primetime

Simple, Believe in the Rebel, but if you don't, buy a Strike Pro Thunder Pop....You won't be able to tell the difference, or a R2Sea Bubble popper for $7. I can't tell the difference besides hooks and color, but if you have more confidence in something, then you will always catch more fish when confident. If you tie on a lure thinking it is cheap, you will not do as well, that is pretty much in any sport, if you are not confident before a wrestling match, then you are going to lose if you start doubting yourself on the scale. Fishing is the same way, sure luck is involved, but luck is involved in anything you do in life from Sales to Fishing etc. Beginners luck is real, sometimes it is better to have belief in what you are doing, more so than the lure you are using if that makes sense. If you are new to fishing, I would not be using $20 lures because losing lures is easy since you need to cast them into areas that hold fish. Those areas are almost always not pretty. If you want the Rebel to walk better, google Zell Rowland and history of the Pop-r and then Zell Pop, the Rebel wins more tournament money ever year than the Megabass and any other popper combined, except for the Skitter Pop which is balsa and has a unique bluegill popping sound. Megabass is quality, but check out Payo Lures. Same OEM, They make a nice slow rising 110 in nice colors, $7 plus $3 shipping from Korea or Europe. Payo has all the JDM lures, read reviews, you will see nobody knocks them who uses them, I purchased their Ima Skimmer clone, and it is a clone in sound, shape, size, weight, only difference is the hooks. Some colors are the same but Ima is not as expensive as it once was. They were once much more than $10. Payo Makes a lure called the Black Swan that Is awesome, check out the O.S.P Bent Minnow for $25, then the black swan, Payo is Legit, they use the right OEM and invested in own stamp, own marketing, but the reason lures like the RI Vixen looks identical to the Repo Man is because it is, Paycheck says it in the description. Great walkers, but for poppers, Check out the Strike Pro which has colors that look awesome, same with R2Sea, they have cheaper hooks imo, but that is an easy fix. I have been fishing for 30 years and when it comes to certain lures, I can't tell the difference between a Megabass suspending jerkbait from the Boyd Ducket series, I am sure Pro Angler's can, or guys who are great with suspending jerkbaits, but I am not good enough to know the difference. I know the Pointer and XRap are agressive, the Rogue won the Classic by KVD the same year he came out with his Jerkbait, I know he had an older one from the 70's with lead rattles, but The Rogue is perfect for cold water, less action compared to say an Xrap. I always need to understand why a lure costs more money, and then if I can rationalize it, which I can do, I buy Duo and own some High End lures, but only lures that perform a certain function that is unique. The Megabass popper with the adjustable lip is a sweet lure but for me, I feel I can make any popper pop, chug, walk, spit, with rod angle, and how I snap or pull it. Maybe I need to sand a lip down or add weight to the back, but I would say if you want a killer looking popper that won't hurt when you lose it (I know the feeling, I have lost $20-$30 lures in the first cast) check out the Duo 64, Sebile Splasher, but I would not buy a Megabass lure until you gain confidence in your casting accuracy, all kinds of stuff so you don't lose them. However, If you have the money, and enjoy buying them because they look cool (I buy certain lures just to collect) then a Megabass is a awesome looking lure, can't deny that, I am sure it works awesome as well. Hope that helps. Not trying to knock anything because I understand we all find value in different items and that is all that matters. I would order lures from Tackle Warehouse since they do free shipping after $50 and carry all top brands, all colors, and just a fantastic place to shop. Reviews are good to read imo. I know people may disagree with my rant, I type fast, but I am not knocking any brand, any one who buys high end lures, If I had money, I am sure I would be placing huge orders on TW daily and own 2 packs of every color GYB makes in every bait. But buying lures is addicting, especially if you read a good magazine.

