ironbjorn Posted February 4, 2021 Posted February 4, 2021 I don't do anything that literally nobody else does. I could say that I go when others won't, but pretty much everyone on a forum like this does that too. I will say that I have the patience that most people don't have. I'll cast to a spot dozens of times when others might make a few and move on. And that consistently results in a fish others would have left behind. It's not the most efficient practice, but I rarely fish competitively and I mostly fish smaller bodies of water. I have alllllllllll day. 3 Quote
Super User fishwizzard Posted February 4, 2021 Super User Posted February 4, 2021 I fish frogs with a snap, specifically a Decoy Egg Snap, #3 size. I started doing it when fishing parts of the C&O canal in MD. There are parts of the canal where you will have 100' of thick duckweed, then 50' of open water full of stick-up wood, then 100' of duckweed, going on like that for a mile or so. I prefer a walking/popping frog on the open parts but a heavier dragging frog on the duckweed. It's not worth retying that often and carrying two rods is out of the question due to the traffic on the towpath. What I found is that the snap makes even a easy-waking frog (Jackall Gavacho) walk with the slightest rod twitch, and more importantly, at most any rod tip position. It also makes it super easy to get the Gavacho to walk in place with with minimal slackline. It also let makes it far far easier to walk most any frog with any rod, even rods with tips that are not conducive to easy walking. The snaps don't pick up any more grass/duckweed then tying direct and with a weight of 0.006oz, they don't effect the buoyancy of a frog at all. They are rated for 70lbs, which I don't think they hit, but in yard testing they survive more force then I would ever put on a rod and more then the 40lb braid I use for frogging. I get endless grief when I tell people about it, but I am never going back to tying direct if I can help it. 4 Quote
Michigander Posted February 4, 2021 Posted February 4, 2021 I fish jerkbaits in and around heavy cover with inline single hooks in the dead of summer... That's at least odd in my area. 1 Quote
Global Moderator 12poundbass Posted February 4, 2021 Global Moderator Posted February 4, 2021 That’s easy! I can’t catch a d**n fish. The way I see it, I’m going to release the fish anyways so why catch one? Instead I just buy rods, reels, and a ton of tackle, to test the durability of said items. Don’t forget the boat I bought two years ago. Oh and the Garmin I just bought. Yup, that’s it! I’m a durability tester! ? Is it spring yet? I have new stuff to try out. 1 7 Quote
BTSyndrome Posted February 4, 2021 Posted February 4, 2021 5 hours ago, scaleface said: I hold the rod in front of the reel with the line held between my index finger and thumb . Just something I have done since I was a kid . I use to jig crappie lures up and down in brush and it aided me into feeling the lure . When I ventured into bass fishing I still held it that way .It does help detect light strikes. I have also done this since I was little...... BUT, I learned my lesson the first time I used braid with massive hooksets. That PowerPro will slice right through the crease in your finger like a razor blade. lol Even today I still forget sometimes and sure enough, owwwww. ? Quote
rboat Posted February 4, 2021 Posted February 4, 2021 Not sure if it's different, but rarely see others try it. While everyone is using their TM along the bank, if there is a light breeze I will go to the middle of the lake and just drift with a soft plastic bait, T-rig light weight, about 20 yards behind the boat. That bait drifting at the same direction and speed as other stuff in the water looks very natural. It is no secret, but at times works better than beating the bank. FYI, our lakes are shallow so I am not catching deep water fish. Not sure if it's different, but rarely see others try it. While everyone is using their TM along the bank, if there is a light breeze I will go to the middle of the lake and just drift with a soft plastic bait, T-rig light weight, about 20 yards behind the boat. That bait drifting at the same direction and speed as other stuff in the water looks very natural. It is no secret, but at times works better than beating the bank. FYI, our lakes are shallow so I am not catching deep water fish. Quote
Super User bulldog1935 Posted February 4, 2021 Super User Posted February 4, 2021 31 minutes ago, 12poundbass said: That’s easy! I can’t catch a d**n fish. The way I see it, I’m going to release the fish anyways so why catch one? Instead I just buy rods, reels, and a ton of tackle, to test the durability of said items. Don’t forget the boat I bought two years ago. Oh and the Garmin I just bought. Yup, that’s it! I’m a durability tester! ? Is it spring yet? I have new stuff to try out. use those new split ring pliers to take the hooks off, and then count coup Quote
