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I have endless amounts of soft baits in tons of colors but since I am always fishing stained water, I am always throwing green pumpkin or watermelon red, or mix of flake, or black and red or black and blue, and in summer I stick with any worm that is 9-12" when hot, but will downsize on tough days and go as small as a 3" grub or hellgramite and often a 3" senko helps get your confidence back and also help establish a pattern by getting strikes and action.... I am not afraid to break out my spinning gear and 6lb test and throw a 3" senko on a dropshot...I usually end up catching big fish when I am just looking for numbers anyhow, so I always make sure I am using quality hooks even if they are a small circle hook... You really can't go wrong with any brand as long as you know what it does in the water and how it moves when sitting on the bottom resting...Triple ripple tail worms are awesome for just chucking out in the weeds and letting settle....I have had good strikes after 2-3 min of deadsticking because the tail is always moving and eventually a Bass will swim past a worm put in a place you think Bass travel.

I would post a sign at the pond on a tree with your number to let someone know you found their tackle bag if it contains a decent amount of stuff...I remember losing my tackle box at a ramp as a kid on a small lake (before cell phones and internet) and a week later I found a sign posted where the D.E.C posts regulations that a box of tackle was found... I had a huge plano box back then, big double sided box with tons of lures and I was devastated, and when I saw that sign as I went back a few times to look and ask around I remember being stoked. If I remember correctly my father handed the guy a $50 bill and he wouldn't accept, so maybe post on craigs list or local chat group for fishing if it is worth anything.

you know a bait is good when every company has copied it....bass pro speed shad, Kalin's Sizmic Shad,Assassin boss, Kicker Fish, Lunker City, Berkley....The Keitechs come in more sizes and have that slot for nail weights which is cool. Anytime you see a bait copied by dozen's of companies like the Senko, Chatterbait, Swing Impact Minnow, skinny dipper, you know they are legit and good baits that should be in your box, and everyone fishes these baits in unique ways and has success which makes bass fishing so much fun... These ribbed swimbaits are by far my favorite trailers at night for swim jigs and bladed swim jigs for bulk and vibration....that Tail gives off some crazy thump behind a quality bladed jig

I use the 3.8 & 4.8 and it has taken the place of my old favorites like the EZ Swimmer & Bass Pro Sassy Sally swimbaits (skinny dipper design but softer). I love em as trailers on my bladed swim jigs, flipping jigs, spinnerbaits(smaller size for lift especially at night) and they are great on a texas rig pegged with a 1/4-3/8 oz wieght, heavier on the bigger models, and they are buoyant and rest on the bottom with a tail up action due to the ribs so I love to slowly swim, deadstick, shake, swim again.... Swimbaits can take awhile to get used to and gain confidence in as I used to always give up on them quickly and go to a fluke or worm, but once you get the right balance with hook and weight, you can cover alot of water with this bait and throw it anywhere if rigged weedless.... It works great under a punch skirt and every bit as good as a beaver or craw...Especially in the fall when Shad are heading up the creeks. I actually have alot of success with smaller swimbaits like the 3.8" using a modified c-rig by basically pegging a light 1/8-3/8 weight 12-18" in front of the bait and use a Gamakatsu split shot hook with weedguard and simply lip hook it like it was a live shiner. I just cast it out and do the lift and fall, or slowly reel,I have done well with this method in pressured situations and love the sight fish color I think its called. The good news is alot of companies are making versions of the keitech although very few are cheaper, in fact most are more expensive. Bass Assassin has a good version but keitechs have the best feel and scent imo.

