Random Thoughts

[Mikey99]

Here's what I got, feel free to chime in

 

-I seem to throw whatever bait I'm excited about at the moment, often a new bait I just got or a bait I am testing out...many times not throwing a bait I know will get bit. Example: Deps 250's, HPH over Hudds.

 

-The Savage Gear Line Thru is turning the swimbait world on it's head. Cheap, readily available, fun to fish, and the action is as good as any bait I've thrown (oftentimes better). Seems too good to be true.

 

-If you are throwing a bigger bait all day long, and not catching anything, you are either not finding any fish or something is off--the bait, the execution, the conditions, etc. I think you've "arrived" when you are experienced enough to know you did everything right, just couldn't find a bite/fish. These are the guys who have a high enough confidence level to go days and days without a bite to find that one fish. To me that sounds kind of boring, but I could be wrong.

 

-#1 advice to new guys: fish at night.

 

-Fish as much as you can before you get married and have kids. If you have kids, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you don't... then I am jealous of how much fishing you are doing. And how much sleep you're getting.

[Facepunch]

Which brings us back to night fishing... sometimes a hot bite is more important than sleep. Especially when the only time you can get out is after everyone else is in bed haha. Needless to say, I don't get to so much daylight fishing anymore :/.

[SPEEDBEAD]

Moral of the story kids...If you want to fish, keep your pecker wrapped or in your pants.

 

That is today's PSA.

[evans_usmc69]

Moral of the story kids...If you want to fish, keep your pecker wrapped or in your pants.

 

That is today's PSA.

 

+10000

[Mossypumpkin]

I find that I just want to catch them on a hudd, no matter what. But in the warmer months, I seem to always throw something fast and erratic when the wind is howling. Cant wait to try my new 10" TT for this application.

 

I picked up a savage gear line thru last week, but havnt thrown it. Is it a decent cold water bait? We are still looking at 45 - 47 degrees here. I figured with the wide swim its a better warm water bait.

 

My random thought: I have had a 9" slammer for a few years now. Its done well waked on top. Got a 12" this winter....waiting for night fishing. But I picked up another 9" a few weeks ago and man doesnt it crank down! Its really skinny, too. I think it is going down 4 or 5 feet on 25# mono. I really like it and think it is gonna be a big fish producer. I catch a ton of fish cranking my other one, but it only goes down 2+ feet. This one should be money! Might try a night trip later this week!

[Mikey99]

Which brings us back to night fishing... sometimes a hot bite is more important than sleep. Especially when the only time you can get out is after everyone else is in bed haha. Needless to say, I don't get to so much daylight fishing anymore :/.

 

A night full of fish catching will give you energy the next day for sure. Topwater waking = good, missing out on sight fishing and glides = bad. I am sure glides work at night but it's just not the same.

[Mikey99]

Moral of the story kids...If you want to fish, keep your pecker wrapped or in your pants.

 

That is today's PSA.

 

Can you pin that?

 

Pin the post too, it's the best advice I've gotten from here yet. Just a couple years too late.

[Mikey99]

I find that I just want to catch them on a hudd, no matter what. But in the warmer months, I seem to always throw something fast and erratic when the wind is howling. Cant wait to try my new 10" TT for this application.

 

I picked up a savage gear line thru last week, but havnt thrown it. Is it a decent cold water bait? We are still looking at 45 - 47 degrees here. I figured with the wide swim its a better warm water bait.

 

My random thought: I have had a 9" slammer for a few years now. Its done well waked on top. Got a 12" this winter....waiting for night fishing. But I picked up another 9" a few weeks ago and man doesnt it crank down! Its really skinny, too. I think it is going down 4 or 5 feet on 25# mono. I really like it and think it is gonna be a big fish producer. I catch a ton of fish cranking my other one, but it only goes down 2+ feet. This one should be money! Might try a night trip later this week!

 

I hear you on the Hudds, they are a blast to fish as well. Do you throw any weedless in 8" or 68? I've been messing around with the 68 lately and missed a nice one the other day on the jump. Regarding the Savage Gear (and other baits) I wouldn't let water temp hold you back from experimenting and throwing other baits. You might be surprised. I have *similar* temps to you down here in MA and had a Savage Gear floater get BLOWN up the other day.

 

That's cool about the new Slammer. Which leads me to another random thought:

 

-Does anyone just wake their Slammers in the daytime anymore?

[MA Frog Man]

In my opinion what separates swimbaiters is whether someone is willing to go out and zero. You can't be afraid to zero. With that being said there is also a fine line between grinding out a bite and just plain throwing the wrong bait. I just look at it from the view that every minute I'm on the water is another minute I'm learning. It only takes on bite for it to pay off.

[LunkerPunkTW]

Moral of the story kids...If you want to fish, keep your pecker wrapped or in your pants.

 

That is today's PSA.

 

 

Greatest thing I've ever heard hands down

[flaswimbaiter]

Here's what I got, feel free to chime in

-If you are throwing a bigger bait all day long, and not catching anything, you are either not finding any fish or something is off--the bait, the execution, the conditions, etc. I think you've "arrived" when you are experienced enough to know you did everything right, just couldn't find a bite/fish. These are the guys who have a high enough confidence level to go days and days without a bite to find that one fish. To me that sounds kind of boring, but I could be wrong. .

 

Yes, but thats why we do this.

