Bass and Me

There are many ways to lure in fish to your boat. Words like rigging, chumming, and luring come to mind. However, there are many varieties when it comes to lures and trying to decipher between all of them can be a confusing process. In addition, knowing when to “chum” as oppose to “lure” can be equally challenging when you are ready to catch the most fish that you can.

When deciding whether you should lure or chum, you should be aware of what type of fish you are trying to catch. Chum is a mess to make, distribute and to store so be sure that you are using it for the right reasons. Lures are used the majority of the time, but if you are dealing with fish who heavily use their sense of smell, lures may be a waste of time. As a general rule of thumb, chum is used in order to bring fish to the boat and lures are generally used for spot fishing.

When you decide to use a lure, what type do you choose? There are many different kinds of lures and they are used in different regions for a variety of purposes. If you learn the basics then you will not have to look like a novice by reading the back of the package will perusing the aisles in the stores.

A lure is defined as an object, often designed to resemble a fish’s prey, and they usually come equipped with one or more hooks that are used to catch fish. You will attach a lure to the end of your fishing line and throw it out into the water until a fish takes a bite. The one exception to the rule is the fly lure, which is used to float on the water’s surface mimicking the movement of an insect. You can also troll lure behind a boat to create the appearance of a living animal in the water. Some of the different types of lures are classified as jigs, wobblers, spinner, spoon lures, plugs, fly lures, and worms.

Jigs are made of weighted metal heads and a tail that is made from animal hair, soft plastic, feathers, or rubber. A minnow can sometimes to be added or a piece of meat can be attached to the end of the hook. Jigs can be used for almost any kind of saltwater or freshwater fishing.

A spoon is a metal lure that looks similar to a bait fish. These lures are meant to be cast or to be trolled behind a moving vessel. The plastic belts are the most commonly thought of baits. They are the plastic worms that are sometimes scented in order to attract more fish. The plastic belts can be used with or without a weight, but a jig head, spinner, or a spinner bait always accompanies them.

Plugs are made from plastic or wood and can be used on top of the water. There is a separate category of plugs called diving plugs that are designed to plunge into a certain depth of the water.

The spinners have blades that spin around a wire shaft, and they are made of plastic or animal hair. The spinner baits are the lures with more than one blade that spin around a safety shaft. They are characterized by ‘skirts’, which are made of animal hair, vinyl, rubber, and other materials.

Lastly are the poppers and flies. These baits are primarily used for panfish, trout, and bass. Fly-tying is a harder concept to learn, making these lures unique.

Lures are tested and decided upon by the individual. Many lures are determined to be useful by trying them out time and time again. When you become comfortable with a certain type of lure, you will be able to expand on its possibilities, making it more individualized for your fishing purposes.

Until next time — “Keep your lines wet and your bait fresh!”

You cannot have success at any sport if you do not have the right equipment. When people think of fishing, they automatically think of rods, reels, and bait. However, you cannot underestimate the power of the tackle box because it plays an important role in the success of your fishing expeditions.

Many people covet their tackle boxes because they represent a lifetime of trials and tribulations regarding what methods work for which fish. If you are a novice in the world of fishing, you could find yourself overwhelmed with the possibilities and choices that are available. Starting your tackle box can seem challenging, but if you stick to the basics, you will be able to get started without a hitch.

The first thing that you need is to pick out a box. A tackle box should be strong and able to handle wear and tear easily. The plastic tackle boxes are usually thick and come with strong handles making it easier to lug back and forth between boat, river, and pier trips. The most important thing when deciding on a box is the latch. Your tackle box must have a sturdy latch because you do not want everything to spill out on the dock or into the water. When you are in a boating store, pull on the latch and test it before you decide on a purchase.

Some essentials to keep in a tackle box are hooks, lines, and sinkers. Hooks are an important part of fishing because without them you will not be catching very much. The larger the number size of the hook, the smaller the hook actually is. When you buy line, make sure that your line fits your reel. Keep an extra spool in your box for just-in-case purposes.