I also like to use Punch rigs for more than just flipping heavy cover which is what most people think of when you hear punch rig...Most people think smaller 3" craw like a Yum big show, Gambler BB cricket, or even larger creatures/craws with a heavy tungsten weight 1 ounce and up... I make my own punch rigs for casting out of lead weights and use silicone skirts like on jigs as they do help get your soft bait through weeds easier as the guys above mentioned. It is another way to give a beaver or spider grub, creature or craw some added flare and contrasting color...I take a 3/8 oz weight, use a hub for the skirt, and if you research online you can order all the components you need to make your own, although Tungsten is better for sure as you can feel more and it is smaller.....I enjoy matching skirt to bait color and length, and it is a great way to dress up a plastic worm as well. I have seen some pics posted on this site of a Texas rigged punch skirt....I have not seen the one on Siebert but I am going to check them out as I would like to move to more Tungsten for lighter weights and screw in florida weights. Tackle warehouse has punch skirts for dropshot rigs so once you put a skirt on a soft bait it becomes addicting since they are easy to make and you can use floating worm weights, walleye slip floats, and make some cool rigs for throwing your favorite soft baits....I also use alot of the GYB skirts and add them to senkos all the time as well as ribbon tails to give them for action while falling and at rest. Punch rigs in general seem to be gaining popularity over a jig quickly, and making your own combo's and custom rigs is fun and easy. a white skirt slipped over a 5" pearl double tail grub or single grub is a great way to cover water with a lighter wieght in the 1/8-3/8 range...Jigs/Punch Rigs, creature baits, craws, seem to catch bigger fish imo.

The Slip shot rig is one of my most productive ways of throwing soft baits in open water or for covering water as I get bored dragging carolina or drop shots....I feel I can fish the slip shot so many ways with floating and salted baits and with fluorocabon vs. mono you can create any look you want. I find Fluorocarbon makes the main difference on all these rigs and I used to hate it. Now that I have come to see the benefits of fluoro and it's stealth, have learned to re-tie and take my time with knots, I am upset that was not using fluoro the last few years and instead going straight braid or co-poly..... I think the new Fluorocarbon's are flat out better than ever before and buying top quality leader material will help any rig with a worm imo....especially the split shot rig, just be carefull not to crimp it on the line to tight as it wil fray the line and break at the worst time.....I like to use a rubber core weight at times.

For lipless cranks, I love the Sebile Flatt Shad Suspending 77 model and the snagless versions are pretty good as well although you can modify almost any lipless crank to be snagless. The Flatt Shad has liquid inside which at first sounds like a gimmick but it gives the appearance of scales falling off the bait, and when you throw the 77 size, it is about 25% larger than your typical 1/2 ounce version and they make smaller versions as well but they don't suspend...I fish this lure all year round and throw it here in Florida in Lakes that are topped out with weeds and as long as you have 2-3" or an alley way, you can burn it fast and it dives maybe 1' at most, and when stopped, it stops on a dime, suspends nose down and looks so real and just sits and drives em crazy. I keep one rigged next to my flipping stick and will pitch it into a tight spot and let it sit, and work it like a topwater and it get's killed..Flat sides, great for cold fronts, and it does not have rattles but vibrates like crazy....Needs better trebles, but be careful modifying it too much, but this is a fantastic lure in sinking as well....I like the larger models and during the spawn the chart pattern is killer deadsticked over nesting areas, and bass pattern when guarding fry...Love this lure as you can tell....You can find them for under$10 if you look around but the cordell suspending spot can't touch this crankbait...I am not a fan of all Sebile lures but the Flatt Shad and square bills (Cranksters) are good lures everyone should have, and Koolie Minnow jerkbait/cranks that sink which is often the ticket when shad are dying. Spinnerbaits, I buy cheap and buy alot when on sale and find that any model over $3 works good for me as long as I have the right blade combo for situation, trailer, and good quality hook....I do like to buy custom skirts in bluegill patterns for jigs and spinnerbaits

The Thing I love the Most about Tackle Warehouse and the main reason I order from them is obviously the selection and specialty to bass fishing, but more importantly, I find that the reviews for products to be 100% honest, unfiltered, and it seems the average customer who comments is a bit more educated on fishing than other websites. I can't stand reading.... "Best lure ever, caught a 4lber first cast."... I think that leaving feedback for companies is a huge way to help with future business, and if you feel a lure does not do what it says, it is alway's best to be honest, and can give valid reasons (IE. Lure did not suspend on 14lb test mono, warm weather, however adding a Larger Hook or adding 1 suspend dot did the job"...I have ordered alot of good lures and line based on reviews where I could tell the customer knew what he was talking about and used the lure more than 1x. I like to give feedback on a new lure after a few trips, and have found some awesome "odd baits and brands" from reading reviews..... I am dying to get on that site right now and order every color of the Ima Skimmer, New Evolve Hardbaits which I have heard great things about, and I have to get my hands on this Jackall Boil Topwater.....and I want to try some new suspending jerkbaits from a new Japanese company like Evergreen as I love trying new stuff...Tackle Warehouse always gets me...$50 is my target, and I end up struggling to get it under $100 when I realize I need line, weights, accessories, and nobody beats them for having an organized site to find anything.....Got off topic as usuall, but I don't like wish lists, they cause me to overspend....

