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Old-timers...Slug-go was "the bait" before senkos and flukes

1. Sneezing 2. Itchy-watery eyes 3. Runny nose 4. Dry hacking cough 5. Scratchy throat 6. Stuffed up nose 7. Sinus head pressure 8. Sinus draining in the back of my throat 9. Coughing up mucus 10. Zombie like feelings from meds All within the last 48 hours! Yelp Pre-Spawn Is Here

The drag is there for a purpose - set it properly, and you won't break your line on a hookset. I usually go around 1/3 the breaking strength of the line (not the "test" advertised), so somewhere close to 3-4 lbs. of resistence should work well with 8 lb. line

Congratulations Charles Zarillo of Rochester, Pennsylvania ! You Won. A-Jay

I use the Spot Lock function on my Minn Kota Terrova. The motor uses GPS to automatically keep me in the same place, regardless of the wind or current.

I have the crankbait model E6X 845CBR in route. I will respond after using it.

Determining how, where, and when to fish a particular bait is one of the beauties and challenges that I love about bass fishing. When it comes to swimbaits, imho, the fish will tell you how to fish it. For ex. the Ez swimmer you are using. I use the exact bait as well. I was told once to fish the water column. Top, middle, bottom. When a hit occurs, take note where it occur'd. What speed and/or cadence were you using. What cover was it around. What depth. etc.. etc... Keep presenting the bait in that same matter. If you continue catching fish then you have established a pattern. After throwing the swimbait for a while, and (you will determine what that time is), with 0 results, then I think its time to change baits and continue the process with another bait. At least that's what I will do. Some people play the numbers, they will continue throwing the same bait until they get the bite they want. Kudo's to them if they attain the fish they desire. Me, I go out to fish, so if something doesn't work I will find the technique that's going to illicit continuous signs of life.

22 lbs plus. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F1OA6lesmo

Your favorite.

Just finished my first open water rod ( I started with an ice rod early in the winter). This will be my new drop shot/shakey head rod build on a RS Revelation 610MXF. I used Fuji KR concept guides which turned out great and an uplocking Aero reel seat. Built using a homemade wrapper and drier as well. Just order two casting blanks and can't wait to get started on those. Joe

Try a floating jerkbait.

You can give Captain Shane Procell a call. He is a member here. http://www.floridaevergladesbassfishingadventures.com/Meet_the_Captain.php

Those 6" pinkys are just great for smallmouth. Lunker City makes a weird angled off-set hook for them too, which makes a good combo. Fish them just like any soft jerkbait. When you kill it.....it shimmies down, like a Senko. Put one a jig head and they are dynamite for lake trout too. I've been drop shotting the small size for many years now and it's almost as good as a Roboworm, as far as being a consistent producer is concerned.

Yes, it's good line. Even better with a Mustad hook tied on the end of it.

When I first started fishing jigs I wrote Mike at Siebert and told him the types of places I was fishing, the bait I typically see and how much I wanted to spend. He put me together an awesome little package of lots of different types of heads, skirts etc.. That was like a year ago and I still catch fish on those jigs consistently. The ones I like best are the football head and dredge style head. Arkies are a great all purpose style as well.

Which one of the Yamamoto jerkbaits was it, the 76, 100, or 110? What you have to understand is most jerkbaits are designed to be fished on light line, like the Megabass vision 110, that bait was designed for 6lb to 8lb test and a spinning rod so when fishing on 12lb line with a casting rod we tend to have the hooks bend out. That said, I'm not sure what hooks are on that bait but Dwight Hottle said it perfectly, 1 lost fish doesn't indicate a hook problem, the fish could have just swiped at the bait and may have been barely hooked under the chin or was just skin hooked. If you continue to lose fish then either it is something you're doing or the hooks can be bad but the only way to know for sure is with experience. Try to match the hooks that are on it weight wise, find out what size they are and then look as a bunch of different ones to see if it is heavy wire, or light wire because if the bait is suspending good, a slight change in weight can have disastrous effects on the action and suspending properties of the bait.

Actually, I have been to Indiana. But that was in 1960. I was on a trip with some friends to Texas. I got stopped by a policeman for a moving violation. I was stopped at a busy intersection on a highway. There were no traffic lights and I was stopped, waiting for a break in the traffic, for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, I had an opening and made it onto the highway, only to be pulled over by a cop. It seemed that he observed an oncoming car move into another lane to let me in. I was charged with upsetting the flow of traffic, or some such thing. I followed him down the road to a judge who was holding court in a building alongside the highway. It was full of people waiting to have their "case" heard. Finally, I was called in front of the judge. He asked me how much money I had, then fined me half of it. After paying, we were allowed to go on our way. Thanks for reminding me. The judge may have been Monte Hall. The court was not unlike "Let's Make a Deal". Maybe dying would be a better option in Indiana. Although I still have the impression that the intersection was a trap for out of state motorists, not the locals. For all I know, maybe the cop wasn't a cop at all, and the judge was not a judge. There was no paperwork involved other than handing over some paper money.