Sinkers are important for helping your bait to catch fish below the surface of the water. In order to get your line to the bottom you are going to need split-shot sinkers. Sinkers are made from different materials, but the safest are the ones that are made from steel, tin, and non-toxic metals. Some of the sinkers are made from lead and they can potentially poison some types of fish.

Lures are going to be the next thing that you add to your tackle box. There are many different types of lures ranging in all colors, shapes, sizes, and material. Different fish are attracted to different types of lures. For instance, a kingfish will be more attracted by a lure with glitter while a bass will be more attracted to a worm shaped lure. Make sure to know what the fish you are trying to catch like to eat before you buy.

Some fun gadgets that may be useful are the leaders, snap swivels, fingernail clippers, needle-nose pliers, practice plugs, stringers, and maps. Maps are obvious because you need to know how to get to your favorite fishing spots. However, the other things may need some greater explanation. A leader is a piece of line with a metal core that will keep a fish from biting off the line and escaping. A snap swivel will prevent tangles in your line and a practice plug is for casting. Lastly, a stringer will help you to keep your catch fresh in the water.

Once you start fishing regularly, you will find out which lures are useful and which one don’t help at all. You will discover the tools that you use the most and the ones that are just collecting dust. Hopefully, you will try new things and maybe put your own spin on some old ones and build the perfect tackle box for you.

Until next time — “Keep your lines wet and your bait fresh!”

Berkley® Portable Line Spooling Station

I bought this spooling station in the hope that I would be able to respool my reels easily and not have the line tangle inside the spool. before I get to my review let me tell you what the Bass Pro Shop has to say about the Berkley® Portable Line Spooling Station:

Fill your fishing reels anywhere, anytime with Berkley’s Portable Line Spooling Station. This convenient spooling device helps ensure level filling with constant line tension on spinning and casting reels. The Portable Line Spooling Station allows you to quickly change tactics and includes line stripper and built-in cutter. Hassle-free sets up and stores easily.

And Berkley has this to say:

Easy to use, transport, and store. Comes complete with line stripper and built-in cutter. Sets up quickly and is easy to operate. Accommodates spinning, baitcasting, and fly reels, and up to 1lb. Bulk spools of fishing line.

It does look nice and it looks like it should work. However, after spending 45 minutes trying to put the thing together and another 2 hours trying to spool an old Daiwa ABS Shock 2500 B spinning reel and giving up in frustration I need to rethink the entire purchase. Let me break the time down with you.

The 45 minutes it took to put it together was due to the fact that the snapin spool rod did not want to fit into it’s slot. Then once I got the spool rod into it’s slot the holding brackets did not want to hold on, I think one of the screws was stripped. The two hours spent on the spinning reel was due to the fact that the spool on the reel would not spin. I took the reel apart and it is complete

Tonight I tried the station with the following items:

1. The Berkley® Portable Line Spooling Station
2. Shakespeare Ugly Cast Spin-casting Reel
3. Shakespeare Cajin Red Lightnin’ Line 20 lb. Test

It took 10 minutes to prep the reel and then another 15 minutes to fill the reel. Part of this was because as you know for a spin-caster to reel in you need to put the hood on it. Once the reel was loaded with line I attached the reel to a 6′ Shakespeare Synergy rod and added a 2 oz. slip-shot weight and took it to the back yard to test the casting. After 10 straight casts the line still did not tangle up.

I’m giving the Berkley® Portable Line Spooling Station 3 out of 5 hooks and would recommend it as something to keep either on the boat or in the camper. For $29.99 this isn’t a bad deal. For a home unit I would suggest one of the powered spooling station.

So until the next time — “Keep your lines wet and your bait fresh.”

As a beginning bass fisherman, this is something I’ve been wondering, what do you need in your tackle box? My wife, 1sexymomma, has her tackle boxes nice and orderly, but she is not a basser, she fishes mostly for trout and catfish. I haven’t asked my buddies in “The Bass Brigade” what’s in their arsenal, but maybe I should based on the size of the hawgs they’re reeling in.

Bill Dance Tackle Box

There can be a lot of differences between the professional angler and the fish-for-fun weekender. Yet one of the differences should not be the basic approach to equipping the tackle box.