There is a guy who writes for one of the websites that is linked to Bass Resource and his name is Russ ***, I think it is Fins& Tales, but he also has an Ebay shop that is awesome because he writes a ton of articles to go along with all his custom tackle which not only look awesome, but he explains everything you would want to know about every lure on the market to every jig as well as customs... He also has about 100+ article on Bass Fishing attached to his store, he is published, and I originally learned about jigs and different types of styles from reading his articles years ago....If you like spinnerbaits, I will say that I have purchased a few $10 models over the years and they work great and look just as good as his pics.....He will go into a 1000 word article to explain why and how an XRAP should be fished, the origins, how pro's use it, and he provides alot of good info...Just an FYI....I just checked out Siebert as I have not needed jigs in awhile, but they do have good pricing and I use the BIG O jigs as I "Borrowed a few from a friend recently". Thumbs up they are legit.

. I actually have these worms in that exact pattern....light watermelon top with pearl bottom, light pink and green flake on pearl side, some have it thoughout the worm...it was purchased as a blemished color that didn't meet spec for the brand it is sold under...I can't download pics but it does work pretty good at times..The GYB watermelon green light colored laminate with pearl is a very popular color as well, these were errors but they do work well but are not magic.

I would bet money that you could find that color on bitters bait and tackle website.....Bitter's is legendary here in the Florida market especially around the Kissimmee chain of lakes as they make alot of colors & styles of baits for those lakes and water colors... They have endless amounts of colors, but as many mentioned, I doubt it was the "Color" that worked so well otherwise GYB would not have disco'd it and everyone would be buying bags on top of bags if it was magic.... However, confidence is key so if you think that color is magic, have a company pour some for you and you can have them take the extra plastisol and make some creatures and grubs in that color as well....What color was water where he was fishing?Shallow or deep? weightless? wacky or punched with 2 oz weight...so many variables, maybe he was using 4lb test and catching numbers, I doubt any color is going to outfish the green pumpkins, watermelons, smokes, blacks, and laminates in forrage patterns.

A.T. or All Terain Jigs have some good casting jigs....An Arkie Shaped Jighead is mostly used for Flipping, and a good grass/casting jig has the line tie at the front of the nose for the most part...I like the Structure Jig as well, and some of the swim Jigs with the head that is designed to glide, has a 90 degree line tie is very effective for slow rolling or ticking the grass, or on bottom. I buy alot of A.T jigs since a Gander Mountain is close to where I live so I stop and grab a few on the way to trips to lakes, but I like to order from custom jig manufactures who can make a jig with the colors you prefer and fish do not see everyday....I like Black and blue jigs and also watermelon jigs, and a jig from say Siebert jigs will come in shades of black & Blue with awesome looking powder coated heads, thick silicone skirts etc....And I am all about saving money but for Jigs, I like a custom jig for my important casts and only take them out when it really counts since I lost alot of casting jigs/Flipping jigs/swim jigs and losing a $2 jig hurts less than a $5 jig but the custom jigs are better for sure. Sorry for the ramble but you can never have too many types of jigs and I am always reading and taking advice from anyone willing to give it for jig fishing. I used to fish football jigs up north since we had rock and hard bottom, but here in the south it is all about soft bottoms, weeds, and structure...Stanley makes some good jigs as well, Strike King is on par with any over the counter jig as well.

I think you will find that both reels are "Quality" and I don't think that should be a concern when looking at $300 & $500 Revo's....If you are a diehard and already have a bunch of rods and reels, go with the $500 model, but if you do not own a baitcasting reel, go with the 2 premiers since you will be happy you did when you realize how nice it is to have "specialty set ups". You have a good problem, however, I would buy 5-6 reels based on the rewards points you have and get a 4 baitcasting reels like a curado or Lews or Revo for $100-$150, and 2 good spinning reels in the $100 range...Revo's,Shimano, and Daiwa seem to hold value the best, as you can see if looking on Ebay. Okuma and other's make awesome reels but a used $200 Okuma is worth $50 after opening the box.

