papajoe222

I have three Sols and love them for the light stuff. In fact, one sits atop my shallow cranking rod. I also have a ProLite that I use regularly for smaller topwaters and occasional shallow crank. If you can find one, it'll serve you well. This could also serve your needs and possibly your budget too.....https://www.cabelas.com/product/fishing/fishing-reels/casting-reels/pc/104793480/c/104760180/sc/104259780/lews-laser-pro-speed-spool-casting-reel/2435981.uts?slotId=0

Frame and gearing are way down the list when it comes to choosing a frogging combo. Rod and line are your biggest concerns. Use whichever reel you have the confidence in. I've been using a 6.3:1 geared reel for decades. an extra 6in. of line per handle turn isn't going to get me bit more or less and if I can't get them out of cover with that gearing, I doubt I would with the other.

The biggest reason to up size is because you're missing fish. They strike your crank and you don't hook 'em. Adding a bigger treble will expose the hook points farther out from the bait and increase the chances of one connecting. There are two inherent downsides, IMO, to doing this. The first has already been mentioned, the second is the increased risk of snagging cover, especially wood. Some cranks will roll on their side when pulled over a limb and that bonus of hooking up applies here too. If fish are swiping at your crank, often times a change in size or color will get them to commit. If I catch more than one fish on the tail treble, the first thing I do is change baits because I may have missed fish I didn't even know showed interest.

What you've been encountering is typical of bass fishing. Conditions change and those changes affect the what and where when it comes to the fish. Another thing to keep in mind is that these changes can occur in the same day and often times do. Many anglers have difficulty adjusting to them. They've been catching on Bait XYZ from the north bank and the wind changes direction, or the clouds clear, or some other influencing factor, but they continue to fish the north bank with the same lures. When you're catching 'em, take note of the conditions around you and the next time they present themselves you will likely be able to reproduce your success. When you aren't catching, what's different? Will the difference drastically change their location, or just position them tighter to cover where they were. You'll either need to change locations, or present something within that smaller strike window that will get you bit. It's a generalization, but one that applies the majority of the time. There are situations where a change in color or lure can get you back to catching, but it sounds like you're talking one outing vs. another, not all in the same day.

A hair jig. Sometimes I'll even suspend them under a float and if it's a really tough bite, I'll add a minnow.

Two good pieces of advice, especially using tackle up to the task. Hooking and having a fish of that caliber break off does both you and the fish an injustice. You, because you were up to the challenge of getting it to bite only to loose it. the fish, because you’ve put it in danger of not surviving the ordeal. Any line still attached to the lure could become entangled in the cover trapping the fish from escape, resulting in its death. Be prepared and good luck. BTW, bring a camera. We’ll want to see some pics.

The loss of a longtime friend is difficult to say the least. My condolences and prayers to you and his family. Keep his memory alive by reflecting his life in yours and sharing your memories of him with his boys.

I don't use a knot to connect the fluoro leader, I use a swivel. I have 30lb braid and will use as light as a 6lb. leader. My norm is 10lb. As for length, I like to have around 18in. between the swivel and hook and the drop tag depends on how far off bottom I want to present the bait.

Yep, unless you fish where there's a lot of open water then I'd add a fluoro leader to the spinning rod. You can use the 7ft. for cranks and spinnerbaits.

I'll use a jig with a trimmed skirt (to the back of the hook bend) and a small trailer under cold front conditions as I prefer a smaller profile then. I'll trim the weed guard on an angle when fishing timber. The shorter fibers in front are stiffer than the longer ones close to the hook point and reduce the possibility of the jig rolling over a limb and the entire guard flexing and exposing the hook to the limb. Never had a problem with hook-ups.

A popper is a great pre-spawn and spawn presentation. A steady rhythm will often get blasted during pre-spawm and letting a popper sit motionless above a bed can tempt even the most reluctant fish to remove it from the area. I recommend using one with a feathered tail treble hook for bed fishing.

The most rewarding aspect of this sport is figuring out where the bass are and what it takes to get them to bite. The only way to accomplish that is to keep trying and in doing so learning. You know where they spawn and what it took to catch them. If you're going to the same areas with the same lures, you'll fail the majority of the summer. Where would they likely migrate to on that body of water? What is the predominate forage in there? Two basic questions and when you learn the answers, you have the biggest part of the puzzle figured out. Keep at it, the rewards await.

WTG young man. Sorry to say that you are officially 'hooked' on bass fishing. The upside is...............well, you already know the answer to that one.

Over population has numerous effects, one of which is an abundance of stunted, small fish. Big fish need a lot of forage to stay healthy. Grant you, little fish can fill that need, for a while at least. The problem is that, unlike bluegill and other sunfish species, small bass, perch and catfish don't co-inhabit areas with bass and once that forage has been exhausted it becomes a matter of chasing down a meal that likely won't provide enough nourishment for the next chase. What you end up with is a bunch of 10in.-12in. fish that can survive because their nutritional needs can be met. If you're looking to get that pond back to producing some nice fish, you're going to need to remove a lot of small fish and introduce a forage base that replenishes itself quickly.