OnI recently picked up some new lures which people suggested and I have always heard the Jackall Popper which is $15 is really good. I have a box full of topwater lures jammed full of all brands, I use the Sebile Splasher, R2 Sea, Heddon, Duo, Yo-zuri's, Zell Pops, but after using the Jackall pop Grande without any success the last 2 times I hit the local ponds, I naturally grabbed the trusted Rebel in standard size, caught a few right away in the same spots, then switched to the Magnum saltwater version and picked up 2 good fish. Last evening walking my dog, threw the Jackall for about 15 casts, had one fish, different pond, tons of smaller fish, put on a Rebel in similar size and color, had probably 3 fish in 8-10 casts. I don't know why, but the Rebel almost always works best for me when it comes to poppers. I also like the tiny one in clear/blue head. I add a better treble to the smaller ones if using more than 10lb test, but I have no need to pay top dollar for a popper again other than the Duo 64 which is just a good lure, same with the Sebile splasher with the colors and design, Owner Stingers, plus that scale effect inside just works some days, I fish the smaller version and the big 128 but I almost always gravitate toward a Rebel topwater, even the T10-T20 Walkers have replaced many lures for me. Price and pretty paint are not always the answer, I will keep trying the Jackall, but we give a popper the action, not the lure. Rebel has a sound that is hard to replicate I guess. Lead rattle maybe?

Pop-r is a winner. 3 pops and a pause. Boom

http://www.annistonstar.com/sports/outdoors-soft-plastic-lure-company-keeps-anglers-fishing/article_12418774-7f63-11e5-817e-6b9b12926b14.html I think this is the article that explains the process but you can also look up the Georgia OEM D&J which does many of the same brands & molds. I think You tube has videos of how they make the baits, the key is really the guy mixing the barrels and making sure they are heated just right. I guess the Reason Why BPS soft baits seem to be about 50% of entire inventory is they have a line up for every type of fishing, every size, hundreds of colors, plus they use the BPS baits as Filler baits for smaller companies. BPS has about 8 different types of grubs alone, dozen sizes, 100 colors, then saltwater series, panfish, Walleye, plus they often insert discontinued baits on clearance racks during big sales or in the buckets. Like should work.

I often forget about Tubes but I seem to do well when I use them, and I fish them in the same way you could fish a Frog, Fluke, Creature etc. A Gitzit Tube used to be one of my favorite ways to get suspended bass in cold water on a light Slider head, in a shad color, find deeper water, cast it out, use the reel to let it drop 4-8 feet, reel it up, kill it, and some days it works great. I learned that technique from a Guide when I was in College fishing for Salmon in Upstate NY, and I stopped rigging tubes on darter heads or light slider heads, for some reason I almost always go with something "New". Tubes will work for sure, I like some of the internal rattle systems to hide the weight and lock the hook but A tube is a versatile bait that can be worked so many ways and I agree, fish do not see them much, This time of year, I feel like Bass must be so sick of seeing a Crankbait run over and under them, constantly bouncing off the dock post they are just trying to relax next to. Then they have a drop shot worm in their face all day, Shaky Heads, Poppers, Frogs, I find August to be really challenging on pressured lakes especially on weekends. I bet a Tube would be a good punching bait and good frog substitute since they come in awesome colors and are easy to fish on heavy line, light, and so many ways to rig them.... BPS has that new popper head and treble to put a tube into. Apparently more than a few people use Tubes as walkers, topwater etc. Add some packing peanuts, walleye slip floats inside and you have a walking bait with tentacles that can also be fished on a C-Rig and have it float off bottom. I will be bringing tubes to my next outing, Last few trips have been really tough, even when you find the bait and see fish they are just tough with all the rain, water color, and pressure.

It is the perfect size and action for cold water, early spring because it does not have a ton of flapping or wiggle, more glide which is key when fishing heavy cover for cold water fish under a heavy weight. It is like the BB Cricket or Havoc Slop Craw which are popular for early year bass fishing like the Zoom Critter Craw as Bass will not always go for a Rage type craw (Even though it looks so good) but I usually try a simple bait, creature and a rage craw type bait. Z Man baits are good but can be tough to keep in place on the hook, they are small so make sure you have a good hook and some glue. They get big fish, just like the Gambler BB-Cricket which is kind of a legendary Punching bait.

