CRFisher

Senkos.

I'm trying to be frugal, especially in this economy. The bulk discount sale at Bass Assassin was a steal. Loaded up on a bunch of Wave fishing soft plastics and Lake Fork Magic Shads too when Overstockbait was almost giving them away. Between the two I got about 350 pieces of plastic, 4 or 5 spoons (using spoons more and more - all shapes and weights), and some Terminator jigs all for a little under $60. All I need now is to pick up some more line. (that and finally upgrade my rod and reel)

On a weighted swim bait hook it was one of the most realistic looking baits I've seen coming through the water. I only tried it out on two occassions late in the fall, both were fairly successful.

Short answer - yes to all. However, I think the change will come slowly and barring some extreme technological innovation the major tackle manufacturers will either be the source of the innovation or will quickly adapt. I think we will see few companies made or broken by changing conditions.

Interesting bait. Don't know if it would be anymore successful than a old sputterbuzz or the BPS sputter toads. Probably better built though. Will cast farther as well.

I think the toxic effects of lead has been pretty much been a closed book since ancient times and the long term effects of trace amounts in drinking water for a half a decade. It isn't some product of the "green police" of recent years that insist you can't have a mercury thermometer but insist you use the new mercury laden lightbulbs. Arsenic is a natural element as well, doesn't mean it's good. Lead sinkers are probably fine to bury back in the ground from which it was mined, but not to be sitting in drinking waters. A few sinkers are harmless as well, however, if it's a heavily fished area there might be over 1,000 pieces of lead that's been sitting there for years. I know I lose 25 to 50 pieces a year, I'm sure some people lose much more. Personally I use steel and lead, as some areas where I fish lead is outlawed. Eventually we'll likely see lead banned. Hopefully someone comes up with something better than steel and cheaper than Tungsten. Tungsten is most likely just as bad for the environment, but without 70 years of old tungsten sitting at the bottom of the lakes like lead, it will take a long time to build up enough to be an issue.

The draw of steel is that it isn't horrible for the environment like lead and it doesn't have the high cost of tungsten.

They are extremely underrated. They always seem to catch something.

I've found that Roostertails are the worst inlines made. They don't spin well at slow speeds and have other issues. I've found that Mepps, Blue Fox and Panther Martins are all better quality.

I thought they tore easily. Swam OK but seemed less durable than others.

I took 20 years off from bass fishing so when I got back in last year a flatfish was one of the first lures I bought. I had plenty of luck on it. A slow retrieve is a understatement, slower than slow is best. I've also fished it with some split shot to help keep it down. Based on it's lack of "cache", I didn't throw it as much this year and regret it. I had better luck with it than most other shallow cranks. It's reputation is a trout/salmon lure but bass will hit it as readily as any Rapala or shallow crank.

Creme makes a cheap soft plastic one. Sounds surprising but I picked up one for a buck and the action was pretty good. Obviously there's better quality out there but for the price they're cheap enough to throw into some bad situations where you might be not want to risk an expensive crank.

Lake Fork Live Magic Shads.

Cabelas still had them as of last year with the 3 trebles. Regular treble of the back and the double in the middle. You could always buy two and combine.

Can't believe I fell for that. Nice fish BigRickRolled.....have you ever tried any of these? Tend to catch alot of suckers on those

I haven't had anything much over 4lbs, but I'm in the Northeast, boatless, and only recently got back into fishing. Of my the six or seven largest I've caught, over half have been on spoons (1 oz Red and White Daredevl and 1 oz blue and silver Kastmaster), the rest on white yum tubes andgreen pumpkin trick worms. Every time I throw larger baits (besides spoons) I end up catching dinks.

Looks like a BPS Swim Sticko. Haven't tried those yet, debated it though. Wonder which will be cheaper.

Flat fish for me as well, first lure (along with some Mepps spinners) I used as a kid. My dad wasn't too thrilled with how I spent my allowance money but the 20" pike on my 2nd or 3rd cast gave me the last laugh. I was 7 or 8 and it was the first non panfish I caught besides some sub 10" bass on worm and bobber.

Spoons.

I'm $30 lighter. Grabbed a bunch of spoons. I'm doing better with spoons than anything lately. Grabbed a nice 3lb today on a Rainbow trout patterned spoon. Water's getting too cold though. I caught a stick today that fought harder.

Ultravibe speed craw with a johnson silver minnow for top water. Action was great and seemed to get more hits than topwater frogs.

My suggestion is braid. Strong enough to bend a hook or work it free. I've pulled in some large branches with it too. I think since I switched to braid I"m in the plus column on lures as I've pulled in some branches with 3 or 4 lures on them. Obviously not perfect for clear water, but fine in most other situations.

You can only tell the size of the fish from the picture if the guy is "regular" sized. If the guy is the size of Mickey Rooney, it's definitely not the record fish, if the guy is the size of Bill Lambeir, maybe it is.

Favorite Role- for Wayne it's Rooster Cogburn, for Eastwood it's Fido Betto Favorite movies for each is either The Searchers, Sons of Katie Elder or the Green Berets for Wayne (haven't seen any of them in ages) and it's Kelly's Heroes for Eastwood.

Patriots - 15-1.