Bazoo

I always thought that the Zebco 33 would outcast a spinning rod. I sometimes use one, but my boy uses spincasters a lot. I always thought the difference was the fiberglass rod and how it loads up on a cast. The rods that normally accompany Zebcos are good casting rods, albeit cheap. Thanks @bulldog1935.

Best: Probably casting accuracy and lure presentation. I have practiced in the yard since I was a kid and still do. I taught myself how to cast lefthanded this year. Worst: using the same lure an extra hour even though it ain't working. I tend to get tunnel vision and just keep trying, instead of realizing it ain't working and thinking of something different to try.

Thanks for all the information shared here. I saw the cheapo version of the Super Spot at my local Walmart. I didn't pick any up, but wondered about it. I do use the Super Spot.

I just became aware of this, and purchased one at Walmart. Mine sinks; mention was made of them floating... are they supported to sink or float?

I purchased a wafer shad from walmart and I haven't had any luck with it. I was hoping it'd be different enough that it'd get bit at my heavily pressured local city lake, but I haven't tried it there yet. I did try it at a small private lake with little pressure, but they didn't like it that day. How does one fish it? I'm not used to sinking lipped crankbaits. I fished it about like I would a suspending jerkbait.

Thanks.

I just finished reading all the post, very informative and interesting discussion, thanks all for contributing. I fish some at night, so far, always from the bank. Always a place I'm familiar with. I've not done it enough to have major success stories like others, but I've caught a few here and there.

I have a noob question about boat maintenance. My seats are showing some mildew and age. What can I do to prolong their life? I suppose sheltering the boat would be the best thing for it, which I don't have much of a way other than on my porch (the wife is not happy with that idea, though I'm open to it). Forgive the dirt... my boy slung a couple shovel fulls of dirt in the boat when playing. I have the boat off the ground about a foot while I tinker on it.

I've found a few here and there, need to get a picture of the decent ones. I found both of these a while back. The craw cleaned up good. It must be lucky, I let my boy fish it one day a while and it came back home with us! What is this tube looking thing? I've never seen anything like for bass, so I surmise it be for a another species. Interesting I found at the local heavily pressured lake... probably someone in the military that was stationed here from elsewhere.

Real Senkos are not popular here in the circle of people I run into bank fishing. They are not popular with the small circle of fishing buddies I have either... I see others occasionally using YUM, and find them occasionally, but rarely ever find a real Senko... unless it's on the end of my line. And I have had some success with them in my local heavily pressured lake. I do have a lot of confidence in them.

I'm still on the lookout for a few new things, but mostly I'm content to refine the techniques I already have. I don't have a lot of extra put back, so I'm working on stocking a little bit of the go to stuff. I have 3 baitcasting rods and I'd like 3 more, and 2 spinning rods, and would like 1-2 more, to feel well rounded. I'd rather master a smaller amount of gear than to have a huge collection of stuff that I'm mediocre with. I'm looking to get the boy a baitcasting reel and rod to learn on. I'd guess it'll need dual brakes and be a fiberglass rod, since he's about to turn 5. He wants to learn, and I'm tired of repairing cheap spinning rods and zebcos. He likes to cast a weighted texas rig regardless of conditions so it should work just fine for him. I still haven't replaced the Terminator Titanium spinnerbait I lost last year, and I am still lamenting it. If the water level on the lake goes down anytime soon I'll be looking in the area it was lost too. I've went back 4-5 times already, poking around with my hand and magnets.

Red LED rope light is a great tip, thank you!

That's very interesting, thanks for sharing. I have done some experimenting with myself and my wife, whereby one had the rod and the other had a bobber attached to the end of the line. Very little pressure was actually on the bobber whereas it looks/feels like you are reeling in a whale at the rod end. It was quite surprising.

I appreciate all the replies and insight! I've never been very adventurous when it comes to trying new colors both in soft plastics and in hard baits. I've always used Green Pumpkin, White, and Black, for soft plastics. Other colors I've tried just didn't seem to work. I went down to the river yesterday evening and got a Goggleeye on the new color. It was a pretty slow bite for me yesterday. But there was a lot of other people fishing that section too.

I noticed that Yum baits are slimier than that Zoom. Neither stay that way very long though.

I think Crappie are my favorite as a species, they are beautiful! But I think this Gar was my favorite bycatch so far.

I ran out of Zoom Finesse Worms in Green Pumpkin and went looking for more, but they were out. I found something close, but with red flecks; Watermelon Red. What's everyone else's experience with similarly colored soft plastics? Are the red flecks great or not? Have you ever experienced a time that switching from a bait with red flecks to one without, or without red flecks to one with, has changed the bite?

I feel like going old school makes a person a better fisherman. The only problem is that there isn’t any way to tell bottom structure. However, fishing is one way. Course that takes time. The more time spent fishing the better fisherman you become.

I've mentioned my heavily pressured local lake, Freeman Lake, in the past, and as I continue to figure out the secrets of success there, I've been doing a lot of pondering. I noticed when I use braided line on my spinning rod, it makes a sound as the line goes through the guides, and as it has pressure on it when I'm reeling it in. So I surmise that the fish also hear this sound. Further, I surmise, that though I cannot hear a sound, monofilament fishing line also makes a sound. I assume that fluorocarbon does as well. All making different sounds, and the sounds probably vary somewhat between brands/types/weights. I've seen it said when fish are heavily pressured, that you should downsize your line and rig. I always thought of downsizing the line for the physical visibility of the line, but it just recently occurred to me, that the reduction in the sound of the line might be the true reason a smaller line is preferable. What's everyone else think?

This is interesting to me because I don't use any of the technology listed here. First, I don't have a boat suited to it, but second, I don't think I'd really like. I enjoy learning about bass habits and habitat though, and I am always thinking of structure and how fish react to it. While I know not embracing the technology will limit my catch, I think I'm happier this way. That's awesome, thanks for sharing. I've never seen or heard of one.

Very interesting discussion. I don't have the need for a small takedown rod, but a 2 piece would be something I have in the past needed. I have a Chevy tracker, which I don't drive, and it's too small for my normal sized rods. I have been thinking about what to do should I want to drive it... since I don't have any takedown rods, save for a cheap zebco for casting and a Rhino tough for spinning.

Nice morning and beautiful spot. Thanks for sharing. I like to take time to enjoy the scenery as well. Often times, from the bank, there are flowers and butterflies. Just yesterday I was enjoying watching the bluegill in the shallows follow my minnow around. Sometimes me and the boy will throw them a few live worms, they always want that for some reason! Whenever they won't take what I'm offering, I fish it more furiously! Then I try other stuff, often not finding what they want. I'm still figuring out how to figure out what they want when the old standbys ain't working.

Howdy from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Today I had success with a split shot rig using a yum minnow, first success with both of those. Plus had one on a Roostertail, which I've never really used. This was my first bass, last year I caught a crappie on one. And I had my first fish on a jig, a swim jig. Interesting the way the bite felt. Pictures will be forthcoming.

Same kind of thing happens when hunting, someone will shoot a 6 point deer, or a 4, and someone else says he'd have been a good one in a few years. Every deer is a trophy deer though! I try to take the time to look at and admire, and take a picture of every fish I catch, even the small sized ones.