The Stick O is the #1 selling soft plastic bait that is manufactured by the Main OEM based on a report that the Alabama ledger did on the company, sales, top brands, and how certain baits receive Higher Quality Control. BPS plastics are made in the same place, same barrels, and the difference imo between say a GYB, STIK O, RAGE, Zoom etc...Is the consistency of the baits. I have purchased zoom baits that were all dinged up and bent in bags, off color, and with BPS since they article stated after Labor Day they buy whatever is left on the shelves for buckets etc., I would imagine that older stock can dry out even though warehouse is cooled but I would agree that the softness and weight of a sticko varies from the date on the bag or lot #. GYB baits and Rage baits are actually cooked for an extra 24 hours and every bait is weighed by a person not a machine, then packed in the shell packaging to keep them perfect and keep them air tight to prevent any coffee scent from the grinds they use to evaporate as well as salt and oil. SK will only take perfect baits and GYB is the same way from what I understand. I have looked at new packs of worms and the worms are almost always perfect. I Find that if you buy Stick O's or Zoom, or most brands when on a big sale like 3/10, bogo etc... You may be buying blemishes in a bag which is how the retailer is getting them much cheaper. A blemish can be a bait that looks perfect but may not have enough flake, even coloring or flake, texture can be slighlty off, or tint. I would always look at the baits on sale at Dicks, or any retailer when you purchase them on sale. A very popular Swimbait that is made by a Japanese company and is now made in America, sold at Dicks for example has been on clearance lately as well as another model. I looked at them and sure enough the laminates were bleeding but not badly, they also had bent tails from storage etc....A new lot came in along with new baits for the year and the new baits are Perfect, so soft baits will always vary, but I catch the same amount of fish on baits with dents since I never examine them, as I do with perfect baits, and a soft Stick'O still feels different than a Senko but sometimes really close and also .25" longer or were. They keep changing baits like Yum from scents to salt, but I like GYB grubs and Sticks due to the colors they offer which are different than all other companies and I think that matters. I also never wonder if another worm is better although I do like the Ocho and Salt Lick. At one point in time, a Stick O cut to the same length as a GYB worm would weigh exact, sink at the exact rate, and only difference I noticed was in the "Shakiness" of the GYB but it was in the sink and barely different. some worms are harder but skip well and I like some Larger Senko's to be stiff like the STick O in 7.25". Thats my ramble for today but the article just came out in the Ledger in Alabama about how Brush hogs require the most work to make out of all the baits, it was a good read. It explains how BPS line was started back in the day encouraged by Tom Mann for BPS, and now they are the best selling brand of soft baits apparently. I would have guessed Zoom maybe but BPS line of baits is HUGE.

buy your Tungsten on Ebay. Good sellers have heavy 1 oz plus which are often blemishes or silver with scuff marks from factory, and one guy had 12 for 36 bucks of a certain brand with inserts. If Tungsten does not have inserts, I don't care what the company says, it is sharp, will cut your line from BPS weights, Strike King etc...You can also just coat your line but Smaller weights under 1/4 in lead or brass are small enough imo...But you can buy top quality tungsten online in 3/8 $10 for 4-5 painted weighs, 3-4 for screw in tunsten. The guy with 5/16 and 3/16, 1/4 with like 2.90 shipping, he barely adds extra money for shipping so the $1.50 or $2.00 is worth it, they are top quality and perfect color, shape etc... Tungsten is dropping in price big time. I would not pay more than $5 for a 1.5 anymore. Ebay will have them, or just google it. one company sells 2 1.5 oz for $11 free shipping from Long Island and they make quality stuff.....Weights are really good. Tungsten is only needed imo for punching because 1 oz plus get too big, but I use it now for all since lower profile looks better and I like smaller weights, feel is not something I really notice unless using braid. Then Fraying is dangerous if weight is sliding, make sure inside is smooth, don't trust any brand that says no insert needed, it will break when you swing at the worst times. Just my take.

That looks awesome. Another option, something I have used when space is at a premium, or shore, I take heavy duty plastic bags put a grommet in the corner, Use 6-8 bags, then buy a clip to attach to your belt, I put my top 10 bags of plastics in these bags, Spinnnerbaits, Jigs, Hooks, Weights and what I plan on using most. I bring a bag with all the extra colors, specialty baits etc. But Great Job getting them all in an easy to carry soft bag. Being organized as a Co-Angler is super important since every minuted wasted looking for a hook, bait, tying knots etc. with less rods is maybe a missed fish. I keep working to minimize my tackle to include only what I need, which is still way too much, but less is better. Having terminal tackle in all sizes organize and ready, soft baits, all you need is one box of hardbaits for a day. You know what you will be doing, if your Boater is fishing grass all day, then it is easy and you could bring only the hip bag. Good Luck. Make sure you carry some small 2-3" Swimbaits or grubs or tough days when you maybe can win with a limit and sometimes just getting action can get you going, tournamnent Angler's almost always fish big, Going small and light line behind them is sometimes really good. Tiny Cranks, Smaller Chatterbaits etc. Some guys win local Tournaments with Inline Spiinners here in FL when a 3 fish limit is tough to get.

