countryboy87
5/7/2016 3:04:00 PMSome decent bass there.. Im still trying to fully figure out the crappie and bass fishing in Cassidy any pointers you may have??
dutchman2858
5/7/2016 3:23:00 PMJamesb: Palomar knot--quick, easy and very reliable. Works with all line types. Be sure to "wet" it with saliva before drawing it up...
Amx
5/7/2016 7:02:00 PMregardless of knot, check often, recheck more often if you fishing lots of weeds, logs, rocks, docks.
8theB8
5/8/2016 7:16:00 AMI'll second what dutchman2858 said for sure but all the knots in the world won't stop light line in heavy vegetation from snapping. Just asking for trouble and decorating fish imo.... Have this discussion with my buddy all the time. It's like using a Prius to tow your boat...just because it 'can' doesn't mean it 'should'. 10-12lb mono on spinning gear will still work fine for twitching Rapalas in the pads, heck in that coffee colored water you could get away with 10-12lb braid, just use a Sharpie to blacken the line the first 3 feet up from the lure and you're good to go. My two cents...
Jamesb
5/8/2016 12:08:00 PMIt wasn't the line test that was the issue. I had cast to an open area by shore and pads I didn't get tangled up on anything just the fish. Every once in a a while the knot I use fails. I had just landed 14.5" bass and 10" crappie out of same areas...Cassidy doesn't have a lot of stuff to get tangled on except big lily pads. I was using 8lb test. I will try to learn another knot as one I use is loop thru hook then knot it and drop lure thru..friend taught me that in 80's and was easier to tie and faster then cinch knot I learned as a kid.
Jamesb
5/8/2016 12:10:00 PMI probably should re tie the lure before I start it was same lure I had used at Lake Terrell to catch 17" so probably make a habit to retie before I start the day instead of just using the tied on lure.
Jamesb
5/8/2016 12:52:00 PMLooks like Palomar knot is the one my friend taught me...yep it's quick and easy to tie on and always wet it first. Just will try re tying before I got out each time. See if that fixes the issue...have to go out on Tuesday and try and get my lure back. I know where he lives now.
Amx
5/8/2016 2:38:00 PMYup, sounds like you are using the Palomar. When you tie the Palomar make sure you line the loop up towards the main line, makes it a little stronger than if you let the loop fall where it may. You'll have to watch the vids on Youtube to see how it's done, but real easy. I've used the clinch knot since high school, works great. Sometimes it can last most all day, sometimes I have to retie often, depends a lot on age of line, type of water that I'm fishing, dirty or clear, the dirt can effect the line, type of cover that I drag a worm over and thru that can effect the knot/line. I usually test the knot after a few casts if I'm hitting docks with the lure, or pads, or weeds. Open water not as often. Mostly when I 'feel' like testing. Which could be every 5 or 10 casts, or every half hour. And yes sometimes I miss and then break off.
Amx
5/8/2016 2:40:00 PMI also use 10lb line for almost everything. I'll test all knots on the rods/lures I expect to use the next day. Or the main rods after I get on the lake in the morning if I forget to test/retie the evening before.
Jamesb
5/8/2016 6:49:00 PMI will try and find the video and like I said happens a few times a year not usually a big deal as most of the bass I catch are under 14". I tend to fish Cassidy, Chain Lake, Gardner Lake and Sunday Lake. And I also do mostly top water fishing. I have upped my lb test used to use mostly 4lb test which for 14" and under works fine with drag. But have gone up to 6lbs and 8lbs...tend to whip my lures especially buzz baits and have snapped off a few with 4lb test. I use small poles 6ft and under...so have to use some whip to cast long. Thanks for a advice everyone and Country boy sent you a PM on tips for catching fish at Cassidy.
8theB8
5/8/2016 10:42:00 PMYou have zero control over what size fish hits your lure. Especially top water lures like buzzbaits! My personal best on a 1/4oz buzzbait is 8lbs! Personal best on a small Rapala is 6.5lbs, sure, in between there's loads of sub 3lbers but one knick in your line and your pound test can be halved!! Heck we caught nothing but sub 3's out of Storm Lake for decades until the year I caught a 7+.
Cassidy: my biggest 5.5lbs. Biggest witnessed 8+!
Sunday: my biggest 2.4lbs. Biggest witnessed 8+!
Ki: my biggest 5.2lbs. Biggest witnessed 10+!! No joke!!
Just something to think about... you may mainly catch smaller fish but you never know? Nor can you control it. Your choice but even with the compounded force of one lily pad stem a 3lber will more than likely hurt your feelings. As soon as the spawn ends and the fry hatch those smaller baits will attract TOADS! Sure would like to see you hoisting one up! Take a look at 10-15lb braid for starters, especially for that buzzbait! The diameter might surprise you and the cast ability on spinning gear is awesome!
I'll tell you what, I have a few spinning rigs I'm not using, how about I rig one up with some braid and let you try it for a while and see how you like it? Let me know.
Cassidy: my biggest 5.5lbs. Biggest witnessed 8+!
Sunday: my biggest 2.4lbs. Biggest witnessed 8+!
Ki: my biggest 5.2lbs. Biggest witnessed 10+!! No joke!!
Just something to think about... you may mainly catch smaller fish but you never know? Nor can you control it. Your choice but even with the compounded force of one lily pad stem a 3lber will more than likely hurt your feelings. As soon as the spawn ends and the fry hatch those smaller baits will attract TOADS! Sure would like to see you hoisting one up! Take a look at 10-15lb braid for starters, especially for that buzzbait! The diameter might surprise you and the cast ability on spinning gear is awesome!
