primetime

I can be sold on Aliens since the Solar System is so Large and Unexplored, however, my gut tells me aliens will never come to earth in my lifetime. Bigfoot....He does exist, and he fights in the UFC..Guy is about 7'2" and he has a Growth Hormone DIsorder similar to what Andre the Giant had. Talented Athlete actually, but the Yedi or BIgfoot in the woods not found with all the satellites in the sky, and if we can find a black box from an airplane 3000 feet underwater in an Ocean, I would think we would be onto the trail so to speak. I have seen strange shapes and figures at night when fishing, and I can see how one could think they are people, but a coyote or pack of them can sound like they are talking while running. Darkness can be confusing for sure, and I know someone who claims to have seen one. I do not think he is lying, I just think he loves Mysteries and the Unknown, and if you believe it, then it is not a lie.

I posted this question about Night Fishing Lures a month ago, and I took this advice right here and decided a Chatterbait/Bladed Jig sounded like a great idea and for some reason my obsession with bladed jigs ended about a year ago and I stopped using them....I now ONLY throw Bladed Jigs at Night, love a black and blue Skirt, Black blade, Slightly bent for more vibration, and a Strike King Rodent or gambler Ez Swimbait, Bass Pro Spring Grub and I also have been doing will with white, Brown, and using the different brands without skirts and making my own with swimbaits and a chatter blade in front and I flat out Love these Jigs for day and Night, Flipped or Pitched, Dragged, Swimming on Surface....I am back in love with the bladed jig....Take the Above suggestion, Try it out, it flat out kills Bass and Snook and Stripers up North also seem to like em......Best Tip I received so far on this site, I always though Topwater lures, Black Spinnerbaits, BIg Black worms, but the chatterbait is so fun to throw, I am finding I use it anytime I can't use plastics or if cover is too heavy to flip..Anyone know of a good weedless version? I know the jig is good in weeds by design, but I want to be flipping this for extra flash and vibration all Summer. Thanks For this tip.

I would use a small Jig head or hair Jig/buckail dragged on the bottom, or a 2" grub as suggested above, spinner on the bottom or near it for catfish, and a 1/4-1/2 Gold or Silver Spoon like Acme kastmer is good choice. For a Striper, Perch, Catfish Trifecta, you will need to probe the bottom for Cats and Stripers often school near the surface but all can be had near the bottom or in shalow water..If I was trying to accomplish this, I would get a 3" Berkley Gulp Grub in a Natural Color and rig it to a 1/8-1/4 Darter Jig head or ball head jig and drag along bottom, swiim near surface, use as a trailer to a spoon, spinner etc.. If bottom is sandy then any gulp Product will work on any jighead, and so wil any bio bait heavily scented for catfish...Trigger X, Yo-zuri Excite a Bite, Assassin Blurp and more.....Shrimp plastic tails, small creatures, and 6" Ribbon tail worms, and 2-4" sassy shad are always reliable to catch anything....But I like a Grub in black 3" for all purpose but could be tough trifecta...Perch may want a smaller bait, Catfish may not be with Stripers etc....panfish, Catfish, gamefish = Fun Challenge

I would pick the colors that you think will work best, as there truly are no absolutes in Fishiing. White is always safe for spinnerbaits, and so is Chartruese, and most guys will use a 3-4" Grub or soft bait as a trailer in a contrasting or same color.....Before the Spawn and actually all year, I find I always do well on spinnerbaits with an Orange/Brown skirt and a White or Black trailer, but they are fun lures to throw, adding a trailer hook with a 4" Trick worm in Pink with a Yellow skirt may not be the most popular pattern, but often what others are not using works best as fish get conditioned in my opinion. A spinnerbait is a lure that will catch bass almost any day anytime of year if fished correctly and it is usually what I hand any new fisherman learning to use a baitcaster to work with. The First lure is simply a Bullet Jig head and it is just a style of a Jig and in this case appears to be a hair Jig. You can find endless articles on how to fish jigs as they will catch every species of gamefish all over the world for the most part and kind of hard to fish wrong...... Hope that helps you out. Don't overthink things, go to the local sporting goods store, look for some colors that catch your eye and just Chuck Em. Good Luck.

I mean design, the Bait ball was the winner if memory serves me correctly. I have not tried them but they did a great job of packaging and did a good job with color patterns...Im usually a sucker for packaging and the Yamamoto hard baits have been catching my eye lately as they just look so good....