Bladed jigs have once again become my favorite lure (I go through my own seasons) and I have been experimenting with them for years, always use them at night as my first choice of any lure other than maybe a Hollow topwater Frog since a Black Bladed Jig, Black/Blue, Black/Gold, Black/Silver, and for night I almost always use a black blade, and I have been importing hammered chatter blades that come in a nice gold color and they are thick, so for trailers, I tend to use a 4-5" GYB single Tail grub the most since I like to wake them over weeds, Rod held high, try to get the lure to go as slowly as possible and just tick weeds, and like a Crankbait,If you hit weeds, kill it or rip it to get strikes. In Tanic stained water I like a Black blade, Chart blade (Not Flashy more yellow) and My favorite color overall is Black, Blue with a few strands of Chart, I like a green pumpkin purple or GP blue, and I do well with a Metalic Silver Skirt, White, Silver, and some orange as a bluegill since that is the color in many lakes. I almost always use Black blades, Black/Purple scaled painted on, Gold and Copper. I never fish chatterbaits in clear water but If I do, I use the small 1/8 size with a small sassy shad on back. If using Z-Man Chatterbaits keep that hook sharp, You need to sharpen it out of the package and if you grind it down too much they split after time. The Strike King Poison is actually pretty good for $5, I don't like the New one they have since it rises too much, but you can fix a riser by bending the lip down, and adding some weight to the hook, if using a swing jig design, I add 1/8 to the shank. White and Sexy Shad, Chart I use mostly when fishing them like a spinnerbait, I also like to swim them off the bottom or swim them 4 feet, kill it, let it sink 3 feet, rip it up and make it erratic, but when I do that I use a split tail trailer or spinnerbaits since I miss too many strikes if it is all over the place. I have found I like the smaller blades, I used to get them here in America from all the compoent shops but now I make my own using the Imported blades and they also send the heads that open to connect direct (Ball head, my guess is savage) and they have 5 different sizes, I kind of like the smaller blades since the trailer is what gives the bait the most action, and they seem to look most natural. I use the Lake Fork Magic swimmer without the paddle tail, usually pull off the skirt but I always leave about 10 2" skirt strands of clear with red flake to give it the look of gills. I like the 1/4 for fishing over grass, and I will use a 4" Senko, Swim Senko, Twin Tail grubs, Rage Craws, Toads, I like Flukes when I want an erratic action, but the boot tail swimbaits are hard to beat for slow rolling. Just today my buddy asked me to tie him a smoke & green flake skirt with some smoke brown in it and a few strands of Gold in it for flash, and he called me and said the color matched the stained water color perfectly, he used a Green Pumpkin Purple Rage Menace grub, and was fishing the 3/8 Z-Man elite? Colors do matter, I have never done well with silver blades, I know some do, but I color most with a sharpie or buy paint. Making your own is much cheaper and you can add a blade to any jig, Hook, and get creative. Once I tried the Stanley Hale Raiser I had a light bulb go off since that Jig is totally different than all the rest, not nearly as much chatter, or vibration, or erratic, but it comes through weeds well and they smash it. I also found on smaller versions, 1/8,3/16,1/4, I do not use a Snap to connect the blade to ring or jig, I use an Oval split ring to attach the blade or reg split ring to attach. Seems to work as good and cleaner....hope that helps, i know I dumped out a ton , but Bluebasser (Pics Above) knows how to make a good bladed Jig. I purchased a lot after seeing his pics and the quality of hook is the most important part of a bladed jig at the end of the Day. I also like the swinging heads not the freedom, but the ones you can buy in a bullet shape and making a jig out of them, the rule is one ring horizontal eye, 2 rings vertical, but you can also use wire, and just google Eaker Shaker made by Eagle Claw. That is how the family from Rad created the Chatterbait by using that to experiment, You can buy huge lots on Ebay of those old blades for nothing, once Z-Man had the patent, they then made the Strike King version with the weighted bottom, and I think they have sold 2 other versions on the market to companies. Z-Man Elites are not much better than the Original, the 7.99 TW ones are the best of Z_man, Project Z? Most others are just their Arkie Jig or Swim Jig with a ring, wire form, with a blade...If you like Phenix, but the jigs or $2, attach a ring or two, blade and you save $5. It only costs $2 tops to buy painted parts and custom skirts per lure, making them yourself helps you get better at fishing them. I learn something new everyday, Slow is almost always best, But waking can be awesome as well. Good Luck, Didn't proof read, Just typed this out real quick. Maybe something helps you out.

