Please Give Feedback On My Rods And Set Ups. Bass Newb Learning.

[Bass newb]

Hello,

First a little background on my level:

I've been bass fishing and catching for right at two months. I've been fishing a local river/lake, Coosa River/Logan Martin Lake in Pell City area of Alabama. I've been told that fishing these last two months has been the worst of the year typically for this area, and the local tournaments that I've heard of in the last few weeks are winning with 13lb of bass and 15lb of bass. No one is catching 50 or 60 bass on an outing around here. I will be happy if I catch 2 or 3 in 3 or 4 hours of fishing, and from every one else that I've seen or talked to, that is typical. I get skunked quite often too.

I've caught about 30 bass, from 9" dinks to 2lb 6oz 16.5" long ones. Never anything bigger. I've caught just a few striped bass, but mostly Largemouth and Spotted bass. I go out fishing for 2 to 4 hours at at time 5 days a week if I can manage.

I have limited fishing techniques. I need to figure out drop shotting, but I have to get my equipment set up right first. I can't anchor well in water deeper than 10 or 15 feet, but I'm working on a solution for that soon. I do have a fish finder. I'm fishing from a paddle board, so my speed and mobility are limited to about 4 mph.

My equipment set up so far, I think I have all the bases covered, what I'm mainly asking about is something that I may not have thought about, or comments on my line choices. I love braided line, but I'm not sure if it isn't a detriment to my catching fish given the visibility of that line compared to others.

Rods/reels;

I have a 7' Med/Heavy Fast action baitcaster 6.4/1 with 30lb spider wire braid that I can't cast as far as I think I should be able to. I use this rod (it was my first) for everything at first, but now it's for Jigs, swimbaits, spinners, buzzbaits, and frogs.

I have a 7'6" Heavy Fast action baitcaster 7.1/1 with 50lb Power Pro 8 braid that I can cast forever and I love this set up for frogging and jigs and heavy baits.

I have a 6'6" med/heavy fast action spinner 5.4/1 with 8lb berkeley vanish flouro that I use for soft plastics mainly.

I have a 7' medium medium action spinner 5.3/1 with 10lb power pro braid that I just bought for rattle traps, crankbaits, top water type stuff.

I have swivels and quick connectors on all three rods with braided line. I can swap out baits really quickly by doing this and avoid twist on the spinner. I do a direct tie on my flouro rod and keep a hook typically texas rigged soft plastic on it at all times.

I feel I have the hardware for learning most of the techniques covered. I've only ever caught fish with frogs, worms, rattle traps, squarebills. I can't remember ever catching a fish with a spinner, buzzbait, jig, crankbait, swimbait, or many other baits, although I still throw them and try to fish with them.

Really, it's weird to me that I can throw a topwater torpedo, spooks, or whatever, and not even get a bite, switch to a frog and then pull out two bass in 30 minutes. Everyone tells me topwater right now, but frogs have been getting it for me lately. I don't think my technique is that far off for these topwaters that I'm throwing, I just don't seem to get bites.

I feel jealous when I read topics like "50 bass today" or whatever, but I just think to my self, they must really be in some honey hole, because there is nobody catching that kind of bass at my lake/river. 22 boats in a recent tourney, only 9 came to weigh in and 13lbs won, very very few people are catching even 10 bass in an outing all day long.

Please feel free to comment and offer opinions and advice. I didn't list the name brands of my rods and reels because I'm very happy with them and that shouldn't matter so much.

Bass Newb.

[Penguino]

Everything's fine except that for cranks and topwater I would recommend a 7'mh moderate action casting rod. Also, for frogs and some topwaters i would recommend XF but that's just me lol

[WRB]

Have you considered changing to a kayak instead of the paddle board?

My suggestion is put everything away except the soft plastics and spinning outfits until you figure those out.

The 7' spinning rod with braid; add a 6' long 6 lb test FC leader, this will be your finesse C-rig, split shot/slip shot rig.

The 6'6" spinning rod will be your be your drop shot rig.

No swivels or clips needed, you break off, you re tie.

What you need:

1/8 and 1/4 oz drop shot weights.

1/8 and 3/16 oz mojo cylinder weights.

Karolina Keepers.

Size 1 mosquito hooks.

Size 1/0 Owner #5133 down shot hooks.

Size 2/0 Owner weedless wacky hooks.

Roboworms; 6" straight tails in oxblood w/red flake and MMIII, use the size 1 nose hooked or Size 1/0 #5133 weedless skin hooked.

Berkley 4" green pumpkin Chigger craw, use the 2/0 hook nose hooked.

The drop shot the hook should be about 8"-10" above the weight, use 1/8 oz in water less than10', the 1/4 if it's windy or deeper water.

