Hello everyone,

The bottom line is that my wife and I just started getting into fishing. We are "Newbies", and aren't real sure what the heck we are doing.

Here is a little background info:

We went fishing at Gull lake in the eastern sierras and had a blast. A lot of people laughed at us because we were using little kid collapsible poles with 8 pound test line.

I was using the 8 pound test line as the leader as well... Apparently fish can see it, and I bet they were laughing at me as well.

We went fishing at Gull Lake again 2 days later, and this time I did a little more research so that I wouldn't look quite as stupid (I'm sure I still looked like an idiot!)

We each purchased SPL 1102 5'0" ultralight ugly sticks, put some 4 pound test line on shimano fx1000 fb and fx 2500 fb reels, some 3 pound leader, and purchased a few size #18 treble hooks.

We ended up catching two fish that day, and we are pretty "hooked" now.


Now we are back home from our mammoth lakes vacation, and I have some questions that I can't seem to find the answers to.

We live in San Luis Obispo, Ca, in san luis obispo county

There are two lakes within 30 miles of our house for fresh water fishing.

Lopez Lake
http://www.slocountyparks.com/activities/lopez_fishing.htm

AND

Santa Margarita Lake
http://www.slocountyparks.com/activities/santa_margarita_fish.htm

The fish that inhabit these lakes are: LMB, Crappie, Bluegill, Redear, Catfish, and Rainbow Trout (Trout are only stocked during winter I believe.)

From what I have read, and understand, there is not a real consensus on what hook sizes to use on specific species of fish, let alone a general hook size to use on multiple species. Nightcrawlers seem to work on the species that inhabit the lakes in my area (I could be wrong, I'm a noob after all).


Here Are My Questions...

1) What bait or lures could I use on our ultralight setups that could work well for multiple species. What could I use on bluegill, trout, crappie, and bass. I know this is a shot in the dark, and that the answer is probably not as simple and straight forward as I would like.

The only bait we have used so far is Gulp Powerbait (Garlic and chunky cheese).

2) What size hooks should I use that would be able to land a wide variety of species. I am trying to keep things simple right now while I am learning. We used size 18 treble hooks, which are pretty small, and caught two trout on them.

The hooks might have been a little small, but I tried to use my misguided "newbie" logic in my reasoning that a small hook can catch both small fish and large fish, but a large hook won't catch small fish.

Also, I don't know if I want to use trebles anymore... It seems like they really tear up the fish. I had a hard time getting them out. I had to keep a small guy that I wanted to release because he was bleeding really bad.

I guess what I am asking is, is there a size hook I could use (like a #10, #12, #14, or whatever) with a specific bait (live or artificial) that may have success across multiple species that are in my area?


3) If I wanted to fish for cat fish (like a pound to 3 pounds? Nothing spectacular, but it would be nice to hook a large one) what pound test line should I use? Catfish, from what I understand, have poor eyesight, so I was thinking we might be able to get away with a thicker, stronger line.

My wife's Grandfather recently passed away, and we inherited what looks like maybe a decade old SP 1100 6'6 Medium Action Ugly Stik. The reel looks like the bearings are worn out, so I will have to replace the reel.

I was wondering if the pole is strong enough, what pound test line, size hook, and bait should I use?

4) We fish for trout with a small egg sinker on the main line, followed by a swivel, then a 2-4 foot leader. Would a similar setup work for catfish?

5) What kind of reel should I put on my wife's Grandfathers SP 1100 6'6 Medium Action Ugly Stik that might be appropriate (and cost effective) to get the job done?


Thank you all in advance for your help! I really do appreciate it.

Welcome to the Forum:
Everyone is getting ready for the big bash Pond Boss III Conference at Table Rock Lake in Missouri this Thursday, probably traveling now. This is a family of people who care about all things water, and they know their stuff. So if you don't get an answer right away, please understand you will.

Hello, Gflo.

There are many, many kinds of fishing and many, many different answers to your questions. Many of the approaches and answers are valid, obviously for different circumstances but also even for the same situations.

The best fisherman many of us (certainly I) have ever seen is Bruce Condello. I have seen Bruce outfish 5 other Moderators put together. It is more fun for me to watch Bruce fish than to fish myself. I will pass on to you one fishing technique which Bruce turned me onto, which I have found to work almost as well for lousy old me as it did for Bruce, which should work well with your ultralight rigs.

Tie a 1/16 or 1/32 ounce jighead directly onto the 4 lbs test line. Chartreuse is a good color, although others should work well too. Put a piece of nightcrawler about 1" long on the jighead. Cast out, and retrieve slowly, moving the rod tip back and forth so that the jighead & nightcrawler move toward shore in slight jerks, just off of the bottom.

You can catch just about any kind of fish this way.

Gflo:

This could be a long post! I'll try to keep it short. (yeah, right!) Regarding the rod/reels, there should be a line rating and lure weight sticker on the rod. i.e. 6-12lb 1/4-3/8 oz lure. On the reels, there is a line capacity as well, i.e., 4#-200 Yd, 6#-150 Yd, 8#-110 yd. There should also be a "action" type on the rod sticker where the line/lure weight is. slow, medium, fast, etc.
You should balance the reel to the rod - match line weights on both.

In short, the taper is mostly a personal preference although a Bass rod will be too fast of a taper for trout - when trout shake their head the hooks will tend to pull out - a slower or softer taper works better for targeting trout. A longer rod is easier to cast soft baits, light baits, but harder on you when fighting a bigger fish. A 50# tuna will kill you slowly when you hook one on an 8' or 10' jig stick, but you can get one in the boat very quickly if you hook one on a 5' bait rod. You can't cast very far with a 5' rod compared to a 10' rod tho!

Learn to tie good knots. I know that it's not the strongest knot, but I do a lot of fishing with line in the 2#-10# catagory and use the improved clinch knot a lot. Don't use snap swivels. Only use them if you are using an in-line spinner (such as a mepps spinner) and when you have to use one, use a good quality ball bearing one. Line twists are your enemy.

Make sure the drag is set properly, and is smooth. The drag should be set at the most at 25% of the breaking strength of the line. Lets use 8# line as an example. Take an empty milk jug. fill it with water so that it weighs 2#. Take it outside, along with your rod and reel. Tie the jug to the end of the line, make sure there is nothing overhead and try to lift the jug off the ground. You want to loosen/tighten the drag so the line is barely starting to come off the reel just as the jug just starts to get airborne. If you are using a lighter leader, use the lighter line for your 25% weight benchmark. Use good, fresh line. Line that stays in a coil when it comes off your reel is junk. If the line is over 2 years old, has been used a lot or has seen a lot of sunlight, toss it and re-spool. Go to the Triline site, Berkley they have some good knot and line tips. It's good line for freshwater use - I like the "limp" line for lightweight rigs. Try using flurocarbon fishing line for a leader, 3' - 4' long. Fish can't see fluro as easily as regular mono.

#16-#18 treble hooks for powerbait or Gulp is perfect. Get a set of hemostats or get 2, one straight and one curved. Try using them as is, or you might prefer to grind off the locking notches. They work really well for removing hooks you can't reach with your fingers. If the fish is hooked in the gills and bleeding bad, keep it, it'll most likely die when tossed back.

