the reel ess

Don't believe the hype. Small jigs get big bass. Just gotta get it in front of the big bass. I all but stopped using jigs in heavy cover because they're not as weedless as a T rig. I switched to a craw or beaver style or even a Senko. I mean, that's what they eat, right? I kept on getting big bass.

I have places with 4-6 pounders where I catch fish. Think about it. Big fish either produce small fish or there will be no fish. I['m with you on management though. A certain amount need to be removed or it get so out of balance it can't recover.

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If I know it has produced for others, I may go back after getting skunked. But I've been in ponds that just give the impression of the Dead Sea-no minnows or anything. I won't go back to those. There's a local pond with a reputation for big bass that I finally got permission to fish. I went with another guy. He caught a tiny dink and I got skunked. Later learned from the owner that they think it was wiped out by otters. That's a no-go until I hear a good report.

That bass looked like it swallowed a softball. It's a pound smaller than my PB, but by far my favorite bass pic. It bit a spinnerbait before I even started retrieving. I've never seen a bass that fat and it wasn't near spawn. I think it was October. I believe I caught that fish twice about a month and 40 yards apart, and only about 2 ounces difference in weight.

When you see a laydown or overhanging brush and think it's just too gnarly to fish, fish it! The big ones live in there and they think they're safe. Get a heavy stick, spool with 30# braid, use superline hooks and go get 'em. Pay attention because often the bait never hits the bottom.

I think about this too. What we consider to be trash and pollution is just the neighborhood to a fish. They're captive in the environment. They don't know any better. I've fished places that look like postcards with nary a nibble then caught bass from a quarry or tiny hole. Also, bass in small waters will be so shallow sometimes you wonder how you don't see their fins.

I have one place where bass are really prone to doing this and I have no idea why. The biggest bass I've caught out of my friend's pond quietly slurped a Chug Bug that was just soaking before I started the retrieve. I saw the bass before it bit. The strike was silent and the bait just disappeared.

I stopped buying any BC reels with lower than 7:1 ratio. My rationalization is that I'd want to be able to use that reel for anything in my arsenal if I needed to and I can always reel slower. But get a slow reel and you can only reel so fast. But more importantly, needlessly making more effort.

What lure do you troll? That's never worked well for me while paddling, except for crappie. It works great for those if you can find a concentration of them. I even put 4 quick-disconnect rod holders on my rails for them. I also cast before I launch my kayak. I've caught some big bass doing this. You are often just screwing up a good spot when you launch, especially in a remote place or one that's not pressured. I'm also rigged up before I go with whatever I think will do the job (often you're wrong, but it's a timesaver) I make sure to wear my hearing aids and listen to everything around. No music, it's a distraction from the sounds of nature. I also usually never drink beer while fishing alone. When I'm out for fun with a friend, which is rare, I might have a couple. I do my dead level best to not spook fish. I know people say noise doesn't bother them, but the big ones got big by not being dumb. I'm sure it has worked in my favor to be quiet. It's the attention to little things that get the job done when they aren't biting well. When all else fails and times are tough, I'll go out with a topwater, a finesse C-rig with a small lizard and a Senko. You'll be surprised how many smaller bass just pass up your "big bass baits". They also love those little pre-rigged worms you see in convenience stores with two exposed hooks or a propeller. I try to show fish something they may have never seen. Instead of a frog, I might throw a lizard or a toad or a Johnson spoon with trailer on the pads. You can get bites when it falls off the edge that you can't with a floating frog. Be prepared for the strike!

When I was a young guy idolizing Bill and Roland, I thought I wanted to fish tourneys. But I figured out I like to enjoy my time on the water. If I want to fish topwaters all day for 2 bites, by golly that's what I'll do.

These work great and will catch you some big ol' crappie as well. Probably stripers too, but there are none where I've used blade baits. I would suggest heavier braid. I lost my only 2 baits the first day I used them. When, not if, you do get hung up, try going back the other direction and giving a gentle tug before just yanking. It will sometimes loosen up and free the hook. I like the gold Sonar. I only raise the rod enough to feel a vibration, then let it drop back down. They'll strike on the drop. Set your drag a little looser because you're using braid on a fast action rod.

LMB is my favorite and watching Bill Dance is what made me want to catch them. I'm not the kind of guy who can be good at a lot of species, so I settled on bass. They were the most exciting fish I could catch in my region besides stripers, which can be very hit and miss and don't exist in every body of water as bass do.

I have bought two and they were both fine. one was an el cheapo 2-pc from KastKing so of course it came broken down, the other a 6'9" Falcon. It came in a good quality tube. Not that I recommend it. I just was fortunate.

I bought 4 or 5 last reels through Amazon Prime. I buy a lot of stuff from them. If you are not satisfied, just ship it back. But the reels were exactly what they said they were. You might find it a little cheaper somewhere else, but you have to drive there and get it.