stabilization. These tactics get me out on marginal days. One still has to be careful paddling/pedaling out to get to these places. Anyone have a few other tips or tactics to share? I need all I can get. Brad

For those who prefer to keep their plastics in their original packaging, one trick for those plastics that aren't in resealable bags, Roboworms come to mind, is to snip off a 1/2" triangle from the lower corner where the worms' heads are facing. Then, you grab the package by the other end and tap it a few times against your palm. It sort of looks like someone tapping out a cigarette from a pack. As soon as one of the heads sort of pops out the bottom, you just pull it out by the head. I'd use this for plastics packaged in lots of oily fluids, like some Keitechs. Some Keitechs and several other brands are noticeably oily or wet coming out of their packaging; others are at least "not dry" but will do so once exposed to air. After you clip off the corner, the oily stuff sort of reseals the package. If not, at the end of the day, put a bit of clear tape over it until next time. Brad

The slower the fish are biting, likely the smaller the presentation as with most finesse presentations. A Neko Rig is really a hybrid of sorts between a wacky rig and a shakey head. It combines features from both. One "big deal" is to make certain your hook point is facing down so that when the bass grabs onto its floating tail, it'll be oriented correctly for a better hook up. 5" worms will shimmy better than a 4" length, I think, and I prefer a plastic with a floating tail. Brad

I am almost reluctant to mention this one: the Reins Cross Swamp Worm. Reason? I wonder if the supply is going away??? TW is no longer carrying them; but, so far, I have been able to find them, and I just bought 5 packs of the larger size, but the smaller ones are absolutely great too for drop shots. So, what is so different about these is when you hook them wacky style (well, there is no other choice actually), they literally float to the bottom like a butterfly slowly flapping its wings. To use any sort of weighted hook will defeat the purpose, and just drag the worm down too fast . . . so this is specifically for when the bass want a slow fall. These worms "out do" all others including Senkos for that special shimmering slow fall through the water column. The hook? I use small Owner hooks and you lay the worm on its side so like this "X" tipped over. The hook is then pushed through the very center so it is perpendicular to the worm's long axis. Check a few YouTube videos to get this done correctly to ensure the best falling action. Fall rate? On light finesse lines and a small 1 or 1/0 hook, the large Cross Swamp worms fall about 6" per second I'd guess. If they haven't been bitten on the fall (most common). let them soak for a minute, then pop them off the bottom an inch or so, like that. If the wind and waves are really heavy, or if you are fishing in deeper water, yes, a very light weighted hook, like a a Zappu Inchi Wacky Head, will help take the worm down. If the bass prefer a wacky rigging, if they want a slow fall, this tops them all. Brad P.S. the small version is really pretty small. I use them for drop shots.

Well, sort of dismissing fish population variance is no tiny detail, but fair on your part to examine other possible reasons for the differences. Here is another often over-looked: We can never know what would have happened under different circumstances: different lake, different color plastics/lures. You are at one place, using particular tackle, you can't compare to the "other." Where I see this a lot is in comments on what makes a fish bite. Often someone isn't catching and all of a sudden the fish just turn on. Or, the opposite. Clouds might have rolled over and they move off feeding deeper to more on the surface, a million reasons. So, when fish aren't biting, a lot of us give up on what we are throwing or change plastic colors, or sizes, or ,or, or. If for no reason related to any changes we make, the fish simply start or stop biting, we attribute it to what we have done. This is a long way of saying that the day you caught several fish at one pond, you might have caught them on another lake that same day under the same circumstances. But, we can't be in two places at the same time to figure it out. Well, friends with walky talkies, I guess. Even then, it's a statistical "mess." If you and your friend compared your results flipping a fair coin 10 times, even though the "average" is 50/50, your outcome won't like be the same. But, in most anglers' minds, mine too, we relate it back to the angling choices we have made. A great topic by the way. I did the math for another forum regarding the distribution of expected outcomes of two guys fishing the exact same equipment, standing side-by-side, how one catching more fish than the other, at least statistically means almost nothing. Brad