As for line weight, my preferences are (for fishing waters that don't have a lot of snags or weeds): Panfish (Bluegill/crappie) 2#-4#, Trout same or up to 6#, Catfish 8# heavier or lighter depending on the size of the cats, Bass, 6#-10# depending on the lures.

Hook size, this depends on what you are using for bait and the type of fish habitat. Crappie near brush, #4 or #6 Aberdeen. Bluegills with worms, Owner Mosquito hooks, from #10 to #6 depending on the size of the worm and the size of the BG. Largemouth Bass, #6 and larger, depending on the bait, Trout, see BG or what you are using for the Gulp/Power Bait. If you buy inexpensive hooks, learn how to sharpen them. I know they're expensive, but the Owner/Gamagatsu hooks catch more fish because they hook'em easier. That'a a plus if you are using light line as well. Owners are a bit softer tham the Gamu's. I've had the Gamu's break on me with larger fish when fishing in the ocean. I've never had that problem with the Owners. Eagle Claw hooks work perfectly fine, but they work better if you can sharpen them. Say, size #4 and larger.

A sliding sinker/barrel swivel and leader is a good trout set-up, and will work for catfish by going to larger hooks and heavier line. Liver, shrimp, worms, cut mackerel all work for catfish.

If you use bobbers, use the smallest one that will barely float the bait. The less resistance the fish feel when they grab the bait, the less chance they'll spit it out.

As for lures, I hope you have an extra garage to store them all in.

I've caught Bluegill (BG), Yellow Perch (YP), Redear (RES), Largemouth Bass (LMB), Black Crappie (BC) and other fish on the Rebel F76 Wee-Crawfish and the F77 Teeny Wee-Crawfish in Ditch Brown color. Rebel Wee-Craw I've caught Channel Catfish (CC), LMB, BG BC and YP on the 2"-5" long silver/black floating Rapalas. I have a blast catching panfish (BG, BC, YP) on Berkly Micro Nymphs fished on a 1/100 we unpainted jig head on #2 line, no weight. Tossed as far as I can toss 'em, slowly reel them in jiggling them to get some action from them. Lots of times I'll pause them and the fish will hit on the pause. Mammoth Lakes area streams - trout on #4 test, Woorden's Origional Rooster Tail, 1/16oz in bumblbee color worked great.

Sometimes lure color means everything. There are so many choices out there, it's almost like you need a tackle box for each type of fish, or at least each type of fishing you do. I don't know how many I have unless I go count them.

Talk to the people at the bait shops at the lakes you are fishing. They can give you some good tips on how to catch fish in those bodies of water (BOW). Take their advice with a grain of salt, remember they make their $$ by selling stuff, but also, if you don't catch fish, you probably won't be back either.

For trout and CC, (other fish too), keep foreign smells off your hands - don't go fishing right after you've spilled gas on your hands.

Others here will have good tips and hints. Don't fret, you've only opened Pandora's Box! Good luck on your next trip!

Hi Gflo.
My name is Brettski and I suck at fishing, too.
You are in good company....for the most part.
Welcome.

Hi Gflo. You've actually already discovered the most versatile bait for catching a wide variety of species - nightcrawlers. You could try the rig recommended by Theo, or you could go with a pure bait rig. One of the best fishing magazines that's ever been published, Fishing Facts (long defunct), featured as one of their two core techniques using nightcrawlers on light line with minimal terminal tackle, for many species of fish ranging from largemouth and smallmouth to bluegill to catfish to trout etc.

I second what you've already learned the hard way about treble hooks: never use them unless you're planning on keeping everything you catch, as they're brutal on fish. You'll get a better action from nightcrawlers with a single, light-wire (Aberdeen) hook, size 8 or 10; hook the nightcrawler only once, through the nose, so that it dangles freely and thus has more action. If you use four or six-pound test with a light or ultralight, soft-action (bends along more of its length when flexed) rod, you can cast a nightcrawler a good distance without any extra weight beyond the worm itself, and this is often far more effective than using even a small float; there's nothing whatsoever to tip the fish off. Let the nightcrawler sink on a slack line, watching your line closely, and when it starts to move, all that's required to set the light-wire hook with a soft-action rod is a gentle upward sweep of the rod. You'll have to let different species have the bait different lengths of time; for instance, a bluegill will take longer to swallow the bait than a bass; and, for bluegill, you might not use the entire worm at once unless the bluegill are very large or biting very aggressively. Trout, bass, catfish, bluegill, and many other species love nightcrawlers; they're the closest thing there is to a universal live bait. Fishing Facts had an entire book they used to sell called, "Nightcrawler Secrets."

One big advantage to Bruce's method is you'll probably hook fewer fish deep than you would with the above method. The pure bait rig will probably work better for you on days when the fish are not biting well.

Brettski, I can fix that! It'll take about 1/4 of the time you're spending on the garage/apartment.....

1/4 the time to improve, 4x once mastered.

Hi Gflo,welcome aboard.You'll get great advice here,albeit slow this week do to the convention this weekend in Branson,Mo.That said,all good advice in above answers,but,if you want fish,carefully check out the area,and use dynamite.

P.S. The state of California does NOT approve of this,so keep a sharp eye out.
P.S.S. I give lessons on Thursdays from 3-7. :DHowever,you have to scape your own fish off the boat/bank.

Gflo, I'm also very new to fishing and currently suck at it too. But I'd like to think I'm getting better. We catch fish now anyway. With that in mind, certainly take others' advice over mine, but I will tell you what I've done this past year to get myself, my boy and his friends onto some fish.

First of all, check fishing reports if you're fishing public waters. You'll have a better idea of what fish to target at those 2 lakes you mentioned and, possibly, where to set up on the bank too. We've had a great time the past couple weeks at a few different lakes targeting catfish, bluegill, and bass using very simple set ups. For your cats and BG, I used nightcrawlers. For the cats, I let it sit on the bottom and kept a finger on the string. When I felt it I set the hook. For the BG I used a small jighead and half a nightcrawler and a very small bobber. They seemed to eat the worm more often than not and this is likely my inexperience in putting the worm on a hook properly. LMB we targeted and I've had success using a variety of things, especially this time of year when they fattening themselves up for winter (Nebraska). I don't own a boat so I walk a lot of bank and find points and jetties to fish off of and go for a variety of angles. The most success I've had this year is with spinnerbaits. They're really easy to use so I've gravitated towards them to get the kids some bass and it doesn't seem to matter the size. We were all using large spinnerbaits and kept landing smallish, 10-13", bass the other day, but the kids didn't care because we caught a ton of them and they just liked catching fish. I didn't care either since I'm still learning. But those are my experiences, from one beginner to another. Good luck and I'll be following this thread to get some tips as well.

WoW!

This is all good stuff keep it coming. I am thankful for the replies I've gotten so far.

I went ahead and purchased a few Blue Fox Super Vibrax Spinners from Cabelas. Went with the 001 silver/silver and 002 gold in size 1 (1/8th ounce).

I read all 100 reviews and people have been catching trout, bass, crappie, and some monster bluegill on them.

Decided to go with the smaller size. Fishing with a lure seems really fun.

When fishing with a lure, do I just use a swivel, put it at the end of the leader, and cast it. Then reel it in slowly?

It seems pretty simple and fun, and casting a lot will give me a little more experience, and hopefully I'll learn to not spin myself a birds nest.