It attracts turtles more than any other lure I have used. I have to say, If you want a bait that looks like a bent, stiff, dead panfish, or batch tub toy with over the top walking action then yea, I guess it is ok. I am sure over Mats it will be good, but I will never use it ever again, The worst Hollow body Frog/Creature etc. I have purchased imo. It Just is not good for $14 and the fact Dicks is doing BOGO for $10 so only $5 each and that was a month after they were released tells me they are not selling. They look so fake and I would rather throw a Bill Plummer Super Frog without question. If you want a new hollow body that has a unique action and can be found buy one get one half off at Dicks for $13...The Molix Supernato Beetle, I fish alot at night, and it is basically a weedless Jitterbug, great hooks, soft, Can pop it, walk it...Legit. I am a fan of Live Target Frogs and the Mice. I actually like the LT lipless Shiner and Crawfish, but they have some gimmicks and this is the worst lure I have ever purchased, and I try everything, It is rare you buy a lure for $10 that gives you 0 Confidence when it just looks so FAKE. Hard to describe until you use it. Sure it walks with a wide glide because of the bend, but it looks like a Bath tub toy being pulled on string if fishing brade and Gators will follow but not strike, even Gators won't hit it, and they love Topwater when young especially.. SAVE YOUR MONEY. Jawbone Frog is better than 1 LT sunfish and I never bash baits or lures, but this is robbery. I see no reason to use it over any frog at any time, The New Terminator Frog is a nice new profile for $10 and it is actually really good, smaller than the SPro King Daddy but bigger than a 65T live Target and hard body but great hook up ratio like a Spro/Phat Frog.

Spinners catch fish. Light line, small Rooster tail is fun. I only use them when I am looking to have fun and just get strikes, I just don't catch big fish on them unless I upsize to a #3 size or bigger, less strikes but better fish. For Trout I used to always go small, #1 size, but you can catch big Bass on a tiny spinner you just have to go through some smaller fish usually. I have a friend who uses 1/8 oz spinners out of the back seat of the boat as a co-angler and does well some days. Spinners catch fish, all gamefish. Just like a Minnow bait..

I would simply say that 105 is basically the standard size for all walking baits marketed toward bass as I believe 100MM is 4" and is what I consider the standard size walking bait. 1 ounce is heavy, I don't usually like going above 115 for Bass fishing unless the lure is thinner and then I would go up to 135mm, but I believe the Shower Blower is a Big Walker, I tend to lean 105, only because the Duo 105 size has become one of my favorite baits to throw. Changing the profile 5mm may be why fish seem to like it better than the standard 100 size?

In early Spring and Summer, It is the only time I really notice that Color matters for sure. I noticed when I was a young kid that an orange/chart, orange/red spinnerbait in spring or red crankbait will often out fish any other color. I am sure other colors work, but in the Spring through July, I put orange or Red in almost every skirted bait I fish. I notice in Summer I will do better with chart/White patterns for the most parts or just black. I find Jerkbaits both floating and suspending work well all year round, it just depends on water clarity, but a Jerkbait that matched the action of the fish will always work. I find that Lizards do not work as well in the Fall, end of Summer nearly as well as they work early in the year, and in cold water, I do well on Road Runners even small ones and catch good sized bass, but I try them in the summer and only catch panfish. I think a Jig, Jerkbait, or slowly worked soft bait can work all season, but Tubes seem to excel in the Spring then taper off as well. Not sure why but maybe it is just me. I never throw the A-Rig, but that is interesting. I would think an A-Rig worked slowly in Summer would be a slam dunk, but then again, figuring out Bass is just not easy. I never could get into the A-rig, I know it works but it is just heavy, I always feel like I am trolling for Bluefish and I hated doing that as a Kid. I think I need to try the better versions. I have only used the original versions with thick wires that were clearance and seem to never sell online at any price. I guess I should invest in one of the better versions that cost a bit more. I bet they would be great in Saltwater as well.

