RDB

That is one I have never tried though I’m not sure why. Maybe I should add it to my to-do list. I know there are many who are strong believers.

As anglers, our experiences often lead to the development of personal biases, both positive and negative. Here are a few of mine that are at times difficult to reconcile anecdotally and/or scientifically. Feel free to add your own…no need to focus on mine. Color My bias - color matters (to a degree). This is inconsistent with studies that highlight the inability of bass to accurately distinguish certain color differences. If black, blue, brown are all virtually indistinguishable, my jig box can be about 10 pounds lighter. Science would suggest I give this too much weight, yet anecdotally I struggle with the more simplistic view. Scents My bias - human masking agent. I typically don’t use but also have limited experience. We often hear about the limiting factors (I.e. oil base) which are foundational in many scents. On the other hand, it’s difficult to discount the numerous anecdotal experiences that are often shared. Line shy, boat shy, ping shy, wire visibility, etc.) NOT WHICH LINE IS BETTER My bias - it situationally could matter. I believe foundational instincts are genetically pre-programed, are modified and sharpened through experiences, and are often trumped by other urges (I.e. mating). It’s hard to validate with bass but I believe similar patterns are seen as deer move from yearling to maturity. I have no explanation for some of the inconsistency examples used other than possibly a lack of associated negative experiences, another overpowering urge, or just variability among bass. My guess is IF true, it’s likely not a singular event. My bias when unsure, is to err on the side of minimizing the potential influence. However, that likely leads to over complication and a lighter wallet. What say you.

FYI…a little over an hour east of Ray Roberts around the town of Bonham they are building a ~16k acre reservoir called Bois D’Ark. Last I looked it was in the process of filling but it could be a jewel. https://boisdarclake.org

I’m 58 now and started young. Dad wasn’t a big fisherman so my early education was local farm ponds and by age 12, I was completely addicted. I would collect every bass magazine and clip the articles and save in 3-ring binders by topic..I had a closet full and probably read them 100 times. When I was 12, I convinced dad to let me save up to buy the neighbors old stick steering bass boat. The neighbor gave me the boat and I made payments but dad wouldn’t let me use it until it was paid off. It took me 2 summers mowing lawns and finally had enough money to buy at 14. I don’t think I’ve ever worked harder to get something and it was a bit of a junker but I was really proud of it. Dad had to tow it around at first but at 15 I got my hardship license and it was game on. I fished religiously through high school but college and career got in the way. I still fished when I could but didn’t get real serious again until mid to late 30’s and I think my passion has only grown as I have gotten older. It is definitely my happy place.

Josh again today at you know where.

I was getting ready to ask how you do the at thing above but when I entered the symbol, it popped up. Gained a new wrinkle. I’m a boomer, so hopefully it doesn’t replace a wrinkle I need. It think it may have as I now have a sudden affinity for mono. ?

??? Also since you mentioned expense, remember braid to a fluoro leader means your expense will be stretched across many applications. Tatsu is the top of the line but expensive. Since you will only be using ~5’ to 20’ at a time (depending on your preference), the cost difference becomes negligible.

No doubt some do look down on those who troll or use live bait…I am not one of them. I don’t refuse to do either though I choose not to for LM bass (I do both in saltwater and for stripers). If I shared a boat with someone who wanted to, I would have no problem doing so as well. Most of my LM enjoyment comes from finding the fish and trying to coax a bite using something artificial.

I agree…I would bet many anglers get many more bites than they realize. Also, while jigs often will not produce the same numbers as other techniques, they often produce a higher quality bite. You probably know this but since drop shots often appear on these lists, a few things to consider. A drop shot is at the opposite extreme of a search bait. It is super finesse, gives off little vibration, is generally a small profile, doesn’t fish great in cover, and is typically most effective with minimal movement. In essence, it is largely a site presentation. If you are blind casting, it’s going to be a crap shoot. If you know or are confident fish are there, it is deadly. 80% of the time when I fish a drop shot, I have already located fish. The other 20% is in high potential spots.

Do I have to fish the finesse technique on a “fairy wand”? ? About the only thing I won’t fish with is something with images of Disney characters on it.

1000% This ^^^ I think most anglers early on focus on the wrong things. The challenge with fishing is not technique, it’s consistently reading the conditions and locating the fish. Focus more on bass behavior: seasonal and in season movements, water temp, rising/falling water, fronts, sky conditions, water visibility, wind, etc. In my experience, the 2 factors that distinguish the great from the average from the poor is 1) the ability to read the conditions to consistently locate fish, and 2) the skill to consistently present their offerings in the highest percentage spots. IMO, technique would be third on the list. As Catt has said on numerous occasions, you can’t catch fish if there are no fish to catch.

It has been a long time since I was a co-angler but fun & learning is one of the most important things. I don’t know how common bass clubs are in your area but in Texas, there are many clubs and they can vary greatly. In some, co-anglers compete against everyone, in others the co-angler only competes against other co-anglers, and then some compete as teams. In the latter two you are much more likely to get more favorable boat positioning and can often share the front deck depending on the owner. If you compete against everyone, you just have to accept that you are at a huge disadvantage in most cases. Since it is generally good etiquette to not cast ahead of the consoles and your owner moves fairly fast, you will often be fishing behind the boat with anything other than shorter presentations. The last suggestion that may help you get more favorable opportunities is to focus on being a valuable co-angler. Simple things like getting the net before being asked, bringing a towel and drying the boat as the owner is strapping everything down, helping defer costs, etc. is not only polite, it shows your respect and appreciation. It takes a special kind of owner to front end someone all day who shows that degree of respect, though it does still happen. Most of all, have fun, be a sponge, and accept that there will be times of frustration. MANY big time pro’s started off as co-anglers.

