any?? lol. stuff i could eat.
im in SE LA so I think we have a pretty broad array of different target species between fresh, brackish and salt water nearby. I am mostly relegated to bank fishing or I have a kayak I can take.
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2024 fishing thread
- Thread starter Ckwilli
- Start date
im in SE LA so I think we have a pretty broad array of different target species between fresh, brackish and salt water nearby. I am mostly relegated to bank fishing or I have a kayak I can take.
Easiest to catch in fresh water would be bluegill or catfish. For bream it is hard to make it easier than a tube of crickets, some long shank small wire hooks and a small slip cork, the smallest that will float the bait. For catfish, I prefer generally fish the rivers. For eating sized fish there are crap tons of baits that will work but Sonny's dip bait or Junie's sewer bait are hard to beat in a dip worm setup. For blues and channels, nothing beats catalpa live worms if you know anywhere down there to find some later this summer when they are on the trees.
If you are after bass, Bass University is a good start. You can usually get some kind of first timer discount, especially if you are patient. Theres tons of videos by pros so they know their stuff. Also you might want to check out Salt Strong (YouTube) or The Speckled Truth podcast for some stuff on Specs and Reds. And there’s a show on the Pursuit channel called Let’s Geaux Fishing that might be interesting for you too.
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Black Titan
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2023
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- 651
I only fish fresh water so no help on brackish or salty stuff.
Bluegill - simple nightcrawler or redworm under a bobber and a basic rig will work all day. You catch a mess of em, they're good eatin. Lots of recipes. I like them lightly breaded and pan fried. They're also good with just basic salt and pepper, a dash of cayenne, a lemon wedge, and a big hunk of butter then wrapped in foil and cooked on a grill. Take your fork start at the spine then just pull down towards the belly. Meat slides right off the ribs. Still watch for small bones, especially if you're feeding kids.
Catfish - can't beat good ole chicken livers tossed out with some weight on the line and wait for that slow tug on your line. This works for channels and flathead. Not sure about blues. I also like to fish for smaller bluegill and throw them on a circle hook after slicing the belly. I've caught some 20lb plus monsters this way. Watch for snapping turtles lol. *** check your local regs about using live caught fish for bait. Some places don't like this.
Crappie - live minnows under a bobber/rooster tails/small bitsty beetles or beetle spins. Crappie taste GREAT.
Stripe - big live shad. Big curly tail grubs. I've hooked two at a time before on a double grub setup.
Smallmouth bass - cool running water usually. They like bright colors - hot pink, chartreuse, etc.
Largemouth bass - its like asking your wife what she wants for dinner. They never know what they want, and if you think you've figured out something they'll like, they decide they're not hungry and want something else. But, on days where I've thrown everything in my box with no success, my ole go-to if I just want to hook up with a fish is a wacky rigged senko worm, weightless, on a lighter finesse rig setup. I have nearly a 100% success rate with a wacky rigged senko on 15lb braid with an 8lb fluorocarbon leader. The fluorocarbon helps it sink.
Lots to learn about gear. Learn knots. There's apps for knots. The Palomar knot is about the simplest and one of the strongest, and will work with about 90% of lines. Don't use it on fluorocarbon.
You will get hung up. Especially from the bank. You will break lines and lose lures. It's part of it. You will break off on fish. They will get off the hook and fly out of the water and say "missed me sucka!". Especially bass. You may get frustrated and want to break your rod or throw it in the water. Don't do it, they can be expensive and the fish will just laugh at you more. Kinda like the dog on duck hunt.
If you really dig into it and find you enjoy it, there's a ton of different techniques and lures to learn. Different casting techniques, hook setting, flipping, skipping, jigging, etc.
Most importantly, keep it simple and have fun. Fishing can get boring to some people, and you may not get a bite for awhile. Use this time to just enjoy nature and being outdoors. Kind of like waiting on that deer to cross into your shooting lane. Just enjoy being outside. And if you're still not getting a bite, walk away from your rod while your line is in the water for about five minutes. You'll come back to your rod half dragged into the water and your bait gone.
BT
Bluegill - simple nightcrawler or redworm under a bobber and a basic rig will work all day. You catch a mess of em, they're good eatin. Lots of recipes. I like them lightly breaded and pan fried. They're also good with just basic salt and pepper, a dash of cayenne, a lemon wedge, and a big hunk of butter then wrapped in foil and cooked on a grill. Take your fork start at the spine then just pull down towards the belly. Meat slides right off the ribs. Still watch for small bones, especially if you're feeding kids.
Catfish - can't beat good ole chicken livers tossed out with some weight on the line and wait for that slow tug on your line. This works for channels and flathead. Not sure about blues. I also like to fish for smaller bluegill and throw them on a circle hook after slicing the belly. I've caught some 20lb plus monsters this way. Watch for snapping turtles lol. *** check your local regs about using live caught fish for bait. Some places don't like this.
Crappie - live minnows under a bobber/rooster tails/small bitsty beetles or beetle spins. Crappie taste GREAT.
Stripe - big live shad. Big curly tail grubs. I've hooked two at a time before on a double grub setup.
Smallmouth bass - cool running water usually. They like bright colors - hot pink, chartreuse, etc.