I have always felt that any weightless plastic can be wacky rigged and sometimes they want the action of a do nothing worm, sometimes here in Florida, a Lizard wacky rigged actually looks more natural imo as it appears to be sinking and flailing like it just fell out of a tree. I love throwing Lizards after Rain since they wash into ponds and lakes and especially under trees, I like to make a good splash if a chop is on the water and big rain drops are falling into the water, usually it gets slurped within the first few seconds in the water. when it works it works, when it doesn't, it doesn't, but always worth a try. If a Senko or Trick worm is not working, try a worm with a swimming tail, lizard, creature, or tube etc. Profile matters, so does vibration and lizards have all those little appendages that shake. BPS makes a Floating 8" Lizard that is a hard plastic unlike Elaztach, and will float a worm hook, sometimes it is the best Topwater you can choose. You should know really quick.

7" Black Power worm is one of the essential soft baits every bass Angler need to have in the box. When Power worms first came on the market I was still using the Culprit Ribbon Tails but my buddy started using Powerbait instead, and I remember that the Power Worms quickly replaced the Culprits because they just flat out work. Almost always. I think with the new Scents on the market Many angler's including myself have moved on from Powerbait in favor of Scents like Megastrike or Just using the Scent and Salt infused in the plastic, but I was recently fishing a small pond and I was not doing well when I reached into my bag and found a kit of 7" Power Worms in black with 2 3/0 hooks and a 1/4 oz weight. I rigged it up weightless on 8lb test Mono and started getting strikes in the exact same spots I was throwing similar worms, sometimes a simple black worm with that Power Bait scent is tough to beat. Good Suggestion. I would spend weekends on a lake in Up state NY in College and fish nothing but a Ribbon tail worm in black the entire weekend and do well. Sometimes I would go to Motor oil if water was clear, but Sometimes you can't beat the Powerbait scent imo.

Just chuck a Floating Rapala in F-7 to F-11 size, or a small 4-6" plastic worm in a natural color maybe with a split shot in front about 18" up. I would go with the lightest line possible, sometimes nothing beats a small lipless crankbait if not to much grass, if the fish have not seen a rattle trap, the first few times are usually really fun. Same with a spinnerbait, smaller 1/8-1/4 size or inline spinner, smaller chatterbait with a black blade. weightless plastics fished slow and start fan casting from the shore and toward weed edges, ambush spots, any soft bait will work but hard to beat a senko or old school 6" Twister tail especially in black with chart tail this time of year with all the small bluegill in the water. Just match the line according to the cover, and to the size of lure, you don't want to be fishing a Rapala minnow on heavy line if you have alot of weeds and big bass in 5lb range because the standard hooks will bend without your drag set properly, that is when the plastic minnow baits like the bomber 13A work well, 14a, and rebel minnow, yo-zuri Pins minnow etc... The new Rebel bluegill lure is pretty good and only dives about 4', flat sides, and the barbless hooks come in handy if walking the shoreline without pliers.

I would look at the Panfish Jigs that are made by Zoom and Mister Twister which have hooks in size #10 and smaller if needed, weights from 1/32 and up. I would think 1" you would want to go #8-#10, longer shank so you don't gut hook fish since Fish seem to choke gulp baits when they are working. The Gulp leeches and Minnows are really good, I use the Maggots and earthworms on my Ultralight to have fun and sometimes I use a small Treble hook with a split shot and float. Usually I am targeting anything from Shiners to Small Bluegills just to see what the forage looks like color wise to match my lures for the day.Usually I just free line a small bait with maybe a tiny shot or not, slower fall sometimes works best but I guess it all depends on current etc.

It looks like a darker version of ghost minnow, most companies have a color similar, red with some yellow and silver flash....I guess it is more Pink, but that is a standard color, exact replicas may be tough to find, but I am sure you can find close enough, Rapala has a ton of colors like that, Bomber, most of the G-Finish style colors, even bass pro or house brand baits. Many lures have orange or yellow on the belly and a pink or red tone, Clown would be similar but offer more contrast, but the key to that color is the flash in the translucent body, R2Sea makes alot of colors like that for example. Bomber just released about 30 new colors for the long A series putting the total amount of colors on Pradco alone at about 50 plus you can find tons of rare colors on Ebay.