I think I might even dip the spinners in garlic scented YUM fish attractant to make sure my smell isn't on there.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...rset=ISO-8859-1


Theo,

I find Bruce's method to be pretty attractive. I am definitely going to try that out!

Esshup,

Thank you for the gear recommendations. I am going to have to research this "drag" thing and figure out how to set it as you have specified.

I am going to take your advice, and Omaha's advice on cat fishing.

I'm going to go with a little heavier weight, and a stronger line with the 2-4ish foot leader using Nightcrawler's and some YUM fish attractant (Garlic).


I have Another Question
Have any of you used superlines? Like Power Line Pro?

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...0395&id=0011779

I was thinking about buying around 300 yards of the 15lb test that has the equivalent diameter of the 4lb test to suit up both my wife and I's shimano fx 1000 and shimano fx 2500 reels.

http://www.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/products/reels/spinning/FX_FB.html

It seems like it is a good product, and if it is just as thin the 4 pound mono-filament we are using now, then it seems like it would be a nice upgrade.

I don't want my wife to become frustrated with fish breaking the line too often, and I wouldn't mind the added strength myself. Especially if we don't know whether a trout, or a bass is going to hit the line.

We are both using the 5'0" ultralight ugly stiks. Maybe its not the brightest idea in the world (The pole says 2-6 pound line).

What do you guys think? Is this Power Line Stuff a good product?

Per Condello's recommendation, I am currently using 4 lbs Trilene on my ultralight. But I understand there are definite advantages to the more advanced lines (flouro, braided, etc.) which I am sure you will get to hear about shortly.

P.S. You're asking a bunch of chubby kids what they like best about the candy store!

Well that's good then. I figure the chubby kids know what candy tastes best.

Haha, funny. Gflo, a couple things, again from a fellow beginner. First, you're going to get birds nests. Plenty. Get good at getting them straightened out. I got myself a baitcaster over the winter and love it, but the first couple months of practicing nonstop I was constantly, nearly every cast, pulling line out. Just a part of learning. Oh, and my kid picked it up once and let it go and that was a really big mess. But, you're right, the cast and retrieval of a lure is great practice and great fun. A lot more exciting than sitting and watching a bobber. One more thing, in regards to catfish, a method we've used in the past is chicken liver wrapped in pantyhose. Keeps it on the hook easier. I haven't been catfishing in a while, but have had great success with that method in the past.

I'm using a braided line for the first time in my MH baitcaster and I love it. My casts are further and so much smoother and so much easier to unravel when I get the occasional birds nest.

I have posted before about my love of braided lines but would advise you to spool your lines with fluorocarbon to start. The braided line has NO stretch and can wind around the tip of your rod quite easily.
As for the birds nests on a baitcasting reel I have a tip. There will be a small usually silver knob on the side of your reel. You tighten and loosen it depending on the weight of the lure you are casting. When you open the bail to let line out the bait should slowly fall to the ground. If it falls too fast, tighten the knob. Do not confuse this knob with the drag adjustment.
Also a big help is to get used to thumbing the line just before it hits the water. This will avoid the backlash and straighten out your line to properly present your lure without tangling that end up either. I hope that I explained that properly and if you have any other questions please feel free to PM me...

I went and read the thread where people were talking about mono vs powerline and the #100 lb fluorocarbon leader. Interesting stuff.

Good practical advice from all. I wouldn't mess with a bait caster until you get a little further.

Lures are great and highly addictive. I recently consolidated some tackle boxes and got down to about 12. That goes along with my unknown number of rods and reels.

Live bait is a lot more effective for both newbies and experienced anglers. The guys on TV use lures because lure companies sponsor TV shows. Minnows and worms easily outfish metal and plastic. However, lures let you cover more water and spook more fish.

Get a good spin cast reel with about 8 lb. mono, tie directly to the hook, put on a really small bobber and enjoy yourself. Unless absolutely necessary, I try to not use a weight. Keep it simple.

I only use leaders for fly fishing and really toothy critters. A couple of weeks ago, I used the Condello rig and caught a huge number of bluegills, an 8 pound channel cat and 2 bass.

Once you've mastered a little bit of this stuff, see your banker about an equipment loan.

DD1:

Try this trick. Use weight with the bobber, and use enough weight so the bobber just barely floats. Try putting the weight as close to the bobber as possible. I'll even use the tiny ice fishing floats on my UL spinning rig, with a small split shot directly under the bobber. Hook tied directly to the 2# test.

My nephew did that with either 4# or 6# test line, I forget exactly what poundage it was. A common carp took the bait and after a 20 minute battle we netted the carp. He couldn't believe he got it in. I told him that as long as the line doesn't get hung up on anything, and the drag set properly, you can fight a fish for a LONG time to get it in without breaking the line. The key is to have patience! (and a smooth drag)

I've got 2 rods set-up for steelhead fishing in the St. Joe River. They're spooled with one of the super braids, but they have a 4' fluro leader. The superbraid allows me great sensitivity, along with excellent abrasion resistance. The fluro leader makes the line pretty invisible to the steelies.

Why would you use the weights just under the bobber? What does that accomplish for you?

I can neither see nor tie 2 pound test. Even 4# tries my patience when tying.

Now I see a reason for a leader. That's neat.

My approach is to carefully observe natural fish food and prey. Try to simulate it as closely as possible. The fishing tackle should be as natural and/or invisible as possible, within practical limits.

Even though you do the above with great care, you're still not guaranteed success. Fish are smart, and bite pretty much when they feel like it.

DD1:

I put the weight under the bobber to make the bobber easier to pull under the water by the fish, and it gives me a little bit more weight to cast with. Also, by putting it there, I end up with less tangles when I cast out and the maggot falls thru the water column more naturally than if drug down by a weight. Size 10 hook, one maggot on the hook, the bobber is made of stryofoam and is maybe 5/8" dia and 3/4" to 1" tall. The bobber either has a slit in the side or just a hole drilled thru the center. The line is held in place by jambing in a small piece of wood about the size of 1/3 of a round toothpick. I can cast that combo about 60 feet with the small split shot under the bobber, 40 feet without it.

I'll also use a Berkly Micro nymph on a 1/100 oz. lead jig head - no weight or bobber. Casting it with anything heavier than 4# test is futile, 2# is better.

Thanks again everyone for all your suggestions and advice.

I really am taking notes on all of this. I've set the drag correctly using the milk jug method (wife took pictures... She thinks I'm insane...).

Now I just need to find a solid spin cast reel for my wife's Ladies' ugly stick.

I was hoping to purchase it on cabelas.com, but am not sure which one to go with.

I think I am going to go with an 8lb test braided line (Powerline) using a 12lb test mono backing.

Figure I can use that same 12lb test to spool the catfishing rod as well. We only have channel cats around here, so hopefully it will be sufficient.

Would have gone with a heavier test line than 12 if I thought it wouldn't hinder the performance of any of the spincast reels (using it as a backing to the 8lb braided line).

The 12# will be more than enough, you could probably drop down to 10# unless the cats are over 15#. I caught a 14.8# CC on a floating Rapala in my pond on 6# test, but it took about 10 minutes to get it in, and there are very few obstructions in the pond where the line can get tangled. The superbraid will allow you to cast further with heavier line. It doesn't like to be tied to mono, but if you search the internet there are knots that work really well tying braid to mono. I'm pretty sure the Uni Knot is one of them.