I Used to love fishing Spooks and Chug Bugs, but ever since throwing the Ima Skimmer I would say it is 3x productive than the Spook or Sammy (For me at least) and it is super fun to fish as they kill it super fast some days, and as fast as you can walk it is usually how it does it's best work...It is thin and has an action different than any other walking lure I have ever used....Devils Horse is my go topwater for casting to targets and working slow, double prop baits are awesome and fish do not see them much IMO and on tough days a tiny torpedo especially in clear can be killer.

If I am in the right spot, right line, right presentation-size and color, I actually could care less if I am fishing a GYB, Big Bite, or any brand as it will catch fish. The big bite Rojas Cane Sticks for a buck were a steal and I grabbed a dozen packs in awesome colors and they are awesome, super soft and don't last but the action is as good as a Senko, Dinger, Ace, Salt Lick, Ocho, Stik O, Tiki Stick, Sugar Stix, culprit Stinger, Charlies, Venom Sling stick, Chompers super sinker.....At this point they are all good, it is the person at the wheel who makes it all happen.....If you can't cast it in the right areas or have poor hook setting skills that is a problem, but brands all make good baits now, and I can truly say that I can't say any companie's "Senko" is garbage.....GYB does offer a ton of colors and also the Pro Senko and I love their grubs/spider grubs so I buy them when on sale and if Chompers or Bass Pro XPS grubs are on sale I buy those, and they work fine and bass pro actually has some cool colors, and big Bite has the Squirel Tail Worm which I think is the best shaky worm IMO and not really cheap, same as zoom and the rest.... Bottom line, if you think the GYB Senko is best, then fish it because in fishing if you believe it to be true, than it will most likely work best as you will be confident...I don't like the smell of garlic, but like the smell of coffee, so even though I love the Gambler line of baits, I will always choose strike King since there baits will do what the Gambler baits can do if rigged on same tackle. The KVD shiner is good, so is the Ez swimmer, the Otter is great, the Rodent is awesome and so is the new floating beavers which are durable but I hate keeping them on the hook

Great Info, and it's amazing how many people use these techniques but are rarely discussed but instead we are always reading articles in magazines about using Carolina rigs with a bunch of beads,spacers, rattles, Exotic Drop Shots or Power shot set ups, and now the c-rig is morphing into an Umbrella rig. I see guys turning it into what we are calling the "Calabama Rig" as they are using heavy line 15-20lb co-polymer with a vmc spin shot hook for a drop shot bait so it is at a depth where it sits over weeds etc. and they can pause the C-rig if they feel in hit rock or structure. They then tie on some form of a 3 way swivel with a snap for a sinker and rattle combo,or a Jig with a rattle for another hook. Attach a short 8-10" leader of heavy mono to float it or use a pill float, walleye float to keep a small Buoyant bait in 2-3" size with a flurocarbon sinking long line to drag the larger bait...4 hooks in some cases and all water levels and bait types are covered..... Got off topic, but I also use the Mojo cylynder sliding weights instead of crimping a bull shot to not fray line or simply use a bullet weight and peg it or will do the c-rig light with a weight/bead and then swivel, and then add my leader and fish it as if it was weightless and I throw all and any style bait to cover water and work edges. I agree about using it as a finesse tactic with lighter line for more action, but I will still rig up a beaver or Power worm and as long as it is weedless and not getting buried in the weeds I am happy. I am in love with the slinky sinkers for muddy bottoms. C-rigs could be the most effective way to catch bass in a new lake, open water, and from the back of the boat but it is just boring lobbing long casts and dragging a bait super slow. I like simple rigs so I can cast more and feel like I am making progress, and I need to gain confidence in lighter fluoro as I have seen the light with fluoro and I truly believe fluoro will out fish braid without a leader or mono regardless of clarity. That 5lb test is expensive, I just invested in some Sunline and Seaguar and still can't drop that kind of money down when Sunline is working awesome and seaguar leader is good stuff as well.