Largemouth bass - its like asking your wife what she wants for dinner. They never know what they want, and if you think you've figured out something they'll like, they decide they're not hungry and want something else. But, on days where I've thrown everything in my box with no success, my ole go-to if I just want to hook up with a fish is a wacky rigged senko worm, weightless, on a lighter finesse rig setup. I have nearly a 100% success rate with a wacky rigged senko on 15lb braid with an 8lb fluorocarbon leader. The fluorocarbon helps it sink.
Lots to learn about gear. Learn knots. There's apps for knots. The Palomar knot is about the simplest and one of the strongest, and will work with about 90% of lines. Don't use it on fluorocarbon.
You will get hung up. Especially from the bank. You will break lines and lose lures. It's part of it. You will break off on fish. They will get off the hook and fly out of the water and say "missed me sucka!". Especially bass. You may get frustrated and want to break your rod or throw it in the water. Don't do it, they can be expensive and the fish will just laugh at you more. Kinda like the dog on duck hunt.
If you really dig into it and find you enjoy it, there's a ton of different techniques and lures to learn. Different casting techniques, hook setting, flipping, skipping, jigging, etc.
Most importantly, keep it simple and have fun. Fishing can get boring to some people, and you may not get a bite for awhile. Use this time to just enjoy nature and being outdoors. Kind of like waiting on that deer to cross into your shooting lane. Just enjoy being outside. And if you're still not getting a bite, walk away from your rod while your line is in the water for about five minutes. You'll come back to your rod half dragged into the water and your bait gone.
BT
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Took the kids for our first kayak/fishing trip of the year on Sunday. Lost a bit of tackle (dad needs to check knots from last season a bit better ugh) and the wind on the way back was... Punishing lol. We managed to land one blue cat, younger daughter was very pleased, and we'll be having fish sticks for dinner tonight.
hokiehunter373
Well-Known Member
Life has been crappy to me in 2024 and I haven't been out much but I made myself get out for an hour and a half the other day and it paid off with a 4.49 and a 4.27. First time I've caught two 4s in one session and they were the only bites of the day.
Black Titan
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2023
- Messages
- 651
Buzz bait in the middle of the day? NICE!
I normally only have luck with top water eaaaaarrly in the morning or after the sun goes down. Which sucks, because topwater is my favorite bite. Nothing like seeing a largemouth absolutely smash a frog dragged off a lily pad.
Also, what buzz is that? I like the colors on it. Looks like it could be productive around here.
BT
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hokiehunter373
Well-Known Member
Yeah, a buzzbait is my favorite lure to throw and I figured if I was dragging myself out to fish I was going to fish the way I most enjoy. Got lucky that it worked.
Megabass Jamaica Boa in bluegill
For freshwater, Richard Gene the Fishing Machine videos are awesome. Mr. Gene's a fishy dude, and he doesn't do the antics most 'toobers think are cool. I can actually sit down on a rainy weekend and kill a couple of hours watching him fish, and pick up little tips.
I like the fish anything channel as well, owner of mule fishing. I've been using his jigs and plastics for a while now. Nice stuff.
Black Titan
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2023
- Messages
- 651
BassResource used to be a great site with alot of articles and an active forum, but I haven't been on there in over a decade so not sure how it is now.
BT
BT
Made it out last night after work for some panfish. Was about to call it quits after the first 45 minutes then found some keeper size gills and a couple crappies and it kept picking up. Ended up being a 4 species night on ultralight overall. Bluegill, Crappie, Yellow Bullhead, and a couple smaller size largemouth. Already have dinner planned for Friday night. 
Catches came from a rebel crickhopper, or a mule fishing horsefly on a 1/64 jig.
Catches came from a rebel crickhopper, or a mule fishing horsefly on a 1/64 jig.
@mschultz373 I agree with the prior recommendations... With one caveat- fishing can be very region and fish specific, so some of the things they recommend won't work if you are fishing in different types of water.
What type of fishing attracts you the most, do you want to eat the fish you catch, or just have fun doing catch and release? And what size is the water you have access to, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes? I would reccomend trying to pick one "style" of fishing and concentrate on that, you can get lost in the weeds really quickly trying to jump around and fish for a lot of different types of fish right away, and then spend more time casting the wrong lures and catching nothing.
If you have any ponds or lakes or slower moving streams, I would but a light action rod (I am fan of the ugly stik gx2 for beginner combos) and pair it with some 5-8 lb test monofilament or fluorocarbon line, and use a slip bobber/sinker/small j hook setup with some small worms to fish for bluegill. They can be tons of fun, particularly on a light rod.
What type of fishing attracts you the most, do you want to eat the fish you catch, or just have fun doing catch and release? And what size is the water you have access to, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes? I would reccomend trying to pick one "style" of fishing and concentrate on that, you can get lost in the weeds really quickly trying to jump around and fish for a lot of different types of fish right away, and then spend more time casting the wrong lures and catching nothing.
If you have any ponds or lakes or slower moving streams, I would but a light action rod (I am fan of the ugly stik gx2 for beginner combos) and pair it with some 5-8 lb test monofilament or fluorocarbon line, and use a slip bobber/sinker/small j hook setup with some small worms to fish for bluegill. They can be tons of fun, particularly on a light rod.
hokiehunter373
Well-Known Member
It's still fantastic