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It all depends when the Spook was made and which model since many that are still around have the Excalibur TX3 Rotating Treble hooks which I tend to really like. I throw the bigger spook on Casting gear with braid often, or heavy mono, so I leave the saltwater hooks, and older one's need split rings, so I leave them since they are 3x strong. For topwater lures I use VMC Inline Trebles to replace hooks since the price is great and they make a #3 and #5, but I like the Owner ST-41 Stinger hooks for spooks since they are 2x strong but you can go up in size or just get a shorter shank, adding a dressed treble helps as well... The new one's you see at Walmart that do not have model numbers have crappy hooks,I have a box of Eagle Claw Lazer Trebles that were once on sale for $10 per 100, so I use them often since I have most sizes and they are good hooks. I only pay for Gamakatsu when the packs are 2.99, 5 hooks for $7 is bizarre to me, as long as they are not Matzuo I am good.

I have a box full of spinnerbaits and I can't tell brands unless they are stamped, but I do have a bunch of the ,99 spinnerbaits which I can tell from the others because of the bearing not being a stainless ball bearing. Does this matter? I have never noticed much of a difference, I think I catch more fish on cheaper spinnerbaits because I am not afraid to cast them onto the bank or try to make that perfect cast since losing them does not hurt as much. I do notice a difference on the bigger sized spinnerbaits since the inexpensive versions seem to roll to the side at times, but I have had $10 Terminator spinnerbaits bend on one mudfish and be ruined. I do prefer the Strike King Spinnerbaits and BPS brand for clear water only because they have nice detail, but I think if it spins, it will get the active fish..I just make sure to keep the hook sharp, but sometimes I just reach in and grab the color I want and rarely look at the brand. I do seem to catch more fish on the Stanley Wedge spinnerbaits which seem to vibrate more for the size, but I will only pay for them when they are on sale and I just change skirts when needed or blades. They are also great for Taking the blade off to make a quick MJ rig for your senko on the water if the weeds are heavy. I owe Timmy Horton a thank you for showing that on his TV show because slow rolling a big 6" Senko with a willow blade through Hydrilla is dynamite at times, or cut one down to 3" and put it on a jig head and fish it like a crankbait/spinnerbait....MJ rig is a good way to catch fish especially in pressured water. H&H also makes a $1 spinnerbait that comes in several versions that has the closed line tie which I really like and I probably use those when I want 1/4 or lighter the most. Probably the same lures. I don't use the Treble hook version, they still sell the hammered blades which are hard to find in tandem and the closed eye which is how I like them.

If you fish heavy braid on casting rods, the saltwater Spook Jr is often a buck at Walmart this time of year like all pradco lures.....I just picked up a ton of lures and they had the right colors. I prefer saltwater hooks since I use the spooks on casting gear so I like the Xcalibur Tx3 Treble Hooks, but make sure they have split rings. For spooks, Bone, Black Shore or black shiner, Chart, White and chart...I would say that covers it....Super Spook Jr is probably what I use most, but also the standard size one knocker and silent, I have never noticed a difference. If I want a loud walking lure I use the Rebel T-10 T-20 with a lead rattle that is as loud as my expensive Walkers and I pick the Rebel over some $15 models 9/10 times since it just walks so easy like the spook. Color is a confidence thing, Clear is good because you can color them with markers on the water. But clear is good because fish think it is a school of glass minnows or in stained water or clear, they can't tell the size of the lure. I use bigger lures in clear,and I seem to do better. I always add chart to the belly, just having that tint seems to help. Bone colored spook Jr. was the best selling bait when I worked at a tackle shop for spooks. People like the saltwater spook Jr for $5. Chug bug was the second best selling walking bait. You only need maybe 3" of water above weeds which is why it is popular on Stick Marsh and in the south.

