Bass Tips: Put 'Em Here

[Snowbeaver]

I jumped on the senko wagon as well. threw some 5 inchers out there for the first time yesterday. both the smallies and largies were on this thing like a hobo on a ham sandwich, just have to teach yourself how to fish it. It casts really well without weight, even for a dumbass like me. Watch your line on the drop. Slow and methodical returns. Lots of good advice online. Good luck!

[thin cover]

hey sprite,

You want to use gary yamamoto sanko worms for fishing depths of 2-15ft. There is really nothing else you should be using. rig them whacky worm style which is through the center so that even amounts are hanging off either ends of the hook. I produce the most consistently from that then any other set up. We have a family house on the south shore right on Sampson's pond, that is where the New England record large mouth was caught, almost 16lbs. We pull 5-7 pounders out consistently from there. Not sure what it is but they are all monsters in there. You and fran are more than welcome to come meet up whenever you like. I swear it will be a bassin experience like no other. Also some big chainy pickerel in there and small mouth. Best times for most bass are 6-9 am. and 4-8 pm. Best part is we have a boat but honestly off our dock and beach frontage is the best part of the lake. If we are flying then big wooly buggers, poppers, and even streamers catch them there...

[thin cover]

sorry did not see the gary beta already, but yes they are by far the only bass bait you need for a spinning set up. Basically, you can throw out the rest of your terminal tackle. Nothing works like gary. However, he is no dummy, the gel mold design they use creates a very life like wounded bait fish our worm appearance but also tears in half very easily. so you have to basically replace after every catch. I can go through like 3 bags a day. For darker VT water use the pumpkin seed and watermelon combos.

^^^ Cheers on that. Gary is my hero, and I'll never use any other soft plastic.

This site: http://www.bassresource.com/fish/bass_fish.html is real good for basic tips on certain conditions/lacations/times of year.

[jonesy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Woq1FpMV8zU

[EarlyWood]

^^^ those Bill Dance bloopers are worth checking out.. camera guy getting knocked in the water is classic..

Uh Oh..thincover discovers the fishing forum.. will take you up on the offer sometime and may show you our own secret stash
...may..

[GoEhuge]

rig them whacky worm style which is through the center so that even amounts are hanging off either ends of the hook. I produce the most consistently from that then any other set up.

I would have to disagree and say a weightless texas rig is the way to go with a gary. Its the purest and most encouraged way of rigging from Gary himself. Whacky just doesnt work for me when fishing heavily grown areas. Catches crap too easy, and well, I just don't like it. Going texas creates more of a natural swimming motion as oppsed to the sporadic whacky rig. I also don't like the weight of a whacky because of the added resistance to the water. Going texas lets the senko do its silky smooth, sexy ass wiggle and you have a lot better sensitivity in terms of determining a hit b/c of the lack of resistance when it is dragged straight through the water.

Regardless, I'm pretty sure this is just a matter of personal prefference. As long as a Gary is on the end of the line, you know what you are doing to some degree in my book.

[hartzejr]

contrary to everyone here, I like the maniac salt sticks better than senkos. From my experience, Maniac soft plastic are the most durable plastics out there. When I started fishing soft plastics for bass I started with your standard berkley worm, texas rigged and unweighted. Tried many other things out there including Senkos. Senkos did produce some very nice fish but then I learned of Maniac Custom Lures. Their 'Salt Sticks' and 'Pro-Sink Sticks' are just like Senkos but more durable.

Worm-like lures were my main stay lure for a long time until I started using the reaper type lures. These things have great action and catch fish of all sizes. You can also rig them in a lot of different way. When out in the float tube (or boat), rig them drop-shot style and you will fish the depths where the big guys hang out. Another great lure for this method are the Berkley Gulp Minnows. Killer for everything from bass to trout.

Basically, if it ain't broke don't fix it, but you guys really ought to try some Maniac lures, drop-shotting and some reaper type lures. I promise you, they will put more fish in the boat.

[snow_slider]

Catching bass is all about determining a pattern. You need to take into consideration:
1. Time of year (pre-spawn/spawn/post-spawn).
2. Water temps.
3. Clarity of water.
4. Amount of sun/cloud cover.
5. Depth of water.
6. Structure (this includes literal structure like fallen trees or stumps as well as irregularities on the bottom of the body of water you're fishing).
7. Time of day.

You need lures that will allow you to fish all levels of the water column. Hula poppers/jitterbugs/buzzbaits for topwater. Inline spinners (with colorado blades), lipless or shallow running crank baits, senkos or other plastics for upper level of the water column. Deep diving crankbaits, drop shot rigs, jigs, etc. for hitting the bottom of the water column.

You should adjust your tactics with consideration for retrieve speed too. During spawn you'll need to slow down and really pester the bass on their beds to get a strike. Post spawn those big females will be hungry and will be more aggressive. Slow down during colder water temps too. On the dog days of summer, fish fast and furious in the shallows.

Early morning or dusk fishing is fun with topwater baits - frogs, buzzbaits or jitterbugs are key. If you're fishing cover such as stumps and fallen timber, bump a square lipped crankbait along the structure. That seems to trigger reaction strikes.

Adjust your presentation for local events. On a year when there's a cicada hatch (for example), use topwaters that resemble cicadas. If there's a big frog population in late Spring, use plastic frogs across vegetation.

Remember to vary your lure size too. Bass want the most bang for the effort and the big ones will ignore smaller lures (such as inline spinners). If you like using spinners, go with a double bladed one. Colorado blades for shallow presentations and willow leaf for deeper presentations.