I only skip a jig or tube under docks when the sun is high and the only shade is directly under the dock, or when I’m targeting the inside corners o L or T shaped docks. I’ll have two cranking combos on my deck. Each will have a crank that runs right or left. Casting to the shade and retrieving a fast moving crank under that side gets some strong reaction bites and allows me to cover a line of docks quickly. It is also a presentation they don’t see very often.

Now ^that’s an awesome fishing partner. BTW, what kinda drinks? ?

Keeping with the asking questions mode I'm in lately, When fishing as a guest on a buddy's boat or as the non-boater in a tournament, How much and what gear would you take along. For me, the first thing I do is ask. I had someone from this site show up with one over a dozen! Luckily he left the majority of them back at the cabin. But I digress The norm for me is three rods.\, a tackle bag that holds seven 3700 Series Plano boxes and has a roomy pocket on each end and a small cooler. If there's rain in the forecast, I'll bring rain gear otherwise, I have a poncho that folds up fairly small and fits into the bag. Of the few guys that invite me aboard, they all willingly share tackle if I'm unfortunate enough to not have something with me.

Ladies and Gentlemen! We have a winner! But I Lhave to ask you CroakHunter, With there being little to no room on your deck, where do you stand????

I'm curious as to why you want to use a shakey head for that presentation. IMO, you'd be better off using a football head as it would add a subtle side to side action? For a true shakey head, these are the best I've come across.....http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Megastrike_Shake2_Pro_Model_Shakey_Head/descpage-MSPROMD.html This would be ideal for the presentation you're considering.....https://www.siebertoutdoors.com/Zenith-Shaky-Head-436.htm As for ribbon tail worms, I only use one brand; Culprit. They offer them in various sizes and thickness along with a good variety of colors.

How may rods do you keep on your boat’s deck and, more importantly, what’s tied on them? I keep a minimum of five: Jig rod, 7’3” MH Fast DaiwaFuego 30lb. Braid Worm/Tube rod 6’6”Med Fast DaiwaSol 12lb. Fluoro Cranking rod 7’6” Med. Mod DaiwaSol 10lb. Mono Cranking rod 7’3” MH Mod/Fast Daiwa TD Advantage 12lb. Fluoro Topwater rod 6’6” Med DaiwaSol (6.3:1) 20lb. Mono If I’ll be fishing by myself, I’ll add two more: C-Rig rod 7’ MH/Fast DaiwaFuego 30lb.Braid/12lb.Mono leader Buzzbait/Frog rod 7’MH/Fast Lew’s 7.1:1 60lb. Braid I don’t carry a spinner bait specific rod.

Just 'Stupid' rig it with the same jig you use for clean, hard bottoms. You'll maintain most of the spiraling action vs. T-rigging it. T-rig, drop-shot,or C-rig also work.

A wind knot for sure. Some believe that you don't get line twist using braid...........NOT! After you cut off, because I doubt that one will pull out, strip off 30yrds. of line. As you wind it back on to the reel, run it through a folded, wet dish rag keeping pressure on the line as you crank. Then, hang a heavy drop shot weight to the end of the line and let out as much line as you can without it hitting the floor. When the weight has stopped spinning, you've gotten the twist out of that section. The higher you can stand, the more line you'll get the twist out of. This should reduce the frequency of those knots, but using a swivel to connect your leader (if you use one) rather than a knot will all but eliminate them. Oh yea, flip your bail by hand. Don't use the reel handle to flip it for you. Every time you do, your adding twist whether you're using mono, fluoro, or braid.

Welcome to BR 30lb. is a good place to start, unless you're fishing frogs or swimbaits. Then I'd recommend bumping it up a bit. If there are zebra muscles or shell beds, I wouldn't be concerned with braid fraying. It takes a lot of fraying to significantly reduce the strength of braid. It does cut easily and that's why I mentioned the muscles and shell beds. If you want to use it under those conditions, I'd add a mono or fluoro leader.

Yes, it'll stay above the weight as you work it. How much higher depends on the running depth of the crank and the length of your leader. A proven retrieve is to work it by sweeping the rod. The crank will dive and make contact with the bottom (on a shorter leader) as you sweep and rise up as you recover and take up the slack. You can even dead stick it there before sweeping the rod again.

Depending on the type of vegetation, you may be able to still work a bottom presentation. You’ll still be bringing in a bunch of it along with a fish, but who cares when you’re catching? If it’s millfoil or coontail, you’ll need to stick to fishing the tops and edges. Don’t pass up fishing the inside weed edges. They can produce some nice fish.