Techniques learned in 2010 and goal for 2011

[Mike Cork]

In 2010 I wanted to learn several things. One being the Shakey head. It's been a craze for several years and I always assumed I knew it pretty well. Shoot growing up and fishing out west for over 20 combined years I did a lot of finesse fishing. However to apply it to Louisiana fishing was something I never even considered until this last hot summer. I read all I could, asked a few questions here and then took my knowledge from out west and went to town. It wasn't long and I was putting quality fish in the boat and even won two tournaments with the technique

I told myself last year that I would improve my crank bait fishing skills as I just don't have the sixth sense with it yet. I failed in that goal and am making it a priority this year. So goal for 2011 is to develop the equipment and skills to know when a fish blinked at my crank bait when it goes by. To be able to tell the difference in bottom compositions, and to be able to crawl a 20 ft diving crank bait through a 15 ft brush top without getting hung up (I see a lot of lost crank baits here  ). I'm gonna make this happen.

Oh, I forgot I have the new side scan and I will be spending a lot of time with it and hopefully this will fit into leaning new crank bait skills

What technique did you master in 2010 and what are you looking to learn for 2011?

[Camden]

well im kinda opposite you Mike. I learned the crankbait and by god come heck or high water this year im gonna master the almighty jig. i can fish them just not effeciently. and i need this tech to help round out my arsenal

[Mike Cork]

For me the jig was several years ago, when I first moved to Louisiana it was obvious that the jig was something I had to figure out so I put three rods on the deck, all with jigs, and went to town. I am very confident in them now and year round have one on the deck. It's a big fish machine Remember you can hop them, drag them, swim them, flip them, punch them, shake them, a jig that matches the forage base will catch fish in any body of water IMO

[bass1cpr]

   All these years I thought the forage base was black blue. 

[Mike Cork]

   All these years I thought the forage base was black blue. 

Well it will work year round so I guess when the crawdads are that color the bream are changing to it. Mother Natures way of making it easy on us....

[caddobass]

I worked with tubes alot more this past year, much more than ever before. Like you Mike I really want to learn crankbaits, but I always seem to be playing with plastics. There just seems to be a endless range of presentations you can come up with for plastics. This year I will work more with wake baits, shallow running crankbaits and work my way to the deeper runners. One step at a time, if I can just lay the jig and plastics down

[Camden]

another tech i started with late this year and i am really starting to like is the double fluke rig. im gonna start using it more this year as well

[jesse1378]

I want to learn the crankbait, jig, and finesse techniques. lol all i know is spinner bait, buzzbait (buzzfrog as well), and pitching a worm/lizard. The main thing i want to learn is the catch fish    it's hard for me to try to learn a new technique when the ones that i do know dont catch fish. i have been fishing for years, but i feel like i just started. i'm still in the process of setting all my combos up properly so that when i use them i atleast have that right.

[NateG]

This past year I finally learned the jig, albeit finesse jigs that I had to make myself. I am starting to tie weedless jigs this winter to fish this upcoming year, and expand my jig fishing.  The jig took me a few years to get together, but I relied heavily on it once finally figuring it out.  This year I am going to focus on crankbait fishing, as well as making my own vibrating blade baits (hopefully they will work as good as the ones I've been using now which are currently off the market).  My major tournaments are on the Potomac and the Flats in April and May, so the jig, chatterbait, and crankbait should be a key part of my day in these events.

[coldfront]

I don't have any fear of running DD22's over brushpiles...it's simple a matter of respecting the trebles...and 'worming' it through...

cranks have to be eased through brushpiles...they're going to bump into every twig, slide over branches...and get stuck routinely...the key is not to try and horse them through...(if you want to get them back)...AND in that situation, you have to recognize that the bass is frankly going to have to hook itself...if you 'pull the trigger' at every bump, you're gonna be hung up all the time...

those fish in brushpiles, if they want it, will grab it...kind of like a soft jig bite...most of the time...the rod just loads up...

now, I'm talking relatively large brushpiles of a couple cedar trees or so...  I go to square billed cranks when rip rap and isolated stumps are the key...then, I often move the bait fast for deflection purposes...

but in brush piles, you have to go through slow...and again, you'd be surprised how 'hang up' proof a DD-22 or DLN is...even without a square bill...move them through slowly...let them back up/float up as needed...get bit.

simple.

Now, 'how' you get them out of the brush after hooking?  that's your problem...