I thought it won best new lure at Icast?????

If they hit a Rattle Trap or Red Eye Shad on your first trip, I always find the next few trips to the same pond will always result in less fish on any lipless crank with rattles as they are probably seeing lipless cranks and hearing rattles all day if it is Pre Spawn-Spawn Time... Kill the Rattles, Throw a 1/8-1/4 spinnerbait to cover the flats, since water is muddy, Hammered blades may help, but try and find some clear water, warmer water, moving water from an inflow....But if it is void of cover (We have alot of Golf Course Ponds in Fl. Like that) they often get tough to catch during the spawn but not every fish spawns at the same time. Look at the shoreline and get an idea of where the deepest part of the Pond is, and even if it appears the entire pond is the same depth, usually one shoreline or strech of a corner will show that there may be a break point or drop off and usually they will be cruising back and forth in the area or areas that have bottom contour changes or highways......If you see that one side of the pond has some bolders, hard bottom etc..assume the bottom will be the same, and Bass will always look to spawn in a sheltered area or corner even in a featureless pond (Alwayssome features, Fountains, water pipes, shoreline Reeds or Tall Trees for shade etc.) Northern end warms first, I would start there and go with a silent presentation and use a neutral color like black or if Tilapia or Sunfish are main forrage, match that pattern as that will usually do the trick. strike King and Sebile make some goode Lipless cranks that are silent...Also, give a Rapala Floating Minnow or Flat Rap in a 9 size a try, that is a pond killer and so is a 6" Trick worm or 7.5" Ribbon Tail on a split shot rig... Hope that helps, I fish alot of ponds, I have a 2 acre pond loaded with bass near my house and there are weeks where I will struggle to catch fish, but if persistant, you will crack the code and feel good when you figure it out. There is always a way, and often doing what others are not works best....

Looks familiar, I almost want to say Bagley's but I doubt that is it due to the color pattern. Could be a house brand like BPS, or Cabelas since that is a color pattern that looks familiar, but it could also be a Matzuo or Blaze.....I look at lures all day for 2 days a week, and we have lots of older stock and new, so I am just giving my best educated guess, maybe those websites of the mentioned companies might help....

I love the Flatt Shadd 77SU and is always tied on my lipless crankin set up. I love the fact it lacks any internal rattles yet has good vibrations, and will suspend nose down on a dime right below the surface.....not to be a stickler, I love Sebile Lures, but Mr. Sebile Designs them in France, but the back of my boxes of Flatt Shads, Magic Swimmers, Cranksters, Bongo Minnows, Stick Shads, Koolie minnows....I love me some Sebile.... But they are made in the Peoples Republic of China......Still have awesome color patterns, action, and I have confidence in the quality of every lure they make....Dying to find a deal on some Ghost Walkers as that bait looks like a sweet topwater Lure. If you search on-line, you can find the Amber Fashion and the silver mullet SU and SK in 77 for $6.....From American Company who also has great deals on many top lures and soft baits at times....All my buddies love the White Lady color, but I love the Silver and gold flash, perch, and older models without the liquid.. Oh...The Splasher is a killer as well

Plueger President is a great reel, and so is the abu garcia Orra S which I have been super impressed with. You can find them for some great prices online, and the features included in the reel are impressive...I purchased one as a back up to a back up, and I now have 2 of them in the 30 size, and would like to add another in the 20 size if I can find one.....I couldn't find one negative comment on the reel on any forum or retailer which says alot as most people go on sites to complain... The President is a proven reel and so is the Mitchell as someone above mentioned..Heck, a Mitchell Avocet is a reel that will go forever, and they can be found super cheap. Shimano reels in the $40-$50 are fantastic as well.

Always Remember.....nobody likes a quitter.....

I consider $100 the max I will spend on a rod. I will spend more on a reel if I love the way it feels, has a great reputation etc... as I have found that you get what you pay for when buying reels for the most part. I think we have all had some bad experiences with some products, but I have to say that I find most Manufactures and Retailers to be very good when it comes to exchanges due to any issue... If a guide is not 100% in line on a brand new rod, I would request a replacement and if a company is not willing to fix the issue which is simply poor workmanship, than I would spend my hard earned money on another brand. However, I will always give a company the chance to rectify the problem, and I would imagine you will find that both Tackle Warehouse and *** will fix your issue.....I don't think you are beeing picky at all, $100 should buy you a nice rod, and I am seeing alot of great deals on Tackle warehouse and at other retailers on clearance so finding a replacement or new brand should not be difficult in that price range at this time of year.

