FishingGeekTX

In my youth I saw bass all the time. In tea water in big lake with all the chop, I rarely see anything. But if I'm out with some guides, they see stuff all the time, its like magic. Definitely catch more fish if you know what a bass looks or splashes like...a number of fish I only caught because of someone saying "cast right there that's a fish", for sure.

I only have LM so I'd adjust this to use a lure/technique that works well for both, if you are targeting either SM or LM. Summer: 1. If you can get up before dawn, fish topwater early, if not biting, try the other lures 2. texas rig a 4" (like a 4" stick roboworm"), you can peg that weight 1.5 feet up for a bit of a mojo/carolina rig. 3. A fast mover..crankbait or something for mid-water and for breaking up the day. 4. Repeat #1 at dusk. In the heat, I'd fish bottom most I suspect.

I suppose if they ignore your lures, ignore them too. Fish how you normally would if you couldn't see them...cover, weed edges, search deep and mid-water column. For morning, get there before light, or fish dusk. Maybe they feed a lot at night..clear water I assume they can see easier in moonlight than if it was murky.

For that, try a chatterbait 1/4 or 3/8oz. If using a trailer for some bulk/weight, keep it simple IMO for a search lure, nothing too long or too distracting, its already gonna wiggle and thump. You can fish that very similar to a spinnerbait, just straight retrieve with good thump (and fairly weedless) , or you can fish it like a jig, it's designed for both. I caught a nice 6# bouncing it bottom right next to a brush pile last year. It's my typical first-cast search lure. Spinner bait is a classic, millions of huge bass caught on SB, and that wire is what deflects a lot of things away from the hook. Might even be better than bladed jig near branches or hard cover, both can manage in semi-weedy conditions.

I have to some degree. I really believe all that sensitivity stuff is all just marketing. A fragile rod is also a cruel joke..it's an outdoor hobby that has an incredibly long lever being pulled unpredictably, often while traveling in a boat with trees, stepping around them, etc. I just..it's not a place for fragile anything IMO. Four megabass (levanet, orochi, 2x destroyer). Two snapped, one destroyer had the 2nd guide pop off after the crankbait clipped it. None of my other rods have been damaged or broke, making me feel like that $$$ super sensitive is really just super-fragile. Incredible looking rods though. I now buy rods based on: weight overall feel/look (action/tip primarily) durability (impossible to determine, but I still try to imagine) $$/warranty I wish more rods listed weight, its my #1 factor. And I wish action/tip was data-driven objective, and not just hand-waived. I have bought whippy rods and really stiff rods, all same ratings, makes it really difficult to trust.

I too am curious about how the seasons will actually play out. This year I caught fish moderately easily late spring on mostly topwater in shallows/grass, in some cases all day at a moderate place. As summer heated up, I caught progressively fewer, but I did not change where I fished all that much. Come fall, I caught 0-5% of the spring fish, in the shallows *even in the magic dawn hour. However, in every case I have fished at a particular lake since it's been colder (think 50-60, not winter yet), when I found the fish they were all clumped up so much that I caught fish every 1-2 casts for hours...madness. I suspect on big water lakes, that's also possible, but my guess is finding them becomes the entire game..and could result in many a skunked trip if they are not found. I found them in the deepest bowls one day, and another similar weather day, none deep, they were all fairly shallow feeding mid-day where shallows meet steep drop-offs. I'll be trying again this week for 3 in a row where it's a bonanza. SO nice too, I don' thave to get up early, just casually take a trip mid-morning and fish for 3-4 hours...so much less hectic than getting up at 5am.

If you're stuck on braid+leader, Carolina makes a lot of sense since you'll have the line tie built in for you. Too much hardware for my preference and I don't use leaders. I use straight 30-40# braid with a pegged 1/2 oz slip weight pegged, and a 3/0 offset worm hook. Lately I use a 3" Robo ned worm, unless there is a compelling reason to start with something else. I sometimes have to adjust the slip weight back up, you don't need to do that with a C-rig proper. I use the least weight to get you to the bottom/stay on bottom fairly easily. Heavier weights leads to more snags and missed fish in my limited experience. And cost more

Braid, no leader. No-memory on braid, lower diameter, absurdly high break strength, and casts far...I can't string up with anything else. Braid can be somewhat a PITA in the wind, but I hate fishing in the wind with any line. Braid can also get some gnarly knots that result in cutting more often than a polymer line, but a lot of that is mitigated by taking more precautions to avoid that happening. I'd rather lose 1 spool every few trips to bad braid than spool up with polymer line, personally.