Price, Make sure the Seams match up, and I stick to brands I know since I can't feel that magic vibration some guys can. I usually just throw something small 2" and under for most part, or if bigger,I go flat like the Spro, Shad Rap, Flat A, Bomber, Rapala, Bandit, Strike King,Bass Pro, Speed shads, Timber Tigers make up most of my box. And the Luck E strikes that were on sale. I like most Rapala, and love the spro Lil John. But the Subwart is my favorite since it gets bit when fish are not hitting the same 1.5 or 2.5 everyone is tossing all day. Crappie sized cranks catch fish of all sizes and seem to always hunt well, especially the Rapala One's.

Circle hooks if possible. No gut hooks, less line breaks, Owner Mosquito maybe? Or I add my own light weed guard to a Live Bait hook.

I had a bunch of Banjo Frogs which were under a different label, I believe it was the Kropto Relax label which is a bait sold in Europe made in America. I always found it odd that the Capt.Kens Clone frog used the same hook in nose, legs and I always did well on those toads. Is the creator the same guy? If so, Good for him. People love those frogs, I guess they are more durable than the Banjo Frogs, I think Netbait has one as well...Same thing right? Never mind, I just found the answer..he is the Lucky creator of the still top selling Banjo Minnow/Frog...That is called "MARGIN" hard to find info of the link between the 2. No disrespect intended,I have always maintained he started Nose Hooking and Banjo Minnow was the start of segmented swimbaits. The toads are legit 100% & priced great. Capt Ken has been featured on several outdoor TV fishing shows, including the International Award winning TV Infomercial "The Banjo Minnow" as an inventor of the product, and Conway Bowman's "Dollar Wise Fly" where the fly rod version of the FROGs first appeared on TV. The viewer response to a few seconds of video on the Show convinced Capt. Ken to begin making the FROGs for sale to the public.

Swim Senko...I have tried to find knock offs but every time I tie on a swim senko, rigged any way, I feel I get a fish every time I throw it. That is just an awesome bait that the cane Stick, Dinger, Slider Grubs just cant' do the same but I wish they could.... Small cranks will almost always get fish since fish do not see them as much. I throw Subwarts and 2" cranks all the time and they get action when normal size do not work. Funny you mention green pumpkin gold flake...That is my favorite color for swimbaits, Worms, skirts....Especially at night. If you think about it, that color blends into most water color and looks natural, dark for shadow, plus gold can be a shiner, or any baitfish and reflects best in stained water. I use that color on all my Speed shad and it rarely comes off unless I need white. A small curly tail worm with a thin tail, perfectly straight, on a #1 light wire hook, small split shot about 14" above it, maybe 18, cast and let it fall...then just reel it slow and pause every 3 feet. in Ponds try using Rats instead of Frogs and cast them into overhanging trees so it sounds like they fell out being chased, as soon as it hits the water, move it fast until you get near cover and then pause it like it is resting....If not strike, just start speeding it up..I am convinced they think a rat is a rat, frogs I don't know, but Live Target Rat is money in ponds more than lakes for some reason....Almost has to come off bank, never do well way out in the lake..... key to the split shot rig is the phenom worm since the tail is thin, or a few other brands, and boil them to get them gummy soft, MR. Twister comes to hard......Fish kill a black/chart tail worm in summer better than the Ned Rig for me...I never drop shot, I spllit shot instead, kind of same thing depending on how you work it. VMC makes swivel hooks that won't twist line but you can do well if you rig it perfectly straight, if not, it can be good but not nearly the same. I never credit a lure if a bass grabs it as soon as it hits the water. That just means an active fish was cruising or waiting for something so you could have put on the Banjo Frog/Kens Clone frog (Never knew that is the same guy, Now I don't feel dumb fishing the banjo frogs...I should have realized with the nose hooking of the toads...Same design only 20 for $5. Check those out for real, Banjo Frog, Other companies use same design.