I need to get better with a squarebill, and by that I mean actually landing a better percentage of fish, and more specifically strikes. I usually go to a chatterbait or spinnerbait in the shallows if not a soft plastic, and if in water over 6', I start heading into DT 6-10 range, or thug range which I guess is kind of a squarebill. I throw alot of wake baits so I guess that counts. Never throw the same ones other guys use but have a ton of them in the box.

I tend to agree that the split shot rig is awesome when fishing off the bank as well. I try to go as light as possible, but I also like a big shot if I want to use it from the bank or boat for long casts to mimic the action of a drop shot with a floating bait like a roboworm for example. I will often cast a floating worm or buoyant worm near some brush, or a weedline and let it sit, shake a bit, and then drag....Good alternative to the c-rig and easier to Detect strikes and more subtle if stealth is important imo. I rarely fish with others who use a split shot as they usually like to use a light bullet weight unpegged instead. I find a split shot rig is more effective for me and I almost always have a spinning rod with a 4" or 6" worm rigged with a split shot. If I want to go with a worm with some action, the Charlies worms ribbon tails and Bass Assassin Creatures and worms are also bouyant and work well.

I actually use it as an alternative to the drop shot set up....If the split shot is larger in size, and I rig a floating soft bait 18" behind it, then it is almost like having a drop shot set up...I also use the smaller bb size just for casting distance and most of my hits come on the drop with baits like the senko. I use it more than I realize, and always on spinning tackle and usually finesse, but I also use it with a ribbon tail weightless and fish it as if it was texas rigged. Drag, lift and let fall etc..Great rig, very easy to use and feeling hits is easy.

I just saw these at the tackle shop in a clearance bin and I want to say Renosky is correct, or maybe Riverside, terminator soft plastics, but I actually grabbed a few since they have a stenciled look with detail and were realistic looking...Not sure where I put them, but they were old and came in a kit of about 12 baits and some hooks....They were old, looked to be 80's or 90's.... if I find them on Thursday I will get back to you as they were in packaging and not sure if I stashed them somewhere at work, or if they are in my heap of tackle I buy but rarely use.....If there a more I can grab them for you as they cost almost nothing.

Yes....Love em...You can find them in bulk if you search online and they are the original floating buzzbait...Mr. Twister often sells them cheap on their website on clearance as they get almost 11.99 for the big Musky sizes which I prefer in summer here in Florida and they add a few large quad tailed trailers to the package, but I like to use trailers to match forrage in the lake, and I modify color, action, size etc. You can find genuine Mr. Twister Floating props by the hundred, and I have been using the floating buzzbait for years, so the arbogast buzz plug did not get my money(Sure it works good, but I have confidence in the top prop) Here is the great part..You can use any trailer you want and a floating frog by zman is not bad, nor are the swimbaits that offer vibaration and thump...I love modifying size of trailers, skirts, colors, etc...I love throwing a frog in heavy cover, but I often prefer a Floating Weedless Buzzbait instead but it takes practice to figure out what trailers are most buoyant, weedless, and give the lure the right lift/vibration. They are marketed toward Musky, but make many sizes...All colors, and I find Black, White, silver, and gray to be my favorite colors. I color blades with sharpies while fishing, and the Top Prop is kind of like my Topwater version of a chatterbait.....you can't fish it wrong, and it will catch fish anywhere if you learn to trust it and get to know the possibilities.

Anyone try the Kalins Sizmic shads? I just used both the Keitech and Kalins and the keitechs seemed to have a softer feel to them, but the kalins had a pretty nice action themselves. I was using the keitech on a dropshot and did well, and the kalins as a swimbait, and maybe the swim bait bite was just not on? Kalins are not cheap either, I have always been an Gambler Ez Swimmer guy.