I'd second the comment regarding not using a baitcaster for a Ned Rig. Few will be able to cast a small Ned Rig well, not that Ned Rigs are cast all that far. But, just in general, if you do use spinning tackle, 10 lbs. braid is literally "over kill" as regards its strength for finesse fishing. But, it is so small in diameter and it works very well with mono and fluoro leaders in terms of matching up for good junction knots. I'd recommend 10 lbs. braid, either Sufix 832 in a visible color if you like that, or Sufix Nanobraid (even tinier and stronger). To this, use either 6 or 8 lbs. test fluoro for a leader . . . or a high quality mono, say, Sufix Elite. A set up like this would be ideal for Ned Rig, drop shots, weightless worms, wacky rigs, split shot rig, small Texas Rigged worms and creature baits. For the baitcasting set up you have, it will work with a heavier wacky rigging and what I'd recommend is stringing it up bases of the reel specs. If you use it for wacky rigs and things in that general weight category, something between 12 and 17 lbs. mono or fluoro is often used. Light braid can be problematic on bait casters as it can easily embed itself, sort of dig down into the spooled up line. Heavier braids work well on most bait casters for fishing in heavy cover, frog fishing, etc. Brad

Baitcaster anglers are reading this topic and thinking . . . "Will this back reeling thing allow me to ski the fish back to the boat faster?" Ha! At least here in Texas, talk of spinning tackle for bass fishing often is a tease, you know, referred to as "fairy wands." This, even though almost all the pro bass anglers make heavy use of them nowadays with the wide array of finesse application requiring spinning gear. So, it makes me think that many people just don't "get" the difference between fishing the two sorts of reels. I've watched and I see a lot of technical issues, people using spinning gear incorrectly. Like most of you here, I was taught to split the post with my fingers and my rod hand never moves. I cast from that position, I control the rod from that position. My other hand works the reel features. When I hook a fish, my whole goal is not to try to over-power it but to let the fish put up its "offense," and sort of like something some boxers specialize in, counter-punch. So, fish on, I want my rod to load up under pressure from the fish, then once I can lift my rod carefully, I reel down on the line quickly, never against the drag, and then pull back up immediately to regain the loading. Lose the loading on a rod and fish can become un-pinned really fast, certainly if they jump. The rod does more of the work for us. Bait caster anglers often use spinning tackle as if the two are the same. So, yes, to great drags these days. Mine work great. But, back reeling performed correctly links this sort of "give and take" between the angler and a fish in a manner where the fish suddenly isn't the only one in the fight with unlimited moves. Instead of only "drag releases line when XX lbs. of tension is put on the line," it now is more open-ended. A good angler can use the new range of control. I wish I was better at it, need to practice it more! Brad

Brutal winds on Purtis Creek Lake here in East Texas today, 3/11/18. It was so bad, I was going to leave but then some other kayakers showed up and it gave me the courage to at least take off from the ramp and head to the adjacent cove, fish and hide out from the wind. I worked back and forth along the banks fishing shallow. I ended up using a drop shot and several different small plastics. 7 or . . . was it 8 LMBs, none large, males between 1.5 and 2 lbs. Lots of fun fishing, cussing the wind! Brad

If you were in Texas, you'd have a huge supply of used kayaks on the market at your price point. It could be the same up there. But, I'd definitely buy a used vessel of a slightly higher quality, one that might be more in the $1500 range new. One to consider that I think you could find for $1000 would be a Jackson Big Rig. Big, yes, but it comes with 3 rod holders, lots of track, built-in receptacle areas on each side of its seat for Plano tackle boxes for your tackle, a stand assist bar, a built in "track" to run an anchor line from around your hand position inside your vessel all the way back to the stern to drop a chain anchor, etc. Too, it is one of the few truly stand-able fishing kayaks. Yes, many claim to do it from less wide platforms but you will rarely see it on the water. They will fish on their butts all day. A Big Rig and a Hobie PA 14, both 38" wide, a few of the Diablo kayaks, too, are among the few that you can do it more care-free. So, common after-market purchases that really add up? Rod holders, anchor trolleys, tackle storage devices. I don't think there is a better kayak than a Big Rig in terms of literally being able to get in one, stock with no after-market add-ons, and just bring along a rod and reel and hit the water. It is a big vessel at 99 lbs. with seat in place, so consider a set of cart wheels which you will likely need for just about any kayak you purchase over 80 lbs. or so. Brad http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/kayak/big-rig/