Are you doing it right?

[T-Billy]

If it's putting fish in the boat for ya, it ain't wrong. I use straight braid for pretty much everything but finesse and deep bottom contact. I seem to do ok with it.

[Catt]

6 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I did not expect to hear that. Is this what you do most of the time or only some of the time? 
 

Dependent on fish mood of the day?

 

Something I do a lot during the winter. I will throw a 3/4-1 oz jig around shallow (10' or less) stumps or standing timber. I'll hit the stump/tree & let the jig free fall on semi slack line. Once the jig hits bottom I rip it up a couple of feet. If nothing move to the next target.

 

From now through March the Rat-L-Trap bite is on! Burn it a foot or two under the surface. 

 

Something else I do unconventional during winter. Everyone says fish the north west bank because it warms up the fastest. I will target the south east shoreline which is the coldest. Not all bass migrate to the warmest water!

[WRB]

Horizontal jigging was unconventional in 1994 when I wrote the article for In-Fisherman and remains unconventional to this day to make long 40 to 50 yards casts using 10# to 12# line and the reel to move the jig and hook set followed by a firm rod sweep. Today it would called be swimming a jig along the bottom.

Tom

[gim]

5 hours ago, KSanford33 said:

Oh, and if I'm fishing off-shore, the rougher the water the better.

[DitchPanda]

10 hours ago, Darnold335 said:

So this is more just to spark conversation. I also don’t want it to get on the extreme side of things like throwing a 6oz lure on a 1/2 max rod. If you are catching fish consistently but, maybe are using 20lb line instead of 10lb is it wrong? If you  work a certain bait differently then is most commonly done is that wrong? 
 

What do you do that may be against the conventional way of thinking?

I feel like the line question of 20lb vs 10lb can be answered with a real world circumstance. I've thrown plenty of shallow crankbaits on "too heavy" of line to make them run even shallower and found great success with that. I also read somewhere that Bill Lewis designed his trap to be straight retrieved but I've always found more success yo yo ing any lipless. 

[WRB]

Started rigging reapers and hand poured worms flat side up years ago because they have better motion action with round side down.

Tom

[Bankbeater]

Some of my best bass have come when I'm moving a plastic worm on top of matted vegetation with a fast retrieve.

[A-Jay]

Are you doing it right ?

 

Who decides ?

Easy to find out how Merriam~Webster defines 'right'.

Not certain the bass have read it though.

I'm going to guess that for everyone of the infinite number of 'rights' 

there are in bass fishing,

there's at least an equal and also infinite number of 'wrongs'.

I'm still working through quite a few of both of them myself.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

 

[Woody B]

I only take 3 or 4 rods at the most.   All baitcasters.   For line I'm the opposite of @T-Billy.   I only use mono,  not because I think mono catches more fish.  I just don't like the way braid feels.   I don't normally fish really heavy cover so I don't need the extra strength.    I will troll.  If I'm moving ~1/4 mile or less I always troll, instead of just moving.   I'm hardheaded, but I don't think the color of the lure makes any difference....."most" of the time.    I like motor oil colored worms, natural shadish colored cranks, yellow or black top waters, brownish jigs and chartreuse or black spinnerbaits.   

[Scott804]

7 hours ago, FishTank said:

I will throw some topwater in winter like a popper or a spook but I do it slow. 

 

 

Shhh.... quiet... someone will hear you! 

[TnRiver46]

I do most everything wrong 

[roadwarrior]

8 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I do most everything wrong 

 But you are getting a surprise tomorrow or Friday that may turn things around.

 

 

 

                                                  

[Smells like fish]

3 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

Some of my best bass have come when I'm moving a plastic worm on top of matted vegetation with a fast retrieve.

I discovered that when I was a kid! I’d be dragging a Zoom trick worm and when it would be coming across the top of thick algae and vegetation it would get whacked by a bass!! I went to fly poppers and anything I could find that was light enough to go across the top and not fall through. I’d love to find that scenario again and get to play with some bass that way. It was more exciting than regular topwater hits.

[Catt]

44 minutes ago, Smells like fish said:

I’d love to find that scenario again and get to play with some bass that way. It was more exciting than regular topwater hits

 

I throw Zoom's Ultravibe Speed Worm or Craw with an 1/8 oz bullet weight. Reel em on top!

