Bass Fishing
- Thread starter UscfanJB
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. I’m in Florida Panhandle and just fish mostly local private reservoirs and dune lakes . I traded my bass boat in for a hobie pro angler years ago and it was the best thing ever . The yak is an absolute shallow water slayer . I fish live bait 90% of the time . Wild Shiners , Glizzard Shad , Finger mullet , Bluegills . I use quantum cabo spinNing reels with 15lb braid with a 6 foot 15 lb flouro leader . The presentation is usually a freeline bait on a #4 owner circle hook . Not a big lure guy . I did inshore charters for most of my twenties so I just adapted what I did in saltwater to freshwater . Respect the heck out of lure anglers but I’m just addicted to bait fishing . On the rare occasion that I do. Throw lures I really like 1/4 Chatterbaits and Swimjigs . Chatterbaits are my go to in stained , dirty water and Swimjigs in clear water . As effective as worm and jig fishing is I just can’t do it , bores me to death . The bite has been insane down here the last few weeks . Best I’ve seen in years
I picked up a few of these during the spawn and they CRUSH them . Great for bedfishing . You can just drag it on a bed and dead stick it and they can’t stand it . Definitely grab a few .
I grew up fishing Lake Wateree with my dad. We had a house there. I bought a bass boat and competed with other for small fish for a few years. Well, my parents have both passed and the house has been sold. So I bought a kayak and started fishing a local reservoir that's about 30 acres. I've caught more and bigger bass ever since. I went yesterday morning for a few hours and caught 4. It has been slow there lately. I got two on a black/blue jig, one on the Whopper Plopper and one on a small lizard split shot rig. I go there because there are big fish there. But whenever I simply can't buy a bite there I go to one of several ponds I have permission to fish. That's always the ticket to get your mojo back. And sometimes I'm surprised with a big gal.
I'm 53. I grew up in Greenville County but now live in Virginia. Growing up poor i never could afford a boat until I was 35. I now fish all over the country. This past December I purchased my 2nd New boat a Nitro z21 pro. I can't even imagine life without a bass boat i cant see ever getting rid of it.
How is the ride, stability and overall build construction of the Nitro boats you've owned? I'm thinking of getting a glass boat to go along with my aluminum bass boat(I use the tin rig to get in the places the glass boats cant). Would you say a Nitro Z18 would be a good investment?
Ok we discussed this on a different post but I want a pro’s take on it ... $125 glide baits ?!? What could possibly make a bait worth $125 dollars . I’m sure they produce but just can’t wrap my brain around it
The z18 is a good boat and its a lot less expensive but will do everything you need it too.
I put my 21' in the Everglades in February, the z18 probably will float o. 8" of water.
I've never bought one over $30 and I hardly use them. I'm more traditional in my baits. I'd be scared to lose a $125 bait.
I cant bring myself to spend anywhere close to $125 for any bait...i won't even pay $20 for a jackhammer chatterbait. I just buy the zman elite chatterbait and they produce just fine.
I was telling the others guys , I had a buddy who bought one and he was screwing around with it at the end of his dock and a monster bluefish smoked it and cut him off . I would be physically ill .
I’ve used the jackhammers but honestly the best ones I’ve ever fished are the 1/4 saltwater series . They don’t come with skirts but theY have the best action . Also the hooks are legit . They’re designed for Reds , Tarpon , Snook, Jacks etc etc so there awesome for hooking fish in heavy cover . Those are the only ones I buy and I just mix and match skirts .
I'm going to take the skirt off one of my chatterbaits and see if it changes anything...may give the fish just a swimbait look with water displacement. I put a zoom hornytoad on a chatterbait the other night and it got smoked on the first cast but nothing after that.
Actually I’ve done that many times and it’s very effective . When fish are really pressured and skittish it’s a great presentation . When I’m going shirtless I like the diesel minnows with the paddle tails . It’s very effective
I won a local tournament today with a 10' worm and a jig.
YES !!!! I freaking love them . i love them because they are almost completely Weedless. I catch tons of fish on them just slow dragging thru thick cover . Definitely one of my favorite new lures . It also amazes me how good the hook up ratio is with those small hooks . Great lure
The only Mega Bass baits I own are jerk baits. I stink at jerkbaits and the barb is on the outside so I always hook myself.
