Helpful Tips

[the reel ess]

If you know a place with stunted, hungry bass, that's a good place to try a new technique for the first time.

Using braid on spinning gear will greatly reduce the twists that eventually turn into knots. If you're careful, you can use the same line for years. Braid might seem expensive until you've used it for a loooong time with no breakoffs.

When the end of your braid looks old and highly visible, you can reel it onto another reel and you'll be using the new end.

You can go cheaper on rods where the technique does not require great sensitivity, like topwaters.

It's easier to sneak up on bass in a kayak than in a boat.

[OkobojiEagle]

Others have mentioned this above, but I'll repeat... worry more about location and presentation than about tackle.

 

oe

[bchase44]

If you have a high percentage "spot" that you feel confident you can get bit there.. Find what structure the bass are relating to at that spot..

Picture the underwater landscape in your head, fish it from different angles.. Remember what you got snagged on and next time fish it with a different presentation or angle to attempt to prevent that.  If your angling shallow to deep.. bounce a bait slowly.. If your dragging a carolina rig you might want to fish deep to shallow.  Try deep to shallow first if possible.

Then look towards the deepest water in the area.. What is in between your spot and the deep should be checked at different times of the day / year.

(All this is easier said than done.. I am still trying to learn how to do all this! )

[the reel ess]

The Carolina rig is the poor man's depth finder. Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are big fish lures. If you want to catch big fish, it's more important to be where there are some than to use a 12" swimbait. The hottest and most humid evenings and mornings are best for topwaters (night is good too, but most people aren't out then). Crappie jig under a float works for bass in the winter.

[bchase44]

5 hours ago, the reel ess said:

The hottest and most humid evenings and mornings are best for topwaters 

I've never heard this one, thanks!

[the reel ess]

9 hours ago, bchase44 said:

I've never heard this one, thanks!

I hadn't either until about a year ago when I ran across it on YouTube and it coincided with a really good run of summer evening topwater action for me. I carried it through this summer and it has become my favorite way to fish the dog days. Sometimes I'll have three topwaters tied on. Summer lasts a long time in SC and I believe bass do most of their feeding at night during this period. I do tend to fish shallower waters though. If you're fishing a major impoundment, the topwater action probably won't be that great most of the time.

[TheRodFather]

When fishing rocky rivers, if you get hung up during the retrieve while casting downstream, open up the bail and let the water take a big old loop of line downstream of the hung bait, then set the bail and reel in fast.

The current will hold your line downstream long enough to tug on the bait 180 degrees opposite the way it was hung, before the reel pulls in all the slack. 

[Columbia Craw]

Failing to protect your skin from UV rays can kill you. Wear a hat, sunglasses, long sleeves, sun gloves and or then the highest SPF sunscreen you can find.

[Mundo318]

Whenever you're spooling on braid or fluorocarbon, first put on a monofilament backing to save money.

[Fisher-O-men]

Put the plug in the boat before you leave home. If you are a passenger in another man's boat, always ask, "did you put the plug in?" 

[Damn Yankee]

Don't be afraid to spend an hour with a single bait.Learn what it does and what else you can do with it.

[A-Jay]

2 minutes ago, d**n Yankee said:

Don't be afraid to spend an hour with a single bait.Learn what it does and what else you can do with it.

Solid advice ~ I just spent the past Three DAYS with one bait.

And It was Good.

A-Jay

[Ratherbfishing]

Not fishing advice per se but it is sage advice:  Unless you WANT to swamp your boat, never go from 30 mph (or whatever) to zero immediately.  Either slow down gradually OR rev your engine before the wave you created catches up to you.

[scaleface]

Spinnerbait tip .  Go small when bass quit hitting regular baits . The bass will know its there . I've seen them charge a tiny bladed bait from yards away in murky water .

Buzzbait tip . Squeeze the rivet with pliers to keep it stationary and make it squeal more . I also like to squeeze the lip of the prop and rivet with needle-nose pliers to create tiny grooves .  Also  bend the those lips for maximum contact .

Crankbait tip . Use baits that dive a couple of  feet deeper than the water depth and keep them tuned . When a crankbait goes straight and ends up directly below the rod or even under the boat then you have a good one . Crankbaits that dont run straight I do not use  . Those baits are delegated for areas where its highly likely they will get lost  , like below a large dam .

Texas rig tip .  The lure must be kept straight or it will twist line . Hooks are the main  culprit , i bend them slightly to get the worm to lie completely straight .

River Small mouths love big grubs buzzed on top .

Large  waves , both natural and man made will start a chain of events in the food chain and bass take advantage of it .  If you're on a waterway with barge traffic be sure to be onn a good spot when one goes by .

 

 

 

[Hez]

On 11/17/2016 at 0:29 AM, Fisher-O-men said:

Put the plug in the boat before you leave home. If you are a passenger in another man's boat, always ask, "did you put the plug in?" 

Everytime someone asks me this, my reply is "Yes it is, and that's a great question - always ask it."

[Chgotj]

From auto parts store get a magnetic tool holder. Its basically a big strip magnet. I have one screwed to my deck holds lures pliers etc. keeps stuff at hand on the front of the boat

[OkobojiEagle]

On 11/16/2016 at 11:29 PM, Fisher-O-men said:

Put the plug in the boat before you leave home.

Check your state laws first... some states require that the plug be removed when trailering.

 

oe

[Fisher-O-men]

2 hours ago, OkobojiEagle said:

Check your state laws first... some states require that the plug be removed when trailering.

 

oe

Laws prompted by invasive species, I assume?