papajoe222

thanks strato. The only spinning reels I own are Pfluegers, so that works perfectly

I’m looking to add a spinning combo. I already have a StCroix SCll rod and looking to pair it with a reel that pulls in more than 26in. per turn. Suggestions.

Like A-Jay, I don't look for a pattern, at least what my definition of a pattern is. After I've caught a few fish, I can sometimes take an educated guess as to location on a given piece of structure/cover and what technique, angle and presentation should work. That, BTW, is what I consider a pattern (although I believe you're inquiring about where to look on a given body of water). On the rare occasions that one does present itself, it rarely lasts for the entire outing and I need to recognize and adapt to the reason it doesn't. On a new body of water, I end up spending a lot of time and effort just in finding areas that hold fish, or the ones the fish may use in their movements. Seasonal movements, types of structure and cover, the presence or lack of current, along with some idea of the what the main forage is and what/where it is likely to be, are all things I consider prior to hitting the water. Every lake is different, but bass, as said, are driven by two things once the spawn is over; security and food. That's where I begin.

Funny you should mention something not fishing related for a sponsorship. A while back (a lot longer than I care to admit) I fished a two day buddy tournament. We finished second and his brother was there for the weigh-in. His company makes custom golf clubs and he offered me a sponsorship. For the life of me, I couldn't follow his logic, but his offer included entry fees for the rest of the season. Their logo was up front for the remainder of the season!

This, unless he's hawking one of his sponsors products. That us when they give a three minute response to the most often asked question; How did you catch them. They answer with a general location and an in depth explanation of how they used their sponsors product because some other brand wasn't producing.

I'll be heading down to Nashville in two weeks and and looking for a couple of areas to bank fish. I know there are park waters in the area, but don't know if they're worth checking out or not. Are there any retention ponds near the interstates? I've done well in some of the older ponds that were dug out when I-55 and I-57 were built. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Welcome. One of the 'lakes' I fish is an 80 acre gravel pit with a max depth of 15ft. It gives up some five and six pounders every summer and I've gotten one just over seven about fifteen years ago. I don't know if you're a bank fisherman or not, but two key areas for me are an old road bed and a hump that rises from 12ft. to 6ft. with vegetation on one side and rock/sand on the other. Two things I'd recommend without knowing anything about the gravel pit, or your experience. First, choose a bigger profile bait. That crawler with the white stripe is a good presentation for catching numbers, but an 8in.-10in. worm, or a jig and craw, in the right spot, will get you more quality bites. Second, learn to fish a C-Rig or a football jig. Either will tell you a lot about what's on the bottom and where its composition changes. They're also great depth finders and can be worked quickly when searching for fish.

Hands down, a 4in. paddle tail swim bait on a 1/4oz jig. Started producing just after ice out and didn't stop until the bass got on the beds this week.

This! Get the one that extends to 18ft. Mine paid for itself the first season I used it. I"ve had a plug knocker for ages and since I got this I believe I've only used it for my deep diving cranks.

I believe I know what you're asking, though you didn't explain what 'it' refers to. I don't know what tournament results you read, but I know very few tournament anglers that don't practice much and just put the TM down and fish, that place in the money consistently. What baits are top producers in any tournament depends a lot on the lake and weather conditions along with the season. Line choices, in most situations, are a personal choice. eg I would never use braid for crankbaits, fluoro for top water, or mono for jig fishing but I know many anglers that do so successfully. The same goes for gear (rods, reels, electronics, etc.). I fished tournaments before the invention of side scan and GPS units with way points and won more than my share of money. What you need to instill in your thought process is this: Everything you mentioned can be lumped into a group I call tools. There aren't any magic tools that guarantee you'll catch fish every time. The most important tool at your disposal is the one located between your ears. You need an understanding of the fish and the forage base of the lake you're fishing, knowing how different seasons and weather patterns affect fish movement and most importantly, how to locate fish in a given body of water. Trust me when I say that then and only then will what tool to use come somewhere down the list of your priorities.

I like a hand poured 4in. Keitech knock off from a guy out of OK. That section just before the boot is a little thinner than the Keitech and that thing really thumps on the retrieve. Every now and then, an overly aggressive bluegill will pull the tail off, but loosing a soft bait occasionally is part of the game.

Don't rely solely on feeling the bite. Be a line watcher. Not only will you avoid the situation you had, you'll hook more fish. On rare occasions, the bite is very aggressive and the fish will inhale and swallow your bait in a heart beat. This may have been the situation, but when line watching you'll be setting the hook before they do.

