buckhunter14

Took a good friend out fishing today in hopes of getting him out of his usual fishing styles. He is much more used to throwing soft plastics, but we stuck to cranks today and it finally paid off. He caught the most bass and biggest to boot. Caught fish all throughout the water column on shallow square bills, mid squares, and deep diving cranks.



As he played with some bass, I threw the flyrod a little bit a landed some exceptional bluegill varieties.

Chuck7

Good deal..I threw a lot of cran ks as well..no cigar..lol..but flipping paid off..I love those northern sunnies..what species is that sunfish Buck?

That bass isn't spawning yet ..is it?

Knightia

Nice catch congrats.

buckhunter14

With weeks of record breaking yemperatures things are changing in a hurry, but may slow down a little. I have seen some skinny males around known bedding grounds and they have been hesitant to leave. Really would think the big girls would be in the deep structure just outside this, but have been unable to connect.

I would imagine it to be a redear sunfish or shell cracker type. I do believe there is a fair amount of interbreeding as I find (bluegill) species with verious marking of the spectrum.

Chuck7

Yes sir..I saw the red ear ...but I've v never seen a red earred down here with blue markings....our red ears have a long yellow belly and a longer red ear..for their size..they fight harder than a largemouth bass..very scrappy fighters and very good eatting...they are my favorite pan fish...locally that is.

Ok..I see the yellow belly in the picture..the blue markings threw me off..kin of looked like a pumpkinseed in a way..did you catch that red earred on a top water lure or bottom..I"ve never knew them to bite non the top.

buckhunter14

Caught on a floating spider and no doubt, pound for pound they fight!

Phil from Maine

Congrats on the fishing buckhunter.. We have a lot of sunfish up here and most of us hardly ever fish for any of them. About the only time I really fish for them is when I have kids with me. Then it is more so that I know they will have a least some bites even if the have trouble catching them. The action of the fishing like that will help keep them wanting to fish. But if I can hit a school of white perch I deffinately enjoy youngsters fishing. I took my 4 year old grandson perch fishing last year. Now he wants to go every time I have the boat hooked up..

Chuck7

Hi Phil,
I was thinking about ya sometime this week...I hope you still have that bait caster...because flipping and pitching are my #1 way of catching big bass..or any bass.AND the best part Phil, you don't have to ever cast your bait caster..If you don't know how to pitch or flip..you can just type that in a search on YouTube,,there are plenty of videos..BUT you. Will not have to cast it one time...90 percent of my bass fishing is pitching/ flipping..they are pretty much the same thing..I could make you a video if you like..

I've actually gone from the rubber worm to the 1/4 ounce black and blue jig...
Benefits,,
a,can fish nearly any structure ..I can have a willow tree with branches extending out 8 feet and cast it in to the trunk..
B. or fish it in thick matted grass
C. Or twisted up cat tails..
And when it's tied to 40 pound Power Pro braid,,it is nearly unbreakable.
D. It took me 30 missed bass About...on how to set the hook...it's not like my worm hook set...as soon as you feel a tap BAM! Set the hook..and 90 percent of the time she is caught..if you pause..the odds are you will lose your fish.
E..unlike the worm..I get no swallowed bait..so the fish live
F. I can use the same jig and trail or all day long..where as the worm..I may go through 20 worms and lose 5 rattles.
G. Most jig fish are bigger...just a fact.

Summary..put some 20 pound braid on that Rhino you bought and put it on a 6 1/2 or 7 foot MH rod and use it as your flipping rod.(-;

C7

Phil from Maine

Yeah, I still have that darn baitcaster as I have used it for trolling with. I have found it real easy to let a charge of line out of it. It works great for that purpose.. I had a guy that wanted to buy it from me last year after he saw me getting frustrated with the darn thing. But, I hung onto it just the same. Just maybe some day I will fish with someone who can teach me how to use it..

I already have it on a MH 7 foot rod but, have never ever tried braided line on it.. In fact I have only used braided line on my tip-ups and jig sticks with a long leader.. Although my lead core line I use on lakers is sort of braided though.. I hear that you need to tie some sort of special knot in the line or it comes undone on you? Do you tie in a leader for that as well? What kind of braided line works on it? Will it still give me those messes from my back lashes? Nothing I dispise more than trying to fish and have to dig all that mess out right in the middle of it. Which in most cases is my first cast..

I agree with this statement I used to jig fish all the time using a rubber crayfish for smallmouths and it worked great for me.. Except one major problem.. They straighten my hooks out when I use them most of the time.

I used to take a rubber crsyfish and a few desent size rocks with me. When I thought I was in a decent location I would drop a few rocks in to stur up the bottom. Then I would drop my crayfish right down behind those rocks. I would start bouncing it off the bottom and wham-o! They would hit it fairly hard too.

We currently still have ice on most of our lakes right now. But it is going out rather quickly right now.

Chuck7

The knot for braid is the Palamar knot..and you can tie it practically blind folded..simplist knot to tie..

I switched to a 1/4 ounce Strike King jig...they won't staighten out that hook..20 pound braid is like 8 pound test..wish you were here..I'd fill your reel up.I always stay stocked up on everything { -; ..I do that because prices always seem to be going up..

I'll try to find you a Palamar video...I love that knot for braid..my eyes are bad and in the darkl I need powerful glassed and a head lamp..but not when I tie the Palamar..no glasses needed.

Here's a quick instructional video..I'm sure there are better ones out there..but it's a palamar.
http://videofishingknots.com/palomar-knot.html