A-Rob

I have been using 15lbs mono for flipping/pitching on my lake. It has never broken. I was going to switch to braid for this year (with a mono or fluoro leader). I always hear/read about pros using 65#. But they are all fishing florida lakes that are HEAVY stuff. My lake is Georgian bay, the back bays are weedy, bullrushes, some lillypads, but never like what I see in Florida... Would 65# still be necessary or could I get away with 50#? What would be more manageable? I already know 50# is cheaper!

This isn't exactly the same, but as an option: I like using a shakey head jig/hook. I use a bass pro football head one as I find lateral points keep it from rolling to the side. Instead of the typical worm, throw a craw on it. It will stand the craw up for ya and the arms will flutter. Just as an option to the normal jig/pig. Good luck bro!

I'm gonna c-rig a 4" and 6" lizard for some smallies this year, it better work!!!

The flat face of the chatterbait always gets me hung up in thicker weeds. So I usually fish a spinnerbait if trying to bring it thru heavier junk.

Good start to this thread! I am all rigged up to work the drop shot this coming season. I mainly fish for smallies, so I was thinking about biting off part of a Gambler Giggy stick to about 4" and fishing that thing around clear water flats/rocky shoals where I know there's some fish. I think it'll work great, but was curious to any one else's favorite plastic for a smallie?

I fish normally fish (on my lake) 8-20 feet for smallies. It's a lot of water, so it can get a bit choppy/rough, I enjoy using the heavier weight to feel that bottom....let alone get it to the bottom. I enjoy the extra weight so I'm not straining to feel the bottom, and I can get a bit more action on the bait for the smallmouth. Thanks dude

I agree 100%. Fortunately I found a nice stick, about 100 bucks on sale for 45 at the end of the year. It is fairly solid for fishing the C-rig.

I had some luck with some swimbaits this last late summer. I was using a 3.5" or 4" swimbait in a green color (i figured it was natural). I got a firetiger color for a largemouth swimbait, I'm kinda itching for a 3.5-4" in firetiger, but I don't see them around much, feel free to private message me the link to any website that sells them!

All good stuff guys. I often have success with my go to hookset, kinda a diagonal, btw an overhead and sweep. I should work on changing it to the horizontal sweep. On a side note, I noticed the sweep set never works for me with crankbaits, it pulls them outta the smallies mouth, I have better hook up ratio with a overhead set as I believe it drives the hooks into top of the mouth instead of out of it.

Just have fun with it. Its not all about research, sometimes just get together with a buddy, bring some sodas and snacks and hit the water! Good luck dude. P.s. worms work everywhere, throw together a texas rig and away ya go.

haha it's funny to note that most people have the same weaknesses...ie locating the fish! I know I do

1. I think consistency is my biggest issue. I need to be better at picking apart the patterns with the smallmouth. I find largemouths are more predictable, and I can usually get into a handful of them but smallmouths are still sporadic for me for the most part, and I more often fish smallies. 2. Slowing down, I like to fish fast although the baits I am best at should be used slow! I have adapted a lot of them slow guys to fish them faster and get reaction strikes, but sometimes its just not right. 3. Finding 'the spot'. I fish on the great lakes, there are unlimited places to fish, its not often easy to just pick the 1 piece of cover and assume there's fish there, its picking the best cover out of the unlimited cover.

I spent the last summer working on building a C-rig game. I sort of settled into my own style later in the season. I was curious on how you guys fish the C-rig, to compare. Feel free to expand and mention your favorite time/place to throw it, but how do you fish it? Thanks guys.

Not so much for the lillypads, but Ike came 2nd at the Bassmaster Classic the other year with a black/blue crankbait with lights in it. He fished that around cover and was picking them up. So try the crankbait around cover, and perhaps a dark colored one for the stained water. Good luck dude!

This last year: Adding a Largemouth game to my skills (up north here most focus on the smallmouth bass). Catching a 6lbs+ Smallmouth at dusk. The decade: Just being fortunate to have family property on beautiful georgian bay with some boats for me to fish out of!

Nice bass! Looks like you got them all figured out!

I like any realistic color, I have luck with browns and greens. My lake is fairly clear so I tend to start with those. But I have no problem throwing a black/blue or junebug color which have caught me some fish when nothing else has. I love that new junebug color, smallies seem to like it.

Just keep fishin' bro. Sometimes those monsters hit when you are least expecting it, my personal best this last season was on the last cast before going home with a spinnerbait when I was 1/2 packed up. Up here in the north, fall time is pretty good, even the short ones fatten up and look like footballs. You don't need to upsize lures, unless you are in a tournament trying to find that kicker fish and no others, I have had my big bass hit the same size baits as little bass, best part is I catch more fish that way!

Thats where they are! Thanks Glenn

With regards to the speed of the rod, what is used when? Am I correct to assume the speed is basically the amount of give at the tip of the rod, ie fast = flimsy ? & what techniques demand what speed ratings??

Lake Simcoe haha its a local lake, but it has great largemouth fishing. I have fished it from a canoe but never got a bass boat over there. Free parking/launching to, it's awesome.

i would love to fish that lake anytime! Sorry I know that doesn't help much.

Thanks!!

I agree with Roadwarrior. The articles are great. Also, nothing beats time out there. If the girlfriend permits of course. But get an idea of the seasonal pattern before heading out so you don't waste time, which brings me back to reading those articles.....good luck bro! p.s. twitch/snap/jerk those jerkbaits!

For the bucketmouths I like Bassin'. I fish a lot of smallies tho so sometimes the down south tactics aren't applicable to me. I like anything with a good bass article!