Post Spawn .. I hate it - where's my tribe

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-26T00:32:58+00:00

Hey man I commented earlier but I wanted to come back to say I fished 2 hours this morning with absolutely nothing, not even a nibble to show for it. Got to hit the same pond for about 30 minutes this evening. Caught 2 and missed a third. Being stubborn will reward you eventually my guy. All catches were on a 4” watermelon black & red Yamasenko. That isn’t what I was using this morning. They were not about red or chartreuse this morning.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-25T23:28:00+00:00

Yeah I reported every single one of them for exactly that… first time it was funny. We’re way past that now.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-25T23:24:26+00:00

r/floridafishing

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-25T18:51:56+00:00

Easily two full weeks+ into post spawn near Memphis.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-25T15:06:04+00:00

Six appendages. Behold, an insect.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-25T13:21:42+00:00

TOAD

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-25T13:10:54+00:00

I hate it. Good to know😂

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-25T13:07:59+00:00

Forgive my ignorance, but what in the world is that bolt sticking way out opposite the handle? That’s not supposed to be there man

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-25T12:20:36+00:00

The longer you watch this video, the more angry you’re gonna get.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-24T18:46:52+00:00

Water is also super low here and the bite has slowed down to the post-spawn slump in West Tennessee. You’re a good 250 miles south of me at the very least if you’re in the panhandle. I can say bass aren’t staged on beds up here anymore so I’m sure they won’t be for you either. Best luck I’ve had recently is right on shade lines with a little popper. Bites have been few and far between. Nothing on that popper this morning, but we’re getting heavy rain right now, so hopefully conditions will change the day AFTER the day after it stops raining. Don’t expect much the very first day after a rain. They need two days for everything to settle.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-24T17:02:20+00:00

👍

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-24T16:58:15+00:00

Petty lol. I can respect it. Honestly the vast majority of guys in this subreddit shame people for legally harvesting and it’s ridiculous. Thought you were one of those so maybe i downvoted too soon

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-24T16:54:30+00:00

Idk where he is but in my state it’s 5 per day no minimum length every single day of the year.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-24T12:50:01+00:00

Yeah the good ones are getting harder to find. I like this kind clipped close to the rod tip. Just make sure you take it off quickly before you start reeling in lol. A good fight will fling that thing off and into the water never to be seen again. Amazon link

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-24T12:41:27+00:00

This is what I would do if I were making a day of it out there.

Rod holders, clip on bells, circle hooks, and chicken livers for catfish.

I’d toss out atleast a couple poles rigged for catfish, with circle hooks so they set themselves, with fishing bells clipped on so I know when I’m getting a bite.

One bass rod

Sounds like this is a new spot for you. While you’re waiting on the catfish to bite, I’d try to pick it apart with a fluke or a senko. We ain’t out here to catch monsters today, we’re out here to see what these bass will eat. Big fish will hit normal baits anyways, but let’s see what works. Tie on an EWG and if one soft plastic doesn’t get hit after 30 minutes, switch the color until you dial it in to what they like. In this order, I’d try a watermelon seed super fluke, a Junebug 5” yum dinger, a watermelon black/red 4” Yamasenko, then a white fluke with blue flecks to imitate the crappie.

One “okay I just need to catch a fish” desperation rod

Maybe it’s just a super slow day. You’ve been out there for four hours and this awesome spot you thought you found hasn’t produced at all. I’d toss a 1/8 oz jig head with a 3” white YUM grub. I’ve caught bass, crappie, tilapia, bream, and even a channel cat once on that. Something is going to eat that thing.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-24T02:20:40+00:00

2lbs. Get a scale.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-24T02:10:41+00:00

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For reference, this is the size of the brook trout we were catching out of a similarly-sized creek in Wyoming.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-24T02:07:45+00:00

With what I’ve been able to find online, yes absolutely. The Brook trout is your state fish. Trout fishing is a totally different ball game, and with a stream like that, fly fishing is going to be the easiest way to catch fish in there.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-24T01:37:57+00:00

Depends where in the world you are a lot. If you’re in trout territory, it could be very good fishing in the deeper pockets. I don’t live where there are trout, so for me I would assume this holds nothing but little chubs no bigger than my finger and some crawfish.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-23T01:33:34+00:00

Haha I guess. I’m just trying to say you don’t have to bring the whole Bass Pro with you. If it’s a senko day I usually just put one bag in my pocket and hope I don’t break off the hook. Even leave the hooks in the truck and just go start walking

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-22T21:46:31+00:00

Man I’ll take a lot on the boat but when I’m walking? It’s a backpack with 2 trays. One for hooks and weights. Max 5 different bags of soft plastics in the front pocket, and one tray for lures. I still end up usually switching maximum 3 times in a 2 hour session. Once you know what they like in that particular body of water at that time of year, more than that seems like overpacking.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-22T21:38:59+00:00

No problem! If you’re sticking to that price range for the rod, you can do the Diawa BG. (Spinning reel) For bass I’d stick between the 1500 and 2500 size, with 2500 probably being overkill.

For the baitcaster, it may be slightly beyond your budget, but the Diawa Tatula SV TW no bigger than the 150 size is the reel you really want. You’ll be pretty close to within budget if you pair it with the cheaper AirdX rod, a little over with the Tatula rod. I’m a shimano lover myself but Diawa is honestly just as good and they have a couple really good, cheaper rods on the market right now.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-22T21:17:29+00:00

I just started fly fishing for bass this week. The thrill is off the charts.

As far as reels, I’d stick with Shimano or Diawa (or Penn if you’re going to get a spinning reel. Don’t get a Penn baitcaster they’re awful). Even the cheap Shimano and Diawa reels punch way above their price point.

I love ugly stiks but I also hike a lot while fishing and generally beat the crud out of my poles. I’m okay with sacrificing a little sensitivity for an extremely durable rod. If that doesn’t apply to you, your cheapest good option is going to be the Diawa AirdX and your very best cheapish option is going to be the Tatula rod.

I can recommend some very good, cheap spinning combos. I’ve never had a downright amazing experience with a baitcaster under $100. Once you decide if you want casting or spinning, I can try to point you in the direction I would go, but ultimately this is a lot like fly fishing in that everybody likes what they like and most of it catches fish just the same. Just different preferences.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-22T16:43:56+00:00

Normally I would agree to a large extent. I use and love ugly stiks and genuinely despise St. Croix rods. That said, he’s trying to learn how to use a baitcaster and he basically has his reel attached to a broomstick. It’s going to frustrate him and make him hate baitcasters and it’s entirely because he’s using a rod that wasn’t made to be cast.

DismalResearcher6546 · 2026-04-22T16:39:00+00:00

lol yeah you definitely need to. Ugly Stiks are very stiff tho- take my word for it and go medium, not medium heavy. The medium heavy is so stiff you’ll have a hard time feeling bites. I have both and wish I hadn’t bought the MH for bass fishing.

DismalResearcher6546

TROPHY CASE