Tips talk, to discuss those lil known secrets to getting the 'big one'! Really?!!

[Senkosam]

Granted, monster fish can be a challenge and great fun to catch, but must they be monsters? Making lures with the sole purpose of targeting large fish is fine though I've found it more fun to catch numbers of fish - large and small - whenever I fish using smaller lures and slow presentations.

Larger lures limit one to catching larger fish such as 1/2 oz skirted jigs & trailers that target bass over 1 lb. But I've caught 4 lb bass and 7 lb catfish on the same small lure, on the same day along with 40+ other fish of mixed species and sizes. All catches were a thrill associated with the instant anticipation produced from the light strike followed instantly by these consecutive question: what is it, will it stay hooked, how long the fight, etc.? As important to me as a lure maker and innovator is the lure design that caught the fish and any future fish - consistently.

As I see it, lure winner-designs are defined by what is caught (species and size range) and how often - not how large. Of course large fish that don't break my 6# test line or light action rod are something to gloat over, but if all I caught were those fish in large numbers, where would be the challenge in that? These little guys and others like them never fail to produce a chuckle:

  

The hybrid on the left BTW consisted of a double-dipped grub body attached to a curl tail that produces maximum flap.  A label if there ever was one! The one on the right is from a mold design call Mo Magic - a straight thin tal. Both lure consistently can be relied on not matter the day fished.

On the other hand, amazement followed when this 4lb fish attacked a cone tail innovation the week before in the same lake:

 

All three fish gave me great pleasure along with the other 40 plus fish caught each day totaling over 70 fish. It equates to more thrill for the number of casts made - the great majority simply casting practice.

 

Edited October 9, 2022 by Senkosam

[alsworms]

Very good point.  I have fished our local river for over 40 years strictly for bass, but this year my son and I have caught a bunch of crappie and bluegill while fishing for bass.  I've caught several bluegill through the years, but this is our first time ever catching crappie.  I would say we've caught about 8 of 'em all ranging from 6 ounces to 2 pounds.  Now if the bass bite is tough, we find ourselves downsizing for crappie.  LOL.

The point is any species at any size as well as a consistent bite is always a good thing.  I'll take anything that swims!!

[Senkosam]

I can't imagine catching a 2 lb crappie! What a beast when it comes to that species. I'm lucky to catch 14" crappie which is rare in the 3 local waters I fish that aren't over-fished/fish kept by the local bucket brigade.

The other appreciations associated along with catching fishing are fish colorations and the scenery.

All three were captured yesterday. When I've forgetten the camera in the past, it feels like crucial tackle was left back home. Documentation is absolutely a big part of why I fish.

Edited October 9, 2022 by Senkosam

[Vodkaman]

Stunning fish, and WOW to that scenery.

You would laugh at the concrete ponds that I fish, but is all that I have available locally. Besides, I would be devoured by mosquitoes at natural waters. I have 6 concrete stocked competition ponds within a 10 minute cycle, and I win enough to pay for all my fishing needs.

Dave

[SpoonMinnow]

If all I had to fish in were concrete ponds and not allowed to use lures, I doubt I would even fish. You can't even test your creations! Sad... (of course you could always send me a few to test. LOL Still, I would like to see some photos.)

Edited October 9, 2022 by SpoonMinnow

[Vodkaman]

For testing, I go to the ponds 30 minutes before the competition, the owner is happy about this.

This lure is a small, shallow, hunting crank I developed for this small mouthed fish. The fish is called a bawal. This one is around 3Kg (6.6Lb). Bait fishing, the average weight is 0.5Kg to 1.5Kg, but with lures, the BIG fish come out to play.

Dave

 

[Travis]

We all fish for different reasons.  Personally I get no thrills out of catching little fish all day.    After the initial learning to fish I have always targeted a species and am looking at catching bigger fish.  

Don't get me wrong, I used to take the kids out and we would have a field day catching little fish all day long.  The enjoyment was watching the kids have fun.   

