The Dean : Fishing Forum Posts

These are the steps I use to reduce/remove interference. I turn off the sonar operation on all the units on the boat except for the unit I am using. That will eliminate things most of the time. Next I install a thin piece of rubber between the transducer and the trolling motor. Make sure the trolling motor has a good ground. That can be the problem too.

My favorite smallmouth bait in cold water is the Silver Buddy or any brand of blade bait. Whenever the water temp dips into the 40's. I think the best version of this bait is the Bass Pro Shops blade bait. For some reason, gold is my number one choice on color.

We recently released Paul Mueller's seminar on smallmouth in cold water. Did you see that? He is a master at locating and catching smallies when things get cold. Lots more to come from him on this topic.

Sorry Fishbass. Paul Mueller's video is scheduled to release on Tuesday Nov. 27th. Don't want miss that one. I had a sneak peak on the that video. Truly amazing info. on swimbaits and smallmouth.

There's Ice already where you are? What part of the country to you live?

We are going to film some ice fishing this year. Looks fun. I've never done it. Paul Mueller is going to teach us how to catch tons of smallies under the ice.

We will be releasing a bunch of Bass University seminars over the winter. I'll be trying to pick up some tricks over the winter.

I love those lakes in your area Robert! Bluebacks have taken over. Seasonal patterns on Blue Back lakes is a great topic. We are also constantly working to bring updates on the fisheries in those areas. We don't currently have a trainer working in that are but hope to soon. Thanks so much for the feedback!

Great idea JayD. We definitely need a button that will take you directly to the classes. Thanks!

Hahaha. You won't last long in 35 degree water. Be safe and good luck on the ice. It won't be long now.

Hi Ray, We wanted to recognize how long subscribers have been with us at Bass U TV. Every six months we upgrade a members credential. 0-6 months - Freshman, 6-12 months - Sophomore, then - Junior, Senior, graduate, Doctorate, etc. Thanks for subscribing with us and look for a lot of exciting new shows this year at Bass U.

Thanks for the feedback Ray. We have been considering Life memberships for BUTV. We will keep you posted here on details.

We love to work with Defoe and Lowen. Lots of content on BUTV from both of these guys on the site. More to come. Looks like we will also have a class in 2019 in Columbus, OH. Check out thebassuniversity.com for more details.

Yes, try turning off you your console unit or the just turn off the sonar operation. Go into settings and you can turn off the sonar operation which kills the transducer for the console unit. That will usually solve the problem.

Hi Clarence,
I have been using braid on my older rods for 10 years or more. I've never experienced any problems with my guides. Braid is an amazing line to use on spinning reels, I agree. My line of choice is Gamma Torque. I use 8-20# braid depending on the situation. 10# is my most common choice. The casting distance is unreal.

I have twenty of those old Curado's Clarence. Best reel ever made. I started phasing in Lew's last year. I really like the speed spool last year. Good performance and durability so far. Price point is a little higher $159. But I really like them.

Thanks for all you do Ray, as a firefighter! I'm sorry to hear about your injury. I hope to hear you are back on the job and back on the water soon. Swindle is an amazing individual and has a tremendous ability to move people with his story. We are proud to have him as an instructor with us at Bass U. Here is a link to get your pma bracelet. https://geraldswindle.com/store/. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving holiday with your friends and family.

Thanks Doug. As Jason noted, we have lot more to come at Bass U TV. Thanks for subscribing and being part of our family. I want to wish you and your family a peaceful and joyous Thanksgiving holiday.

Great story Brent. I agree, Shimano was the only game in town for me back in the day as well. Many companies have caught up. I have heard good things about the Quantum Smoke. Good luck with that one. As I noted above, I seem to becoming a Lew's convert. They are making some great gear right now. Congrats on your new hip! Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Hey Dean, great to hear from you! Are you fishing the Opens again this year? I have registered for the Eastern Opens but find myself on the waiting list at the moment. Really looking forward to fishing in Florida this January. Hope to catch up with you soon. Thanks again for all the kind words and thanks for being part of our program! - Pete G.

Hi Douglas

I think you are right on the money about the pros. The concern for breakdown of the auto deploy is probably the reason pros aren't using it. I remember when other trolling motors had this feature and they would get stuck in the down position which prevented anglers from getting their boats on pad. This was ten years ago. They would also deploy while boats where traveling at 70 mph. Minn Kota has exceptional technology and dependability. As such, I don't expect you will have any of these problems. I think you might see the pros starting to phase these in as the motor shows durability. I have the Minn Kota Ultrex and absolutely love it!!!! It has shown durability and exceptional advantages with respect to boat control. Happy Thanksgiving! - Pete Gluszek.

Interesting thought Rich. Change is key and disappearing ice is certainly a positive change in the winter. I think of things in things in terms of rising and falling water temps. If the ice is disappearing, the water temp is warming and I would look for fish activity to increase.

Zona's video is great! I assume we are talking about baitcasting reels. My goal with baitcasting gear is to lower the spool control and magnets to the minimum. This might sound scary and maybe it is. In order to skip a bait you need to get that bait moving at a high speed. In order to get the bait moving at a high speed, you need to get the brakes off. This takes a bit of practice and that needs to be done in the garage or in the swimming pool. I think the most important thing when it comes to skipping is to get the line off the water during the cast. I do this by raising the rod tip once the lure has started to skip. If the line lays on the water, this will cause a ton of drag and stop the skipping effect. By raising the rod tip, the line will be lifted off the water and allow the bait to skip much further. Practice, practice, practice. Good luck Buddy.

I think you are right about the dock lights providing easy feeding opportunities for bass. That can decrease the feeding activity during the day. I've also noticed that full moon nights get the bass feeding at night and less during the day. Fish don't really sleep, but just become inactive and will often suspend. Tricky to catch when that is going on. Both John Murray and Scott Suggs have excellent seminars on how to trigger suspended fish. Must see Bass U TV. I will also say this, the warmer the water the more often a bass has to feed. The lower the water temp the less a bass needs to feed.

https://bassu.tv/bass-fishing-video/suspended-bass-seasonal-pattern-fishing-scott-suggs

https://bassu.tv/bass-fishing-video/locate-catch-suspended-bass-john-murray

I can't link you to the vidoes, so you will have to copy and past the link to your browser. I'll talk with our developer about adding this feature to the Forum in the future.

Great question Luke! Fishing successfully from the back of the boat is a true art. I think Doug above has some excellent suggestions. The most successful guys that have fished behind me have used mostly finesse strategies. The three most effective techniques I've seen from the back are Senko, drop shot and Carolina Rig. Unless the guy you are fishing with is absolutely killing them on a certain bait or technique, I recommend doing something a little different. Big advantage of the Senko is that it casts far and skips better than anything so you can get to places your boater might miss. The Carolina Rig casts a mile and can be helpful fishing deeper zones while your boater is fishing shallow. The drop shot, Neko rig or Ned rig are all ultra finesse techniques that can draw strikes your boater might miss.