CJ

I find myself being drawn to the vise at least once or twice a day. I played around with some color today and I thought I would introduce y'all to a model I've kept to myself for the most part. It's a jointed version that features a trailer hook. It has more action and a bigger profile. I also included a pic of a wet jig to show what form these jigs take once wet.

Really top coat does seem a little intimidating at first but it's really not that hard. You really need to go with epoxy. Most 2 part epoxies you get at an auto parts store will do. Two things to look for is to make sure it dries clear and the work time allowed. Get at least a 5 minute epoxy and mix in small amounts. Get you some bulk packs of cheap paint brushes. After mixing really well, just brush on as even as you can from head to tail and hang it at the line tie. The epoxy will level itself any excess will drip to the tail. It's really not that hard. Epoxy has been the only top coat that I have found to be durable enough for the contact I make with cranks.

OHHH..looks good!!!

Nice fish! You got me beat so far this year. LOL

Beautiful chunky spots!!! Way to go!

Nice catch!!!

WOW! You have set the bar for what a tackle room should look like. I would never post a picture of mine. It looks like a tornado hit it! BTW, is that a poison tail jig head you tied bucktail on? That's the head I started out with. They swim great!

BEAUTIFUL!!! CONGRATS!!!

Oldham's used to be a 2 pack. Good jigs.

Mustad hooks are half the price of a Gammy or an Owner and neither are twice the hook as a Mustad. I would say the higher end hooks are sharper, a little, but less durable. Price inflation is due to things that have been mentioned, hooks, lead, and silicone. Don't forget packaging, labels, labor, and all around overhead. The cost to melt the lead (electricity or gas) is much more than it was 20 years ago. Most of your cheaper yet great jigs cut cost by not show casing their product as much and sell them on cards or in just a simple plastic bag.

3/8 and 1/2 oz. Thanks for the compliments. The hackle serves as a trailer. They have amazing action with little movement. Perfect for cold, lethargic fish. These babies will be great for dragging off of a bluff or chunk rock bank or lifting them off the bottom and letting them fall on any structure. I'm itchin' to go wet one!

I like to do this in the hottest part of the summer season. No real reason except it will catch the bigguns. I'll let out one of my favorite jig trailers. Trim the body(the sides) of a Rage Tail Eeliminator.

I really blacked out my marker buoys. The need for marker buoys is soon to be a thing of the past. New technology of GPS, linked graphs, and a function called the "go to" button has really eliminated the need for a marker buoy. But that's something that has been going on for years. Marker buoys have hurt guys, they've hurt me from different angles. I've stayed off of spots because one was there even though the boat who threw it out was 200 yards away and I've had boats come in on mine when I got too far away. Side note: WRB, you posted while I was typing. Beat me to it. LOL

Will, your words are too kind. I will say that one thing that helps are great materials. Thanks guys!

The Florida example is what pushes me toward photo period as a key player. I think water temps are as well or I believe they have to be. Bass aren't going to lay eggs under ice. I have caught bass that have been on the bed in under 60 degree surface temps, those have been big bass at that. I believe there is a minimum temp, who knows maybe 55 or even lower. But I believe the photo period is a must. It's natures only clock. It dictates so much with wildlife behavior and habits. Perhaps a safe formula is photo period + minimum water temp + moon phase (I have seen bass on beds and not be a full moon or even close but I've also seen how a full moon can strike the spawn).

How about moon phase + photo period = green fish gettin' busy? Photo period is a dark horse to consider.

Yup, I just sit home during the spawn around here. The spawn to fishing is not the rut to deer hunting for me. Pre-spawn and post-spawn is when they eat!

I bet they'll eat it! That UV chenille is cool stuff.

My hands are beat to death after a day of tying. I banged out 39 jigs today. Not your ordinary smallmouth jig. I made these with heavy hooks for those rowdy TN bronzebacks but I bet the green fish will like them too. I stayed with a few classic colors black/blue and watermelon/brown but I'm anxious to see if my other creative color I call rootbeer sunrise might get bit. I It resembles a popular shad rap color, original crawdad. I used bucktail, saddle hackle, and accented them with some UV flash. Let me know what y'all think.

You should do a search on some of the old threads on here. Real good stuff.

Water elevation will be trumps for conditions at this year's KY Lake roadtrip most likely, for example. Well moon phase could be a game changer as well. If there is a full moon (I haven't looked it up yet), there will be a good chance that the biggest spawn class will be on the beds and that will be YUCK! KY Lake just isn't the best bed fishing lake cause sight fishing is tough due to normal water clarity for spring here, stained 1-2 ft. visability. Yet out in Cali there are numerous trophy fisherman who are counting down the days for the spawn to happen. These are good examples as to where I was trying to go with this thread. I think you would be surprised to see how conditions and elements alter angler's approach for a body of water. Example of this is that I understand some fisherman may fish structure by sitting in the shallow and throw to the deep, "fishing uphill". While if you were to do that on KY Lake when the current is running, you would be sitting on top of the fish. I am fortunate to have several good fisheries within an hour drive from where I live and I approach every one of them differently even on the same day. So when a member post their respectable techniques for how they do things I hesitate to argue. Bass are master predators who can become acclimated to their ecosystem and use the elements to their advantage. As WRB mentioned earlier on that season is important. I didn't want to make the thread over complicated cause then most of us would have to of wrote a whole book breaking down each seasonal condition.

An Arabian Duck.

If anybody has any questions about the area for the KY Lake roadtrip, shoot me a PM and I'll do what I can. Some of you will be happy to know that Marshall Co. is now a wet county unlike recent roadtrips.

I ran a local store for a while. First off, I agree with wnspain on depth finders. That's were the money is at. If the ownership would be willing to expand into installing upgraded units, it is sure going over good around here. The money is in the labor for installment. As far as tackle, that is location sensitive. While if it were on KY Lake, I would say start with the Strike King line of baits but in Cali I would look at what does best in your area.

I would do my homework. Slumps happen to everybody. Sometimes they can be hard to get by because fishing has a mental aspect. First off, forget last year. You need confidence and dwelling on a slump isn't going to get that back for you. I would try new water and new techniques. I see you like Table Rock but I'm thinking Lake of the Ozarks is a little better or KY Lake is only a few hours from the Lou. Pick out one or two bodies of water and research them. Then research the techniques and patterns you find work best, in general, and the seasonal patterns for that body of water. Then try and put it together. Never fish the past. If you keep doing what you do, you will keep getting the same results.