My tackle box for bassing is a Bill Dance Tackle Box by Plano. According to the Bass Pro Shop:

Legendary angler, Bill Dance designed this durable tackle box with the serious angler in mind. Offering a huge storage capacity, this Bill Dance Tackle Box features up to 46 worm-proof compartments and up to 25 adjustable storage spaces in the top section, the longer compartments and a see-thru lid are two more smart features anglers will love. Size: 16-7/8” x 5” x 12”. Color: Tan/Green.

Now what to fill it with? The novice Basser, like me, is faced with a virtual jungle of lures when he visits any well stocked sporting goods or tackle store. and now with the Internet there is even more to choose from. Almost all tackle websites carry not only the same brads as each other but many also specialize in lures made in Japan and other places overseas. It’s no easy task for the beginner to sort through the many displays and websites to select the lures that will be the most practical for the conditions they fish in. The beginner can accomplish the same versatility of the pro by categorizing.

The tackle box should consist of the following items:

• Hooks
• Sinkers
• Extra Line
• Swivels
• Lures

For practical purposes, the angler may lump the Bass lures into 3 (three) basic categories. Those categories are, along with a description:

Assorted Crankbaits

Crank Baits — or Plugs are a popular type of hard-bodied fishing lure. They are widely known by a number of other names depending on the country and region. Such names include crank bait, wobbler, minnow, shallow-diver and deep-diver. The term minnow is usually used for long, slender, lures that imitate bait-fish, while the term plug is usually used for shorter, deeper-bodied lures which imitate deeper-bodied fish, frogs and other prey. Shallow-diver and deep-diver refer to the diving capabilities of the lure, which depends on the size of the lip and lure buoyancy. All things considered, plugs of this grouping probably get more action than the others. At any time of the year, bass can be picked off with these.

Spinner-baits — any one of a family of fishing lures that get their name from one or more metal blades shaped so as to spin like a propeller when the lure is in motion, creating varying degrees of flash and vibration that mimics small fish. The two most popular types of spinner-baits are the ‘in-line spinner’ and ’safety pin’ spinner-baits, though others such as the ‘tail-spinner’ also exist.

Plastic Worms — a plastic fishing lure, generally made to simulate an earthworm. Plastic worms can carry a variety of shapes, colors and sizes, and are made from a variety of synthetic polymers. Some are even scented to simulate live bait. Plastic worms can be rigged on the line many different ways. Commonly they are used with a small fish hook and a split shot weight to keep the lure deeper in the water. The fishing equipment recommended is a 7 foot fishing rod with 8 to 10lb fishing line.

Your Tackle box is your toolbox to a successful trip. It is up to you to keep it organized and full. I personally do not let anyone take anything out of my box as I have it set up the way I want. In the top portion of the box I have my weedless frog and weedless mouse along with assorted crank baits in individual compartments. One third of the top portion is not separated and it contains my extra hooks, line, slip-shot and bullet sinkers, swivels and cutters along with anything else i think I might need. In the bottom compartment I have Plastic Worms and more crank-baits along with some rubber shad and various other plastic and rubber lures. The spinner-baits will be added as I get them.

That’s all for now, so until the next time keep your lines wet and your bait fresh.

I bought one of these poles while I was at the Bass Pro Shop in Mantica on opening night. After researching I found it’s mostly for catfish, which is ok since I do fish for those also, but I will try it for bass on my next trip. Some of the specs are as follows:

• Specially designed catfish action
• Rod absorbs light and glows on its own
• Internal, battery-operated LED for extra illumination

Quoted from http://www.cabelas.com/link-12/product/0031093119906a.shtml:

Cabela’s — Berkley Glowstik™ Catfish Casting Rods

Catfish bite best at night, and you’ll have the advantage with improved rod visibility. With their innovative glowing E-glass blanks, these casting rods make it easy to keep an eye out for even the slightest strikes when fishing after dark. In addition to the glowing blank, which will absorb light and glow on its own, these rods include an internal, battery-operated LED for extra illumination. A switch on the handle lets you easily shut off the LED when not in use for prolonged battery life.

Let’s see how it works.