primetime

I am always changing reels to rods and never know how many I willl use, but I usually leave most at home and only bring 4 casting and 3 spinning. I also keep a cheap ultralight with me at all times in case I need to cheat and catch a Shiner real quick....Not sure why I am ashamed of using live bait, nothing is better than watching a Bass smash a Giant Shiner swimming on the surface.....Use a 9/0 circle and make sure you are not gut hooking since they have to stun those big shiners to reposition them head first, so you have to give alot of time since they release them for several seconds most of the time. I would feel bad if I still used a Kahle Hook because I would hate killing a big fish because I took extra time and killed a fish using a technique anyone can do......I don't officially count any fish I catch on a Shiner, otherwise I would tell bigger fish stories for sure.

I started using your hookset sweep technnique when you suggested it in order to fix my poor hook up ratio when fishing soft swimbaits with a ton of line out. I am buying everything you are selling as I noticed a difference several weeks ago when I used a different reel that was a burner 7/1 compared to a 5/1 I was using and I now like a faster reel for anything oher than Flipping or Pitching, and I just concentrate on slowing down so the bait is not riding on plane when working a hollow belly in heavy weeds since they like to miss it or bump it as it is...... Love the Gambler EZ swimbaits, Money Minnows, and all the nice looking soft swimbaits hitting the market. It is such a nice break from Flipping all day, and I get bored of cranking after a few minutes unless the fish are active. I can do alot more with a softbait here in Florida.

I find that Braid is great for Flipping and Frogging on casting gear, and I like to go 50-65lb simply for Diameter purposes as I find #30 braid to be too thin for casting gear and causes me issues. I also have a Flipping set up with 20lb Yo-zuri Hybrid that works great, and on my other casting rods for cranks, Jerkbaits, and shakey rigs etc, I use Mono from 10-17, and Hybrid from 10-20 with 10,15 my favorite all around line sizes for Hybrid. I rarely use leader and will color my line with sharpies to match water conditions and usually some green and brown will make my braid just fine without a leader, although I fish topwaters with straight Mono or copolymer since I get more hits and if not tossing a frog will often go to spinning tackle with 10-30 braid and only use Mono Leader for topwaters since it floats and I find that I can get away with heavy leader in the 20lb range and be fine. For Spinning, i still use some Hybrid in #4, #6, and #10, and rarely go over 20lb for braid, and I use mono, fluoro, copoly leaders and have had success with all. The key is to tie good knots, check for abrasions, and when in doubt, go with your gut as far as lb test based on worst case scenario.....If I am fishing a small Finesse worm on #6 test for more strikes, I also have to be aware that if I get a large fish, I am not stopping that fish from taking me into cover, so unless you are confident you have open water, I rarely feel good less than 10lb test...Hope that helps a bit..I guess I find use for all of it, just not fluoro main line as I don't see any benefit personally, but know that plenty love it and it works great for them. I will always try new products and really love the Daiwa Samurai Braid and 8 Strand Suffix 832 and power pro Plus braids...It is so smooth on casting gear I could never go back for flipping and pitching.

