Fishing Forum

I finally did it! I landed my first Largemouth Bass on spinning equipment out of my float tube (pontoon). The day started off great, I had my fishfinder setup on my toon, had a full charge on the battery, and the oars were in place. I decided to wet wade things because I knew the temp was going to get up into the 90's by the time I was done. Everything was set up, I go to get my fins out of the trunk and . . . . . . I must have let them at my parents place, 300 miles away. The wind was cooperative however, e.g., no wind or a very light breeze where I could drift along the most productive water, row back, and then drift again.

I caught my first LM on a 5" watermellon senko, fished weightless.

See pics on attachments!!!

I caught another that was much bigger on a black 'n blue jig n pig. I didn't have the drag set well on my spinning reel, gave it too much slack. Game, set, match, winner . . . Billy Bass. I still need to get a feel for when I get hit, never quite sure if it is a take or the bottom. Need more practice I guess.

Thanks again to Sturgeonkid and TD for all of their tips and e-coaching. I'm ready to go after them again!

ES
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Yeh Buddy!!! WTG dude! It always makes me proud to hear that the people I'm helping out on-line are catching fish. [cool] You will get the feel soon enough for what's a bite and whatnot, however, you will find that no matter how good you get, you still will set the hook into a good solid rock or a log every so often. There's always just been one theory amoung bass fishermen...if you're not sure, set the hook!...hooksets are always free. Congrats again ES, and that's a good lookin' fish...now I've gotta go out and kick some butt in a little fake tourney my friends and I are having over at my little lake...everyone is throwin' in a pack of senkos and winner takes all...har har!!!
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[cool]A-A-A-L-L-L-L-RIGHT. Now, if we could only train you to bring all he right gear. Ha Ha. At least you brought your tackle. I went off on a sneak away trip one afternoon. Drove an hour to get to my lake. weather was great, I could see fish just offshore. Conditions were just right for a killer trip. Except I had left my lure boxes on my work bench at home. That was a long and mad-at-myself ride home. Didn't get away again for about 2 weeks. A long two weeks.

The longest journey begins with the first step. Hopefully that first largie will be the first of many...and the smallest you ever catch, although that is not likely. But, no matter how big or small, all bass must be earned, and all give the pleasure of knowing you DID earn them.

Looks like you got your Cuda set up well. How did it work, and are you happy with it? I suspect that you will want to take it on some deeper waters to put it through its paces before rendering a final verdict. I'm using the heck out of my 168...and it works great. (poetic)

How's the new house coming along? Got the boxes all unpacked...or was that fishing excursion just a brain broom to restore your sanity in between move-in chores?

Oh yeah, I found a "mascot" for ya. I drew in the spinning rod, but the emu is cute. Figured a fishing rod was better than adding something like a Scud missile. People might not understand.



TubeDude
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It was defitnally a fun experience! The house is alright. This trip was a "break from the dissertation and get out before we have to move trip." We close on the house around June 6th, then all my fishing time will be spent on replacing shingles, fixing the yard, painting the inside . . .

I'm at home today and for some reason my computer doesn't show the pic that you posted of the emu. I can only imagine. The orgin of EmuScud came from one of my most successful flies on the Provo river and any other water with those tiny freshwater shrimp (scud patterns). My father-in-law had a bunch of emus and that meant I had a bunch of free feathers.

I did like the Cuda. It is hard to put it through its paces at 4' depth. Water temp was a very comfy 70. I couldn't believe all the fish that were under my tube and not on my line! I think my next excursion will be to Deer Creek for smallies. That should test it out pretty good.

Hey Kid, good luck on your tourny! Catch one for me!

Now I just have to get my fins down from Idaho [shocked].

ES
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every; once in a great while you have to right click on the pic then click show pic and wait for a min or two to see the pics
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Senkos, Senkos, and more Senkos!!!! Hoora! Way to go Emu! I learned to throw Senkos right in the middle of a tournment at Jordanelle last year. The guy in front of the boat caught 5 fish and 14 lbs that day. I only got 4 fish and 11 lbs, but it was a buddy tournment. My partner and I total 19lbs on 5 fish, and my boater and his partner got 17 lbs(we won the tournment).

In April, I caught first real big largie on a Senko down at Quail. I caught it from my float tube too(that was even more fun). It was well over 6lbs.