I'm keeping the boat. Wife and I are working things out. Both giving and making changes. Won't be able to make Beaver, but hopefully will be able to make it up to Melvern to get a PB Smallie soon.

I fished Sluggos before I even knew what a Fluke was. Fish them just like a weightless Fluke. Great baits.

When any 8 out of the 10 have cleared up, that'd be the official 'post-spawn'

One lost fish does not indicate you have a problem. If the hooks need upgraded that could be the problem . If you upgrade without changing the hook weight it wouldn't be a problem. You might just need a better grade hook within the same size. What bait were you using?

I love pitching a jig into every single one inch opening in cover like that. 1/2 oz jig. Rage craw trailer. 7' 6" heavy action rod. 50 lb power pro. Gets the job done. In that exact spot I have caught a lot of largemouth over 5 lbs. More often then not they aren't on the edges but buried directly in the middle of it. If you aren't fishing the middle of it you are passing by big fish opportunities.

Head back to the house! Lol I was out yesterday in my canoe wind and chop was so d**n bad. Line bow was so bad on my light lures I could barely fish also. Spent way more time canoeing than fishing. I find it real hard to fish heavy wind.

That's great! Which size? The tiny ones (3.5") are killer for drop shot or t-rig for river smallies/trout. The larger ones (4"iirc?) I strictly use for weightless t-rig and a soft jerking/fluttering dying baitfish imitation. They absolutely slay. I love Slug-gos. They have such a great erratic darting action, and nothing moves quite like them. They whip around in a very unique way when you work them. Nice and weedles too. So easy the kids even crush with them, and the plastic is nice and durable. Rainbow trout, baby bass, alewife, purple passion(?), methiolate... They have so many good colors to choose from. If you like the action of them though, I highly recommend picking up some Slug-go SS finesse worms too. They have the same front end as the smaller model and have a nice slim whip tail. The action hunts so hard and the tail whips so nice it stays in the strike zone forever and makes a huge commotion. I think the SSs are even better actually. Wicked good for unweighted T-rig and for shaky head, very durable and they give you a ton per bag. Two bass thumbs way up.

What are you trying to say? lol Ya, they are kind of a cross between a fluke and a senko actually. I used to do well with them. And, yes, the larger sizes work well on stripers but the regular (5" I think) work well on largemouth and smallies.

Checked Naticook and Horseshoe in Merrimack, there are some openings but no where near the ramps. Both ramp are still snow filled. Seeing small patches of open water is like looking at a nice cleavage, just a tease

Man, that pic is perfect. I would spend half an hour dissecting that spot.

a ball head is the shape of a jig head, it could be a big jig or a small jig. A shaky head just refers to a jig that is used to fish a soft plastic, it was once called a jig worm up north but when it became popular throughout the country the name changed to shaky head as the name was taken from the manner of action given to the plastic being used on the jig. Most shaky head jigs are rigged weedless , the plastic is held by some sort of keeper that is on the jig head itself or on the hook shank where as a ball head jig has a plain collar and the plastic is rigged with an exposed hook. Does this help clear things up a bit?

Some guy named Dean rojas...

This is probably the #1 misunderstood "fact" about fish handling. Too many people are taking this little tidbit too far and taking it to extremes, claiming every fish has a broken jaw and is killed if they're not held horizontally. That simply isn't true. Otherwise every single fish that has ever been caught would be dead, unless somebody has figured out a way to horizontally lip a fish out of the water. The fact is, the larger fish, the greater the RISK of injuring their jaw when held at an angle. It is not a given, nor automatic that their jaw is instantly broken if they're held at an angle. But there's a potential. And if a fish is under 5lbs, it's not an issue. Simply put, there isn't enough weight on the smaller fish to put any stress on the jaw. You need leverage to put stress on that jaw. More weight = more leverage. And the greater the angle = the greater the leverage. It's simple physics. While it's ok to hold them at an angle if they're under 5 lbs (and even larger fish - briefly), I put the limit at about 3 lbs, just be safe. Holding a small fish at a slight angle won't hurt them. One other fact, holding them perfectly vertical will not cause any damage whatsoever, regardless of size. There's no leverage at play when you hold them that way. However there is a risk if they start wriggling and violently shake their body. The torque created increases the risk of damage. Again, the bigger the fish, the greater the risk. But again, it's not automatic. It's a potential. It's irresponsible of the TPW to state a fish will "almost always be killed" by holding them vertically. It simply isn't true, and causing a lot of confusion as a result. Here's a video with more information on it: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/hold-fish.html

I certainly don't have the size thing down yet. Any tips?

