papajoe222

I was reading some responses to the thread on broken rods and saw the term high sticking a number of times. I’d never heard the term. What does it mean?

I’ve only had one break in the last 20yrs. and that was from a muskie strike 15ft. from the boat whe i was bass fishing. I feel for those that break a couple in one year.

With me, it's been a chore to pare down my selection of styles of plastics more than colors. I stick to basically four colors. Between tubes, ribbon tail worms, straight and paddle tail worms, jig trailers, beaver/creature baits, swim,baits, lizzards and grubs, not to mention different sizes, my dilemma is choosing what other two (bisides jig trailers) to take on any given outing. I usually end up with four, sometimes five.

It sounds like your access to the water is going to be very limited. Once you find access, check the area out. First look at the type of vegetation, how far from shore it grows and if there is any mix or transition to another type. Is the weed line straight or are there points or indentations within reach? Is there any baitfish activity? Then, figure out the depth where the vegetation stops and again ten yards or so past that spot (if you can reach it). This will give you the information you'll need to put together a game plan. About the only difference from fishing a lake or pond from shore will be the quick drop off that many pits have. Keep in mind that bass will often suspend out past the drop at a depth close to where it first starts.

UltraVibe Speed Worm

Double time +Holiday, I hope

I don't know about flipping at night, but I will have a jig/RageCraw tied on most nights. Dragging and short hopping seem to be my most productive retrieves, but on occasion, stroking has produced. I would imagine flipping docks would be as productive at night as it can be during the day.

Welcome There is a big difference between the sound a WP and a buzzbait give off. Heck, there's even a difference between buzzbaits. Some days that difference can be the difference between catching and not catching, WP style baits have been around the muskie fishing population for decades and those guys still throw big buzzers.

It's going to happen. Some baits are more prone to spinning when retrieved fast because of their shape. With worms, if they're rigged straight, spinning shouldn't happen. It shouldn't be happening with the WP. Check it to make sure the tail section isn't binding as it turns which would cause the bait to turn with the tail. If it is, the wire that runs through it and the bait is likely bent. This occasionally happens with the muskie baits of the same design.

I normally fish barefoot during the summer. My deck carpet is even too hot not to wear sandals and I have tiger stripe tan lines on my feet. It's not the first summer like this, but you gotta have something to complain about.

The other thing I'll as is, ditch the flouorcarbon leader. Switch to a 15lb. mono leader and you'll be able to work the WP with the rod tip down in a better position for the hook set.

I'm not attempting to turn you away from a WP as your first topwater, but they are on the pricey side and it sounds as though the loss of one may be weighing on your decision. If so, consider a Torpedo. The big difference between the two is the sound they produce. Although a lot has been said about the unique sound the WP gives off, bass are sight feeders and sound is used to get them to look at your offering more so than triggering a strike. They are right in the ideal weight range of the rod you're using. Just keep an eye on hook sharpness. They tend to get dull quickly. https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/heddon-torpedo-hard-baits

I would target the smaller lake during the summer period and the larger lake during pre-spawn and the fall migration. My reasoning being the ability to find forage at somewhat predictable locations and resulting locations where bass would feed.

Bomber Fat Free Fingerling. The color may be custom painted as their scale pattern is a lot smaller.

If i only got bit on topwater ten days a year, I’d give up fishing. ‘Topwater’ includes all sorts of different baits and a WP is only one type. There is a lake i go to that i have mever caught a bass on a Spook. Not only is that my go to topwater, its one i throw under a variety of conditions spring, summer and fall. I’ve caught plenty of fish on different topwater lures there, but not on a spook. Go figure.

Terminator markets a light weight pair of polarized sunglasses with mirror lenses. $20-$25. I pucked up a pair (at WalMart) to have for guests aboard my boat. Ended up using them myself and was impressed.

Although this statement is mostly correct, as recreational anglers our goals are, or should be different. I fish for two reasons, one of which is to have fun and to me the fun of catching is in the fight. I love a head shaking, jumping, pulling drag fight and if the fish gets off, it doesn't bother me as I've enjoyed the hunt and the fight. The main purpose of a fresh water reel's drag is to protect your equipment from failing. It's secondary purpose is to tire the fish. Spinning, or casting, a properly set drag with accomplish both. If you're okay with an occasional lost fish, or equipment failure, keep your drag as tight or loose as you choose. As with most things in this sport, personal preference is the answer to the question.

Could have been a turtle. Was the worm cut on the end?

A Med. power rod with a fast tip would be my choice. I use one for hair jigs and shakey heads in the 3/16-1/4oz. Range.

Depends on how high off the bottom the 'grass' grows. A drop shot is ideal for presenting a bait just above the tops of vegetation and a lip less crank can be allowed to fall into the grass and then ripped out (with the right equipment). A wacky or Texas rigged weightless worm will sit on top of a lot of different types of weeds and yo-yoed will get their attention. You have a lot of options for staying above the grass. Many of the bottom presentations you mention will only work if the weeds produce a canopy with stems that allow the fish to move around freely at their base. Peg the weight on your T-rig and use jigs with a bullet style head like a swim jig to reduce the possibility of them catching the grass.

I believe they are #4. I shy away from round bend trebles as these baits become easier for the fish to shake off as you go up in weight. I like these; https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/mustad-triple-grip-treble-hook-2x-short-shank for two reasons. Their design and the barb is more pronounced than on some others. You still need to keep a hooked fish from jumping, but if you do your part, you won't loose many.

I use 30lb. braid on my spinnerbait set-up. 6:3.1 gearing on the baitcaster and a 6'6" med/mod.fast rod. The majority of the time I don't use a trailer hook and the softer tip on the rod allows the fish to suck the bait in easier.

You need to define heavy cover. Some consider timber heavy cover and others vegetation. I fish cranks in both types of cover. The first thing you need to know is how deep the crank runs on the equipment you're using. You want to bump the timber, or tick the tops of the weeds and a crank that runs too deep will not accomplish that. The second thing I do is work the crank with the rod once it gets down to the depth of the cover. One of the hardest things to do when fishing cranks is avoiding reeling them into the cover and getting hung up. Some have a knack for it, I rely on the sensitivity of the rod to let me know when I'm about to bump a stump or get buried in the weeds. Third, carry a good lure retriever and lastly, check your line and knot often.

I prefer a different ribbon tailed worm, but they don't offer one in a watermelon candy color. They works as well as most worms of that size and style.

How you jerk the rod determines how the bait moves in the water. Rod tip up=fluke darting up. Rod tip down=fluke darting forward, to the side=forward and slightly up. Sometimes just changing the rod angle will get you bit. Kind of like changing the retrieve speed of some faster moving baits.