[Mossypumpkin]

I find that I just want to catch them on a hudd, no matter what. But in the warmer months, I seem to always throw something fast and erratic when the wind is howling. Cant wait to try my new 10" TT for this application.

 

I picked up a savage gear line thru last week, but havnt thrown it. Is it a decent cold water bait? We are still looking at 45 - 47 degrees here. I figured with the wide swim its a better warm water bait.

 

My random thought: I have had a 9" slammer for a few years now. Its done well waked on top. Got a 12" this winter....waiting for night fishing. But I picked up another 9" a few weeks ago and man doesnt it crank down! Its really skinny, too. I think it is going down 4 or 5 feet on 25# mono. I really like it and think it is gonna be a big fish producer. I catch a ton of fish cranking my other one, but it only goes down 2+ feet. This one should be money! Might try a night trip later this week!

 

I hear you on the Hudds, they are a blast to fish as well. Do you throw any weedless in 8" or 68? I've been messing around with the 68 lately and missed a nice one the other day on the jump. Regarding the Savage Gear (and other baits) I wouldn't let water temp hold you back from experimenting and throwing other baits. You might be surprised. I have *similar* temps to you down here in MA and had a Savage Gear floater get BLOWN up the other day.

 

That's cool about the new Slammer. Which leads me to another random thought:

 

-Does anyone just wake their Slammers in the daytime anymore?

 

Just started throwing a weedless 8" this year(ice has only been out a week). But it's a custom nightstalker with multi flake. No takers yet. Was out today and had some follows on the slammer cranked down that were about 4lbs. Lost a fish on a U2 gill. Had one bump on an ultimate gill. And had an absolute behemoth follow and nip at a KI glide. This looked to be a 7+. The one I lost on the gill could have been her

 

To answer your question, I rarely wake my slammers unless its cloudy/overcast/rainy or at night. I just feel like a bright sunny isnt a good time for any topwater. The exception for me would be around a lot of cover. Then I would think about waking. Sunny days I would rather throw a hudd, RPA or something else subsurface.

[Mikey99]

Here's what I got, feel free to chime in

-If you are throwing a bigger bait all day long, and not catching anything, you are either not finding any fish or something is off--the bait, the execution, the conditions, etc. I think you've "arrived" when you are experienced enough to know you did everything right, just couldn't find a bite/fish. These are the guys who have a high enough confidence level to go days and days without a bite to find that one fish. To me that sounds kind of boring, but I could be wrong. .

 

Yes, but thats why we do this.

 

Agree 100%. The fun part is getting to that point of mastery and confidence. Throwing big baits for days on end and hoping to get lucky, without the learning and experimentation aspects, that's where the boring part comes in.

[Mikey99]

I find that I just want to catch them on a hudd, no matter what. But in the warmer months, I seem to always throw something fast and erratic when the wind is howling. Cant wait to try my new 10" TT for this application.

 

I picked up a savage gear line thru last week, but havnt thrown it. Is it a decent cold water bait? We are still looking at 45 - 47 degrees here. I figured with the wide swim its a better warm water bait.

 

My random thought: I have had a 9" slammer for a few years now. Its done well waked on top. Got a 12" this winter....waiting for night fishing. But I picked up another 9" a few weeks ago and man doesnt it crank down! Its really skinny, too. I think it is going down 4 or 5 feet on 25# mono. I really like it and think it is gonna be a big fish producer. I catch a ton of fish cranking my other one, but it only goes down 2+ feet. This one should be money! Might try a night trip later this week!

 

I hear you on the Hudds, they are a blast to fish as well. Do you throw any weedless in 8" or 68? I've been messing around with the 68 lately and missed a nice one the other day on the jump. Regarding the Savage Gear (and other baits) I wouldn't let water temp hold you back from experimenting and throwing other baits. You might be surprised. I have *similar* temps to you down here in MA and had a Savage Gear floater get BLOWN up the other day.

 

That's cool about the new Slammer. Which leads me to another random thought:

 

-Does anyone just wake their Slammers in the daytime anymore?

 

Just started throwing a weedless 8" this year(ice has only been out a week). But it's a custom nightstalker with multi flake. No takers yet. Was out today and had some follows on the slammer cranked down that were about 4lbs. Lost a fish on a U2 gill. Had one bump on an ultimate gill. And had an absolute behemoth follow and nip at a KI glide. This looked to be a 7+. The one I lost on the gill could have been her

 

To answer your question, I rarely wake my slammers unless its cloudy/overcast/rainy or at night. I just feel like a bright sunny isnt a good time for any topwater. The exception for me would be around a lot of cover. Then I would think about waking. Sunny days I would rather throw a hudd, RPA or something else subsurface.

 

For having such cold water it sounds like the fish are pretty active! Just have to dial it in (on swimbaits that is... looks like you are killing them on the jig!). I agree about waking on bluebird days, but if it is windy I have done okay on wakes. Not the first bait I'd throw though.

[Facepunch]

I've stuck 3 of the 9 good wake fish this year with bright skies. One paralleling a pad line, one coming through a scattered pad field in a shallow flat, and one in 20+mph of wind that the fish pinned against the overflow at the dam. This time of year, when I'm out fishing you won't find me without a wake bait tied on. The baby wake has done the majority of my work so far this year, but my resin Toxic is catching up .