Arbuckle/Alberto

[daddymac]

I am at Arbuckle Lake in OK. The lake is very high, up in the parking lot, and off-color. Water 65 to 67. Air low 70’s, partly cloudy, not much wind. The fish, with the exception of a suspended one here and there, were in 25 to 30 feet. 

 

At at the ramp I asked a local with a $50K boat if he could spare a tip for a first-time angler on this lake.  He gave me a quarter and asked what I was fishing for. “Bass.” He suppressed a smirk. “We’ll if you do get one, it’ll be at 30 feet.” I asked what he was fishing for. Crappie. 

 

On on a Lowrance Elite I did find schools of fish in the depth the local suggested and a couple of schools at around 25. 

 

A brief bio sidetrack. This is my first baitcasting-for-bass trip in close to a half century. I am a certified, first class fish bum, but it has all been fly-fishing. The last time I bass fished with anything but a fly rod, Stren the the hot new thing.

 

I bought a Tracker Heritage.  The waiting list on the boat was said to be 3 months, which became over 4. During the waiting period I did what you mightily loosely call study. A lot had changed. I angonished over which rods, which reels, which lines for what purpose. The first time I saw a whacky rig, I thought it was meant to be amusing. I hawked YouTube, fishing shows, forums. I had never heard of KVD. Now I read his name (or monogram) numerous times a day. I practiced new knots. Everything I have is brand new, right down to the hooks and weights, and for all intents I’m am totally inexperienced. Totally thorectical.

 

The first day I caught nothing, Homer  Blanco. The second day in 25 feet of water I caught one bass of perhaps 2 pounds with a white 4” swim bait on a jig fished slow along the bottom and one dink on a Norman DD22 — the deepest running crank bait I own. Having a great time. 

 

After all that I’d do have one question. I have #20 Pro Spectra on one reel with #15 CFX leader, which I think is too heavy for the crank. I am using an Alberto knot. After a couple of day fishing, the knot looks fine, but I wondering if that is a connection which should be retied from time to time or just keep cutting back the leader (6’) until is gets too short?

 

TIA

[Brad Reid]

Regarding your junction knot, I would recommend retying it if you hang up really hard and have to pull on your line to get it loose . . . or catch a good sized fish. Too, any time you might use a mono leader, it'll swell a bit, lose strength exposed to water, so there is a time element, too, really with most knots.

 

Same with your terminal knots to hooks/lures. Plan on retying them, too.

 

Brad

[daddymac]

Thanks Brad