EGbassing

I never thought of that. I did change my retrieve speed up a lot, so I doubt that was it, but it definitely could have been the skirt or blades. And I agree with you on trailer hooks, I hate using them. I just trim the skirts on mine and that seems to help. And thanks for those tips! I'll keep them in mind.

I finally got out for about 2 hours today fishing the Strike King KVD finesse spinnerbait, and while I got about 4 - 5 pretty vicious strikes on it, I missed all of them on the hookset. I'm pretty sure they were all fish, but I just couldn't hook them. Does anybody know why that would be? I'm thinking it might be the way I'm setting the hook, but I'm not sure. My hookset is just a hard pull on the rod, is that wrong? Also, is fishing open water effective, or is shallow water better? Thanks!

One word. PowerPro.

They made a bat lure. Why not a chipmunk?

What kind of retrieve do you usually use for a squarebill crankbait? I've heard to just reel it, but I was just wondering how you guys do it. Also, is a bluegill color a good choice around this time of year?

New LiveTarget lure idea...

I just got a package of them and they're great. If you cut the antennae in the middle off the claws have better action though.

I'll definitely watch that. Also, thanks for making those Youtube videos for us. I've watched almost all of them now, and learned a lot from them. I never would've even tried flipping and pitching if not for your jig fishing tutorial, and now it's my favorite way to fish.

I never thought of that. Thanks for the advice! One of the "taps" was while it had been sitting on the bottom for a minute, so I'm pretty sure it was a fish, but the rest were while it was being lifted.

So I was fishing a texas rigged trick worm today and every few casts, I would feel a little thump, or it would stop moving or something, but when I set the hook, there was nothing there. I assume it was just getting stuck on the bottom, so does anybody know how to differentiate bites from snags/rocks/wood/etc. Thanks!

BassResource is my favorite informative channel. But just for entertainment, Googan Squad.

Keep it simple. All you need starting out is a texas rig. (black trick worm works best for me) Just drag or hop it along the bottom with a 3/16 ounce tungsten worm weight. Watch the line where it enters the water and keep it taut, and if you see the line move, or you feel a little "tick", reel down and set the hook. Also, smash the barbs down with some pliers if you plan on releasing them. You may lose some, but it makes it much easier to remove the hook, and the bass has a much better chance at survival. Good luck!

About 100 yards. It's the only pond I can walk to, and I don't have a driver's license yet, so...

Thanks for the advice! Those tips are all really helpful. I've been thinking about what you were saying about the weightless trick worm so I decided to try it out today. And yeah, there are some huge bass where I fish. A guy I know caught an 8 pounder there and I've hooked one that looked around 8 lbs. It got off though.

Thanks for those tips! They're all really helpful. I've been fishing a texas rig with a 3/16 ounce tungsten bullet weight a lot recently, so do you think that would work for locating structure, or would it be too light? Also, the map is a great idea. I found one spot with no visible cover, but when I drag a texas rig through it, it feels like it's coming through a tree or something. It's just a few feet off the shore so it might be perfect for this time of the year when they're up shallow. Thanks again! I'll keep all that in mind when I'm out fishing today.

Yeah, it seems like I catch most of them around the shoreline. I went out for an hour today fishing a few different texas rigs only around cover and shorelines, and actually got a lot of bites. I hooked one that got off, and the rest I missed on the hook set. And thanks for the advice! I'll definitely keep it in mind when I'm out tomorrow.

Yeah, I used to have a nice jerkbait, but then my dad somehow casted it up on to a bridge above us and it got run over. I guess I'll be getting a new one next time I'm at Basspro. And thanks for those tips! I'll definitely keep them in mind next time I'm out.

Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely try those things next time I'm out. I fished for about an hour this afternoon and didn't get any bites in open water, but I got several bites (and hooked one that got off) pitching a T-rig structure bug in to some vegetation by the shore. Learned something there. Thanks again! Ok, thanks! I finally figured out where they were this winter, but then I guess they kind of abandoned those spots, so I was having trouble finding them. I guess more time on the water is the solution to that though. Thanks again for the advice!

Hi, I just joined here. So I've been bass fishing for about 1 - 2 years in a small to medium sized pond near my house (very shallow), and while I've caught a few bass, I still have no idea where the good spots in the pond are. The only visible cover is a few small weed patches by the shore. Are those good places to fish, or is open water better? I've heard that cover is best, but I just don't get many bites in those weed patches... I've tried every lure I can think of, and the most success I've had is with a texas rig, but most days I go for an hour or so and never get a bite. I've spent a lot of time reading about it, and plenty of time getting good at flipping and pitching, fishing a spinnerbait, etc. but I just can't get many bites. Anybody know why that would be? The pond is stocked with bass, and pretty under fished, so I just can't figure out why I can't catch them. Any advice on finding and catching them would be appreciated.