THE SPLIT SHOT RIG IS SOMETHING I HAVE USED FOR YEARS AND THE LARGER THE BAIT THE LARGER THE SPLIT SHOT JUST LIKE A C-RIG. WITH ALL THE NEW FLOATING BAITS LIKE THE STRIKE KING ZERO, ZMAN ELAZTACH, ROBOWORMS ETC, YOU CAN TURN IT INTO A DROPSHOT RIG ESSENTIALLY. if you put a big shot say 3 feet above a small hook and rig a floating bait, the bait will rise above the shot and you can just shake or leave it in place and adjust it easily to keep bait above weeds. I use small shots just to add action and speed up the fall of most baits and I probably caught 90% of all my bass growing up and in college with a split shot 18-24" above a 7.5" culprit or power worm ribbon tail, or 9" bps squirmin worm curly tail.....I fished it as if the shot was not even there, now with a senko I do the same and find it allows me to cover more water and I get just as many hits on the drop than without and it saves time in deep water.

The Bill Plummer Super Frog but I never use it, was kind of excited when I first saw the Panther martin version and if correct I believe Harrison Hodge Inc. made the super Frog and since they make Panther Martin I guess that makes sense. Growing up on Long Island where they are based, I used alot of Panther Martin Spinners for Trout/Bass while fishing out of my Sea Eagle raft with a 17lb thrust Minn Kota Trolling motor on LI lakes and Rivers. That was a Reliable little Raft for 2 people, Great Design with the 2 boards as seats and it never once tipped over and it was used ALOT when I was young. I would like to get a few Crazy Crawlers as that used to be one of my favorite topwater lures, especially at night. It always seemed to catch larger Bass than the Jitterbugs and Hula poppers. I need to find some Crazy Crawlers, but I actually do carry and will throw the Bill Norman American Made Rat-lur topwater walking lure, and I have a bunch of old bagley's from when they were based out of Fort Myers Florida (Before going out of business then coming back) and the Top Gun Jerkbait, Mighty Minnow, and Hellcat are awesome lures, and any old balsa lure is usually good. I could go on forever and I love looking through Bass Pro Catalogs from the 80's and 90's to see all the lures and baits that either stayed around, or morphed into something else as they usuallly do come back around again. The best selling color 20 years ago nationwide was pumpkinseed, then Electric Grape, and now Green Pumpkin....Wonder what is next?

I love the Fall because now I can easily throw Floating Jerkbaits and fish them in areas that I couldn't all year long. If I can somehow figure out how to throw a Hardbait in an area everyone else throws softbaits I try to do it as much as possible.... I am getting all my Bomber Long A's, Bagley's Bang O Lure's, Rapala Floaters, Red Fins, and some floating shad shaped lures ready to go with new trebles, dressings, and drilling holes for some shad scent to leak out etc.....

I still have a tray with the old Excalibur lures in it including a few of these topwaters and the square bill with the same shape that gives the fish a new look. The Jimmy Houston Signed Super Spooks by Excal are also good and sound different, but my favorite old lure is another Xcaliber that is a killer. The Ghost Minnow Floating Minnow Jerkbait is a killer. Slim profile, casts well, and has a crazy erratic action, just make sure to put new Trebles on it, and a suspend dot helps many days as it floats fast, so slowing the rise often will have Bass Trying to rip the Rod out of your hands....I love their version of the Red head white body as it is more subtle than most and works great......You can still find these around cheap and they are a lure everyone should try if you fish rip baits alot like I do and like to throw Long A's,Rogues, Rapala's and Rebels, Flash Minnows etc.