Bitter's baits here in Central Florida has a fantastic soft bait line up, tons of colors that are unique, designed for many Florida Specific lakes, but at the end of the day, a good color is a good color. They do $50 free shipping, and you get 2 bags of baits for $5. All top quality soft baits & $50 can load you up for a year. Producto is another company that makes some nice baits at really good prices in bulk since they are an OEM and pour in house. If you just go to the section on this site for lure companies, you can often find good deals if you call niche companies or companies like Culprit, Bass Assassin etc. They sometimes will have jig heads and terminal tackle at really good prices....I also like to buy stuff from the Barlows, Lure craft, Skirts Unlimited, component companies. Hagens fish is also good for terminal tackle like treble hooks, and grubs etc. Bitter's baits here in Central Florida has a fantastic soft bait line up, tons of colors that are unique, designed for many Florida Specific lakes, but at the end of the day, a good color is a good color. They do $50 free shipping, and you get 2 bags of baits for $5. All top quality soft baits & $50 can load you up for a year. Producto is another company that makes some nice baits at really good prices in bulk since they are an OEM and pour in house. If you just go to the section on this site for lure companies, you can often find good deals if you call niche companies or companies like Culprit, Bass Assassin etc. They sometimes will have jig heads and terminal tackle at really good prices....I also like to buy stuff from the Barlows, Lure craft, Skirts Unlimited, component companies. Hagens fish is also good for terminal tackle like treble hooks, and grubs etc. Also, Keep in mind, without Sponser's to any website like this, it would not exist. Kind of like Commercials on TV.....Everyone has bills to pay and a job to do. Nothing wrong with Capitalism. Nothiing wrong buying from whichever company you like, big or small but it is always good to have local connections and visit local tackle shops since Online Retailer's like Amazon are really killing them. It is hard to get good info if planning a trip to a big lake without stopping by the local bait shop, sometimes just listening to other's talk can lead you in the right direction, so if you need a pack of hooks etc. It may be worth paying a few bucks more every so often.

Thunder Pop

You can find awesome deals on the bubble walker or popper on Ebay right now as I think R2SEA has changed the line up. I have several of the walkers and poppers and I like them, I find that they are very similar to the BPS Popper that is 3.99 both have the holes in the face, same shape, and truthfully I can't tell them apart except R2Sea uses better trebles, sig in eye, and then, I don't see anything not even color in some cases. I would go with the 80 size walker as it is a sweet bait. They have really nice colors and details but if looking for a bait similar to the Megabass Popper, Take a look at the Strike Pro Thunder Pop. $6.99, same shape, features, tons of colors, long casting, same guy on Ebay sells them both, and Strike Pro has a bunch of Poppers/Walkers since they are an OEM that has over 2000 lure patents today. I have been impressed with the Thunder Pop, Most people assume it is a Megabass when they see them. If Looking for a Popper that is very high quality, and just awesome for getting strikes, the 64mm Popper from Duo is really good(new/Improved version of the Heddon Popper, can't think of the name).They make a walking bait that is also really good. I think they make one that is 85mm, I have not used that size but I am sure it is good and color is A+++. DUO makes a really nice lure, and they did a write up in Tackle Retailer that showed how each lure is designed, tested, and they truly put a ton of research behind their lures. I am not a brand name person, but DUO is priced Very reasonable for what you get. Either way, R2Sea makes some great lures at a great price, but I would look into the stirke pro if you want a walker/Popper and the BPS Popper, it has the same mouth as the popular Slim Dog walker which also has holes in the face. I just don't like the stock hooks on BPS lures, although or the smaller topwater lures, if using light line with your drag set properly, they will do the job. I usually just buy the VMC Inline hooks which are a good value, and they make a #3 and #5 which is nice since you can add a bigger hook on a short shank etc... just my take, but buy whatever you think will work best. All about confidence since the angler gives these lures the action, any walking lure will work, as long as you have a one knocker and a silent, standard loud rattle you have all angles covered for most part. the Trend seems to be loud One Knocker's for Walking baits lately, and I seem to prefer them as well. The Duo 110 Pencil Popper has become one of my top lures overall, and I try to force feed Topwater lures to Bass as much as possible. I like the walking style Pencil Poppers that Cotton Cordell made popular for Surf casting and I guess Lucky Craft was the first with the Gunfish (Another killer topwater lure) You can buy the new 117mm for $8. Kind of crazy since a Gunfish has always been a $15-$20 lure for most part. Megabass lures are great, but I would rather have 2 Strike Pro lures, and 2 R2Sea in 2 sizes, 2 colors personally. Just my take. Hope that helps with some ideas. You Tube has tank demo's that show most lures in the water. Sebile makes a Popper called the "Splasher" that is money as it comes with Owner hooks and great on spinning rods, or heavy braid etc. The bubble walker and Megabass lure actually look identical to about 6 different brands. I would go with the Bubble Walker over Popper if you are not a fan of the Rebel, only difference is the colors and imo the Rebel is as good as any standard popper just depends on size etc. Pradco has now changed up all the colors on all their lures with G-Finish, Flash colors, and the new lures on the Pradco site look like all the other high end lures. Strike Pro has several versions, all very similar to R2Sea versions, Owner, and a few others. Good components as well. Frog color looks great if in stock.

