If you want to catch some bass...use a setup like this...
http://www.wikihow.com/Texas-Rig-a-Plastic-Worm
If you are in vegetation...they work slick...no snags...just make sure you don't horse it around otherwise you will snag.
weeds are fine...just slowly jerk the bait through...pause and let it fall...try to make it look like an injured fish.
Lilly pads...I like to toss one of these setups on pads...and just bounce it across the tops...watching the water blow up is awesome.
I just got my first boat this past weekend...16 foot fishing craft...totally pumped to get it out on the water...need to get some electronics on it...man are those expensive!
Texas rigging is very effective; and the weight is optional. Whatever you do, don't waste your money on cheap worms - the Yamamoto brand of senkos are well worth the extra money. (When you have $25k invested in your boat, are you really that cheap that you'll go with $1 for a pack rubber nightcrawlers vs. $5 a pack, particularly if the $5 a pack will out catch the cheap ones 10 to 1?) Wacky rigging also works particularly well for some people. The most important thing: Fish them SLOWLY! Most fishermen reel them in way too fast & wonder why they don't catch many bass. As leeland said, let them sink to the bottom. Watch them in shallow water - figure out how long it'll take to hit bottom in the depth you're fishing in. And, if you're using weight, they don't sink naturally. Some lures - faster. Worms? Slow as hell, as in a normal cast = at least a minute to real it back in. 2 or 3 minutes or longer on a day when the bass are really finicky. The bass are there... they see it. They'll often let them zip right by them, but when they swim over to investigate, just a little bit of movement will often entice them to gulp it down. Speaking of which, bass don't often hit and run - there is no huge tug. Big bass will often inhale it & not swim, or swim very very slowly away. I got a 5-6 pounder a week ago in fairly shallow water. If I hadn't seen my line move just slightly sideways ("hmmmm, that's funny.." HOOKSET!) I never would have gotten him. No one else was catching fish that day; I picked up half a dozen nice bass, 15" or more, in less than 30 minutes. 5-6 pounds is huge for up north.
okay cool gotcha. if my brother or i have time to make these beforehand we will try them out. otherwise i'm just going to go the corn route. but we may try both.
i know it's hard as hell to tell from the pic i posted above, but do those shadows even look like carp to anyone? or do they look like something else? they reminded me of those large coy when i first saw them.
It's a couple months late, but yes, they're very likely carp. It's also a waste of time trying to catch those carp while they're sun bathing. Carp are bottom feeders - enticing those ones to hit your bait is pretty unlikely. You could probably cast a floating lure with a few treble hooks on it bast the carp, and try to snag the carp while retrieving the lure. Make sure you know your state regs though - snagging is often illegal. I know that on some salmon streams, the state DEC guys will sit hidden on a hill with binoculars watching fisherman. Anyone they catch snagging fish gets a pretty hefty fine. It's not very sporting with species like salmon or large spawning trout, though with carp, it's kind of fun. There's a hell of a lot more fight when they're hooked by the tail end rather than the mouth end. In NY, carp are the only species that can legally be shot with a bow - also fun, and that picture shows you why people will target carp for fishing in that manner.
But remember folks, if you're practicing catch and release, if the fish is gut hooked, just cut the line & let them go. The hook will rust out in a couple of days & the chance of survival is a LOT higher. A 15" bass in NY is at least 5 or 6 years old. A 22" bass is at least 8 years old around here - that's why I practice catch & release with most game fish - and if I'm releasing, I also prefer that they live. Otherwise, it's pointless.