The slip shot rig; start with 1/8 oz weight, Karolina Keeper about 24" above the hook. If you need better feel, use the 3/16 oz weight.

The worms can be fished on both rigs, the craw on the drop shot.

Do this for the next or so and look for points that extend out into the main lake, concentrate your efforts in rocky areas with defined breaks that have deeper water. I know you like to fish weeds beds, it's ok if the weeds are near deeper water.

These rigs catch numbers of good size bass and that is your goal.

Tom

[Bass newb]

Wrb kayak? Imo the 14' bote ahab paddle board is vastly superior to any kayak. Stand and sit freely with no constraints. I sit on a chair on my board when I want, not in a seat like a kayak. It is kayakers who will be switching to paddleboards in the future. Kayaks will see a decline in usage like canoes did when kayaks became popular.

[Bass newb]

Have you considered changing to a kayak instead of the paddle board?

My suggestion is put everything away except the soft plastics and spinning outfits until you figure those out.

The 7' spinning rod with braid; add a 6' long 6 lb test FC leader, this will be your finesse C-rig, split shot/slip shot rig.

The 6'6" spinning rod will be your be your drop shot rig.

No swivels or clips needed, you break off, you re tie.

What you need:

1/8 and 1/4 oz drop shot weights.

1/8 and 3/16 oz mojo cylinder weights.

Karolina Keepers.

Size 1 mosquito hooks.

Size 1/0 Owner #5133 down shot hooks.

Size 2/0 Owner weedless wacky hooks.

Roboworms; 6" straight tails in oxblood w/red flake and MMIII, use the size 1 nose hooked or Size 1/0 #5133 weedless skin hooked.

Berkley 4" green pumpkin Chigger craw, use the 2/0 hook nose hooked.

The drop shot the hook should be about 8"-10" above the weight, use 1/8 oz in water less than10', the 1/4 if it's windy or deeper water.

The slip shot rig; start with 1/8 oz weight, Karolina Keeper about 24" above the hook. If you need better feel, use the 3/16 oz weight.

The worms can be fished on both rigs, the craw on the drop shot.

Do this for the next or so and look for points that extend out into the main lake, concentrate your efforts in rocky areas with defined breaks that have deeper water. I know you like to fish weeds beds, it's ok if the weeds are near deeper water.

These rigs catch numbers of good size bass and that is your goal.

Tom

Thanks, I will study your suggestions and think on them.

I fished soft plastics for 5 weeks before I began using frogs and then I just recently began other baits. Soft plastics aren't my focus anymore. I feel good with them already.

[deep]

Well, do you want to catch more and bigger fish, or do you want to learn new techniques and/ or baits?

[Bass newb]

Well, do you want to catch more and bigger fish, or do you want to learn new techniques and/ or baits?

I'd rather catch more and bigger fish. All my research has pointed towards knowing the right technique for the particular "mood" of the fish that day...along with weather temperature wind etc.

I've caught bigger fish with my frogs than the worms. Right now people are all telling me swimbaits topwater and spinner and buzzbaits produce. Frogs and worms are all that produce for me though.

[Bass newb]

Well, do you want to catch more and bigger fish, or do you want to learn new techniques and/ or baits?

But to really answer the question, i want to know how to catch fish on a versatile number of techniques. I don't want to be a one trick pony.

[deep]

Let's leave *swimbaits* aside. Unless you mean those teeny weeny hollowbellies.

 

My 2 cents are here. Understanding location (by that I mean spot on spot), depth, and speed; will catch you fish. Think in the basic terms, and then match techniques to what you want to achieve (in terms of depth/ speed), and after that find baits for those techniques.

 

Sure, a horizontal jig might catch more/ bigger fish than a T-rigged worm one day, and it may very well be the other way the next day or the next week. And let's not even get into size and colors.

 

Your rods and reels are fine. Listen to what Tom (WRB) has to say. He has forgotten more than bass fishing than you and I (combined) have ever learnt about the sport.

[WRB]

Bass newb,

Just re read your initial post and you asked about learning the drop shot presentation and wanted to catch more bass. You got the answer for both. Glenn posted a new vedio on this under fishing deep structure.

You PB is listed as 2-3 lbs and you call yourself a new bass angler, replies are based on your input. Like any sport you can't learn everything at the same time, practice a few things until it's mastered. Bass are transitioning to deeper water during the fall, that is where you can catch more of them.

If you goal is to learn to power fish in heavy cover, then practice those presentations when the bass are located in heavy cover....

It's OK to question replies, keep in mind it may limit input from skilled anglers like Deep who are trying to give you good advice that you tend to debate.

Tom