I find the Quality of Hooks on the Red Eye Shads are good compared to many of the other brands, but I like to make the front hook larger and the Rear hook smaller anyway, and sometimes just change the Front hook to one size up in a Wide Treble, since I lose more fish on lipless cranks than any other lure as they almost always will strike after the Up stroke and they will get to the surface and Jump before you know it. I love using this technique and was paired with a guy in a tourney years ago who took me to school using the Yo-Yo Technique instead of simply reeling and stopping etc... The Red Eye shad is my favorite lipless since I have not found any other version that has the same shimmy on the drop, although the Rapala Rippin Rap was designed for this method and is another good choice and the shape is a bit different, as are the colors so I like to use both. Most Bass Grab it on the fall and the larger the Fish the less you will feel it many times since they simply flare their gills and suck it in from a good distance at times and simply swim away slowly or stay behind the cover and not move. I rarely feel the strikes, kind of like feathering a Grub or Tube in the same way off the bottom, but watch your line after ripping it up as it will Jump even if you have slack and that lets you know to come back hard on the follow up.... Once Hooked, do all you can to get them off the bottom as fast as possible with rod tip low to try and keep them down. I lost my largest Bass which would have been my first 10lb plus fish using this method by accident. I Took my first cast with a Firetiger Red Eye Shad, cast it a mile, and had a professional over run that needed work. As I am pulling loops from my baitcaster I here a Huge Splash and a voice say "A huge bass just jumped clear out the water with a huge bright Orange crank stuck in his cheek. I managed to engage the fish and fight it for a good 10 seconds but it was too late as it came up again and shook the lure free while shaking it's head and I would guess it had that lure in it's mouth for a good 30 seconds before we even knew it so alway's assume you have a fish on every upstroke as mentioned above. If Ripping is not working, one other techinique I use that actually kills em some days is to simply fish a trap like hopping a Tube off the bottom. You may get snagged alot in the wrong places, but I have had days where they would not hit a lipless crank using traditional methods, but slowly hopping on the bottom would produce really well. The In Fisherman wrote a great article on this about a year ago and listed all the lipless cranks on the market and explained which lures were best based on "cycling" and the pitch of the rattles.....IE (A Rapala Clackin Rap is a one Knocker that sinks like a rock, but a Live Target Shiner or Craw, Yo-zuri VIbe are also good lures for this. The Rage Shellcracker is also good in ponds and lakes where this works and I place a bead in between the 1/2 ounce bullet weight as they EAT it when it hits bottom, and due to all the scent and salt they infuse, they don't let go until you get a good set and can play em all the way to the bank....I have learned to love the Shellcracker and it took about a month to truly learn how to fish it but it is a killer many guys never use....got off topic but hope that helps.

I alway's have found that using the smallest hook possible gives the worm better action. With that said, I agree with all the above posts and I would think a 3/0 EWG hook would work for almost all worms but when in doubt the best way to check is making sure that when you compress the worm all the way down, there is plenty of "Hook" left for grabbing some Lip. I am not sure the brands and styles of every hook in my terminal tackle box since that is my most important box as weights, Hooks, beads, rattles etc. are what I end up using the most since I almost always have a soft plastic rigged even if fishing a jig or spinnerbait as a trailer. I have some EWG 1/0 hooks that fits most worms and the wire is light but as long as I don't set the hook super hard (Especially with braid) I have noticed I will get more strikes than someone using a 4/0 hook, and I have plenty of room left. I usually get my hooks from Bass Pro or Tackle Warehouse as I can compare and also read reviews as many guys will give specific examples of how the hook worked using certain baits. (I love Tackle Warehouse for this, the Reviews seem to come from experienced fisherman and they carry all the best stuff. I don't care about price when buying hooks, I buy only top quality and I also sharpen them often during the day. When in doubt, I usually go with a Wide Gap to make sure I am Ok. Also, You Tube has some great videos that show exactly how to rig worms and no matter how often you fish, it is always good to review fundamentals. Good question, this was a good read.

I would normally keep using the bait without the appendages or just a few. If they panfish are that aggressive then I would imagine all the craws in that area are missing claws and legs as well. Thowing a craw soft bait with all its claws may actually look out of place.... If you are using scent that could be a problem as well, so I usually just go without any extra scent if panfish are tearing them up, and if they are aggressive, I switch from a craw trailer to a swimbait trailer that mimics a bluegill.....Try Flipping the Shellcracker, Ez Swimmer, or a swimbait that mimics a bluegill or perch etc....may work better, you can use trailers on Jigs like spider grubs, swimbaits, worms, any soft bait...Also, Zoom baits at $5 a pack? A little shopping online and you can do much better for speed craws and other beavers etc... Just my 2cents but areas with alot of aggressive panfish usually have Large Bass in the area and larger swimbaits often work well.