I'll have to try the dark sleeper.
I’m the same. The most expensive lures I own are TD Minnows. I have about 15 still in a box in the closet. I only bought them when I heard years back they quit making them. Of course they have started production again.
Lures can make a difference. But the single most important factor will always be finding fish.
The dark sleeper is an extremely versatile bait because the hook is covered by the Fin so it’s basically completely weedless . You can drag it thru anything . Also I get tons of bites just burning it a few inches below the surface and just slow rolling it on the bottom . For such a tiny profile it’s extremely heavy so you can throw it a country mile . Definitely give them a try . My favorite pattern is the one with the orange belly and chartreuse tail . It’s a killer .
How stout is the hook? Is it like a flipping hook? I'm just wondering if it might be an alternative to flipping/pitching baits.
19 and a half foot nitro merc 175, have been golfing and riding the motorcycle so have no clue where the fish are. its getting that time of year tho so it wont be long. i fish hartwell, russell and clarks hill mostly. im guessing i will be doing a lot of searching first couple times out
We just took our RV to Clark's Hill campground about a month ago and the water was so clear...i didn't bring my boat but I will be making the trip back no question. There was a family beside us and the husband brought his Ranger and I almost begged that dude to take me out...but this was family time so I had to hold myself back.lol
Honestly I wouldn’t trust them in Heavy heavy cover like I would a heavy jig . It’s a relatively small bait with a small hook . I tell ya what they would be great for is trolling behind the kayak . The tail action is ridiculous and it wouldn’t get hung up in the grass as much .
I get mine on EBay . My favorite pattern is called Biwako Yoshinobori ?!? Don’t know what that means but it catches fish . I just checked on eBay and they have plenty .
I like the 2.4 inch ones . I’ve actually used the bigger ones and they just didn’t like them for some reason . Really strange .
I'm with you...I'm not slowing down to pitch/flip a jig/Texas rig unless I get 2 bites in an area. I might slow down then and try to dissect the area. I just don't have the patience to constantly flip grass/lay downs or drag a shaky head unless im pretty sure there are fish there.
Yeah I know it’s super effective but I just can’t . My buddy’s don’t understand since I live bait fish 90% of the time but I don’t even put a bait in the water unless i find active fish . I just like to throw moving baits : chatterbaits , Swimbaits , Swimjigs , shallow running hardbaits . I’m just addicted to sight fishing . Kind of a curse because my buddy’s wear me out on shaky heads and drop shots but I just can’t do it . I would catch way more fish if I did .
You know it’s crazy , where I live in Destin there’s very few gators where I fish in the yak . Now I’ve had some downright nightmare bull shark encounters . I had one literally take a trout out of my hand in the yak . A few inches more and he would have taken my hand off . They aren’t afraid of anything
Big bass like the jig. I have combos dedicated to both the jig and the frog that I take every trip. When it gets too cold for the frog I switch that combo over to a T-rig. Sure, I have caught big bass on other baits. But I can be sure I can't get a spinnerbait or a topwater to the bottom of a laydown.
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That’s my home lake. Big enough to be able to fish different options. Spots are taking over though.
1/4 Roostertail. Run parallel to shore and against drainage ditches. No muss. No fuss. And $5 a piece.
I’m envious of saltwater fisherman. I’m always solo, as nobody else in my family gives a crap! I grew up on Murray and caught plenty on a”Tail”. Bream to 10# bass. Top water fast retrieve in shallow, slow in deeper.
I’m envious of saltwater fisherman. I’m always solo, as nobody else in my family gives a crap! I grew up on Murray and caught plenty on a”Tail”. Bream to 10# bass. Top water fast retrieve in shallow, slow in deeper.
It’s amazing how many 7lb + fish I’ve caught on that tiny Roostertail. It’s unreal . Down here after the spawn when they’re chasing all the fry and tiny baits they absolutely crush a Roostertail .
I'm fishing a regional championship at the Potomac this week. I've never fished there, hoping to figure it out. Top 15% go to Lake Guntersville for the championship.
I like throwing a frog just don't want to really slow down unless I get a few bites.
Someone mentioned a drop shot---there is nothing more boring than watching pro's fish a smallmouth tournament. All you will see is them standing up front on the trolling motor following schools around on Livescan and dropping right on top of them.
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