Super User geo g Posted February 4, 2021 Super User Posted February 4, 2021 This is simple but I have seen people I fish with ignore this principle. In order to get bit keep your lure in the water. Don’t be changing baits, playing with electronics, running to new places in the lake. All these things guarantee your lure will not be in the water doing what it is supposed to do. Plan your trip ahead of time. Pick good familiar locations, the correct baits for the conditions, and a game plan. Stay in stealth mode, with the electronics off, off the trolling motor and use the wind to blow through productive areas. Trust your pre-decisions and make the most of it. When the bait is on the deck, guaranteed your not catching. 7 1 Quote
Super User N Florida Mike Posted February 4, 2021 Super User Posted February 4, 2021 Im pretty sure others have done these . I fish with a split shot weight, ( if I use any weight at all). This allows me to take it off quickly if conditions change. This came from the good ol days when I had only one bass combo. I also catch a lot of fish swimming a 5 inch senko over emerged and slightly submerged grass beds. I may have missed it , but I don’t remember seeing anyone else commenting that they do that. I am not too proud to fish live bait on bass, esp. if they arent biting artificials. I will get some big worms and fish them under a cork with a lightweight combo. I only hook the worm once through the band. It’s fun to resort to what you did when you were young sometimes... 2 Quote
Super User J Francho Posted February 4, 2021 Super User Posted February 4, 2021 1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said: @J Francho no offense, bro, but for me, that fits the internet more than the water. I've naturally understood the water from childhood, and nothing about it seems complicated. Thinking like a fish? Well, fish have an IQ of 6 (12 for the smartest, carp). Their greatest motivation is fear, by natural selection. Brave and inquisitive fish become fodder. Big fish are cowards. E.g., when fish feed in a time cycle, they're motivated by fear, and it's us fishing them that got them there (you especially find this in stupid trout in heavily fished tailwaters). When their neighbors begin to feed, then competition takes over. No offense taken. It means I don't accept any conventional wisdom. The rest of this post is nonsense to me - but no offense. 1 Quote
bigbassin' Posted February 4, 2021 Posted February 4, 2021 5 hours ago, bulldog1935 said: Night fishing has many advantages, and never quite found it scary. I will say surf fishing at night is the most manly sport I know. It's extremely disorienting - the wind, waves, current, the sand under your feet, even the stars and moon are moving - your only fixed reference is a coleman lantern on a board on the beach. A buddy tells a story about the sharks after his stringer in the surf at night. After starting over with a new stringer, he began throwing it over his back. Twenty minutes after loading up a few more specs, a fish on his back made its dying kick, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. More of early morning fishing, but one time wading around 4:00 AM we were catching sea trout pretty much as fast as we could reel them in. The whole time I was hearing something crash in to the bait bucket I had tied to me about 6’ away. Finally saw it and it was about a 4’ shark just hitting the bucket, closed mouth. Luckily no stringer with fish for it to grab. 2 Quote
river-rat Posted February 4, 2021 Posted February 4, 2021 7 hours ago, Catt said: Night fishing ? Despite all ya hear, read, or videos watched; I seldom see anyone night fishing. Oh there's an occasional tournament or Crappie fisherman but 98% of the time I have 190,000 acres to myself. Same here. Summers in south Louisiana are brutal. Once the temps start getting into the mid 90's during the day (usually be mid May) I'm going to be fishing a night. 3 Quote
WVU-SCPA Posted February 4, 2021 Posted February 4, 2021 Super simple one....changing cadence on a moving bait within a retrieve. A few people in my fishing circle who can certainly out fish me at times struggle with this. Have showed them time and time the effectiveness of killing or changing the speed of a chatterbait, yet I watch them just crank it back to the boat at a steady retrieve. 1 Quote
Super User Columbia Craw Posted February 4, 2021 Super User Posted February 4, 2021 I’m giving it up. I hang a tiny white curly tail crappie grub on the rear treble of my smaller shallow crankbaits. This goes back to the 70’s when I hung em a Spence Scout in black. 4 Quote
Super User jimmyjoe Posted February 4, 2021 Super User Posted February 4, 2021 2 hours ago, geo g said: Stay in stealth mode, with the electronics off, off the trolling motor and use the wind to blow through productive areas. Shhhhhhh! Don't let that out! The next thing you know, they'll all be quiet and catching fish left and right! ????? jj 2 1 Quote
lo n slo Posted February 4, 2021 Posted February 4, 2021 9 hours ago, scaleface said: I hold the rod in front of the reel with the line held between my index finger and thumb . Just something I have done since I was a kid . I use to jig crappie lures up and down in brush and it aided me into feeling the lure . When I ventured into bass fishing I still held it that way .It does help detect light strikes. i do that too Quote