The Devil Spear is a Thick bait, and I flip it, Swim it, and use it as a jig trailer, spinnerbait, chatterbait trailer as it is extremely versatile and is one of my favorite Havoc baits. I always use at least a 4/0 or 5/0 EWG thick hook regardless of brand. If you rig it and pierce the bait with the hook, you want to make sure the point as plenty of space to penetrate for a good hookset.....I always try to use the smallest hook possible for best presentation, but if flipping, I simply want Reliablity and a hook that is not going to bend...I have been happy with the VMC hooks and I love the smaller sizes for smaller baits for pressured lakes.....and smaller baits...Crawbugs, BB Crickett, rocket craw which is thinner, not sure about the pit boss....My buddy flips them and loves em, I have not tried them yet as I love the Chigger Craw and Hawk Hawg...

I have always had good luck calling the specific rod or reel manufacturer directly, explain my issue, and have almost always ended up happy in the end. I find most companies stand behind their products as long as you are friendly and honest when calling.....Just my 2Cents

Confidence????

Every reel and braking system is unique...Practice, Practice and exerimenting with different lines is often the best way to achieve desired distance and accuraccy. In order to learn, professional overruns will happen, as wind, line twist etc...are all parts of the equation, as well as working the thumb....Some guys go light on breaks and tight on spool knob, some just put mags halfway, and set spool loose, it all depends on what you find works best for you.... only way to achieve your desired goal is to spend time on the water with your reels and try various types of line and diameters until you figure out what works best for you...Not sure there is a magic setting but I sure wish there was....I will say that if I want to obtain maximum distance with mimimum over runs....I find 10-12lb Mono to cast the easiest for me.

I speak to many people who have issues with braid on baitcasting reels and most are very good with a baitcaster and I had issues with casting reels and braid for several months until I finally did one thing that has fixed it all.... I never would spool anything less than 10lb diameter mono on a baitcasting reel, and I do the same for braid...I know plenty of people can use #20 or #30 and I have never taken the time to be one of those guys. I find that #40 braid on any casting reel handles excellent if spooled properly with backing, tight, and making sure it does not dig after fighting a fish etc....The 8 strands like power prop plus, Samurai have helped me out big time for casting distance, and 832 and power pro are awesome for flipping due to sharpness. I tried using lighter braids and had issues like others are describing and it became frustrating. Ever since I started using a 10lb dia min equivalent, I have not had any problems at all, and most customers I deal with find the same. I have customers who love #30 which seems to be popular, but Most of us are using #40-80 since it matches the line size we have used for years. I never spooled any mono lighter than 10lb diameter for 20 years, and I just think it is what I am used to and sticking to a braid with 10lb maybe 8lb min, seems to fix the problems with braid and casting reels.... With that said, I don't have braid on all my reels as I never know when it is going to be a windy day etc...I still like some Mono or a good copoly on a few set ups and the T3 casts Both Power pro and Plus great once you break it in and let the line soften a bit which happens after a few hours. Softer 8 strands in higher thickness will usually fix problems of digging as well as previous posts regarding going back to the point of the did, or kink.....But nothing wrong with not using braid on a certain reel if not working for you, use what you like on each reel and be happy. Plenty of good Mono, Copoly, Fluoro, braids, superlines to use these days....

I like the Twitch stick as well, only it has never suspended like the package says....For only a few bucks, it is a great lure, and I love it as a floating jerkbait, and I am not sure I have not broken lips off of most lures and brands.I like to work cranks and suspending jerkbaits hard at times, and if catching fish and hitting rock, I think any lure can break and most of my favorite lures do not have any paint left on them...Some were expensive, some are super spots, old rattle traps...But I would dive in the water if snagged because they are fish magnets. I know that there were bad batches of Max Raps going around and were poorly made fakes, but Rapala VMC. owns Storm lures and I also find Storm to have some great designs...As far as suspending Storm Jerkbaits I have yet to find one that actually suspends...I do like them and fish with them as they are priced very well and the wiggle wart is a must, and so is the smash shad imo...

Not sure you can fish it wrong.....Burn it, Dead stick it, Twitch twitch pause, or flat out walk the dog....XRAPS are great for both Freshwater and Saltwater and very durable....IT's all about figuring out the cadence they want, and that can change daily, hourly and sometimes they want it still.....My biggest fish on Jerkbaits have come from letting an Xrap sit for a good 15-30 seconds and all of a sudden...Game on!!! Good Luck. Key to this lure is not to be afraid to lose it in cover or weeds/Rip Rap...It is great for working breaklines and weedlines and if shallow, I often bang it into the sand or mud aggressive, and the lure is well built, so have fun and experiment, I have never met 2 Fisherman who fish a Jerkbait exactly the same all the time.