Co-angling can be really frustrating at times, especially when you get front ended all day. It sounds like you did a lot of good things…watched where the other angler threw, fished different lures, etc. If it were me, I would really practice my pitching. Most people think of jigs when pitching but you can pitch most lures. The challenge with boat docks for a co-angler is you often have short windows to hit and work due to boat speed and angles. If you perfect your pitching skills, you can hit those precise spots with most lures with less worry about long casts and boat speed. Just a thought.

Pretty much any bait can catch fish any time of the year under the right conditions. When people refer to “winter” baits, they are typically talking about baits & techniques that will best match the most likely mood of the fish. Because bass feed less frequently in the winter, more often you will need to coax them into biting. While there will be active periods, typically bass will spend the majority of the time in a neutral or negative mood and you are less likely to draw from a distance. It’s about odds, not about absolutes. Don’t think in terms of jig v. worm. Think in terms of presentation type needed to match the mood of the fish. EDIT: Regarding your jerkbait v. fluke question, we often have some winter shad die-off and casting a weightless fluke and letting it slowly float to the bottom and letting it soak between twitches has been productive on numerous occasions. If you focus on matching the mood, you will find many more opportunities for bait applications.

I’m not sure the water temp. but when I struggle for a bite in the winter, I usually slow down even more or go to one of the extremes on bait size.

My typical length is around 18”-20” (I don’t measure precisely). I will go longer if there is submerged vegetation, deep water, or the fishing is tough. Make sure you use a lighter test leader, so if you break off, you have the potential to get part of your rig back.

Surely you don’t think I was promoting it. The OP asked a question and I gave an answer. It is up to the OP to make his/her purchase decisions. For all I know, the OP may be Bill Gates and a million dollars is ashtray money.

I don’t disagree and I personally think it’s overblown as well. I don’t make adjustments to my rods but who am I to judge if someone does. That wasn’t the point of the discussion. It was someone telling everyone else who posted that they were wrong when in fact it was the accuser that was wrong. Edit: I chose to correct the record…maybe that was my error. I never gave an opinion as they don’t typically go over well here. FWIW, he disagreed with you as well…you let it go, I didn’t. It’s not just members who visit this site, it’s visitors as well. Opinions are opinions but I think it serves the greater community to correct factual errors.

So you disagree with the standard way they determine balance point of a rod?

Am. Legacy has 17lb for $54.99 (200 yds). You can get 10% off if you sign up for their newsletter.

I tried to respectfully explain how you are wrong but I have since seen how you have been arguing this topic for a long time and have been mocked for your unwillingness to change your view after ample evidence. FWIW…the video proves my point. It is literally about adjusting the balance point. If you want your balance point in the center of the reel seat, knock yourself out. To say that the balance point is the center of the reel seat is just wrong. To say how you hold the rod doesn’t influence balance is just wrong. To say that the reel weight doesn’t matter is just wrong (watch your own video again). You could have posted any video on this topic and it would have said the same thing. Here is another video for your viewing pleasure. Note in none of his examples is his preferred balance point the center of the reel seat. https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/rod-reel-balancing/ Go ahead and respond so you can get the last word. My main purpose was to make sure others who visit get correct information, not to change your view. If you find some evidence to support your theory, feel free to PM me as I am no longer going to continue this argument on the thread (hint: you won’t find any).

I think you are confusing meanings. The balance point is the point on the rod where balance is horizontal. This can be determined with the rod only or with the reel attached…each will have a balance point. Adjustments can be made (weight, reel, etc.) to adjust the balance point to a position that feels comfortable to the individual. There is no universally proper balance point. It sounds like you prefer center of the reel seat. That means you should be able to balance your rods w/reels on a finger at that spot and it will remain horizontal. None of mine balance at that spot. So, why would manufacturers, reviewers, anglers, etc. provide balance points for rods only since we don’t fish with rods only? It’s because comfort varies and there are other variables that can influence. By indicating the point on the rod where it achieves balance, you can make better informed decisions. If I am a potential buyer and am sensitive to tip heavy rods, I know that all else being equal, the NRX above will likely be more tip heavy than the MBR 783 in the above.

You are just confused on what the balance point specs are referring to. Do a little research and we can talk some more. There is no such thing as imbalance point in rod specs…it is a made up term. Edit: Or you could be punking me. If not a punk, I challenge you to post your theory on the main forums.

I don’t know what to tell you. Imbalance means not balanced. If 8.5” is the imbalance point and the balance point is the reel seat, why isn’t every other number between the reel seat and the tip of the rod the imbalance point? Why would they just choose 8.5” as the imbalance point? You can literally balance that NRX rod on your finger at 8.5” from the seat. imbalance noun Definition of imbalance : lack of balance : the state of being out of equilibrium or out of proportion