Spankey

Years ago I got hooked on the larger brush hogs also. Bigger bait bigger fish. That went out the window. Still have a few. Gave some away. I never bought a ton of them. The baby version by far are more productive for me. BUT everyone’s situation is different. Water and fish are different. When you can catch a 4” bass on a 7” worm makes you wonder.

At the shop they have a new Rapala version called a Bronco Bug or something on that line. Looks good but I haven’t bit on it yet. I see where you fish some of the Crush City stuff. You will most likely like it. Baby Brush Hog is a great bait. Maybe not a lot of color patterns available but not really that necessary.

I’ve river fished for smallies forever with craws. A favorite bait to this day. But I fish a lot creatures/bug baits. They are not the same as a craw but to me so similar it was no learning curve to get over. What I love about them is generally they have a bit more appendages that move around. Enough to give the fish a bit different look. T-rig and split shotting them for the most part. I like slider fishing a lizard also. The soft plastic world is huge. Majority of my fishing tomorrow morning will be soft plastics. Some of it will be creatures.

I still use that line along with SunLine and McCoy. I don’t think Stren as a company is going anywhere. I try not to mess with the 330 yard spools and buy it in bulk. I’m pretty anal about striping my line back and replacing it. I’m sure I’m doing it premature but just a habit. The clear blue is nice for visibility and strike detection. I do fish a lot of clear also. Can say I’ve ever fished a red or camo type line.

I’ve never had a big problem with the Bait Monkey. Let him take a little bit out of me today. Have wanted to try the new Xzone Stealth Craws and Bugs. Ordered a few packs of each. Want to compare them to similar types I’m using. That style of bait and worms have produced the majority of fish for me this season. TW has a bit of a holiday sale going on and wanted to fish them this season. I fish a couple styles of Xzone craws.

I’m pretty much a creature of habit. Where I fish, time of day I do it, lures I use and equipment I use. I have a nice selection of tackle (years of doing this stuff). I don’t think I’m buying lures on impulse. Don’t think I ever had a bait monkey problem. But I am one to try a different pattern when the current pattern is working fine. In season I’m not out buying much, might order something I really need or something for the grandsons. I use the winter to get things I need and items I want to try for the upcoming season. Some Z Man was a new kick for me this season. Doing well with it. Can’t say it has produced a real nice fish yet. I’m still trying. One grandson is using it hard when we are out also. Maybe I’m 75/25 or 80/20, As old school as I am, I’m receptive to newer baits.

If I’m not fishing alone (majority of time), my grandsons are with me. We sort of team it to see what they are hitting. I’m more interested in them catching than myself. I’ve had gals green as grass fish with me. They question my passion and enthusiasm for doing it. I take them on the river and set them up with my stuff. My fishing is only for demonstrating (for the most part). They enjoy the time and catching their first bass. But I completely understand if you are out there you want to catch fish. Persons new to fishing need to catch fish to keep their interests. I would encourage someone to use what seems to be working experienced or new. Tournament fishing do what you have to do. Keep your eyes and ear open.

Got out the last 3 mornings. Was a relief, and a mental wellness period. Spent time between the lake and the river. Got into a few nice fish. The time spent to reorganize some may have helped but it certainly did not hurt. Catching that real nice bass has been a struggle this season. My crankbait game is down the toilet. DT’s, Shad Raps, Bandits, Model A’s, XD’s have not gotten me too many fish. Creates a big mental block when this is a big part of your bass fishing. Sunday I started out with soft plastics. I really didn’t want to start out with the dejection of not hooking up using hard baits. Drew bites with Dry Creek ribbon tails, PowerWorms, SK craws and bugs. Nothing over 13”. I’ve taken a liking to some of the Z Man stuff. Like a few color patterns of the TRD craws. They got me a couple of dinks and runts. Then I got the biggest bite I’ve had all season. All fight, I thought for sure it was a 6 or 7 pounder. BUT it wound up being a 27” channel cat. It was a nice fish but not what I’m after. Grabbed a Gatorade and convinced myself to try a different approach. Get away from grass and Lilly Pad edges. Went to fishing laydowns and wood with a Rapala shadow rap deep version. Had myself convinced I needed to throw a different shape. At about 10 casts in I had a nice hook up. My bass of the season so far. 19” and 3.4 pound. I realized he’s not a lake record. But my nicest so far this season. Been a struggle. This was a bit of a mind relief. Shortly after I caught a 15” fish same jerkbait different piece of structure. This may not sound like much BUT it is a game changer that I’ve long needed this season.

I somewhat know where you are coming from. On the river I find Bluegill, Green Sunfish and Rock Bass to be attracted to soft plastics laminated with a chartreuse in it. Especially soft craws. Chartreuse is a very good productive Smallie color but I moved away from using that color a lot back some time ago. The river I fish the smallies feed on bluegills, have caught many with tails in their mouths. If I find bluegill in a spot I want to smallie fish I don’t let that make me move on. Those fish I relate them to be closer to the bank. The smallies pulled away into the drop off.

I don’t know how improper it is. To each his own. But you could tie what he has on and still do nothing. I love fishing with my two older grandsons. That’s regardless of how well we do that day. But while fishing none of us has the same bait or color tied on. I believe the multiple looks has some advantage or possible advantage.

No I’m referring to throwing those top waters in those open areas.