The DOA Jigheads are heavy guage and we get lucky down here since they send packages where maybe the eyes fall off or color is off and they sell packs for $2.... Bass Assassin makes an Identical jig head, I know their website had them for .25 but I think only the 5/0 long shank are left but they are expensive high grade jigs which are great for bigger baits texas rigged. Mustad Ultra points, 3 colors, they sell bulk bags of like 25 free shipping. They may have the short shanks left which are just like the DOA only a bit longer. This may sound crazy, but Kmart Sells the Matzuo jig heads and I always figured Matzuo hooks were Junk because of the Sickle Hooks I once had, but they have Jigheads very similar that have really strong hooks. Only issue is they paint over eyes but $1.79 for 5 jigs that seem almost the same,cheaper paint but not bad... I love the slider heads and I recently found the lindy xchange ball heads that allow you to adjust weight on the fly, overstock has them for like .50 per pack, 4 heads, 1 hook that can handle braid but not too crazy...Just like the Northland jig heads....Lindy, Northland, any walleye company or saltwater company has good grub heads since it seems grubs and sassy shads are only soft baits guys use....Hope that helps..I would never pay $6 for DOA heads either but they do work well for nose hooking big swimbaits with short shank that you can't bend if you wanted to with a vise....

As mentioned bass are bass, I would use what you the same baits you would use if going out fishing on any other day, just try to use a bait to cover water to catch active fish early, and in new spots, but most important thing is to not have expectations of water clarity, where fish are etc... Things will be different most likely, so fish what you do best, and this way you won't second guess yourself for throwing a lure because it was the hottest lure at the ramp that you never normally use...Keep it simple...clear water, light line, Simple proven baits, think swimbaits in fall, soft smaller one's since you can fish them at all levels, I always throw Topwater in the morning and every new spot to pick of active fish...I will chuck a topwater to all the best cover to pick off easy fish then fish it with something slow. Just have fun, and remember, many tournaments are won by guys who just find the right fish at the right time, or they wait them out and stick to something they know will work. I had my best day in a 15 minute window at about 1 oclock, and I was dehydrated and getting ready to quit with only one dink in the boat, but next thing we knew they were busting shad all around us and that was a wrap. Totally lucky, just drifting and complaining that the only reason we had a crappy day was because we didn't have good electronics....Turns out most boats only came in with a few fish so you never know. I used to bring too many rods and try all kinds of new stuff, change lures after 10 casts, and would spend a quarter of my day changing lures and not fishing.

I use basic colors for the most part... but certain lures I have favorites...Spook-Bone, White/Chart Rapala Skitter Pop- Firetiger I like to take any frog other than black and put black or brown spots on bottom with a sharpie for contrast, same with skirt, if it is all white I make it a white/Black striped skirt to make it look more natural..I like the Spro Tropical White color so I can see the top, or I just take some Pink Nail Polish and put a stripe on topwaters or a dot so I can see it go under...I think top colors matter at times because sometimes bass will use shallow water and ambush a bait from the top, but I only worry about it in clear water... Speaking of which..In clear water I love a clear color, clear Chug Bug with white and silver dressing, and a touch of Spike It chart on the belly. Clear Torpedos, Pop'r, Spooks all have days when they are money.

I have some Jigheads I found a few years ago made by Kalin's which are darter heads, light wire weed guard,and they work great when bass are suspended and I use them in deeper water in 1/16, 1/8 with 3-4" Grubs, 4" Sluggos, the hooks is only maybe 1/0 but strong....The Gulp Jigheads or boxer heads (Trokar makes a nice saltwater Jighead with smaller hooks in the #2 size, and nice color detail, and Dicks has had packs of 3 for bogo at 6.99. 1/16 1/8 but VMC makes them and so does D.O.A which are good.... Depending on the grub, you can rig them like a texas rig on the slider jig heads or those Luck E Strike Bullet style hooks, or ust use a Light bulllet weight pegged to the grub with a worm hook texas rigged for weeds.

