papajoe222

Ha Ha Ha……fit all the lures and terminal tackle you would hypothetically own into two 3600 series boxes????? Hypothetically, I’d own the main Bass Pro Shops warehouse!

I throw them on calmer days when a spinnerbait isn't a good choice. I have a couple that I've made silent and they seem to work much better without rattles for that.

I could see going swimming for something like a depth finder or cell phone, but realistically, the chances of finding it in any thing over 8ft. of water are slim. If you fish alone as I often do, you then have to deal with the boat floating away while you do your search. I've fallen overboard and had to chase down my boat to the point of exhaustion and, trust me, there isn't anything, including my boat that is worth taking a risk like that for.

I fish a number of lakes just like the one you describe, although they are natural lakes. The bass on those lakes will target the young of the year which are still fairly small, but abundant. As with most lakes, you'll find the bass where the forage is. Those small bluegill will stick to any green vegetation still available,often times through the winter. I don't know where the young crappie would hang out, but they will search out dense cover for sure. Hope that helps.

It's still too early for the lake to turnover. The water temps are still in the low 60's and this lake looks like a dump when turnover does happen. Luckily, I have a number of lakes that are productive until the ice forms. I'm too old to waste a day searching. Getting skunked occasionally is one thing, it makes you think and adjust to conditions and the fish. This one is my daddy and I hate getting spanked repeatedly.

Just wondering if I'm the only one that frequently visits a lake, that for some reason or another they just get skunked on a regular basis during a certain season. One of the lakes I frequent is fairly small at only 250 acres. It's a gold mine of quality bass (3-5lb.) and I love to hit it at least once a week. Winter (no ice), spring and summer I have very little trouble finding and catching at least a few. Once the water temps start dropping in the fall, I may as well be fishing that puddle that forms at the end of my street. I just can not find fish then. I know where they should likely be. I know where their summer haunts and pre-spawn holding spots are, but come fall it's like all the fish in the lake have disappeared. That includes 90% of the baitfish too. This has been going on for years. I didn't pick up a rod for the better part of two hours today. I just studied my electronics. I even went as far as getting off the TM and just drifting over key areas thinking the motor might be spooking them. I'm gonna wait until Thanksgiving to give it another shot. Anyone else have a seasonal problem with a particular body of water? If so, are you as stubborn as me and keep going there until the bruises show?

Anytime I use a sliding sinker with a worm, there is a glass bead on there. I may put a bobber stop a few inches above the weight so it won't slide way up the line, but I want it tapping against that bead especially when I'm fishing grass where a bass may not see it from a distance.

This is one of my most productive patterns for water under forty degrees. The bass will suspend about 10ft. off the bottom of a drop that goes from 12ft.-30ft. fairly quickly. I'll sit off in the deeper water and cast a RES up shallow, then bring it out to the drop and let it fall. Then just let it sit for a minute or so. Next thing you know, my line is moving off to the side and it's game on.

Many and angler, including yours truly, was introduced to dead sticking in the same fashion. It's actually the only time I use the technique ?, but I do use a technique dubbed stitching. It's a painstakingly slow retrieve where you only move your worm a couple of inches, pause for what seems like an eternity (15-25seconds is an eternity to this old fart), then move it a couple of inches and repeat. My daughter caught her PB largemouth on a hair jig she'd cast out and put her rod down to answer her phone. When she picked it back up, she assumed she was snagged until the snag started pulling drag.

Quality used tackle, for some reason, is overlooked by far too many anglers IMO. I think that they equate new to better. A reel that sold for $250 new and sells for $100 used is a better reel than that new $150 reel everyone has been touting. Plus it'll likely last longer. The same goes for most fishing gear. Another plus is that once expensive piece of equipment was likely taken care of very well by its original owner.

With hunting season right around the corner and winter not far behind, I know a lot of anglers will be putting aside their gear until next spring. One word of caution when doing so: Back off the tension knob on your baitcasters. The tension knob works by adding tension to the end of the spool's shaft pushing it against a disc. The harder the pursh, the more 'spool tension.' That disc on many baitcasters, is made of plastic and if tension is applied for long periods of time it ends up looking like a spent primer on a shotgun shell. Then, more pressure is needed to get tension and that tension isn't uniform or consistent. So, save yourself from scratching your head next spring wondering why you're backlashing one out of every 6-7 casts.

Only because I haven't seen this one mentioned. Big baits catch big fish............That implies that small baits won't and I've caught enough small bass on big baits and big bass on small baits that I choke on my words when I tell other club members that I caught that 6lb. bass on a BIG swimbait. A 4in. one is big, right?