Since you did the milk jug thing, now imagine how tiring it would be to fight a fish when using 25# of drag pressure!!

Gflo:

When you say spin cast reel, do you mean the type that has a push button on the back that is used with the reel on top of the rod, or the type where you manually open the bail, hold the line with your finger and is used hanging under the rod? To me, a spin cast reel is the push button type, a spinning reel hangs under the rod.

I gotta run, but if you mean spinning reel, i'll have a suggestion when I get back later today. What line weight is that ugly stick rated for?

Hey,

by spincast reel I mean something like this.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...rset=ISO-8859-1

I have three rods total right now.

Two of them are spinning reels that require manually opening the bail.

I am looking to buy one of the spincast ones for my wife (like that zebco omega one).

As far as the ugly stik rating. It is an ultralight 5'0 rod. I believe it is 2-6 lb rated.

Gflo:

I'm not a good one to give you a recommendation on a spin cast reel (you had it right). I haven't used one since I was probably 8 years old. If I was buying one I'd stick with zebco.

As for a spinning reel, I like the rear drag models, for a heavier set-up, I have a Shimano Symetre 4000 rear drag model on a St. Croix 7' medium power fast action Premier/PS70MF 6-12# line 1/4-5/8 oz lure.

Esshup, 1/100 oz? How do you see it?

I ate a lot of carrots when I was a kid!

I'm mostly fishing that rig in <4' of water, sometimes <2' of water, and I've found that over 50% of the strikes come on the fall as I pause the retrieve. The slower that it falls, the more strikes I get. If I use a 1/32 oz jighead I get virtually 0 strikes because I have to speed up the retrieve to keep the lure up off the bottom. The slower retrieve with the lighter jig head will keep the lure in the strike zone longer, getting more fish.

When the fish are really shallow, the lighter jighead makes less of a splash when entering the water as well, spooking less fish.

1/100 oz jig heads are definitely BG killers...

Tie some black or olive chenille around the hook shank of a 1/100 or 1/125th oz jig head hook, add some rubber legs and you have one of the most famous BG flies ever invented …
The “Cap Spider”

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

What size is the hook for those little suckers?

Size 10 ... "ya want some?

No kidding? A size 10? Where do you get them?

I found mine in the lure making section @ Memphis Net & Twine, then found them at the Hammond, IN Cabelas. The ones that I have are ball head jigs, they don't have the flattened sides that the ones that George has.

Mine are unpainted as well.

Barlow's Tackle Shop in Richardson ....
I tried them for Cap Spider flies and don't like them - too many deep hooked fish but might be OK for bait.
I'll save them for you to try.

When I get up to central PA, there is a mom and pop shop up there that sells them also. I always stock up big time when I am there. They even paint them a number of different colors. If you order enough they will customize them for you... One of several colors, custom hook sizes, they have down to a size 14(deadly for cold water gills), and they have black or gold hook colors.

If worse comes to worse, you can always try Bass Pro for them.

Should I only be using 1/124th ounce jigheads while fly fishing (I don't have any fly fishing gear yet).

I'm starting to confuse myself.

Cool video george, making your own flies seems like something I could get into eventually.

After trying all these really good and neat techniques, if the action is just a little too slow for you; get some gold long shank mustad #4 aderdeen hooks, some small split shot weights, a styrofoam float with weight made onto the bottom to make it stand up and so you can cast a little further, then put a 1/2 inch piece of night crawler on. Cast it out, chew on a piece of grass or down some of your favorite beverage, but always watch the cork(float,bobber) for telltale signs of your quarry attempting to devour the morsel. When you think he has it in his mouth, pull the rod tip up slightly to lodge the hook into the unsuspecting fishes mouth. Have fun.

ps...you can tie a small swivel on the line and use snelled hooks(they have a leader and loop on them. put the float 2 ft. above the hook and split shot near the swivel. You can put the float a little farther from the hook as you gain proficiency with casting.

I use an ultra light spinning gear to cast the 1/124th oz jigheads.... If you have a light action rod, it should be able to cast smaller baits like that without much problem as long as you aren't casting into the wind. Between the jighead weight and the weight of the plastic bait I use, I have no problem. If you really wanna get fancy you can buy a noodle rod. I use a 10' one that is rated for 1-6 pound test. You can cast out anything with it... It's about as close to flyfishing with a spinning rod as you'll ever get. I'm not a purist, about the only time I use a fly rod are in flyfishing only sections and for dry or wet flies that you can't cast with spinning gear.

Guys - get a fly rod ....

That's your answer to everything, george.

"How should I cast a wooly bugger?" - Get a fly rod.

"What's the best way to present a pellet fly" - Get a fly rod.

"What do I tie this fly line to?" - Get a fly rod.

CATCH A FISH - GET A FLY ROD !!!

"How do we fix the economy?" - Get a fly rod.

How do I get this night crawler into the strike zone-get a fly rod.

How do we fix social security? - Get a fly rod.

How to harass and endeavor to teach young dogs old tricks and live to be an old geezer of 84+ years of age???
GET A FLY ROD!!!!!

Gflo, I'm sorry I missed this thread, I was temporarily out of my mind. First off welcome to Pond Boss and thanks for posting. It's great to have another Californian aboard!

I didn't see this recommended (but then again I have a short attention span) but if you can, fish with a good fisherman. If you don't know one then ask the local tackle shop if there are any fishing clubs (Rod & Gun Clubs or something similar). If you can fish with a patient teacher you will learn plenty! DIED, Bruce Condello and Natester have all taught me quite a bit about fishing by spending just a few minutes with them.

Watch some fishing shows, it sounds corny but tape Bill Dance's show and watch it, you'll learn plenty. In-Fisherman magazine is a good source for information. Perhaps join and post on the Fish Sniffer Forums. I'll bet if you asked there someone in your area would be more than willing to take you out and give you some lessons.

Oh and keep the gear simple at first. Don't spend a ton on expensive gear. When we first started freshwater fishing (in 2006 by the way) my wife and I purchased the Zebco Omega Reel and Rod combo from Bass Pro Shops (a Pond Boss supporter by the way) and we really like it, it is very easy to use, I belive it's the very reel you have bookmarked. I prefer an ultralight pole - they'll handle a good sized fish (I caught a 6.25 pound channel cat on one, thank's to Bruce and Nate, and had no problem with the pole, I don't know what the upper fish weight limit is, anyone?). I like the ultralight poles because you can cast a small lure a very long distance and it has an incredible amount of "feel" to it.

Oh and learn to tie a good knot, practice knots, practice, practice.

Could someone elaborate, again if I missed it, on drag? How to set it, how to work it while fishing, etc.? I was hauling in a fish that was large to me the other day with my MH 7' baitcaster and had no problem bringing him to the shore. But once I tried lifting him up onto the shore and reeling him up closer, it wouldn't budge. Not that it was a big deal, because I'd already landed him, but in a pinch, if I have a big fish on, I'm not sure if I'd know how to handle the drag.

Is it legal to use that many different emoticons in one message?

Omaha, if nobody who really knows how to set reel drag posts good info, I will give you "setting reel drag for dummies".