Thanks for all the responses and I am glad I am not the only one with this problem. The fish were scattered yesterday and not really busting in groups so tougher to target but we drifted and watched for activity after we were done fishing all the "Fun" areas in the Lake. We were able to get a few decent fish that were schooling and we caught maybe 6-7 in 2 hours, 1 in the 3.5 range, but bigger fish were in the area. We each were lucky to have a good day early fishing the docks, laydowns, reeds, and we started to put up good numbers of fish flipping a green pumpkin red flake 5" Senko with a 1 oz. pegged weight, and I am convinced the addition of a red bead between the large wieght not only helps your knot stay strong but the sound it makes when it touches bottom seems to be when 90% of the fish grab it....I find it works better than rattles many times, but not always like anything in fishing. We decided to drift the Main Lake in the afternoon and my buddy was able to get on a roll with a few fish on the surface with a tiny torpedo in clear with some chartruese on the belly, and he worked it pretty fast. In 2 hours he had 4-5 fish, and I was simply having a good time using light tackle (4lb test) and casting a small Gitzit pearl flash tube and I had some good action, but all smaller fish, none were Bass either but it was cool to learn what all the panfish and crappie, Catfish and shiners look like in the lake which we didn't know as we always look for shad which is a mistake obviously. When I targeted the fish on the surface I waited to see them jump and then threw a Nail weighted 4" Pearl Senko wacky rigged and it worked decent but not sure it worked any better if I just drifted a worm instead. We found a few dead shad on the saltwater side of the spillway and that will help out as they have alot of chartruese in them and are small, 2" small and frail. I am sure they will soon be heading up the creeks and the schools should get tighter so I need to order some smaller spooks, topwaters, Jerkbaits, Swimbaits, and I need to try the keitechs again as they make a small size...I use the Bass pro Speed shad and it works great for me and much more durable in my opinion. the 3.8" size is great for all around use and for flipping and a trailer on a chatterbait, and the larger 4.8" is a big swimbait that fishes big and I love the action of that bait without any weight or simply using a weighted hook......The Kalin's Sizmic shad is a good swimbait as well compared to the Keitech, all are same price, and the Sizmic Shad is much Thicker with a fast taper so it swings wide and has a pronounced wobble but tails come off from short strikers but that happend on the keitechs...The BPS version and Bass Assassin are my favorites...Anway, Thanks for the tips, Fall should be the time for some true lunkers, and I am going to land my first 10lb plus this year for sure.

Been fishing a new lake as often as possible and I am starting to make progress understanding some of the patterns except one which should not be all that tough based on past experiences (It's never as easy as it looks on TV) Almost every time we have fished this lake the Bass that are suspending out in the Main Lake during the Summer Heat (6-11') start busting schools of shad in the same areas 2-3x daily but are super tough to catch. This happens often in the Florida Lakes and usually the following would work pretty good: 1- Strike King Caffiene shad or Zoom Fluke in a shad pattern fished near the surface weightless. 2- Darter head Jig w/ 3-5" Yamamoto Grub in White Ice or Pearl fished top to bottom, or a Lipless Crank in shad pattern-Red Eye Shad for the Shimmy and for Ripping if the Suspening Sebile Flatt shad is not working on the surface......my buddy is throwing skinny dippers and spooks without much luck either so we end up flipping all day. I alway's have a Floating Rip Bait Rigged and Ready to go, usually a Bomber Long A, Rapala Floater, Rattlin Rougue etc. and it is not the answer even when dropping to the smaller sizes. I have been reading about Hair Jigs and Bucktails in White, Spoons etc. but I was hoping someone could suggest a technique since it is getting frustrated and I think I maybe need a pointer on presentation???? What would you guys throw? and why? What am I missing? This seems like the perfect situation since weeds are not an issue & it's a hard bottom with shells (Which is why the Bass are here) and I am starting to think that maybe I need to go stealth and lighter line in the 6lb fluoro range even though visibiity is usually 12-18". Heading out Today so hopefully someone has a few tips we can try so we can start catching fish in bunches. We do decent flipping shorelines and dragging carolina rigs, but I want to put down the Heavy Rod. Thanks in Advance. I know I throw alot out there.....