Spent saturday and Memorial day at jordanelle, only got 1 smallie each day. Of course they were on Senkos. Water temps are bouncing up and down too much for the smallies to make up it shallow. I'm going to hit Deer Creek in morning the spawn should be starting about now.
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I'm new to this stuff (senkos etc.) What colors do you have the most confidence in and how do you fish them. I was using a spinning outfit, no weight. I would reel in slowly with an occasional twitch of the rod.
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thats how i work them... sometimes, i hook them right in the middle and i just jiggle the rod tip so that both ends of the senko are wiggling. I havent really caught as many using this technique. maybe about 2 or 3.
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[][size 4]you wish joe!!!!! u liar!!!![/size]

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[size 4]-chris[/size]
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I've heard of that before, wacky rig or something like that. I've read that some guys will thread on one senko normal style and then put on another wacky style so that it makes a "t" when fished.

Even at 2-3 LM, I still have a lot of room to catch up to you! Even if the fish are in your imagination[]. Every time I tie a new fly I have caught a least a dozen fish with it before it even leaves the flytying table. Unlike your fraternity brother, I believe you that you did catch those babies[cool].

ES
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i have.... at el dorado...with raul



joe


we just fish together.... i wouldnt call him a frat brother.... DH= deckhand Tubin= float tuber joe=my name



haha...joe[sly]
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Hey ES...

Senko color is an interesting thing...it's a rare occasion when I find that one color is working better than another. When the senko bite is on...they just seem to eat senkos...reguardless of color. However, I will give you some of my top choices. For Utah Lake, my two favorite colors for the 4" senko are 1) 157, Smoke w/ lg blk and prpl flk...2) Natural Shad, that one is actually the Kinami Flash, not the bonified yammamoto senko.

When it comes to the 5" senkos...I've got a few more favorites...1) 194, Watermelon w/ lg blk flk. 2) 196, Pumpkin (orange) w/ lg black & sm green flk. 3) 021, Black w/ lg blue flk. 4) 156, Chartreuse w/ lrg blk flk.

As for the retrieve and how to fish them...I think you've got the basic idea of how to do it. Just pitch it out there (and watch that line because 90% of the pick-ups on senkos seem to come on that first initial fall), and let it sit on the bottom for a little while. Then give it just a few tiny little twitches, and let it sit some more. And ya just keep doin' that a few times. That's about it.

Also as was mentioned, you can wacky-rig them. Very deadly, especially on Utah Lake. That's always been my favorite way to fish a senko. I use about a size 2 baitholder hook and just stick it right through the middle. I fish it the same way as I just described though. Pitch it, let it sit, give it a few twitches, and let it sit some more.

Hope this helps...
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Joe,

You even have a witness! I only have evidence of that one bass, the other two decided that they didn't want to play with me any more. I have no witnesses to confirm my report.

I had a friend who frequently fished with his father-in-law, who, one day hooked into a nice fat rainbow (maybe 2-3lb). A few years later, my friend heard his father-in-law talking about that 8 lb rainbow that got away. My friend asked him, "What are you feeding that thing?! It keeps growing everytime you tell that story." Give me time and that 3-5lb LM that threw the hook will grow too.

About that whole fraternity thing, I would much rather have some fishing buddies anyway[].



S. Kid, I'll have to try the wacky rig next time. Sounds like I need to be a bit more patient when throwing the Senkos. As always, You da Man!"

ES
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At Jordanelle, #297 is deadly. I call it root beer, its real name is green pumpkin/blak flake. I couldn't buy a bite at deer creek today. Got sunburned pretty good. Smoke w/purple flake is a largie killer. I ran into a transplanted soCal guy at Quail and he turned me on to them. The is #157, this got me a 3lb 14 oz smallie sat at Jordanelle. Personally, I use a 1/16 or 1/8 bullet sinker. I like to feel bottom contact.
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What kind of hook do you use ? My guess is a offset worm hook . I still haven't pick up any yet but have be in the bass chasing mood . I was trying a zipper worm weightless tonight and had lots of hits . Only hooked 4 small LM bass in a hour after work . Tight lines
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I use 2/0, 3/0, or 4/0 hooks. The hook of choice is a Gamakatsu offshank worm hook for 5" and larger. For 3" baits i'll use either a size 1 or 2 offset shank worm ewg(extra wide gap).
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Yeah thats the hook I'm using on these pulse worms . Nailed a 14" tonight but a guy down from me hooked a pig 3.5 pound on a rapala . I was using a willow leaf spinner . I love that !! Friends don't let friends use powerbait ! LOL Thanks!! Now I better pick me up some senkos . Tight lines
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