That'd be great. I hear anglers talk about it all the time and when I pick up my reel to practice it's like looking at hieroglyphics. "Wait, what did he just say again?..."

EDIT - Hey, did you just call me a dummy?

You and me both.

I use the highly scientific method of setting the drag in the approximate middle of the range. I pull on the line and if it seems hard to pull, but I can pull some, I say "yup, that's about right." Then if I catch a fish I adjust it on an as needed basis. It the line is going out faster than I can reel it in, then I increase the drag. It the line feels like it's getting so tight that it's going to snap and take my eye out, then I loosen it up.

Is there any other way to set drag?

The "gut feeling" is usually fine... HAHA

If you wanna get real technical, find a digital scale. Set your rod and reel up like your fishing but instead of tying a lure to your line, tie the scale to it. Then pull on the line with your digital scale and see what weight it reads(it helps to have a friend help you). I like the drag to kick in at about 75% of the line rating. So if you are using 10 pound test, the drag should kick in when the scale reads 7 lbs, 8 oz, if you're using 4 pound test, it should kick in at 3 lbs, etc...

As with almost anything though, it all depends and can vary with different fishing methods and styles. However the 75% rule seems to work well for me for most styles and methods.

tighten the drag until when you pull on the line, it almost breaks, then back off a little.

Gflo,

I also live in San Luis Obispo, actually Los Osos. I don't fish in fresh water nearly as much as the ocean but I have had great luck at San Antonio and Santa Margarita with what we call a "reeper". This consists of a hook with a 90 degree dog leg near the eye and an artificial worm (red & motor oil works well around here). Thread the hook through the head of the worm all the way to the dog leg then bring the hook back into the body of the worm until it almost comes through the other side. This will create some tension between the head of the worm which is anchored on the dog leg and the body which is anchored on the hook point. Attach a split shot about 18" up the line. This is a great weedless set up that work especially well at Lake San Antonio. I know there is another, more well known name for this set up. Can anyone educate me here.

Don't forget, your right next to the biggest pond on the planet (Pacific Ocean). Rock fish are so dumb they would bite a hook attached to a coors light can and halibut are available for the more sporting angler. Virg's Landing out of Morro Bay has several charter options ranging from $50 - $250 depending on length of trip. BTW, tuna are within range for the first time since 2002. Thank you El Nino! Heading out on Sunday or Monday weather dependent.

P.S. There are also some good ponds to fish on Cal Poly Campus. Send me a PM and I can point you in the right direction.

texas rig or carolina rig http://www.bassfishingusa.com/Rigging/rigging1.html

CJ, I've got a stand-up rig Penn 50SW 2-speed spooled with 100# that I'll loan you if you need it if you'll let me watch!

What knot do you normally tie when using mono?

That's exactly the way I set mine. What a coincidence.

It would be fun to watch me get yanked into the water without a fighting chair wouldn't it?



The Palomar Knot Definitely the strongest knot out there... If I am lazy and am not concerned with the line breaking I use the The Uni Knot.

I liek the Uni because it's so versatile, but the Palomar IS stronger. Hard to use on small hooks tho.

We'd just make sure to tie a bouy on your belt before you went over. You'd be harder to yank down and easier to find!

Before they started to tie on bouys, they'd just tie on another heavier rod 'n reel and dump the first one overboard after buttoning down the drag. They'd continue the fight on the 2nd rod 'n reel. They figured that they'd better tie on a bouy after getting spooled on 2 reels and having the line break on the 3rd one. That was a BIG whoops!

Thanks for the rig lesson Burg. That was the rig I was talking about except that we always use split shot rather than a slider. Also, what we call a Carolina rig is a bit different than what was shown there as what we use is typically for soaking dead bait. BTW we caught 18 albacore up to 30 lb. between three anglers on Sunday. Smoker and cannery is in full operation. Between that trip and Salmon fishing Lake Michigan last week, I am up to my gills (no pun intended) in salmon, trout and tuna. If anyone out there is into Tuna fishing, now would be a great time to go anywhere between So. Cali and Oregon.

WaterWizard:
How big are the albies running? When I lived out there, it was during the albie drought and I never had a chance to chase after them when they did finally show up.

Esshup,

Albies are in the 15-40 lb range right now. As the season goes on they tend to get bigger. A good friend of mine caught a 77 lb albie in December 2002. We just had gale force winds and it kind of stirred up the temperature breaks but it's expected to clear up again soon. If you're considering coming all the way from Indiana, you should look into Oregon Tuna fishing. It's been wide open out there for a long time.

WW:

I think that if I come out there for fishing, I'd probably go out of Fisherman's Landing on the Excel. I made a few trips on her and really liked the accomidations. Plus I have a friend out there that would go as well.

But, OTOH, she's from Oregon, so she might want to fly back home, visit the family and get some fishing in as well.

It'd ba a shame not to be able to take back all the fish that would be caught. I don't think flying the fish back is very cost effective with the airlines charging for every little thing nowadays.

16 state rooms!...that's quite a boat, or should I call it a yacht. In fact, that thing looks nicer than most houses I walk into. I'm just happy to get back alive on the boats I usually go out on. You say you lived "out here". Where abouts?

O'side, Jeffries Ranch Road, right off of Mission, just West of the Bonsall Bridge. Spent 10 years there, worked in Vista.

Yeah, it is a nice boat. About 1/2 of the staterooms have their own bathroom with shower. When it was first launched, it rode pretty low in the water. They ended up taking about 20 tons of lead sheeting out from between the engine room and the staterooms that they thought would make for a good noise supressor. It has stabilizers like the cruise ships do to help stop the rock-n-roll while underway. They did a good job on the design, when it drifts, it drifts sideways, not stern first like a lot of boats.

I'm familiar with the area. I grew up in San Clemente and we have equipment at The Golf Club of California there in Fallbrook and Shadowridge Golf Course in Vista.
I also head out the 76 at least once a winter to go dirt biking out at Ocotillo Wells and my Dad still likes to go to the "Indian Gaming" at Pala and Palma. I call it luxury tax for morons.

Seriously though, that is a sweet boat. It must cost a pretty penny to get on that thing.

I was a member of the San Clemente Gun Club for a number of years.

Actually, it wasn't that bad, considering there were 5 meals/day (3 main meals and 2 "snacks"), and all the fresh fruit, milk, soda and juice that you wanted to eat. No extra charges for baitfish, etc., etc. The only thing that was extra was if you wanted to drink beer on the boat. You could bring your own hard liquor if you wanted. IIRC, I think it figured out to somewhere between $100 and $150/day, depending on the length of the trip - longer trips were less $. They didn't clean your fish, but anything up to about 100# was completely frozen in less than an hour after hitting the hold, larger fish took longer. No special fishing times, you could fish 24/7 as long as they weren't at speed going to another spot to fish. It wasn't on the Excel (it was on The Spirit of Adventure) but I caught Wahoo fishing at night while fishing for Blackfin Skipjack. If you are ever on a boat fishing at night WAAYY out in the ocean, there are some pretty strange things that come by in the middle of the hight!

San Clemente Gun Club....I love it. In all my years growing up in SC I've never heard it refered to in that way. Thanks for your service.

WW:

Believe it or not, there was a real San Clemente Gun Club, not Pendelton. I was never in the service (officially that is).

