# Tonight's Catch



## FishinsMyLife

I caught these in a golf course pond on Jim's worms. These were my first fish with them, not because they're no good but because its the first time I used them  . Biggest around a pound and a half.


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## Jim

Good job man! =D>

What kind of rod and reel is that! It looks sharp!


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## FishinsMyLife

The reel is an Abu Garcia D5 and the rod is a $20 wal-mart one that I got to try out the do-it-yourself split grip project from a different forum. I'm glad it looks somewhat decent


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## FishinsMyLife

I caught one of these on a lizard, the rest on Jim's worms. I lost one picture, it was just another around a pound on Jim's worms. I wacky rigged the worms and got some hits and caught four on it, but I also missed three. I was using a Gamakatsu octopus hook. (https://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&partNumber=8066&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults) Is that the right kind to use for wacky rigging? I also caught one without setting the hook (just reeling) because I thought it was a stick. Should I just lift my rod and reel in or set the hook? Here are the bass, none over a pound by much, if at all
















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## Captain Ahab

Dude your link is not a link and cutting and pasting did not get me there - so I have no idea what hook you are talking about.

For wacky rigging I use 3/0 Matzuo America Sickle Octopus hooks. The Red chrome work great as do the black bait holder variety.


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## FishinsMyLife

https://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/...er=8066&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

4/0 I think


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## SMDave

FishinsMyLife317 said:


> https://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/...er=8066&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults
> 
> 4/0 I think


 A 4/0 for wacky rigging??!!! That's huge! I rarely go over a 1/0, usually around a #2 or #1


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## FishinsMyLife

Maybe not, I don't know. Can you tell if its too big from the picture?


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## Jim

That size is fine!


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## FishinsMyLife

Should I just lift my rod and reel in or set the hook? I missed a few when I set the hook yesterday and I hooked one just reeling in when I didn't know the weight was a fish. It could just be that I haven't mastered the technique yet.


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## Captain Ahab

When wacky rigging, once I see the line move I will reel like crazy to take out all the slack and then give a sharp tug to set the hook. 

I use braid so there is no need to swing at the fish becuase there is little stretch in the line. If you are using mono or floro you might have to hit the fish a little harder becuase the stretch greatly reduces the hook set at the other end. The bass will hag onto the soft plastic baits for a while so give them a second to get the whole thing in their mouth. They will also come back if you miss a hook set - so let it rest.

You might be experaiancing sunfish grabbing the tails of the bait - feels like you have a bigger fish but then it just pops free. Usually bass to not hit with a bunch of sharp tugs. Like a "tug, tap, tap, tug" is a sunny.


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## FishinsMyLife

Caught these the other night. The smaller bass went around a pound and was caught on a black Terminator Hybrid buzzbait worked subsurface. The bigger fish should have been two pounds but was skinny and was caught on the same bait buzzed on top.


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## FishinsMyLife

Finally one bent my rod. Biggest around 2.5 pounds but fought like it was bigger. Caught two other little ones and lost 3 more when my hookset pulled em out the water on the bank where they got unhooked before I could get the slack out and grab em. All caught on a weightless Hardnose Mosquito Hawk.


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## FishinsMyLife

Got this one tonight on Jim's Buzzbait. It went close to two and a half. He was the only one that got hooked out of 4 hits. The bite was slower than usual tonight. I don't think the bass know whats going on since its rained for a couple days straight when we haven't had rain in a month or two.


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## Jim

FishinsMyLife317 said:


> Got this one tonight on Jim's Buzzbait. It went close to two and a half. He was the only one that got hooked out of 4 hits. The bite was slower than usual tonight. I don't think the bass know whats going on since its rained for a couple days straight when we haven't had rain in a month or two.



Sweet man! Good to hear! I got some new Buzzbaits coming! :wink: 
These ones I hope are going to be killer.


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## FishinsMyLife

Caught a couple decent ones tonight. Biggest 3.5, then 2.5, and then .5 all caught on a 1/2 ounce Mepps Aglia.


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## Jim

your kicking ass! Good job!


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## FishinsMyLife

Finally warmed up enough that I figured I might catch some at night. All I caught was a 10 ounce crappie (I was going to make a corny joke about having a crappie night...) It hit a Booya spinnerbait.


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## Jim

That is a big crappie!


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## pbw

Wow nice one.


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## Waterwings

Good catch!


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## little anth

can u post how you split that rods cork. it looks sweet and i wanted to try it. was it hard?did u like it? thanks man
good job you are on fire keep it up


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## nicdicarlo

Fishins, good work with those bass. SC is still hot I guess. As for the wacky hook, I usually use a size 1 Gammy fine wire drop shot/finesse hook. It looks like a thin wire octopus. My hook up ratio is pretty good. The gap of the hook is just wide enough to accomodate a senko/dinger style bait. Just my opinion. I am sticking with that hook, until something proves better for me.


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## FishinsMyLife

I think this is the website for the split grip project. https://www.georgescustomrods.com/split_your_grip.htm I didn't do everything the website said. I just used what I had. I cut the cork away to how I wanted it and sanded/lightly grinded the glue and leftover cork off. Make sure your knife is sharp and go slow and you should do alright. I didn't have a heat gun or whatever. I didn't think it was that hard. I'm not sure if it helps anything, but if you cast two handed, like I do, it can't hurt and it looks cool.


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## little anth

yea that looks real nice it might be a new offseason project of mine


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## FishinsMyLife

Well I didn't really catch these at night but I'll post em here anyway. I hit the local blackwater pond a couple times this weekend and managed a few jackfish. My brother caught a one pound pickeral and a tiny one the first time, and then I managed two around a pound on live shiners and my brother caught one on a Rapala. We caught two of the three today by throwing a lot of bread in the water and getting the shiners in the pond in a frenzy and throwing a shiner on the outside if the swarm. I was throwing the bread in at first so I could throw my cast net over the shiners to catch them for bait but a good sized pick swam through the shiners, making me remember that big fish eat little fish. My brother caught his on a Rapala swimming it over the shiners and a jackfish came up and nailed it. I had another on an X Rap but it threw the hook. Also, does anyone have suggestions on a good hook for 3 to 4 inch live shiners? If we would have caught as many as we saw inhale our bait, I would have 5 or 6 more pictures.


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## Captain Ahab

Your problem is not the hook but the way pickerel (or Jack fish) eat. Usually a pickerel will grab the shiner lightly and use its rear curving teeth to hold the prey while it seeks cover. Once it finds cover it will then turn the prey so it can swallow it head first. 

Patience is the key, wait until after the pickerel grabs the bait and moves off - it will stop in a few seconds - then set the hook, at that point it has the whole shiner in its mouth.

And please use care when handling these great fish - laying them on a dray wooded dock will remove the slime coat and can kill the fish. Not right away, but it will die in a few days becuase you removed the protective coating.

I woudl recommend that you use a size 1 baitholder or shiner hook. i use Matzou America Sickle Baitholders - they also work great for wacky rigging senkos  

Here is a link: https://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0017776117546a.shtml


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