I tend to approach new bodies of water the same way and with the same lures and tactics that have worked for me in NY and now in Florida, and I don't change all that much from Pre-Spawn to Post-Spawn since Florida Bassin overlaps as mentioned above. However, When I was up North, I would always fish early Spring and Pre-Spawn with Smaller Plastics like a 3-4" Grub on a Darter Head jig, 4-5" Senko or 4-6" Trick worm and I always try to go as light as possible on weight and fish are almost always are going to be near warmer water, Near Cover, Drops, Points, or many times your best bet is to just drift large flats of sandy bottom with a dropshot finesse rig and I always like to go with a natural tone-Green,Pearl, Black etc.... When I fished in NY, I rarely cranked, I used to throw spinnerbaits to cover water and to fish structure as my go to technique whenever fish were active, and if they were not active, I would simply use a split shot rig with a 4" Berkley Power Worm or any smaller plastic texas rigged on a 3/16 oz weight, or would swim a smoke or Chartruese grub on a 1/8 oz. jig head depending on water color. I have caught Bass on Buzz baits after Ice out, and also have done great on bass pro "Spring Grubs" on tough days fished on a finesse set up for a slow fall, and for spinnerbaits I always gravitate toward crawfish colors early, and Bluegill or white later on as the water warms...Don't be afraid to throw Weedless Spoons, Lipless cranks, or carolina rig a ribbon tail or ring fry to cover water as you will always catch fish somewhere.... I try to learn a new technique each season and make it a strenght and this year I have been working on Jerkbaits and Swimbaits. I still want to Flip all the time, but I am working hard on learning to fish these hollow bellies and Suspending jerkbaits, but at the end of the day, the best Bass Bait or Lure is either a Jig, or Brush hog, creature bait, craw, or trick worm flipped into the nastiest stuff and you will soon find that their are bigger bass around then you were aware of.

I find that Really Big Bass, and in Florida, I would consider that any Fish over 7lbs or over 23" to be more of an accomplishment in small ponds that are loaded with bait regardless if they get fishing pressure. I have several ponds I have found on Google Earth that are Full of Giant Shiners, Gizzard Shad, Crawfish, and Bluegills, and they all contain legit 10lb bass. I know I can toss in a giant 12" Shiner and catch a Lunker with ease, but to get a Large Bass to hit an artificial when so much bait is available is not as easy as I once thought it was. I can Catch all the 2-5lb fish with worms, jigs etc...But to get a fish over 7lbs is skill, feels great, and is an accomplishment in any body of water....half the battle is getting the fish to the shore which can be more challenging in a small 2 acre pond than in a boat where you have leverage and mobility and casting angles on your side.....Having to pitch a jig around bends and over obstacles to get a big fish to strike and then landed is a blast. I often feel lost on big waters and I can understand why some would find farm ponds and retention pond fishing not as fulfilling. However, when a Giant breaks water, is on your line, you forget where you are at that moment and it feels great no matter where you are.....And the best part about a pond is that fact you can go back in a year and the fish are bigger.....Drives me nuts to fish for 2 hours without any big fish, then throw on a shiner and catch a monster within 30 seconds in the same water.....

I have seen guys have success using a devils horse topwater double prop bait on a carolina rig, and also with a Bagleys Bang O lure with a prop in the back on a carolina rig. I guess the Duo Realis is a Finesse Tactic and I have no doubt it will work but to me I can think of alot of other methods I would use before trying a suspending or sinking prop bait like the Japanese call "Spybaiting". I have no doubt that propellers catch bass and we all have seen kids catching bass on the creme midget crawler rigged worms with the helicopter blade, and I actually pull that out when pond fishing gets really tough. I often will put a prop blade in front of a Ribbon or Curly Tail worm in stained water instead of adding sound, and it often is very effective. I actually have more success using a carolina rig with floating Jerkbaits and Rapala J-9 and J-11 jointed balsa minnows than I do with soft plastics early in the spring before weeds are a real issue. I just can't see spending the money for the Duo lure, but then again, I buy so many lures and baits that I never use anyhow, so I wish you the best.......Like anything else, if you want to become good at spybaiting, I am sure it can be a killer tactic as it gives fish in pressured lakes a new look which is what the Japanese are up against. I am always messing around with customizing my lures and rigs and have added colorodo blades, chatter blades, and beads etc. to almost every presentation you can think of...Sometimes I strike out, sometimes I get lucky and find a rig that may work for a day, or better yet, something I use all the time..Kind of like letting worms bleed so you can create some crazy swirls where you mix black and chartreuse with red and for some reason that worm will kill em in the spring until fall.....kind of glows red and chartruese with a dark black to fill all a Bass desires...