Alright guys,

I finally had got a free weekend, and tomorrow I am heading up with my dad (who is equally as fishing clueless as I am) to hart park in kern county to do some fishing.

I am going to put some of this advice to the test, and see what happens!

Bringing some power bait,

A few blue fox lures,

some nightcrawlers (and jig heads)

and a good attitude!

I'll let you know how it goes. We are going to get out there pretty late at about 10:00am or so.

Targeting trout, but I'll take whatever I can get!

I too am a poor fisherman, so this is in that vein. Above the town of Kernville, on the Kern River Highway, at the base of the power station starting around 6AM, fishing with the lure at the top on the list, 1/16 oz/ http://www.panthermartin.com/lures/Spinners/Regular.aspx
21 trout in a little under an hour. Ignore the Great Blue Heron.

On the road to the Kernville airport find any place you can get to the river and walk/fish to towards the lake. We saw beavers, bear and the occasional trout. If you get to the airport the cheeseburger will be worth the drive.

Lake Isabella is another option, but I like to walk or wade and fish so my experience there was not good.

I always thought the reason we continue to go fishing was so we could learn how to fish. I was practicing fly casting in a nice open area body of water and this lady came up and was watching me closely and I felt terrible as I did not know what I was doing. I finally got tired and quit and she said she could fly fish. At this time I could of crawled in a hole, but she was very nice and not overly critical. She proceeded to inform me of a few improvements that I might desire to work on. She was a very nice person. I have noticed in the past the tendency of fisher people to stick together and support each other.

Paul, I was watching a survival show on TV yesterday. This is one of those where the guy gets dumped in the wild and films his survival techniques. He was in the Colorado Rocky Mtns and got out his fly rod. The interesting thing was his statement that the Colorado fish and game people consider fly fishing gear as being survival gear. They recommend that anyone taking a trip back up into the area take it along in case things get rough.

I believe that was Les Stroud (Survivorman is the show), but I've heard that from other sources as well. Certainly makes sense. It's compact and anywhere where there is water, there is likely to be fish.

Years ago I used to also think that if there was water I could catch a fish---wrong. Now I think maybe there are fish and with that attitude I am able to surprise myself with a catch of small fish.

Gflo,

About 10 years back I was doing road construction, widening the lanes and bank stabilization around the turn adjacent to the powerplant that Rad mentioned. We stayed at Lake Ming which is right above Hart Lake. I was never able to catch anything while I was there. We were working 16 hour days and I simply didn't have much time or energy to try...but we did get robbed while at work one day.

I had noticed a "seedy" group of young men milling around camp, presumabely casing us out the evening before. Sure enough we came back from work the next day to realize that most of our belongings had been taken. I'm not telling you this to scare you but rather to inform you that there is a "healthy" criminal element in Bakersfield. I kick myself in the butt because I was pretty sure those guys were up to no good and I didn't do anything to protect my property. I paid the price. Keep an eye out and trust your intuition but most importantly, have fun.

Rad, since your familiar with the power plant I have to tell this quick story. When I arrived the first day on the job, I got out of my truck and heard a loud distant rumble. I looked up at the peak to the north to see several VW Bug size boulders tumbling down the 1300' drop at what seemed like 100 MPH. One of the boulders stayed pretty much in tact all the way to the bottom. Before reaching the bank it took one last bounce, launching it into the bridge that the plant uses for testing flows and accessing equipment on the other side. The metal bridge pretty much exploded into a hundred splintery pieces while the rock plunged into the river creating the biggest splash I have ever seen. This random act of erosion was one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen in my lifetime.

Well,

I went up to lake isabella from 10:00am till around 3:00pm and I caught a sunburn It was fun, but we didn't have much luck at French Gulch.

We then drove down to Hart Park to try our luck from 4:00-5:30pm, but didn't have any luck there either.

Bummer! Oh well!

I have never had much luck in Lake Isabela either, or the river below for that matter, yet both are heavily stocked. But, there is that saying " a day fishing....."

Isabella is a really nice lake for jet skis though.

What do you use to catch them?

Large and I do mean LARGE weighted treble hooks...

Around here Cecil told me that they've caught them on Muskie Plugs.....

Most of the larger tourist areas are plagued with them,plus the parachutes that are drug behind power boats. However, we are blessed, they are two of the few things that are outlawed in my neighborhood.

Noobie Fishing Update.

Went out to Santa Margarita Lake on Friday. The water was really low, and we shore fished not too far away from the marina. No luck, just caught a lot of muck (I'm a poet I know). Probably should have rented a boat. Oh well!

My wife and I went fishing today at Oceano Lagoon (a small little 5 acre pond basically).

The water was really low there as well, but at around 5:00pm I caught my first Monster Bass using a blue fox vibrax spinner (gold/gold) with the ultralight setup.







At about 5:15 my wife caught her first crappie using an identical rig!



A few things I learned....

It is much easier to cast just flicking your wrist. Before I was casting like an idiot who wanted to throw out his back.

When using the spinners, I was reeling in a little faster than I thought I should have when I caught my little bass. I didn't realize how fast fish can move when they are looking for a meal.

I must have been using the spinner lures improperly before by reeling in too slowly. It just wasn't tricking the fish into thinking it was alive before I guess?

Just like all things ponds, "it depends". Sometimes fish like a fast retrieve, sometimes slow. Esperimentation is the key. Sometimes color will make all the difference as well.

Way to go, ya'll. Where there are lil bass and crappie, there must be bigger ones. I still say a worm or shiner 2 ft. under a cork will draw more strikes. But, nothing like cathing them on a lure.

Glad to hear you had a little luck. Fishing is a wonderful activity I think for couples. My girlfriend and I have spent many enjoyable days at little ponds just catching bluegill.

What a monster Gflo!

You'll never stop learning, but you'll continue to get better.

Just out of curiosity...

Have any of you guys tried fishing with pre-killed mice?

You can get them in three sizes pretty much anywhere that they sell reptiles, which is most every pet store. Sizes are... Pinky(small) Hopper/Fuzzy(Medium) and adult(probably too big).



I was wondering what might happen if I got a medium sized pre-killed mouse and injected him with some air to try to make him float...

Or if I didn't try to make him float and let him marinate in some kind of smelly garlic sauce overnight or something and target catfish.

A mouse or two must lose their balance around water and fall in and drown every once in awhile. Something probably eats them? I don't know. I just woke up this morning and it was on my mind.

Apparently I was dreaming about baits / lures...

I tried it when fishing for catfish and turtles with a trotline, but never casting them.

What about a mouse lure?
Mouse lure

I saw some video on youtube of bass pounding a mouse.

I looked at some of the you tube videos. Some of those people in the videos were a little too excited about it... A little creepy.

Esshup,

I will probably order one of those lures instead. Seems a lot more economical, and people will probably not ask me as many questions or give me weird looks.





Do any of you guys ever fish with the roadrunner lures? I've heard a lot of good things about them.

I'm thinking about maybe using a roadrunner with about 1 inch of nightcrawler on it, slow retrieve on the bottom. Basically the BC technique, but with a spinner.

http://ttiblakemore.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=71_24

I'm really not sure which one to get as far as the size or model goes.

I believe that the Roadrunner is one of the very best lures ever developed.
The Spinster fly aka Mrs. G's $Gill was inspired by this lure.

