fisherchad+Followwhy most anglers struggle with summer bassHad a buddy ask me yesterday what techniques I rely on when summer heat hits and bass get finicky. Got me thinking about my most consistent producers over the years. Here's the thing about summer bass - post-spawn they split into two groups: shallow cover huggers (mostly males) and deep structure females. Understanding this changes everything. My go-to tactics: 1️⃣ Early morning topwater - Dawn to 9am is magic hour. Buzztoads tight to cover, ploppers in open water. Even big females move shallow during low light. 2️⃣ Sinking stick baits - Deadstick heavy salt baits under docks. Cast, let it fall on slack line, watch for that subtle line movement when they suck it in. 3️⃣ Deep diving crankbaits - Bang bottom structure with baits diving 2+ feet deeper than water depth. Crash sandy/rocky bottoms, run just above weedy ones. 4️⃣ Spinnerbaits - Perfect search lures for covering water. Add trailer hooks when they're short striking - ups my catch rate dramatically. 5️⃣ Punching rigs - Flip through matted weeds where bass hide from sun. Reaction strikes are instant when your bait crashes through. What's your summer bass secret weapon? Anyone else notice that shallow/deep split? #fishing #SummerFishing #BassFishing #FishingTips14410Share
fisherchad+FollowMy best topwater bass explosion happened at 9pmNothing beats watching a bass absolutely demolish your lure on the surface. Had my biggest topwater strike last month fishing a moonlit evening - completely changed how I approach these baits. Here's what I've learned about topwater bass fishing: 1️⃣ Timing isn't just dawn - Evening and even nighttime can be incredible, especially under moonlight. Cloudy days work all day long. 2️⃣ Patience is everything - Wait 10-60 seconds after casting a frog before retrieving. Bass often hit while it's sitting still. 3️⃣ Don't jump the gun - Hardest part is NOT setting the hook when you see the swirl. Wait until you actually feel the strike or you'll yank it away. 4️⃣ Classic lures still work - Zara Spooks, Jitter Bugs, Hula Poppers. When modern stuff fails, go old school. Setup: 6'6" medium rod, braid for frogs, mono for everything else (it floats better). What's your best topwater memory? #fishing #TopwaterBass #fishingtips #SummerFishing 311Share
jasonking+FollowHow do y'all fish every day without burning out? Love fishing but just thinking about loading gear and driving somewhere distant makes me exhausted. How do you daily anglers keep the motivation up? #fishing #FishingLife #Anglers #Outdoors 3319Share
fisherchad+FollowIf your knot’s solid, you don’t need gear crutchesStop relying on snaps and swivels! Double uni knots slide through guides like butter, Palomar knots never fail on terminal tackle. My setup: braid mainline with mono backer, 6-10' leader. Just grabbed Yo Zuri super fluro after losing a PB to abrasion last week (double uni held though! 😅). Check your line constantly for nicks, especially around knots. That's where most breaks happen. Proper knots > extra hardware every time. #fishing #fishingtips #fishingknots150Share
jasonking+FollowBig catch day - what do you do with excess fish? Fellow anglers, when you have a huge day and catch more fish than you can eat, how do you handle it? My freezer's about to overflow! #fishing #bigcatch #Anglers 1010Share
kdiaz+FollowCheap fly reels: not all budget gear is equalOwn several basic cast disc reels (mostly Okuma-made) that have lasted thousands of hours in freshwater. Solid workhorses. Tried a loaded MaxCatch eco reel last fall - caught 1000+ fish on it but already seeing wear. Doubt it'll survive its first year or first fly line change. Not even close to those $60-70 reels I already had. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for. Anyone else notice huge quality differences even within "budget" fly gear? #fishing #flyfishing #fishinggear #fishingtips262Share
kdiaz+FollowTwo fly fishing tips that 5x'd my catch rateSomeone asked what advice made fly fishing finally click for me. Here's what changed everything: 1️⃣ Master nymph presentation - Find that sweet spot between natural drift near the bottom and good strike detection. Whether you use indicators or tight-line techniques, effective nymphing means you'll always catch fish even when surface action is dead. 2️⃣ Read water based on temperature - Trout behavior changes with seasons. Warmer months? They're feeding in shallow whitewater. Colder months? Focus on deeper runs and pools. Being selective about where you fish is huge. These two skills literally increased my success rate 5x. The difference between randomly casting and actually understanding what you're doing is night and day. What breakthrough tip changed your fly fishing game? #fishing #FlyFishing #FishingTips300Share
jasonking+Follow😩 hooked myself… with a barbed hookAnyone else using barbed hooks ever get snagged by their own gear? Happened to me today—hooked myself real good. Still stings. Tell me I’m not the only one! #fishing #fishingfails #hookaccidents #anglers3325Share
fisherchad+FollowBaitcaster truth: your thumb is your best friendSo I was helping a buddy pick his first baitcaster yesterday and realized how much misinformation is out there. Here's the real deal: Small baitcasters work best with 1/4-1/2 oz lures. Anything lighter? Just grab a spinning reel - it'll cast way further and save you headaches. All those fancy digital features? Skip 'em. Your thumb + basic braking is all you need. Yeah, you'll get bird's nests at first, but that's how we all learned. The old-timers only had their thumb and caught plenty of fish. I keep my spinning rod for guests now - less time untangling, more time fishing! 😅 What's your take? Team baitcaster or spinning for light lures? #fishing #BaitcasterTips #FishingAdvice #Anglers287Share
kdiaz+FollowI catch more fish with $35 Walmart gearInternet's gonna hate this but here goes - fishing gear all does the same thing. That $35 Walmart combo works just as well as your premium setup. See those guys at every dock slaying fish with cheap gear? They're proof expensive doesn't equal better. Fish don't care about your brand flex. My recommendation: any medium-light rod ($15-100), cheap Chinese reel from Amazon (3000 size), decent 6-10lb mono, basic lures and hooks. Total cost under $200. Went out last weekend with no-name Chinese gear and filled the boat. Fish didn't ask to see my receipt or check if my rod was "premium sensitive." Maybe we just buy fancy gear to impress each other? #fishing #fishingtips #budgetangler #tightlines #bassfishing #warehousewisdom357Share