I would use a Frog that has a bright top so you can see it clearly on long casts, especially if the frog sits low in the water and is in heavy weeds. I would simply put a few Spots of Bright Red Nail Polish on the top or use a Red Marker, it will wipe off even if permanent in many cases, but the best way to set the hook on a frog is to make sure it is under water. I use the Spro Colored from that has a white body with Bright Pink top as my main frog when I want white, and if I want to use a black frog, I always color the top with 4 Red Dots. Never has caused less strikes at all. I do it to most of my topwater lures as well, All my floating Rip Baits have a line of red on top except for lighter ones I don't cast on windy days or on light line. I have never noticed it causing less strikes even on expensive "Pretty baits", but my favorite lures lack 50% of their color anyway.

Thanks for the suggestions, I am already a huge Rapala guy and love the F-7 to F-18 Orignal floater, and I plan on buying 2 of the new Slow floating Shadow Shad Raps as I love the colors, and they seem to be a more durable and heavier version that the Flat Rap which is light and tough to cast, but does float up slowly. I also like the price. The Ima Flit is no doubt on my list as well. I did not know they make a floater, I will check out the website as I have heard the IMA Flit has a great reputation and I like the pricing on the IMA baits as well. It seems they have lowered pricing which is great, $10 is fair for a top quality lure and I am sure the hooks will be good to go as is. I can't find one positive review on the Damiki Slim Jack, for some reason I wanted to try that lure but I think it is discontinued for a reason. I have enough Eye candy in my collection that never get's used. Almost all Rapala lures seem to work out well for me with the exception of the Scatter rap.

Always Super glue the weights on cheaper frogs. The Jawbone frogs are decent, I think that is what is in the Basses mouth in the picture I have on my profile, they have 2 generations, some really fall apart, some are decent, but other than the weight and nose being un sealed, they are great for $2 when on sale 5/10 at dicks mix and match with Yum and Havoc. Don't by the Rat. It is the same as the .50 Chinese Ebay rats, hooks are Junk, It is just junk and if it gets smashed by a large Bass, you will be mad when it rips the bait apart and you lose the fish. I use these frogs when I am fishing areas where I am losing baits in trees and can't go in to get them, so they surve a purpose, loc tite gel will fix any frog and I glue all weights in. But if you are using them in standard spots, spend your money on a Booyah frog which is often $4 and is pound for pound maybe the best frog. It will catch fish and hold up well, plus they have 2 sizes, poppin, all good. Strike King is a good frog for the money, Scum Frogs especially Trophy are way under priced with Owner Hooks and brass weights, colors, different designs, texture, they make a killer line up. Ebay has the Scum Frog rats 3/10 free shipping. I would suggest trying a rat, they work really good, and the older Scum frog or Snagproof (I forget) is every bit as good as the LT. Better hook ups. Less Junk in the trunk to get in the way.... Make sure when sealing frogs that they are not completely sealed or they wont collapse, nose and weight will usually be good as air comes out of legs, or just poke a hole in back with a hook for a drain. That is important.