My boat, tackle and setups are never in a real disarray or shambles. Took a couple of hours today to make the second half of the season easier. Hopefully be more productive. Maybe a new PB looming???? Keep that hunt for that monster bass alive. Re-spooled a few monos and flouros, putting cranks back where they belong and reorganizing some soft plastics. Made up that short list of things I’m running low on. I’m going to be pulling off 3 back to back to back mornings in a row starting tomorrow. Looking forward to that. It will make that easier and have a few things layed out in advance. Great weather, done it all outside.

Thank you. I’ve never been skeptical of the holding power or repair aspects of any of the adhesives. In my head it was about odor. Thanks.

I’ve never used any product like that related to fishing because in my opinion the smell is strong and would think it has to be offensive to bass. But these adhesives seem to be popular.

I like what I see there. Those open areas are nice. I’d be back there at before sun up in stealth mode as quiet as I can. I’d be throwing Pop-R’s, Skitter Pops, Skitter Props, Chug Bugs or something like that. Especially if you have a lot of holes and open space to work a bait. Fish that open stuff first. Than I’d double back and throw a worm in those plants. Especially after the sun has come up. The frogs I do fish along with some of the grubs and worms in that heavy stuff I do it with a bait caster and braid. You get a bite back there 6# test might not get it done. Not saying it can’t. Majority of the time I’m fishing lite. I’ve never caught a monster in that stuff but found a heavier set helps get them out of there. I fish it like I’m after that monster bass, I am after that monster bass. I like that you want to up your game. I try to give them a different look also. Try something new for myself also. Every time I go out I want to break a PB.

I use to live and die for that to come on. Along with combat. Wish they’d bring that back. Thanks for a good memory.

I’m not big on fishing frogs but I don’t hesitate to fish Lilly pads. Worms and larger grubs weightless and with jig heads. I look for holes in the pads and never pass that up. I am not a frog expert or a Lilly pad expert. Never caught a PB out of it. But those explosive catches are nice. I would try to stick with it. Fish the edges hard also. A favorite edge of Lilly pad lures for me is a broken back Shad Rap.

You take a very lovely picture.

Welcome aboard. There’s a lot of good info on here. You’ll see when you start posting. That big one will come. I do the trout thing also. 50 + years of it. I like to flyfish and spin fish for them. Depending on whether it’s for stocked, wild or native trout here in PA you can find something. I live and die to smallmouth bass fish. I love it. Good luck and have fun here on the site.

What might be worth a try if it is crankbaits, is to replace the treble with a slightly longer shank treble hook. I’ve done this to a few of my favorite cranks. I kills me when I loose a nice fish like that. I’m still out to lunch as to whether my thinking is correct. It has not made things worse. Back years ago Rapala on the DT baits had a VMC stinger treble hook on them. The rear hook. One of the rear hooks of the treble was longer and a wider gap. They discontinued putting them on the DT’s and VMC stopped making them. I thought they were fantastic. I’ve checked a few places a time back and they can’t be had. They must have sucked because they stopped making them and stopped putting them on the DT’s. BUT I don’t feel that way I like them and don’t think they cost me fish. I think they worked good on the short bite bass.

They are great rods. I have two grandsons that fish soft plastics with them. 6’10” ML and 6’8” Med. I put Shimano 2500 NASCI’s on them. The one recently while bass fishing with me caught a 12# Channel Cat on the 6’10” ML w/ 6 lb. SunLine Super Natural mono on a 6” black Yammy cut tail. What a fight he had. Between working the rod and adjusting the drag he landed a nice fish. At first we didn’t suspect a catfish. Thought it was one of the lakes finest bass. That sure made his day and mine as well. Those rods have a great feel. Only my opinion but I don’t think they are a lesser compared to a Mojo or Premiere Series.

There a good knot download to put onto your phone by SUNLINE. Covers a lot of knots. Great graphics.

Never thought when I made this post it would draw this much chatter around clear/transparent. I seriously appreciate the comments and the heads up on some of these baits.

Over the winter I’ll dig into finding a few clear(ish) baits in shapes I’d like to fish. The ones I have coming will be a good indicator of what kind of hits and bites I can achieve. I sort of was dragging butt on this idea and now we are getting slammed with real rains and when things will get gin clear will be the question. Should have acted a month ago. I’ll put together a clear baits care package. I did this the other year with pinks for the river smallies. For 50 years I’d never thrown pink for a smallie. Was told I was missing out. Personally I don’t think it’s a set the world on fire color but have caught them on pink worms, grubs and crankbaits. Recently picked up a pink Pop-r. Feel I could draw bites on a pink tube or craw but have never seen one.

The RoboWorm is in my top three worms I throw and have tied on. Majority are solid laminated but I find Prism Shad and SXE Shad to be good baitfish imitation. They put out a great product. Many years ago I had to go to California. Work related. While I was out there in San Diego area a guy took me bass fishing. I’m from out east and he knew I bass fished. He turned me on to the RoboWorms. They were in no shops out here who had them hanging on a pegboard. Never showed up out here for a long time after. We were fishing 4.5”and 6” straight tails and curly tails we didn’t land a double digits but did catch bass. He let me take back home the stuff we were using. He said he know someone who worked there at (RoboWorm). One day after I came home from work there was a package in the mail from the guy whose equipment I repaired. Full of different packs of RoboWorm patterns. And a note how he Appreciated his equipment repaired. I’m not saying I’m the first guy out east to ever know of RoboWorms or to fish them. But I was of few and far inbetween anyone else locally to be fishing them. About how I got hooked on them. Nothing not to like about them.