He used to fish on Lake Harris all the time,I think it is the same guy....12lb test, all year long, I have read and heard many stories of him winning tournaments on nothing but the Devil's Horse. He would catch fish on them from morning to night, but some guys find a lure they gain confidence in, then they just get really good with it. If you stick with Topwater Fishing it is essentially one of the most efficient ways to fish since you are picking off all active fish, larger fish in general, and if you know the lake, all you need is 5 Fish...Active fish will see your bait sooner or later, that just takes faith. Bernie Shultz is always fishing Prop Baits as well and he switched up and designed the Rapala XRap Prop, and I love Prop Baits, if they are hitting them with a buzz bait type retrieve they are fun, or a rip and pause, but I always give them a shot. The X-Rap is easier to cast, More flash, and has a different rotation, but the Devils horse is buoyant and the blades need to be perfect to get the right sound.... I usually use the smaller one which is really just thinner, and i like the yellow/Black, or the silver/blue. It is a popular lure in Florida, I never really saw people use them in NY, but some days they work well, If you can find the wooden one's on Ebay I would try to buy one of those for only a few bucks.They sit higher in the water, not sure color matters, I would just get the color you do best with on topwaters in general.... You can cast the smaller one on casting gear, the size really is not that different. I think the new ones are plastic but I am not sure, probably just as good.

In fact, the next time I have a solid day, I am claiming "Suicide Duck" and see what people have to say about it. I tried saying "Buzz Plug" one time and everyone just laughed. I knew that lure was a scam and Bill Dance just doctor's the footage.

I love my Okuma Rods and Reels......And a few of the lures they make but I would guess this is overpriced and will be discontinued within 2 years based on how most Duck lures have sold in the past, and the same with Many of the Savage Gear baits which look awesome, but then often let you down. I would have a hard time paying $20 Plus for a Topwater Duck when I can buy a bone color Spook or Hollow belly (Spro makes a baby duck color which I purchased since I love how they look. It is a good color as well, I would think the Duck will look like a "Fake Duck with Hooks"? Just a guess. Do the feet paddle with batteries, Otherwise how is different from a topwater of similar size? I am a sucker for buying tackle, but I have kind of noticed that savage Gear lures are more eye candy then Fish candy, Kind of like how River2Sea will make some awesome looking lures that you think will be great and then they just turn out to be flops,but then they have a few proven winner's. I can't say Savage gear has any winner's except the Sand Eel which Stripers hammer, So a Sluggo works just as good and I buy the Jigheads. Savage seems opportunistic with trends and they have turned out a ton of lures in only a few years. Most have been disco'd in the states now that I think about it, or are super cheap on Ebay. Just my Take...No Duck. Ever for me. But I am sure it will get bit. Using a fake Duck would be Suicide here in Florida as Gators would be all over it. I just don't like the name "Suicide Duck"- Kind of over the top and not original? Not sure why my emotions are extremely negative regarding this Duck Lure which I have only glanced at in photo's. Hey, How did you land that 30lb bag to win last weekend? "Suicide Duck in the west Cove, They were ripping the rod out of my hands".....I would imagine that nobody will ever say those words, and if they did I would be positive it is a joke since it is a "Suicide Duck". That's my rant for today. Love Monday's.

