I use monofilament line and i fish freshwater for bass. I would like to no the best knots for hooks, onto cranbaits, and your all around favorite knots. Thanks. L
ike Dan B, I use the Palomar knot but at times will go with the Clinch… Here’s a’ link that’s bout’ the best site (my opinion) for one not only learnin’ ta’ tie fishin’ knots but, other types as well… Tight lines;)… < ‘ ( (( > < Palomar: http://animatedknots.com/palomar/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com Clinch (Improved): http://animatedknots.com/improvedclinch/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com Note: Link also provides information as ta’ what particular fishin’ knot is best used for…
I’m planning a vacation to Tampa, FL and want to plan around the best bass fishing time. I use wild golden shiners and will be hiring a guide for Lake Tarpon and another lake like Okeechobee (please refer if you know of a good lake and/or guide). Thanks for your help!
Yeah you’re in my territory. Early spring as mentioned as soon as the mammoth bugs (love bugs, skeeters, gnats etc) start hatching. I mostly surf fish off Indian Rocks Beach and Tampa Bay but live right on a lake loaded with big bass. I kill them after work on small poppers and ultra light equipment. You’ll have a great time. Lake Tarpon is a hot spot. Trust me. If it’s one thing you don’t need a guide for in Florida is big mouth bass fishing. Have fun man.
I don’t actually use fluorocarbon for fishing top water lures or in-fact flies, that’s simply because it sinks, its 3x heavier than water and find that it affects the performance of the top water baits, you will still catch if you use it just i prefer not to, if your using deep diving crank-baits etc then yes i use it all the time, if your fishing top water lures i like to use a quality co-polymer like sufix.
Been Bass fishing recently with lures with no luck. I assume I am doing something wrong. Live in Northern New Jersey and have tried some different techniques, but to move or not move is my question.
Here’s my 2 cent’s: From what I’ve learned of NJ water’s they (NJ Bass) can be VERY “finicky” due to heavy fishing pressure. Here are some techniques to combat “used water”. #1. Line size-
When fishing “stressed” fish of ANY kind using lower diameter line will only benefit you. I suggest you try some Berkley “Fireline” in 4/10 (Smoke color) or a decent Flurocarbon line (or leader).
#2. Lure Size- “Downsizing” your lures to 1/8-1/16 OZ can only UP your catch ratio. It’s still “Spring” in NJ waters, (Esp this year!), and your average baitfish/forage will only be in the 2-4″ range.
#3. Use fish attractant- It can’t hurt and will add an extra “dimension” to your lures. TASTE & smell!
#4. Cast where other’s won’t OR can’t- On my first trip to MN all the tackle shop people I talked with told me there was NO WAY I could catch anything in certain lakes due to access or fishing pressure. To “heck” with them! I waded! (Without wader’s, just old tennis shoes & shorts) I caught all the Bass I wanted to catch! I found a pattern a boater could not achieve. I flipped & “skipped” a Texas-rigged (no-weight) Berkley Powerbait Worm under half-beached pontoons and almost dry docks. Boater’s had no “access” to this pattern because the water was extremely shallow and they couldn’t “sneak up on them” like I could! In other words- When it comes to shorefishing you must “think out of the box” if you intend on catching a mess of fish! NJ has no “creatures” (other than the rogue leech) in it’s water’s, (unlike the southern US, where “wading” can be VERY dangerous).
And to answer your Q: Give your lure “time” to work. Make each cast “count”. 15-20 minutes fan casting an area is sufficient. Try 3 different “type” of lure before moving away. In heavy pressure area’s- Try a small 1/8-1/16 OZ Spinnerbait or Beetle-Spin. Then a 3-4″ Floating Rapala. Slow rolled or “stop & go retrieve”. And if that doesn’t work go to the 1/8 OZ Jig/Curly-tailed grub. Hope this helps ya? Good luck!
http://www.fishwithnoknots.com No Knots (formerly BugZ) connect your fishing hook onto a line without knots while maintaining full line strength. No Knots are for Salt and Fresh water fishing, are simple and easy to use, require no experience, are convenient, effective and will give 100% line strength – (as opposed to breaking strain), colors of No Knots seem to attract fish to your line with results indicating on many occasions that you will catch more fish and bigger fish.
Ike hooks up with a big bass and then gets put in a difficult situation
http://www.fishwithnoknots.com No Knots (formerly BugZ) connect your fishing hook onto a line without knots while maintaining full line strength. No Knots are for Salt and Fresh water fishing, are simple and easy to use, require no experience, are convenient, effective and will give 100% line strength – (as opposed to breaking strain), colors of No Knots seem to attract fish to your line with results indicating on many occasions that you will catch more fish and bigger fish.