The Dreaded Bait Caster

Two years ago I used credit card miles to pick up an Abu Garcia bait caster. Bait casters or just 'casters' are the choice of pros. They cast longer than regular spinners and they are more accurate thanks to the ability to control the length of the cast more carefully with your thumb. They're also very difficult to use. I took it out twice and it was a nightmare. Short casts, horribly inaccurate, and nasty birds nests. I traded it to Acky for a regular spinner and went back to placing casts where I wanted them.

But this year and this blog are all about learning how to go from rookie to pro. So with that, I'm going to pick up a low end bait caster and give it another try. I've been reading up and watching videos off YouTube and I'm ready to give it another try. Will post what I learn...

Video of the Pig

For the record, he went with a 5" senko while I tried to drum up some action with a small rubber shad in the spirit of learning new / better ways to fish. Plus yesterday after messing around with a rodent-type soft bait I switched back to rubber worms and caught 3 fish.

New plan - start with senks, if they run dry mix it up. I ordered a bitsy jig and a set of those frog leg looking rubber bait to trail behind it for flipping. Maybe I'll toss that first but again, seems tough to beat a 5" green rubber senko as a starting point.

5 lbs 14 oz Pig!!!

Caught by my Dad on a 5" green senko in 2 ft of water. Water temp of 58 degrees, 3:30 pm or so. On 6 lb test and a super light action ugli stick. First time fishing the pond at his new house and he kills it.

He must have had the drag set perfect plus it seemed like the fish came toward to boat for most of the fight. A 6 lb fish on 6 lb test is awesome. When she flashed and ran it was pretty intense. Great, great fish and it was awesome that he took it on Mia's first 'big girl' fishing trip. By the way, Mia was a champ. She fished for 2 hours with a 5" senk on a princess rod.

First Fish of 2010

Tried to get onto Long Pond in Lakeville in an 11 ft aluminum with no motor. Wind was too much. Tommy knew of a man made pond behind the house he used to live in. Took 3 small large mouths in 2 hrs. 1 with a 5" senko on a bullet style weighted hook, 2 with the same hook but prosenkos (5"). Switched after seeking the size of the fish. All about 1 lbs or less. Didn't weigh them, too small. Didn't bother with the new humminbird wristwatch depth finder. Regretting it now because I don't have water temp or depth.

Actually a really interesting set up. There was a cliff overhanging the pond I could see the bass on this one spot clearly. Three swam past my bait when i gave it pretty light snap to try to get them to strike. They spooked. Then another approached and I stalled it and barely moved it across the bottom and watched the fish stalk it for 10 seconds or so before taking it. And that was a pretty small and presumably more aggressive fish than the targeted pigs. Lesson - when you think you're crawling a worm too slow, go slower.

Great to get a few on the board! Going to enjoy this while the freakish 70 degree weather is here. Until it snows next week anyway.

Stocking up for the Spawn

Headed to Dick's tomorrow for the first stock up of the year. Will be casting from shore tomorrow, testing out the humminbird smartcast watch (couldn't resist) in the first fish of the season. Will pick up the Rodent, some 20 lb test for my Carolina rig, and the cheapest waders I can find. Also going to pick up some lead heads (Strike King calls their Shakey Heads - not sure what the generic name is).


Shore fishing sucks but I'd love to start the season off with a fish.

Fishing the Rodent (and Bitsy Jig)

We did an awful lot of worm tossing last year, mixing up colors, sizes, and even shapes. We tossed a tube or two (no luck) and a rubber craw (couple smallies). This same style is often used by the pros but with other lures. I'm watching Karl Kalonka flipping for bass in New England lakes and he was pushing two in particular. The first was a Strike King Rodent and the second was the Bitsy Bug Jig with what looked like a frog head with two dangley legs hanging off it. I realize he's sponsored by Strike King and probably caught the 4 or 5 lunkers he showed over several days but the fishing style seems similar and this looks like a nice bridge from same style to different baits.

With both he was hunting out docks and structures and crawling them back to the boat. He was actually lifting them up off the ground a bit more aggressively than I work a worm back with. The rodent he was fishing with a screw top hook (4s, 5s, 6s) and had a small bullet sinker on the front.

He offered a pretty good tip:
When approaching structure don't just cast at it blindly. Find the shadow edge and put your first shot on it. Emphasis on making the most of your first shot and positioning for the shade, not just the structure.

Will put em on the list and report back.

2009 Gallery - The Before Pictures

The One to Beat
My top fish of 2009
3lbs. 15 oz
Small Pond in MA

Caught late in the season on the Game Changer. All season I said my goal was 4+ and this is my luck - 1 ounce short. This is one of probably 10 or so 2+ pounders that were pulled on either the Game Changer or Worm. And of course, it was caught on the only thing I can catch half decent fish on - a 6" green yamasenko. Tommy, the guy who donated the worm ended up catching a 4lbs 2oz pig on the last day of the season in the Worm on Bow Lake.

Below that are a few more of 2009's memories. Of course all of these will seem like baitfish after 2010.