My astrologer says it's bad luck to believe in superstitions.

Got into some crappies today fishing some neighborhood lakes. Lots of fish in the 10-11" range, and one giant 13.5"er! Also caught plenty of bluegill and little largemouth, I spent a decent amount of time throwing a redeye shad and a drop shot to no avail, I guess the bass's metabolisms still are pretty slow and they aren't ready to eat anything bigger than a crappie jig.

Aw come on ... I grew up in Illinois! Indiana is much better. For everything!

Definitely break it down and clean. Consider yourself lucky it was only 5' deep.

This is getting a little weird guys. A little too personal maybe. Catt, you've lost me. And...dunno who that someone else is, and I'm not sure I care to hear a put-down. I'm staying on topic. Let me restate the statistic so it's better understood: How many BR members do you think fish bass waters in which temperature plays an important role in the initiation of spawning? 50%, 90%, 99%, 99.999%? The reciprocal of that represents the waters in which temperature does not play a role. Tropical waters are similar to springs in that they are nearly isothermic. Isothermic waters are pretty darn rare across the basses' range. You place the hypothetical decimal place where ever you want it. You must admit they make up a tiny percentage of bass waters. Can I give you an example of waters that totally eliminates photoperiod? No. 100% of bass waters are affected by photoperiod is my answer -again. This question tells me you haven't actually read this thread. Not sure what Catt and his new clutch friend Karl would say about the reciprocal of that one. Hey, guys, go review the scientific literature on bass spawning. And if you want to go further, get a thermometer and start taking daily profiles and observing when bass actually initiate spawning. Occasionally running around with a surface temperature gauge isn't going to get the job done. I'm outta the sandbox.

Right from the Texas Parks & Wildlife web site ~ How do I find out if there are any special water safety regulations on waters I want to visit?The rules in the Texas Water Safety Act apply to all public water in Texas. The local governing body of incorporated cities or towns, county commissioners courts, and political subdivisions can pass rules relating to restricted areas and the operation and equipment of boats it deems necessary for the public safety. You must contact the entity in charge to determine if any special rules apply. Find the local governing entity for a specific water body. A-Jay

I don't use frog style baits for Smallies - Doesn't mean they don't catch, it's just that very few if any of my smallie top water action happens right in cover where I'd need a weedless bait. Popper, spooks, chuggers & wake baits all with trebles do all the surface damage for me. So, no frog recommendations, sorry. A-Jay

He definitely endorses his products. (Ya know, this biggie poppa will certainly catch you some monsters, ya know, ya know, my frogs are the bomb, ya know, ya know)

Well, .....................because living there beats the heck out of dying there.

Also search around for guys who have the money to spend upgrading every few years. May be able to find some used but still perfectly fine higher end gear in your budget.

That sux. Gonna be upwards of 80 here tomorrow.

I would've fished that!

I walked out to one of my holes yesterday...think that's enough water to fish it? Hahaha

May seem ghetto, but I just take a small rag, fold and roll around the bottle and rubberband it. Keep the glass from breaking and the rag soaks up any over drips and can use for cleanup etc.

Go to a doc. Meds can help.

thanks for the kind video and words... I am just glad I am able to help. from your reaction, and true appreciation, it made it all worth while. and I do think, if you are able, one day you will do the same for someone..... and, you'll think back about "that guy that sent me a "boatload" of stuff. take care...and enjoy....

I'm glad you made this post and I'm sure it means a lot to Jon. I had a 14 year old kid send me a PM a couple years ago asked me out of the blue if I had any spare tackle I'd be willing to give him. I told him if he'd pay $10 shipping I'd send him out a box. I packed a large flat rate box full of jigs and plastics... And sent it on its way I never got a thank you or my $10.

This is not true. Japanese retailers value honesty, fairness, and customer satisfaction above pretty much everything else, so very very unlikely that they risk their reputation to make few bucks by ripping someone off.

^ Gonna catch all the hippie bass with that tie dyed rat! Should chum the water with some patchouli incense haha