I caught about 40+ LMB on 3" Roboworm Neds last month. That was 2 trips, each unfortunately at the end of the trip when I was already tired and ready to leave...but had to stay because I found them. Pegged weight 1.5 feet above the hook), fishing 18 feet of water. I tried a number of other plastics because they were biting so well. The 3" worked the best...fish nearly every cast, didn't lose a single one or miss a strike (that I recall). Strangely enough it hooks nicely with a 2/0 or 3/0 offset hook (not wide gap)., nice and straight and if they hit it, they are getting the hook...no long tail to pull on and miss a hookset. I was using it weedless...exposed but laying flat against it..but I could have left it fully exposed with a different hook/setup I suppose, I just don't want to mess with yet another hook style. That's my go-to lately. I like the action of a light, small worm, with that weight offset so that it flutters/drifts. I don't like the hook size or how it hooks using a ned jig head, and I don't want the worm to sink like that, I prefer it dangling off the bottom behind the weight. I mix in other worms just to burn through some tackle, but 3" produced the most this year for me.

I'd take that advice, it's a superb worm fishing method. It's the only rig I fish worms with on the bottom lately, never lets me down. That action, dancing around behind the weight, just off the bottom usually, and easy hookups. Cast, sink. Drag or slow-reel back. You can pause, not always necessary. Just fairly slow, ensure on bottom. I just bought a pack of rubber t-pegs though, you can just put a heavier bullet weight on like normal, and just peg it 1.5 feet or so above the hook. I personally use an offset 2/0 worm hook (not wide gap), and rig it with a 3" roboworm (or any ned-like stick). It's like bass candy. Simple setup, no special gear other than the T-pegs. If you don't need weedless, you might try a standard shank worm hook 2/0, and thread it exposed. Lure lasts even longer then. I've tried longer floating worms too. Some are fragile (Grande bass airtail...superb but fragile), and have some finesse floating. Issue I have with longer worms is that fish sometimes grab the back end, and you don't get a hookset. You can wait...but then you risk a gut hook. That 3"...never have to wonder. I caught fish until I was tired two weeks ago on that rig w/3" green robo worms. I mixed in other worms out of sheer boredom but the 3" produced the fastest for me. Good luck, it's fun trying all that stuff out.

Some things it might be: 1. The lure 2. hookset 3. The lack of "give" in your rod/line 4. keeping tension yourself as you fight the fish 5. bad luck I don't fish a lot of topwater trebles, but when I do they can get thrown more than a lot of other lures once the hook is set (buzzbait, frog, etc.). Seems like the whopper is a large/long, heavy lure..probably a lot of weight/leverage on a shake, to work those hooks out. You may try a strike king or cavitron buzzbait, no trailer, but you could include a trailer hook if you feel confident with it. It's basically a skirt hiding a large single hook, so if you get a good hit, it's as close to fool-proof as it gets. They have the added benefit of being able to work through light weed cover. Others have commented on hookset (too hard/too soft. Lots of people swear by having stretch in their system...either in the line or the rod action (med) or both. And lastly of course, keeping tension on the fish the entire time, and trying to ensure they can't jump-shake. I feel after 3 lost from reeling them in, I'd try a different lure. Good luck!

Lol, shameless. Love it.

I prefer fast tips. My med tip rods sit on the bench. fast tips can do double duty with single hooks too, what's not to love?

Power Pro braid 40#+ If you ever fish really bad cover, you can go 65#+. But for average frog conditions that is usually unnecessary. Lack of stretch and the strength make setting those twin hooks a bit easier. Ensure the fish has the frog, then a good hookset with no slack. I shy away from the full-size frogs on some lakes/times too. I use a booyah pad crasher jr for smaller fish, but I've caught my second biggest topwater bass on it too, so there it is. It's a quality frog, with a pretty good hookup ratio, and not silly expensive. I find I need a medium rod to load up the lighter frog to cast far. Casting far can be counter-productive for frog fishing...setting the hook over a long distance can be difficult, but some lakes/conditions you can't escape it.

To start with, maybe get some Trilene Big Game, it's usually found it large capacity spools for really cheap at a Wal Mart or Academy, etc. As above mentions, 12-14lbs is fine. IMO its better to learn with a really standard, cheap line because you may backlash more in the first months than at any other time. If you're intermediate level, and have plenty of basic experience fishing, getting hung up, fishing condition aware, etc., I'd get some power pro braid 30-40# for general use, I find it casts better, is obviously much stronger, and has no memory (always straight, never coily). Watch videos on how to tune your drag, and then your tension + brakes. It varies per reel, so you can look up the reel too. Baitcasting takes some getting use to. You really have to watch what the lure weight is you tie on, and adjust your brakes to accommodate it. Even if the weight is identical, but one has more wind resistance, you may be forced to re-tune again. Experience anglers either do this without thinking, can compensate even if they don't, and/or have dedicate rod/reel combos that really don't change much. Its easier than it sounds, but it takes some getting use to, and discipline to remember to fix it before casting a new lure out there. Hope that helps.