The next best is a lead head jig with a curly tail - or add a earthworm for a"kicker".
With a RR the spinner becomes the "kicker" and you don't need a worm.

I've been a Roadrunner fan for years.

I accidentally killed a young field mouse a few weeks ago when I was moving some lumber that I had piled on my farm. Instead of tossing him aside, I threw him into my small pond which has lots of smallish bass and a few pretty decent sized ones. Within a couple of minutes, something - I'm presuming one of the larger LMB - boiled up on it and sucked it down. Pretty fascinating to watch, but certainly not something you'd want to do all the time when you can get a good artificial lure!

Supposedly, a live mouse is a great bait for larger fish.

Never tried it, but at an old bait store, the clerk was so high on the idea, he wanted to catch a live mouse for me.

I declined.

George,

Thank you for clearing that up!

Those are some good looking flies (if that is the appropriate term).

Based on the name, I'm assuming your wife made those.

Are the Mrs. G's $Gill models ever up for sale?!?! :)!

Gflo - there is an interesting story behind the Mrs.G's $Gills.
I'm going to defer to Theo and Ewest this time ...

The short answer is, they are collector's items.

Just a little update.

I've been fishing twice since I last posted. It seems like fishing is pretty tough once winter starts rolling around. I did manage a small 11 inch rainbow on powerbait at Hart Park near bakersfield, but I would much rather be fishing a lure.

Fishing with bait kind of bores me a little bit. I mean, I wouldn't mind getting a 2-pole license and baiting up for catfish / trout while I fish with a lure on another line. That seems like it would be a good approach.

Yesterday, I decided to try laguna lake in san luis obispo. It is extremely muddy water. I know there are some big catfish in there, as well as large carp, and a few bass. Supposedly there are some small bluegill as well.

The water is VERY muddy. Visibility is like 2 1/2 inches, no joke.

I tried my luck with a tiny 1/8th ounce rattle trap, a 1/8th ounce blue fox vibrax spinner, and a 1/32 ounce roadrunner. I ended up losing my tiny-rat-l trap and roadrunner to weeds and muck. Oops!

Fished from 6:00am to 6:00pm. No luck. Bummer!


Also, I'm trying to put together a list of lures that are absolute must haves. I'm trying to see if I can keep it down to like 5 lures (Will probably have a few variations of the same bait / lure)... Will be trying to get the most versatile ones I can.

I can't afford much right now, and the wife probably wouldn't appreciate me filling my tacklebox. Something about how she could use that money on baking stones or cookware. Sounds boring, but she is the boss.


Here is my list so far... Remember I am using an Ultralight setup 4lb test.

1) Blue Fox Spinner with Foxtail

I do not know what size to use. Would like to be able to catch medium sized trout, crappie, and 1-2 pound bass, maybe even a monster bluegill every once in awhile... I can't decide between size #2 (3/16th ounce) or size #3 1/4th ounce. I'm not sure what size is appropriate for what type or size fish. No knowing what size baits / lures to use is a big problem for me. I'll probably order a few in different colors.

2) Blakemore Road Runners

I figure I will have a few 1/32 and 1/16th ounce roadrunners for small panfish and one or two 1/8th ounce crappy thunder version road runners for crappie and the occasional bass.

3) Senko + maybe size 4 octopus hook?

I am not sure which size senko to use with my ultralight setup, or what type / size hook to use with it for that matter. I just know that I want to fish wacky with an O-Ring so that I am not destroying the bait every other cast. I was thinking about maybe a 3 inch senko. I have no idea. I've just heard good things about them, and for some reason wacky rigging appeals to me.

4)[Have no idea give pretty please give me some suggestions]

I have a few hand-me down 1/4th ounce rattle traps that I could probably throw with my ultralight gear, but isn't the point of a rattle trap to attract their attention with the "rattling" vibrations. Wouldn't the blue fox vibrax spinner do the same thing, but with extra flash? I wouldn't know what size rattle trap to use, and all the different color selections kind of overwhelm me.

I just fished a 1/8th ounce tiny trap the other day because my wife bought it for me. She said it was small and "cute". I agree with her, but have no idea how to fish it.

5) [Have no idea again, could use some suggestions!]




Any and all replies / suggestions are greatly appreciated! I am feeling a little lost, and still suck very badly at fishing!

I noticed that you don't have anything listed that is a floater/diver or any surface baits. I would look into the different floating/"dive when retrieved" crankbaits. For instance, the Manns 1 minus series will float at rest, and dive down to 12".

Manns

The minus series tells you how deep they dive when retrieved minus 15 = 15' deep. Or look at one of the old stand-by's, Rapala. I prefer the floating series to the sinking series. With 4# test, you'd be looking for these type of lures from 2" to 5" long.

You also could go with something that floats all the time. With 4# test, you don't want anything that has hooks that are buried in the bait (like a texas rigged worm) - you won't be able to set the hook hard enough all the time to get consistent hooksets.

With wacky rigging a worm or senko, there is no upper limit on size, although I'd look at staying at or below 8".

I also recommend buying some 1/16, 1/32 and 1/64th oz jig heads

unpainted jig heads

and a package or two of these:

Powerbait Nymph

I've had good luck with the 900 toad color. Just thread it on the hook so it lays straight, cast it out and slowly reel it back in, juggling the rod tip and pausing every once in a while. After you cast it out, count "one thousand, two thousand" to get a consistent depth to start reeling. Vary the depth 'till you fing the fish. I've really had good luck using this when the bluegills are spawning. I don't use a bobber.

As for the spinners, 1/8 oz to 3/16 oz should be small enough to target BG. The weight, type of blade and whether the hook is dressed or bare will all have an impact on how deep the spinner runs, as does the speed of the retrieve. Willow leaf blades will typically run deeper than french blades, which will run deeper than colorado blades. The fatter the blade, the easier it is to get started spinning, and the slower the retrieve can be and still keep the blade turning.

If you want to paint the jig heads, a cheap way to do it is to get some white fingernail polish, give them a coat and let dry. Then look at what colors your wife has & "borrow" a bit instead of buying your own colors. Heck, she probably won't use every last bit in the bottles anyway!

Esshup,

Thank you for the tips!

I am definitely am going to give the power nymphs a try. You recommend 1/16th, 1/32, and 1/64th ounce jigheads.

Why the variance in jighead weight? I'm assuming this means that the weights should be changed out depending on the situation, but I'm not familiar with what kind of situation would call for different jighead weight.

You are right, I need to look into a topwater / shallow diver lure. I went through some of the gear I inherited, and there are a few "rapalas". One of them appears to be a floating rapala. I'm assuming it dives based on the shape of the lip.

You have recommended the Manns series. Do you prefer that brand over rapala? Any pros / cons?

If anyone else has some suggestions on topwater / shallow diver lures, please let me know! I really appreciate the input from you guys.


Another Question (It seems like every answer I get, I have 3 more questions... Sorry!)

When should you use a topwater / shallow diving lure?

I have not yet developed the skills or experience to say "Oh, I should switch to topwater, or a spinnerbait, or a jighead, etc".

