Ian Collins

Really anything works right now including stickbaits, topwater, flukes, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, ned rigs, squarebills, wakebaits, etc. I typically focus on any current break or deeper pocket, but don't be too quick to overlook shallow areas with shade. I cant tell you how many fish I have pulled out of shaded pockets right on the bank in lass than a foot of water with no real cover around.

I love having a thumb like that! I find that the location and common forage really can change that feature on a bass. Many river bass I catch, where their main forage is crayfish, have rougher teeth. Whereas many lake bass, where their main forage is shad or bream, have not as rough teeth. It also depends on the age and size I think too. The bigger the fish the rougher the teeth.

Most times I will let some extra line out when it hits the water (like raise the rod tip all the way up to 12 o'clock) then close the bail and sort of "follow" the bait down to the bottom on a barely slack line. There are times though where if I know the fish are on the bottom I will just open the bail and let some extra line out and let it fall to the bottom on completely slack line. If you are fishing a sloping bank, like casting into 2 feet of water but sitting in 15 feet of water, then closing the bail when it hits the water may not be a bad idea. When you do that the bait glides back the boat, like a pendulum swing, where the closer to the boat it gets the deeper it falls. Hope this helps!

Hey all, I fished my second tournament of the year this past weekend on Sayers Lake in central PA. It has been a while since I fished a tournament so I was excited to be able to hop back into it. The tournament did not go so well, but I did learn a good lesson about following your instincts and not fishing memories. Caught them on Friday on just about anything and everything, but Saturday the fish moved locations on me. Here is the video, enjoy! Thanks!

Welcome! You can always join the Kayak Anglers of PA's Facebook pages just to find fishing buddies. There are a lot of people in your area on those pages. I am an hour north of Harrisburg, so if you ever want to venture up this way let me know.

Hey all, I used to be on these forums a lot several years ago, like late 2000's. I kind of fell off the forum for a few years and forgot about it but I am back now. I really hope the forums are as good as they used to be. I look forward to learning and providing my own input! Ian