I went through the Swim Bait spree a few years ago and tried most of the glide baits and swim baits that were priced reasonably or on sale, I have found that after several years I rarely use the hard swimbaits unless I want to fish the S-Waver Or BBZ as a big Topwater or Wake bait, but to be completely honest, I have used the Sebile Magic Swimmers, Savage Glides, Strike KIng/ABT Swimbaits and the Wake shad from SK is one of my favorites. I do much better with the 4"BBZ in Saltwater but I found that the Cabela's brand for $5 ended up fishing just as good if not the same, for some reason Spro Lures have been arriving at Overstock Shops, Liquidators so BBZ's have been under $10 for a year now. I would by the Slow Sink even if you plan on waking it as I never really do well with the floater. I honestly think that the Bigger S-Waver is good for the money, but strikes are few and far between, and I just catch more fish and the same quality swimming a 4-6" Soft Swimbait. I would skip on any of the Magic swimmer style lures, they work but I would rather fish a Lake Fork magic Minnow Soft bait with boot tail or without, or the new Yum Pulse, Keitech Fats, and I recently was just introduced to the Creme Screamer Swimbait which is really good, super soft & flexible, Kind of similar to a Swim Senko but it has a design where you can texpose your hook and it is still weedless, great colors,and the body has "Fins" which make it swim and fall with such a fluid motion. I like fishing Glide Baits for Stripers, but for me I just feel it is tough to fish them around weeds, and with the new Soft Swimbaits and hooks, Jig Heads, you can get more bang for the buck out of soft baits since a soft swimbait looks more natural at least too me & Fish tend to agree. I had the Jackall Gyron which catches fish but I just feel I can buy a knock off Academy Brand for $5 and get the same results since it is really too small to glide. You can make a Soft Swimbait glide by adding nail weights to shift the balance, but I would go slowly into the Swimbait Buying, I spent alot of Money to fill up a box since I go though compulsive buying if I have a good day with a new lure without realizing it was just "A really good day and not the lure"....If you plan on casting and reeling or "Chucking and Winding, Check out the Academy segmented Swimbaits which are big like the BBZ, and they work just as well imo. Hard Swimbaits and Glidebaits are much more fun for Stripers or for big Gamefish, but for Largemouth, If they get a good look at it, they usually will not strike. Put a good quality Soft Swimbait in the same situation and I would take those odds any day. Creme Screamer, the 5" is a good size and has a great action for a lift and drop or slow roll. Fatter than a Swim Senko, All terrain, and it may replace most of my other branded swimbaits, it is a good bait that is starting to get a reputation which is good, I forgot Creme still existed except for the cheap Mad Dad Minnows which are a nice Lipless alternative in Hydrilla. Hope that Helps. I love how my Swimbait Boxes look however, Only issue is 90% of the baits look brand new and most have been in the water so that is not good. I want to see paint chipped, only on Wake Shads which are really good from Strike King....Bluegills hammer the lure and it is a good sized lure.

Yup, A purple Worm is kind of a can't miss color & not as popular as it once was. I guess Grape and Junebug are pretty much the same. Interesting info about PVC/Plastisol being different than Rubber. I need to hit Wikipedia to figure out how they make the Elaztach stuff. I know Nick Creme was the first guy to Produce Soft worms in bulk, but wasn't the term "Rubber Worm" used by TV Angler's like Jimmy Houston, Bill Dance, Or Roland Martin? I can hear one of them saying it but not sure who. I think when I was young we called the Manns' Jelly Worm a Rubber worm, and others Plastic worms, not sure why. Maybe I was the only one? I used to buy those Creme Pre-Rigged Worms with Props,the Midget Crawler when I was a kid and I think they were only .50 and I remember riding my bike to buy as many packs as I could, and I used to clean up in the ponds on those things. Then I remember buying the first Scent Infused soft bait which was called a Chum'n Minnow? It was kind of a beetle Spin with a sassy shad that reaked and was actually good but once Powerbait released the Power Worms, I tried to stick with Culprit, but I saw the difference and it was a game changer at that time for worm fishing. Now all baits are salt Infused like the Larew, which I think is also used as a scent? I don't remember having any good scent to buy back then.....