My single biggest recommendation is to get a good pair of polarized sunglasses. The polarization make a tremendous difference when sight fishing.

[72Twenty]

You forgot about the case of Budweiser.

[snow_slider]

You forgot about the case of Budweiser.

Jeebus you fucking newbie - that's an unspoken given. After telling you to try fishing in the WATER for fish, this makes lesson #2. I'm gonna start charging you.

[72Twenty]

[72Twenty]

[GoEhuge]

Or you can step it up with a really classy beer... "Why take chances?"

[thin cover]

yeah I never ventured on before. Good to see you guys are enthusiasts. I am headed up this weekend to the cape to catch some. My brother in law i sup there and sent me a pic of a 8 pounder he just pulled on a senko. Then we are headed to tux for a day, kings and corn east coast style!!

^^^ those Bill Dance bloopers are worth checking out.. camera guy getting knocked in the water is classic..

Uh Oh..thincover discovers the fishing forum.. will take you up on the offer sometime and may show you our own secret stash
...may..

[thin cover]

I rig texas or carolina as well and I wholeheartedly agree with you. But when fishing docks or fallen timber in deep water there is nothing like letting the whacky float down and feeling that strike. In weedy area and heavy cover whacky is no good for sure.

I would have to disagree and say a weightless texas rig is the way to go with a gary. Its the purest and most encouraged way of rigging from Gary himself. Whacky just doesnt work for me when fishing heavily grown areas. Catches crap too easy, and well, I just don't like it. Going texas creates more of a natural swimming motion as oppsed to the sporadic whacky rig. I also don't like the weight of a whacky because of the added resistance to the water. Going texas lets the senko do its silky smooth, sexy ass wiggle and you have a lot better sensitivity in terms of determining a hit b/c of the lack of resistance when it is dragged straight through the water.

Regardless, I'm pretty sure this is just a matter of personal prefference. As long as a Gary is on the end of the line, you know what you are doing to some degree in my book.

[EarlyWood]

yeah I never ventured on before. Good to see you guys are enthusiasts. I am headed up this weekend to the cape to catch some. My brother in law i sup there and sent me a pic of a 8 pounder he just pulled on a senko. Then we are headed to tux for a day, kings and corn east coast style!!

Jealous you're going to the Cape dude, but if I were going there it would be stripers in mind..I think the time is near.
Let's do it sometime

[thin cover]

you guys and lillards should make the trip we can do some fresh and salt. The lake we are on holds the New England record large mouth, actually caught in the winter which is interesting. 16lbs 5 ounces, thats a lunker for sure. We pulled some nice ones this weekend. me and treewelldweller did some kayak fishing and then just off the dock. Caught a bunch of 25+ inch pickeral and a ton of large mouth probably averaging 3-4lbs. Not the lunkers we were anticipating. I also started to throw some berkeley gulps which smell to all hell but they catch them for sure, just not the weight of the action of the senko. Just need to throw a split shot about 8 inches from the hook eye. stripers and blues are running though. we should get after them...

Jealous you're going to the Cape dude, but if I were going there it would be stripers in mind..I think the time is near.
Let's do it sometime

[snowsprite]

I'm definitely up for that, TC!

Report back w/ pics and fish stories. Would love to head out there next time you go.

Sprite

[Doober]

One little trick I use for fishing the Yamamotos wacky style is to use a small zip tie. Put the zip tie around the worm and your hook through the middle of the zip tie and cinch the tie down. This will lesson the ripping of the bait and they will last longer than one fish. I have also heard of people using small o-rings for the same thing but have never tried it.

[Vinman]

caught these guys on florida and texas rigged grubs

18 inches/~2.5-3 lbs on a florida rig.


~16 inches/~2 lbs weightless texas rig


if you look close at the florida rig... I made it to clip onto a swivel. I too some 12lb test and fed it through the weight and then into the eye of the hook and back up though the weight and tied both ends in a loop so they can be quick clippped to the swivel. I also used a bullet wt. with a screw in to hold the head of the grub/worm. gives you some wt. to get though cover but not so much that it won't swim like a weightless rig. I call it the Vermont rig.

[tshirt.slinger]

My dirty little secret: I was a bass fisherman before I moved to the mountains. These pictures of trebel hooks make me go all warm and fuzzy inside...

Anyways, probly the most overlooked bait when fishing for largemouth is the TUBE BAIT. In the murky rivers of my homeland, north florida, a watermelon red tube bait was pure sex to a bass.

Also, if you're fishing a tournament...don't forget to go and pre-fish the day before. Try as much as you can, see what's hot and where. However, they will get sore-lipped as a mother fucker if you over fish...so moderation is key.



Of course, a bass will always take a shiner...Kind of takes the fun out of it, and you'll also get every nasty gar/mudfish/snake/duck in the area striking it...but it'll keep you busy.

[thin cover]

I will post some shots for sure. May head up in 2 weekends. I will advise...

I'm definitely up for that, TC!

Report back w/ pics and fish stories. Would love to head out there next time you go.

Sprite

[snowsprite]

Wow Vinman...I caught 2 little perches and a bass this weekend and they looked like the teeny baby spawn of what you caught.

I admit though, I wasn't employing some of the good tips provided in this thred. I need to get those worms w/ the flourescent tip, and generally get my mojo back. It's on though--I want to catch me a delicious bass--and I will!

Sprite

[tshirt.slinger]

you're gonna eat it?!

-1

[snowsprite]

Yay! Weekend's coming...and there WILL be pics!

Sprite