Back when they were first introduced here in the U.S. they were catching fish like nothing anglers here had ever seen. The problem was they weren't readily available. The few LSGs that were able to get a few realized that they could get the same profit out of them by renting them out for a day AND do it again and again. Anglers were willing to part with the money just to have a chance to fish one and many returned to rent them again and again Those lucky enough to actually purchase one kept it a secret and would only use them when fishing by themselves.

The original, floating Rapala. There is a reason that people hoarded them back in the 60's. They flat out catch fish. The other is a RoadRunner. Both of those lures will catch multiple species, but should be in every bass angler's tackle box.

Welcome to BR First off, if you're new to topwater fishing, a Spook is a poor choice to start with as it takes a while to learn how to work it. It isn't a cast an crank back type of lure. That fish can't see the sides of a topwater lure is a myth. They are rarely directly beneath the lure and depending on how the lure is worked, most often the sides are exposed at some point. There are quite a few posts here about lure colors and how important they are. You can do a search and read up if you like. Depending on the water clarity, any belly color can be productive. The clearer the water, the lighter the bottom color is a fairly good guideline. You can find clear bottoms on some lures, but most of those are clear bodied, or at the least opaque. White and bone are the ones you'll see most often as far as light colors go, but yellow and chartreuse also work under low light conditions. Many of those will have a different color toward the nose of the bait, or spots, but as long as there is a predominate color, let that be your deciding factor when purchasing. In bass fishing, there are always exceptions and with topwaters, black is the one you'll hear most often. My 2nd most productive color for a Spook is black and I throw it in super clear water under sunny skies.

Mine was good and bad. I caught my PB smallmouth and my 2nd longest muskie, but my time on the water really took a hit. Between my tow vehicle breaking down and hand surgery, I missed almost six weeks of fishing. I still have about four weeks left to fish and I'll be trying to make up for lost time, but you know what they say about that.

I rarely go as light as 1/4oz. In the fall, a 3/8oz. does just fine by me. I like to add a slight pause a few times during the retrieve and a RedEye Shad will wobble a little on the short fall. Whether it's that short pause, or the drop, many of the strikes I get are after I start crankin' again. Two colors are all I throw; chrome black back and Chili Craw.

It's difficult to stick with one brand for any style of lure. Looking for a silent crank, your favorite company may not offer one. Same goes for a double willow spinnerbait, or walk the dog top water without a rattle. That and some companies don't offer much of a color selection so you end up using another brand. Versatility and productivity go hand in hand.

If I'm casting to (past) targets, I prefer a 3/8oz. and I rarely add a trailer. If I'm casting for distance, it's a 1/2oz. with a 3.5in. paddle tail and a trimmed skirt. I like the added action of the skirt pulsating in front of the trailer.

The only double bladed buzzers I use are the inline ones. The commotion isn't quite as profound as a twin spin, but they are much easier to cast and I've yet to miss a fish that blew up on one. Twin blades, I haven't thrown one in five or six years.

I keep them in my tachle box. It currently weighs just short of 50lbs. ( hard baits) and the soft plastics that I keep in the boat (spares are kept on a peg board) weigh enough to reduce its capacity to two anglers.

No need for a leader on a fast moving bait and a trailer hook can be of benefit if you're getting blow ups, but missing fish. A trailer is optional, but beneficial if you want to slow down your retrieve and still keep the buzzer on top. As for weight, I'm assuming you'll be using casting gear, it's a trade off as a 1/2oz. will be a little easier to cast, but will likely require a faster retrieve to keep it up top. A 3/8oz. will be easier to keep up, but difficult to get much distance on. I recommend getting one of each. As for colors ( I know you didn't ask), black or white is really all you need IMO.

It sounds a lot like a pond that gets a lot of run off from an incoming creek or ditch. That would bring in a lot of muddy water and the dirt and silt would eventually find its way to the bottom creating a soft bottom. The other thing is invasive weeds which can take over and choke out other forms of vegetation. What is its affect on bass? Because it is a heavier growth, it will be of benefit to the bass when they need to feel secure. They will bury themselves in the weeds on bright, sunny days and under post front conditions. Those weeds will also draw forage fish for the same reasons, so the weeds end up providing security and food.

So, as a follow up to the fall top water thread, what do you use as a follow up to a missed blow up? My favorite, regardless of the season, has always been a tube with an internal weight, usually a jig, just heavy enough to give it that spiral fall. Most guys I’ve fished with like a fluke as it too will somewhat spiral if you allow it to fall rather than working it with jerks.

My favorite topwater, hands down, is a Spook, but when the leaves start changing color, nothing produces for me like a buzzbait. I know there are a lot of WhopperPlopper fans here. Do you stick with it come fall, or switch to something else? What are some other, productive baits you guys go to in the fall?