[Camden]

the thing to always remember when bringing a crankbait through cover is to use the rod not the reel. you will be surprised how much more you feel. another thing like CF said is learning the diff between a hang up and a bite. usually on a hang up it isnt the hooks that are caught. its the bill. if i get hung i let the bait sit for a sec and then slowly pull on it with the rod. usually the boyancy of the lure will work the bill loose and you can begin the retrieve again

[DBrooke]

well im kinda opposite you Mike. I learned the crankbait and by god come heck or high water this year im gonna master the almighty jig. i can fish them just not effeciently. and i need this tech to help round out my arsenal

I'm gonna hold you to that!!

[Camden]

maybe you need to come on out and teach me master DB

[DBrooke]

Either that or you come here 

[house]

Since i started fishing about 5 months ago i  learned that bass fishing is so much fun and intriguing than i first thought. So many different presentations and lures its mind boggling to a newb like me. Next year i plan on dabbling in almost all the different techniques and presentations i can figure out and get my hands on.

[bass1cpr]

   The crankbait use to be my side imaging not sure which really costs more but I want one of those too. I'm sure it would have saved me some time from retreiving some of those cranbaits. One thing I will say about cranks is once you find one that works and produces fish treat it good and get a good lure retreiver. Now for the shallow water cranker practice that bow pop it saves lots of time and it will work for some of those deep hangups too. IT works for worms and Jigs too.
   The sick part is the side imaging will be worth more than my boat. The good part I'll be able to mark the exact spot where I lost that crankbait.

[Kuntry Jr.]

Like you I mastered the Shaky Head, I knew it pretty well but I wanted to do it Cali style and used 6 pound test and 4 in worms. The only tough thing I found with it was catching fish that were bigger then 12 inches

This year I want to learn to sight fish effectively, I can do it but I'm not very good at it and this spring I plan to change that.

[Buzbait88]

The 1 technique I learned last year is shakey heading and I loved it.  Actually won a tournament doing it, but it was late in the year and I am still a novice at it and I would like to master the shakey head.  It seems easy on lakes, but on the river in the current and heavy grass it seems tougher.  I would also like to work on my carolina rigging techniques.

[DaveP63]

This year I concentrated on plastics and crankbaits. Before, I was a dyed in the wool spinnerbait man. For next year, I want to work on shakey heads and jigs.

[coldfront]

   The sick part is the side imaging will be worth more than my boat. The good part I'll be able to mark the exact spot where I lost that crankbait.

you are correct...my electronics are now worth more than my boat...

[gdaddybassmaster]

If you say for me it was technique(s) of the past and long forgotten.  Best of 2010: The power pole! Say what? The PP made me throughly fish the area by not being in warp drive with the TM. Lesson relearned: slow down, be persistent, vary casting angles, and be quit while your doing it.   

Goals of 2011
Get into, understand, and utilize Punch bait techniques
Get back to basics; use a shad rap once again
Learn how to use side imaging effectively.
And for the most important: Take my grandson fishing more often.

GD

[coldfront]

The power pole! Say what? The PP made me throughly fish the area by not being in warp drive with the TM. Lesson relearned: slow down, be persistent, vary casting angles, and be quiet while your doing it. 

of all the things that made me a very effective shoreline angler...the ability to stand completely still on solid footing (ground) made learning to feel bottom bouncing lures much easier...

and when I stepped up to a bass boat, I 'missed' the rock solid feel of ground when really wanting to concentrate on fishing a jig/bait through cover...it's a lot harder to fish as slow as needed from the deck of a boat...oftentimes, due to wind/wave action as much as anything...

great points!  and post up photos on the grandson trips! 

[Gangly]

I learned the Jig this year.  I still ahve a lot to learn, but I can actually fish it with confidence now which I couldn't do until earlier this year.

I want to learn how to fish crank baits and spinner baits better and have started to load up on them for the upcoming spring.  I just get so nervous casting $6-$7 crank baits around brush piles and heavy structure/vegetation.  I'm going have to learn how to get over that and throw them where the big girls are.

Also, I am wanting to learn how to fish a jerk bait this winter, really struggling with jerk baits.

[Railroader]

Mike i can take ya out to cypress and show ya how i fish a DT16 or the DD22.? Would like to learn more on a jig but with the beaver and biffle bug its hard to change. One thing i've learned this year is not all techniques i read about will work on my area lakes, get back to the basics and not get fancy.

[gdaddybassmaster]

If you say for me it was technique(s) of the past and long forgotten.  Best of 2010: The power pole! Say what? The PP made me throughly fish the area by not being in warp drive with the TM. Lesson relearned: slow down, be persistent, vary casting angles, and be quiet while your doing it.   

Goals of 2011
Get into, understand, and utilize Punch bait techniques
Get back to basics; use a shad rap once again
Learn how to use side imaging effectively.
And for the most important: Take my grandson fishing more often.

GD

Fixed a typo!