I am not sure which models or years are the one's that sell for high Dollar Amounts similar to the Pre-Rapala Sub Warts. I think the Hellcat sells for roughly $25? and if you have any of the balsa cranks or Bang O lures, Shad a lacs, most have the orange/White packaging I think. I know they were Located in Ft. Myers Fl. and then went out of business for a period of time, but I have found several lures at Garage sales etc. and I didn't have the packaging, but they were in decent shape, and I sold a Hellcat (Deep Diver,Odd shape), Mighty Minnow Catfish color, & one of the small Fry Sunfish I guess, I ended up putting all 3 with 2 Old Rapala Ristro Raps and final bid ended up being over $80. People love the Old wooden made in America Balsa bagley's, especially the model that was used to win a classic which I believe was in the 70's but it is the shallow balsa B? I think they have a collector page like Bomber has etc.... I would check advanced on Ebay, type in lure model, hit sold, then search by highest price to see when and how much they sold for, also what made then "Vintage". You can contact that person if you want, but when I find vintage tackle, I simply List it for the highest price I can find, then leave a best Offer Button and I make sure I take good pics etc. If you are not going to use them it is a great way to make extra money and it only takes a few minutes. Then you can turn around and spend all your earnings on some newer stuff that probably will not catch as many fish, but sure does look pretty. Hope that Helps. You never know what will sell on Ebay, The key is listing them under a collectible or vintage categories to attract the right buyers, apparently collecting lures is kind of a big deal if you have some color, size, or even just a lure that was only made for a few months.

I love the Bagley Bang O lure.....I know that Bagley's has undergone changes where the baits are different which is why you see guys paying $100 Plus for older versions. I have heard good things about all the Bagleys Crank baits. I think they break if you smack them on the water like most crankbaits that are balsa or that shape. Bills break on Rapala's as well. I think those look like Bagley Color's and Strike King Copied them. Just my take.

I used to use the term Rubber Worm all the time, I laughed when I read your question because I have a friend who I used to fish with a long time ago and when I run into him, he always says "You still catching Bass on the Culprit Rubber Worms" Essentially they are still Rubber, PVC all the same I guess. I still think the 2 best worms are either a Senko weightless, or a Culprit ribbon tail or Berkley Power worm. I also like to use the Zoom Ultravibe Speed worms over weeds or instead of using a buzz bait to cover water..You can do so much with it and the price of Zoom worms is really good. Speed worms are good for every type of rig to be honest. Trick worms are super Popular because they work, and of course the senko.. Check out TW and click on Top selling baits....The variety today is insane, for fall you may like using a swimbait instead, Yum has a new one out called the Pulse that is priced well and works great, same with the Havoc Grass Pig....Havoc is a good line of baits or the price, easy to find etc...

Hard to beat the action of a Rage Craw....If I had to pick one I would go with the Zoom Ultravibe Speed Craw which is a similar style bait, but a Twin Tail grub will give you essentially the same action. Most companies have a similar bait, but the rage baits are made softer on purpose which is why they work so good. Rage Craw is kind of a hard bait to replicate but all the above options are good. Havoc pit boss, any havoc bait is cheap and good, same with a zoom chunk, craw etc...All the above are good, but hard to beat a 4-5" Twin Tail Grub? BPS xps grubs are good for the price, or the GYB grubs on Overstock on sale for $2.99-$3.99 a pack. GYB twin tail/spider grubs are awesome and for that price you get 20 a pack....Well worth it. Awesome colors especially for trailers, but Paca craws have a good flapping action. For saving money, Z-Man Elaztach has the Batzwing trailers that will last an entire season if kept out of the sun, Palmetto bug, plus they float up which can be good. I don't like buying Z-Man stuff in the mail because sometimes they come melted but TW is pretty good since they move items fast. They wont have the action of the Rage baits however, good but different.

Sometimes just seeing the strike is worth it, until you realize the fish is not coming back for seconds or a soft bait....I feel like every fish that I miss on a Frog is 5-10lbs since they sound louder. I missed one the other day and my buddy on the other side of the lake came running laughing thinking I fell in the water (Which is not all that rare for me) I am not sure I have ever heard a topwater strike that loud, and it took the Mouse underwater, line was moving to the side, I got nervous, but I lowered my Rod reeled in the slack, and set the hook as hard as I could....Nothing but a Mouse came flying back to me with both hooks jammed in the ass end of the mouse. I was so upset and fished the same spot for over an hour with nothing, Of course I now think it was maybe a double digit fish but you never know, it could have been a 4lber who decided to really smash it. I like the 4lb story better. I think I waited too long, but The hooks being stuck in the back sounded better at the time, I think it was maybe both? Still upset. Sounded like a bowling ball fell in the lake.