In college I did enjoy contests with the other fisheries guys catching different species.  We would put a little wager and have a week long tournament, only rules is you had to go with another guy that wasn't on your team and we set the total hours you could fish.  It did end up being a lot of driving as we all knew various creeks and small waters that held specific fish so might spend a few hours with a cane pole and 2 lb test or unknown lb test thread from a sewing store at some locations.  

There is segment now of guys that are into micro fishing and order special gear to target minnows, darters, sculpins, etc..  We caught many of these small species in the 90's.  I believe it started in Japan.   Many will need to look into a field guide to identify the fish as not common species.

http://microfishing.com/

 

 

[basskat]

I used to be an avid tournament angler. As I've got older and retired I hunt for the big girls as well as crappie fish.

Living in the crappie capital of The world (Mississippi) two pound crappie are common and three pounders show up on a regular basis. Most my crappie fishing is on Sardis, Enid and Grenada lakes.

We also have huge bass. Here's a nine pounder and a limit of two spots, two large mouth and one smallmouth:

 

[Senkosam]

Very nice!

I also fished bass tournaments and usually finished in the top 10 of the two clubs I fished with. The bass boat motor finally gave out and I couldn't find anyone near to repair it so I sold it and never tournament fished again. (Couldn't allow someone else to controll the trolling motor in the bow in someone else's boat)

[Hillbilly voodoo]

I went through many different phases fishing from just beginning happy to catch a fish, catching every species possibly, different styles of fishing, to chasing trophy class fish for any species possible 

These days I enjoy casing handmade lures for aggressive predators and searching for the big ones

[Senkosam]

Quote

These days I enjoy casing handmade lures for aggressive predators and searching for the big ones

Here Here!

[alsworms]

Here's a few pics of crappie I caught this year.  The solo pic weighed 1 pound 3 ounces and the large one I'm holding weighed 1 pound, 14 ounces.  My son caught one that was 2.2.  Funny thing is I caught all mine on a Spark Shad swimbait, while my son gets 'em on a small Googan Banger crankbait.  We don't try to catch crappie, but we're sure not pissed when we do!  LOL 

[Senkosam]

Wish we had fish that size in any of the three waters I fish. Today I managed only 11" crappie. Last year at this time I caught 14" crappie. Still don't compare to crappie over a pound that I bet fought just like bass.

[Travis]

I haven't been crappie fishing in a long time (20 plus years).   I would target them in the spring once they made their way back into some of the shallow creeks.  Typically would wade  or perhaps float tube some of those areas.  Didn't usually take the boat out and join the madness (KY/Barkley lakes) just would catch a cooler full a few times and call it quits for the year.

Did do some night fishing with lights in the summer a few times as a change of pace.

[alsworms]

18 hours ago, Travis said:

I haven't been crappie fishing in a long time (20 plus years).   I would target them in the spring once they made their way back into some of the shallow creeks.  Typically would wade  or perhaps float tube some of those areas.  Didn't usually take the boat out and join the madness (KY/Barkley lakes) just would catch a cooler full a few times and call it quits for the year.

Did do some night fishing with lights in the summer a few times as a change of pace.

Float tubes is how we are currently fishing.  We have a 10 foot Pelican Bass Raider that's perfect for our river, but my son broke his hand a few weeks ago and can't help with it until it heals.  I'm completely cool with float tubes, though.  We can get to places that many can't and the wind is not a factor. 

[alsworms]

19 hours ago, Senkosam said:

Wish we had fish that size in any of the three waters I fish. Today I managed only 11" crappie. Last year at this time I caught 14" crappie. Still don't compare to crappie over a pound that I bet fought just like bass.

Brother there's nothing wrong with 11 and 14 inch crappie.  We just go lucky with ours!  LOL

I had to go back and look at my phone to see when I caught that big crappie.  It was the middle of April and STILL my biggest strike this year.......and on a swimbait no less!  Once I had him hooked, though, he pretty much gave up. 

So yeah now I tell my son while fishing for bass, "I'm still lookin' for that crappie doink!" 