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, roadwarrior said:

 But you are getting a surprise tomorrow or Friday that may turn things around.

 

 

 

                                                  

Haha! Thanks buddy! I need to get you a raccoon hat 

[Mike L]

15 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

I throw Zoom's Ultravibe Speed Worm or Craw with an 1/8 oz bullet weight. Reel em on top!

Ditto

Ditto

Ditto

 

1 hour ago, Smells like fish said:

I’d love to find that scenario again and get to play with some bass that way. It was more exciting than regular topwater hits.

As I’ve posted many many times on here The Zoom UV Speed Worm is and has been my #1 plastic in most every scenario. 
 

As @Catt said using 1/8 and skimming on top can be one, if not the most deadly top water soft plastic bait you can use. 
 

Personally, in light to moderately heavy topped out vegetation an unweighted  Magnum stands alone. 
 

Try them both ways, you can thank us later ??
 

 

 

Mike

[Susky River Rat]

There are some great points and food for thought in here. I will be trying some stuff to see if it applies to my water. One of the things I do is rip ned rigs. I will let it fall to the bottom then give two huge rips.  Like I’m setting the hook and they owe me money.

[Catt]

7 hours ago, Mike L said:

 

As @Catt said using 1/8 and skimming on top can be one, if not the most deadly top water soft plastic bait you can use. 

 

Zoom's Horny Toad is a stupid ugly chunk of plastic that's extremely deadly. Greg Hackney's win on the Sabine river brought the Horny Toad to light as an effective buzzbait trailer. 

 

The Ultravibe Speed Worm & Craw has the same deadly little tail.

 

[Spankey]

9 hours ago, Mike L said:

Ditto

Ditto

Ditto

 

As I’ve posted many many times on here The Zoom UV Speed Worm is and has been my #1 plastic in most every scenario. 
 

As @Catt said using 1/8 and skimming on top can be one, if not the most deadly top water soft plastic bait you can use. 
 

Personally, in light to moderately heavy topped out vegetation an unweighted  Magnum stands alone. 
 

Try them both ways, you can thank us later ??
 

 

 

Mike

 

9 hours ago, Catt said:

 

I throw Zoom's Ultravibe Speed Worm or Craw with an 1/8 oz bullet weight. Reel em on top!

Great post. If I may ask are you fish is this over fairly shallow water?

[Catt]

12 minutes ago, Spankey said:

 

Great post. If I may ask are you fish is this over fairly shallow water?

 

From bank shallow out to 10-12' of water.

 

Every kind of cover & thickness.

 

Lakes/Reservoirs, marshes/swamps, rivers/bayous, & ponds.

 

Two reasons for the weight, casting distance, & I'll flip-n-pitch to isolated targets.

 

Pretty much my goto setup

[Mike L]

26 minutes ago, Spankey said:

 

Great post. If I may ask are you fish is this over fairly shallow water?

Most everywhere I fish down here is considered shallow. 
 

@Catt said it best

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Catt]

There's something about that little curly tail worm that is hard for bass to resist.

 

Y'all were discussing secret lures & I committed, I use overlooked lures.

 

One if the most overlooked & deadly worms is Mr. Twister's Curly Tail® 6" Phenom® worm. 

 

[Mobasser]

3 minutes ago, Catt said:

There's something about that little curly tail worm that is hard for bass to resist.

 

Y'all were discussing secret lures & I committed, I use overlooked lures.

 

One if the most overlooked & deadly worms is Mr. Twister's Curly Tail® 6" Phenom® worm. 

 

Catt, this is one of the best. I always liked this one in purple, and motoroil. Most shops near me don't even carry it anymore, so I've ordered direct from Mr.Twister. Hard to beat.

[the reel ess]

On 12/13/2022 at 6:40 AM, Spankey said:

I fish a jerkbait more like a crankbait at most times. 
 

If you’re in a feeding frenzy I’d think a lot of norms can go out the window. 

I took a buddy out once when I had a bass boat and we were throwing jerkbaits. I tried to tell him how to use it, but he just reeled it in. I shut up when he caught a 4 pounder.