My favorite to dead stick is a Havoc Bottom Hopper on a Megastrike Shakey Head jig. It's a killer presentation when things are tough. My other favorite is a tube jig rigged so the tail end floats off the bottom.

Anytime bass are faced with unstable conditions, fishing is going to be tough. You still have to figure out where they are and then how to catch them. Pre-spawn is chock full of those conditions. I'm in the same boat as you. I was killing 'em two weeks ago on the breaks out from some spawning areas. The surface water temp was 56. Three trips out last week, that temp only increased three degrees and it was like someone turned off a switch. The fish not only stopped their movement toward the spawning areas, they just suspended over the breaks and wouldn't chase anything. I really dislike fishing for suspended fish in 15ft-18ft, but that's what it took. Thankfully, the surface temp was up to 62 Thursday and they'd moved up to the 10ft-12ft break and were holding close to the bottom.

Picked up a couple of Fat Boys. The packaging had changed. Looked closely and saw Made in Mexico. Evidently, they (Pradco) moved the manufacturing down there last year.

Norman lures. Born in the U.S.A...............Now Made in Mexico

I still use the traditional C-rig, but I can see the advantage of ditching the swivel. As long as the line can run free on the pick-up, I'm all for it. The big advantage to a C-ring over say a T-rig or drop shot IMO, is presenting a bait independent of the weight. To the OP's question, no a heavier weight does not increase the feel of the bite, it detracts from it. The weight has to move, on the majority of presentations, for you to feel the bite. The fish will feel that sinker move before you feel him, so as light a weight that still allows you to feel the bottom is the way to more hook-ups.

There was a time when I'd run a spinnerbait skirt between the weight and the worm on a T-rig. That was before I gained confidence in fishing jigs. I don't see why using a craw, or creature bait would be much different.

The main reason pitching is no longer a presentation I use regularly is because of the shoulder pain that accompanies it. I use a roll cast for anything over 20ft. but I taught myself a pitch of sorts that doesn't involve raising my arm. Keeping my elbow tucked to my side, I just let the bait go and raise the rod tip as it swings toward the target. I don't get much distance out of it, but the entry is extremely quiet and it's very accurate.

Compare how long to wait to how fast to retrieve a buzz bait. Often times, with bottom contact lures, the fish will hit your bait on the fall, a second or two pause prior to moving it is all that may be necessary. Other times moving a buzzer as slow as possible is the ticket and so is letting a bait sit. If I have confidence that a spot is holding fish, I'll start out with a short pause, but I'll try dead sticking before moving on. I've caught some big fish letting my worm sit for over a minute and then moving it six inches or so only to let it sit again. Not my favorite way to fish, but catching is the reason I'm out there. I can chuck and wind in my back yard.

You both are correct. However bait fish, when facing into the current, are rarely swimming against the current. Like the bass, they are holding in a spot. When they do move, it's to follow their food source and that involves following it down current. Letting your bait sit in one spot, or bringing it back with the current, Which way do you think is more productive for catching bass?

To be honest with myself, I've only tried one of the newer baits/techniques in the last 20 years that I use on a regular basis; a soft plastic swimbait. I still have a Plano box dedicated to Flukes, shakey heads and drop-shotting, but I can count on one hand how often I actually dipped into them. Split-shotting and wacky rigs get the nod more often, but those techniques have been around almost as long as I have. I still learn things about bassin', like boat position, that have added to my enjoyment, but even if I were to never learn more than I know now, I'd still consider myself a real bass fisherman. Look at it this way; You could have a truck bed full of carpentry tools and not be a carpenter, or a tape measure, saw and a hammer and be a darn good one. Enjoy the sport whatever way you like, a title doesn't define who you are......a bassman.

It may not be the best option, but I've had some awesome results with a popper with water temps in the low 60's. This time of year, I don't throw them early in the day like in the summer and sunny days seem to produce better.

I've found that fish are most active as a front approaches. Once the bluebird skies appear and often for a couple of days after, the bite becomes tough. Calm days and bluebird skies really gets the fish holding tight to cover, or seeking some deep sanctuary.

As for rod dryers, I prefer one that runs on the slow side because I don't want the rod turning fast when applying epoxy to the wraps. Mud Hole offers an inexpensive, but more than capable one in two different speeds, you'll appreciate the chuck as it centers the rod. https://www.mudhole.com/RDS-Rod-Dryer