Super User scaleface Posted February 4, 2021 Super User Posted February 4, 2021 4 hours ago, BTSyndrome said: I have also done this since I was little...... BUT, I learned my lesson the first time I used braid with massive hooksets. That PowerPro will slice right through the crease in your finger like a razor blade. lol Even today I still forget sometimes and sure enough, owwwww. ? I've done that too and now I dont use braid except for with toads and frogs . Then I tighten the drag so it doesnt slip . Yeah , I sliced my finger pretty good a few times . Quote
JLBBass Posted February 4, 2021 Posted February 4, 2021 fish mono, and only mono for EVERYTHING (well, actually a co-polymer) 3 Quote
Super User Bankbeater Posted February 5, 2021 Super User Posted February 5, 2021 I don't have a problem with taking the jonboat into thick muck. I just raise the motor and break out the oars. A lot of other anglers stop at the weed line. 1 Quote
Ogandrews Posted February 5, 2021 Posted February 5, 2021 I’m not sure if other guys do this but I never hear people talk about it. 90% of the time I’m dropshotting I’m using a 3” wacky rigged senko, especially when smallmouth fishing. Ned rig has nothing on the amount of bites that rig gets for me, gets great size for smallmouth too. 1 Quote
Super User PhishLI Posted February 5, 2021 Super User Posted February 5, 2021 Night wading. I rarely come across a stranger doing the same. I want to fish as much as possible, so I stay local. There are plenty of lakes around here. They're all shallow and there's usually a nice walk through the woods to get into them. There's a no boat policy in nearly every spot, but there's one where they allow yaks only, and it's meh at best. I need food and I'd like my wife to stick around, so I work during the day. This leaves me with night fishing during the week, so I do night wading. I connected with several like minded dudes over the past few years at different lakes, so now we have a night wading crew. The bottom line is this: I find it totally electrifying. No other method of bass fishing comes close for me. You've got to know where you are, so we scout out every place first. It's always a bit eerie, especially during the new moon, but man oh man when a fish hits it's just way different. Being waist deep in water at night has my senses cranking every minute, especially when I'm alone. It's a rush for sure, and not many people around here do it. 3 Quote
Luke Barnes Posted February 5, 2021 Posted February 5, 2021 Like others have stated, I like night fishing. I'm a bank fisherman and have limited time sometimes so when I get out I stay as late as possible. 2020 I caught my biggest fish night fishing topwater. But what I may do different, if its just a tough day with no bites I'll throw a bobber on, straight shank hook and a 3 inch Gulp minnow and slowly move it around. Works most of time casted as far out as I can to avoid sunfish. 2 Quote
Super User bulldog1935 Posted February 5, 2021 Super User Posted February 5, 2021 19 hours ago, J Francho said: No offense taken. It means I don't accept any conventional wisdom. The rest of this post is nonsense to me - but no offense. then I guess quantum fields and string theory is right out - and that's ok, too. Speaking of spooky interactions at a distance, one thing I haven't seen on the forum is references to using Solunar tables for planning fishing times, though I searched up 6 pages https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/search/?q=solunar&quick=1 Growing up and still today, my dad references the tables from Farmer's Almanac (growing up, he used them for planting). He never planned fishing around them, but always used them as a hopeful encouragement - supposed to be a good day today. Kayak fishing the flats, we don't have the option of powering the boat and running to another spot - you are stuck fishing the day's plan. On the TKF salt kayak fishing board, Solunar is a big deal. From my perspective, fishing moving tide currents is the big deal, and there certainly must be some overlap between tide motion and Solunar data. Moving tide and wind currents focus bait on structure, which draws the gamefish. We literally plan our trips months in advance from NOAA tide prediction graphs - I ramrodded a trip Feb 18 to 22 (two weeks from now), with my buddy coming down from Colorado, by picking the best tides of the month. We pick the days using the tide charts, then we fine-tune the spot using wind prediction. e.g. - you don't want to be stuck fishing that neap tide on Feb 17, but each day the following week, the tides get better. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted February 5, 2021 Super User Posted February 5, 2021 23 hours ago, A-Jay said: Agreed ~ I was being a funny guy. Spent many a night on lakes and in the surf ~ Few things got my attention as much as when standing in chest deep surf on the blackest of moonless nights off of Montauk, NY and a seal popped up right in my face. Or even worse, something bumped into my leg ! Usually retreated to the ankle deep stuff - for a little while at least. A-Jay Pinned 1 Quote
Super User J Francho Posted February 5, 2021 Super User Posted February 5, 2021 1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said: then I guess quantum fields and string theory is right out - and that's ok, too. Not necessarily. You're relatively new, so I don't expect you to know who you are talking to, lol. 1 Quote
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