When I go fishing, I just kind of throw out the spinner baits for like 2 hours, then switch to a jig, then start feeling badly about myself, and throw everything else I have into the water in desperation, even though I don't know how to fish them

The different jig head weights will determine how fast the lure sinks on the "pause", as will the poundage of the line. I normally fish those micro's on a 1/100th oz jig head, with 2# test line. I've noticed that the BG will strike the lure more readily the slower that it falls. But, then again, I'm doing a lot of sight fishing in 3' or less of water. When fishing deeper water, and wanting to fish closer to the bottom, I'll increase the weight of the jig head. 4# test? I think the 1/64th oz. would sink as fast as my 1/100 oz with 2# test. My problem is that I am used to casting farther with the 2# test, and I feel like I'm handicapping myself with the heavier line. I DO need to re-tie the lure after 8 or 10 fish, or I find myself losing fish due to the line breaking right at the jig head.

Manns vs. Rapala. Manns will run shallower than Rapala, depending on what Manns you use. If BG are the predominate forage fish, then go with a chubbier bait like the Manns. If there are a lot of thin fish, like GSH, then Rapala gets the nod. If there are weeds growing within 2' of the surface, the Manns is easier to use for a novice. What color? That's a whole 'nother long chapter. The KISS system works for me. If I had to only have a few lures, I try to "match the hatch" whenever possible. Young GSH are silver, so the silver/black Rapala is my pick. Are there Smallies in shallow, rocky water? Crayfish colored Manns 1 minus.

Topwater/shallow diver - use when the underwater cover doesn't allow a deeper diver, use at dawn/dusk, and when fishing shallow water (<6'), or when predators are pushing baitfish up to the surface.

Lots of weeds? Senko wacky rigged, but using a weedless hook. As for Senko hook size, larger will make them sink quicker. Fishing deeper water with one, larger hook. Fishing in a couple of feet of water? Smaller hook.

With 4# test, try to fish in more open water - you'll lose less lures that way. You can put an amazing amount of pressure on the line if the pressure is built up slowly, and you can pull out of some nasty weeds, but the thick stuff is usually heavier line territory.

If you're using a spinner and catching the bottom, and still want to use the spinner, reel in quicker, or try holding the rod tip up a LOT higher.

Thanks again. I think I will go with the 1/64th oz at first, and see how it goes as far as jighead weight is concerned.

It looks like I have a few rapalas about 2 1/4th inches long. I took a look at them and they say "deep runner 5" on them. I have one "fat" looking one that isn't branded anywhere, but looks similar to the manns series.

Also found one I hadn't seen before, it says heddon tiny torpedo. Looks like he floats as well.

It looks like most of the crankbaits i inherited are deep divers.

Just found a rebel pop-r. What in the heck is that?

I would probably feel a little more comfortable with something that runs a little more shallow, at least to start out with.

The baby minus 1 elite series looks cool!

Gflo, I suck at fishing as well. That being said two lures that I have found to be the best producers are the Rapala X-Rap Top Water lure and the Rooster Tail. The X-Rap Top Water stays at/near the surface, has a terrific swimming action and is fun to fish, I've caught several LMB on this lure. The Rooster Tail has been by far the most productive lure used in my pond. BG, GSF, LMB all have hammed a Rooster Tail. My pond record (4 pound LMB, caught by none other than me) was caught on a Rooster Tail. IMHO this two lures are must haves.

DIED taught me quite a bit about lure action and varying retrieval speed. After he taught me to do the reel - pause - reel type of retrieval I was surprised how many times I got a strike on the pause.

Usually, the bigger the lip, the deeper that it'll dive. The Heddon Tiny Torpedo is a surface lure, it should have a small spinner propeller at the rear. It doesn't dive at all, you can fish it by giving it a short jerk followed by a long pause - sometimes waiting until the ripples made by the lure dissapear.

The Rebel is a surface lure as well, cast it, give it a sharp jerk and it'll "pop". It'll sit at rest with the rear of the lure hanging down at about a 45* angle. You can fish it as loud or as soft as you want by varying the sharpness of the jerks you give it.

Like JHAP said, the X-Raps are great. I've had better luck fishing for trout with the Rooster Tails than any other in-line spinner, especially the bumblebee color in the smallest rooster tail that they make. The tail hair should be black and yellow.

When you thread the micro on the jig head, check how it retrieves in the water close to you. It shouldn't roll over to the left or right. If it does, you don't have the hook going thru the center of the plastic. Another tip to get more action out of it is:

Make sure that your knot is tight on the hook eye. Grab the jighead in one hand, and with the other hand pull the line so the knot is facing the hook point. It'll bounce up and down more on the retrieve this way when you pause and start reeling again.

You can do some minimal tuning to the lure by having the knot come off one side of the jig eye or the other, but it won't totally compensate for having the plastic on the jig crooked.

beetle spin

http://www.georgiariverfishing.com/GAarticles/TopRiverLures/Roostertail/Roostertail.htm

catch shiners, panfish, bass, trout. black with yellow stripes

Gflo-

Always good to see a person getting into fishing!

For largemouth bass, the most common lures I use are beetle spins and rubber worms.

Beetle Spin

Beetle Spins are pretty straightforward, you just cast them out and reel them in. I like the larger ones in green or white for bass, panfish will hit the smaller ones in any colors. You can replace the rubber grub with a curly-tailed grub to give it some more action, or a berkely gulp grub for scent. You can buy the spinner arms individually at a lot of bait shops, and put them on jigheads with any kind of rubber grub you like to make your own beetle spin type lures pretty easily.

Rubber worm and jighead

Thread the rubber worm on the jighead like this.

Cast out and retrieve. This usually only catches largemouth bass, but has been very effective for me. I like dark purple worms with curly tails and light jigheads.

For bluegill, I usually use extremely small single hook spinners, OR a leaf worm/cricket/power grub under a bobber. I like to use snelled hooks because they can be used with snap swivels. #8 is a good size for bluegill.

I like to smash the barbs on my hooks using a pair of pliers. I might lose a couple of fish because of it, but it makes it a lot easier to get them off the hook and raises the fish's chance of survival significantly when released. If you ever deep-hook a fish with a hook and don't want to keep it, you can just cut the line and let it go, they'll often expel the hook on their own.

Consider where and when you are fishing. Fish usually bite the most around sundown and sunup, and the middle of the day is usually the worst fishing. Different fish like different areas. Largemouth bass tend to relate to weedlines and timber in the water. Bluegill like weedbeds and especially lily pads.

While I have never really fished for trout in lakes, I hear great things about kastmaster spoons from people who do. They are easy to cast long distances, so they are ideal for a shore angler. Kastmaster makes them in a lot of colors with dressed and undressed hooks.

Gflo,

I'm serious, you need to check out the ponds on Cal Poly Campus. There are several. Poke around on google earth to find them. Drum Reservoir and the pond next to the surface water treatment plant (stenner rd.) are good. I've heard that the pond next to the equestrian unit is good these days too but I've never had any luck there in the past. Almost all of them are public access. There are also small steelhead in Brizziolara creek (Poly Canyon) on campus but I suggest observing them rather than harrasing them as there are not very many plus I'm not sure it's legal. Honestly, the fishing in Laguna Lake hasn't been good for years. The water quality is very poor. You might also check out Whale Rock Reservoir in Cayucos. There are land locked steelhead but there is only limited access on the south end of the reservoir on old creek rd. Even if you don't catch anything there, it's a beautiful place. Good luck.