I'll tell you what, I have a few spinning rigs I'm not using, how about I rig one up with some braid and let you try it for a while and see how you like it? Let me know.
Amx
5/9/2016 12:29:00 AMI'LL TRY IT, I'LL TRY IT!
Oh ya, that's exactly what I do use, braid on the buzzbait rod, which is a spinning rod. Works great, and caught a 5.2 Aug. 8, '14 over the weeds. She got down into the weeds a couple times. Probably never would have gotten her out with any brand of 8 pound or less test. Also a 3.94 pounder minutes later over the same weed field. Not to mention the 4.4 pounder Aug. 18th., and the other 3 pound plus that most all get down into the weeds, and the smaller fish too. Now when they get into the pads they can break off kinda easy with mono and with floro. Braid is the way to go on the buzzbait, it'll cut thru the weeds and pads, mono and floro don't. I use 30 lb test tied straight to the lure, no leader.
Oh ya, that's exactly what I do use, braid on the buzzbait rod, which is a spinning rod. Works great, and caught a 5.2 Aug. 8, '14 over the weeds. She got down into the weeds a couple times. Probably never would have gotten her out with any brand of 8 pound or less test. Also a 3.94 pounder minutes later over the same weed field. Not to mention the 4.4 pounder Aug. 18th., and the other 3 pound plus that most all get down into the weeds, and the smaller fish too. Now when they get into the pads they can break off kinda easy with mono and with floro. Braid is the way to go on the buzzbait, it'll cut thru the weeds and pads, mono and floro don't. I use 30 lb test tied straight to the lure, no leader.
Jamesb
5/9/2016 7:24:00 AMI was going to ask what everyone's biggest out of Lake Cassidy was I have caught two 16" is all. Sunday Lake is where I got my two biggest 19" by 7" wide 4lbs one in 1987 on spinner bait and one in 2000 on frog I bought when I was 12...only fish that lure has ever caught. Chain Lake got a 17.5" on buzzbait last year and an 18" in October one year and saw a friend catch a 20" on Memorial Day. But those are very rare there if you get a 14" that is big there. I catch a lot of fish there just a handful each time over 10" out of say 30 fish. I will consider braided haven't ever tried it. Thanks.
8theB8
5/9/2016 9:51:00 AMJames, hey man, re-read some of my comments and I really don't want you to feel "attacked" by them. Not my intention in any way boss! I started my bass fishing campaign at age 13 after trout fishing since age 3 and used spinning gear and 8lb test for years, still do, added a rod and reel here and there along the way and did just fine, most of the time. I did upgrade rod number two to 12lb mono and while it was a bit more difficult to throw the Rapala type baits it worked perfect for small spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and the like. Needless to say as my love for bass fishing grew (still growing) the gear evolved as well. LOTS of trial and error including blowing out my right shoulder trying to throw 20lb floro on spinning gear! :( That injury still follows me.... point being that whenever I see an opportunity to share what I've learned, good and bad, I do my best to pass it on as to me THAT is the essence of our sport! As I said, I have experienced exactly what you are experiencing and that is what has fueled my comments and PM's. You fish the way you are comfortable fishing, period. I just want to see the day the big Mama hammers your bait there's you with a big smile and an even bigger bass in the pic!!! Tight lines, B8.
Amx
5/9/2016 12:21:00 PMYup, use to throw 20 lb mono on a spinning rod with a buzzbait, and another rod with a frog since the '80s. Talk about curlies in the line! LOL Still have those 2 rods, and still use them for only the buzzbait, for only the frog. The braid on them is SO MUCH BETTER!!!
Jamesb
5/9/2016 7:00:00 PMThanks I was fine with comments and advice is appreciated in fact used Lake Terrell advice to figure out where the two big one's I hooked were at Lake Cassidy...until then had only caught a 11" bass this year from there and a 12" Crappie. I should try the heavier line on buzzbait bait cast reel. I tend to just throw buzzbaits, rat L traps and spinner baits on that rod. It's a medium action rod too so can handle the weight. My other two rods are spinning rods which is my preference for casting to holes in between the pads as accuracy is the most important thing for me. I use light rods for those and biggest lure is size 7 rapala either top water or countdown and spinner bait once in a while a buzz bait if I leave the baitcaster at home. I tend to throw smaller lures as size 5 rapala's will catch more fish. I can go from catching 10 with larger size to triple that with smaller size as you can get crappie, bluegill and sunfish with that too and the odd trout. Got an 18" trout last year.
Next time I head to Lake Terrell with its vine like small lily pads I will put on the 12lb test. The two biggest bass I caught the 4lbs didn't fight much they just went down...had more action from a 13" bass that would leap out of the water. Keep the advice and reports coming. I have been bass fishing since I was 10 at lake down the road Thomas Lake by Mill Creek...grew up 1/2 mile from there. Been at it 42 years took a few years off. Top water I got down need to learn how to bottom fish with crawdads, worms, and jigs. On the to do list this year.
Next time I head to Lake Terrell with its vine like small lily pads I will put on the 12lb test. The two biggest bass I caught the 4lbs didn't fight much they just went down...had more action from a 13" bass that would leap out of the water. Keep the advice and reports coming. I have been bass fishing since I was 10 at lake down the road Thomas Lake by Mill Creek...grew up 1/2 mile from there. Been at it 42 years took a few years off. Top water I got down need to learn how to bottom fish with crawdads, worms, and jigs. On the to do list this year.