[Travis]

16 minutes ago, alsworms said:

Float tubes is how we are currently fishing.  We have a 10 foot Pelican Bass Raider that's perfect for our river, but my son broke his hand a few weeks ago and can't help with it until it heals.  I'm completely cool with float tubes, though.  We can get to places that many can't and the wind is not a factor. 

I spent a lot of time in a float tube and kicked countless miles over the years.  Some years over 100 trips in the float tube.

I have been known to just pack up head to the lake and fish a few hours that night with the full moon.  Tie the rods down and just sleep in the float tube and wakeup up and get to fishing.  Packed food and just have breakfast on the water.   With the high back float tube was comfortable and slept fine but that was in college and would would likely kill me now with the tube I have but guess being 25 years older could be a factor .

  

 

[basskat]

Between cottonmouths and gators y'all can have the tubes.

[basskat]

I'm lucky to live where I do. Pickwick is 30 minutes, Guntersville two hours, Tenn-Tom waterway is five minutes, Sardis, Enid and Grenada are 1 1\2 hours away. All are good fisheries for multiple species.

[Travis]

20 hours ago, basskat said:

Between cottonmouths and gators y'all can have the tubes.

No gators... cottonmouths were hard to come by unless you went looking for them at specific locations and snakes don't bother me.  I did collect a few on some herp trips but the only time I really came across them.

I did wake up a few times with water snakes coiled up on my tube.  Besides a nasty bite if you grab them nothing else to worry about.

[alsworms]

21 hours ago, basskat said:

Between cottonmouths and gators y'all can have the tubes.

Luckily, we don't have them here, but you can bet your behind I wouldn't be IN water if we did!! 

Earlier this year, I had what looked to be a 60 to 70 pound carp come up right by my tube.  That was more than enough for me!! 

[alsworms]

On 10/11/2022 at 2:39 PM, Travis said:

I spent a lot of time in a float tube and kicked countless miles over the years.  Some years over 100 trips in the float tube.

I have been known to just pack up head to the lake and fish a few hours that night with the full moon.  Tie the rods down and just sleep in the float tube and wakeup up and get to fishing.  Packed food and just have breakfast on the water.   With the high back float tube was comfortable and slept fine but that was in college and would would likely kill me now with the tube I have but guess being 25 years older could be a factor .

  

 

I'm 55 and had a pretty intense back surgery in 2019.  There are not many things I can do now, but I'm happy to say float tubing is no problem and is actually therapeutic on my back.  Not a bad little leg workout either! 

[Senkosam]

Hope your condition improves. I've been lucky in the fish-all-day dept. minus a bit of carpal tunnel. Plus there are many waters in my area within 30 min. I have access to with my shallow-float boats.

Quote

I went through many different phases fishing from just beginning happy to catch a fish, catching every species possibly, different styles of fishing, to chasing trophy class fish for any species possible 

Same here plus I enjoy catching fish using different presentations and lure types. It's nice when large fish of different species are hooked on my creations and as satisfying as catching large bass after a good fight using low pound test line and small lures. Having made many lures and caught fish on them in my 74 years has taught me one thing: fish react aggressively or not and lures fish strike  consistently are worth their weight over the millions of lures than don't.

Lurecraft also dispels myths regarding lure color, shapes that don't look like nor move like anything in nature. Yet there are many unique lure actions that get bit by many species in the same water / on the same day.

Edited June 8, 2023 by Senkosam

[Senkosam]

Here a just a few I've found provoke strikes for want of a better word why fish strike manmade objects at all:

 

[Senkosam]

The above lure shapes produce different actions - all that have proven themselves after catching hundreds of fish of different species and sizes.  I have 10 more folders - each containing different lure shapes and actions per folder - that remind me that there are more possible lure actions / shapes that fish respond to - including fish over a pound. Fighting fish that pull drag is just another plus when it comes to the satisfaction of catching fish on what I create.

 

Edited June 8, 2023 by Senkosam