Flat ones or lighter ones....Arkie Jigs skip well and are good for swimming or pitching, I have a few jigs that have heads like on the slider Jig heads,and they are awesome for skipping and weedless so you can rifle them far back in the bushes etc.... If you look at skipping Jigs, they usually have heads like Swim Jigs, but the trailer helps with skipping, some trailers allow you to skip a jig better, but it really comes down to rod angle and practice. I am really good at losing Jigs when skipping docks/Shorelines because I always try to make the cast to the spot that if I get a strike, since nobody else has made the cast, I have a 10% chance of getting the fish in,or odds are I will just get snagged..... So I usually skip Tubes. Much Cheaper to lose. They also stay on the shank easy. Another benefit of a tube with weight inside, if you mess up a skip, you won't spook all the fish when the bait smashes the water and you tick off your partner because it is really loud. Tubes cause less commotion and fish usually smash them just as good as a jig in tight spots.

I would try a small finesse worm that you have the most confidence in, then rig it with a brass bullet weight and bead for sound....I often peg the weight about 6-12" above the bait and work it slow and steady with pauses. I like to use a smaller creature bait with appendages like a Pit boss in 3", or 6" Zoom U Tail, Curly tail worm etc... I would also try a smaller chatterbait in maybe 1/8 or 1/4 with a bright contrasting trailer that is not too over the top but has some extra flash. Or just add a willow blade to the back of the senko (MJ Rig) for flash and vibration, or try a smaller spinnerbait all chartruese... I like to split shot a small boot tail swimbait and use the split shot to kick up mud 6" in front, sometimes no bead,but if I am using a creature I like a bead.... Then of course, I always would try a floating Minnow bait,if water is stained,I may start with a rattling Rogue floater, or just work a Rapala with quick snaps to make a commotion, skip baits, but in muddy water I always figure Bass are going to be touching cover to feel safe,so I like to use a bait I can pause and work slowly in areas next to ambush spots. I feel Bass are always willing to feed upward in stained water if they are active and you can put the lure in the right places. Stained water in deeper Pits can be really challenging. I have a favorite spot that is usually super clear,but in rainy season it gets really muddy, and I have had awful days but usually if you figure out a pattern you can find them in the same area. I know people say Jerkbaits are not for stained water,and I agree, not suspending, but a Rip bait can be fished like a Topwater if that makes sense or get it to dive to the depth they are at. I have had days in stained water where I would swima rogue or Long A 2-3 feet deep and they smoke it. Some days nothing. Always worth a try with wakes/Rip baits,when it works, it works. Stained water can be tricky, but sometimes it comes together, Maybe a slow sinking Spoon could work if they were smacking a falling bait? Added flash of a silver minnow can be good.

To me a Frog is nothing more than a weedless Topwater lure like a spook or Popper. I use them in any area that I can't fish a hardbait clean. Florida is different, we have good Frog bites in the Fall, I stop throwing them probably in November/December depending on weather, but you can use them in areas all year long if water temps on the surface is 60% since we still have mats in winter where it is worth taking a shot. I like to use black,white, or something with some orange on the belly or chart....I actually really like the LT Mouse when fishing pressured areas or ponds. I don't land as many fish, but I feel I get bigger strikes with the mouse....You have to really bend out the hooks or sometimes you get the mouse back with both hooks firmly set into the plastic....All depends on how the fish compresses it I guess.

I like the Owner Down shot hooks...Really easy to set up and sharp. I like the set up above, I find I have to really concentrate on not over working the bait when I drop shot, and also not swing too hard out of habit.