That is awesome to hear and also smart for business since I would imagine you will not hesitate buying quantum in the future. I have heard similar stories of quantum replacing rods and reels that had either limited lifetime warranties or were just defective which is something that can happen with any brand. Quantum has a reputation for going above and beyond in the last few years to satisfy customers. It seems most companies are standing behind their products and going above and beyond what they used to do since each major brand keeps adding more models and house reels like Bass Pro, Academy, Cabelas, and even Gander Mountain are putting out excellent quality reels and rods at great price points. A rep of bad service or discontinued models without parts available is a tough rep to shake and with the internet chat rooms like this, any bad press, or good press will be "Truth" to many who read. Quantum and Okuma have been great with any issues I have had, and Gander Mountain actually took a reel back and replaced it with a new model that my friend purchased...While in the store, I am impressed with the Elite Series rods that Gander is selling. I know that They have Torray Blanks and *** here in Tampa is making many of the newer products.

I have started using more Okuma Reels in the last 2 years as I tend to find some good deals and they have a large product line for Freshwater and Saltwater Casting and Spinning. I have always been willing to try any major brand if the reel has good reviews, feels good in my hand, and the price is right. I have always gravitated toward Shimano, Daiwa, Pflueger, and some Quantums as they seem to go on sale reel cheap, and I can say with confidence that OKuma stands behind their products 100%. I rarely have issues with any of my reels that are not my fault, and I take good care of all my stuff. With that said, I decided to spend more than intended on a new baitcasting reel last year and I purchased the Saltwater Low Profile Okuma Serrano Baitcaster 250w and since then have added the Citrix Baitcaster, and Okuma Raw Spinning Reel which is a beast in terms of pounds of drag for size of reel. I am very impressed with their customer service which is the best I have encountered and that is saying alot since I have had great luck dealing with all reel companies except one which I will not mention. The Serrano has a 3 year warranty, and I have had a brand new spool assembly and side plate sent to me after my buddy decided he would adjust the drag like he does on his shimano, only the pins do not pop out like in a shimano, and they fell in the water.....I made one phone call and had the new version of the spool assembly and sideplate at my door the next day for free, and I told them it was my fault. Last Month I dropped the reel while doing some bank fishing and cracked the frame. Okuma flat out sent me a brand new reel, no questions asked..... I would highly recommend Okuma Reels, and I am going to be purchasing the Helios Spinning reel myself very soon as they are popular here in Florida for Freshwater and Saltwater, and I have yet to see one come back for any problems, where I have seen the Smoke from Quantum come back a few times for clicker problems on the drag (Quantum has replaced every reel so I am not disparaging the reel, I would love to own a smoke, only the cost almost a $100 more with the $30 Rebate on the Helios right now......For $100, I can not think of a better spinning reel than the Helios at the moment, although the Quantum Energy is on sale at Cabelas for $69 and I like that reel as well. Okuma rods, especially the EVX Guide series are priced right, and are high quality, so I would recommend Okuma to anyone in the market for a reel or rod, and would simply say that like any brand, you get what you pay for....They Make some low end reels like Daiwa and every other company, although I am not sure Shimano makes anything cheap since the $39 Sedona Spinning reel is a steal.

Lizards......Never use em, but may try if I can get around all the other plastics I love. I will go Tube over lizard anyday....FInd a ledge, rig a gitzit 3" white or silver tube on a 1/4 oz slider jig head and cast it out and let it glide to the bottom....If you don't get bit, crank it back to the boat as if using a crankbait, only use your reel for action, not the rod. I used to catch Salmon up North with this technique after reading an article about it, and I have used it with alot of success as a cold water bait, and a great search bait at the same time... I also have no confidence in Deep Diving Cranks over 15 feet......Way to much work

I have a few, but have never used one.....I love the little george and also a jigging or flutter spoon, but I have never actually tossed one even though a few have found their way into my box...I believe I have some cicadas and Cordell's, and some Heddon Sonars, but I would rather throw a spoon....Maybe I need to try some and see what happens. I don't think Florida Bass ever see them.

I guess it is like the Storm Twitch stick which is listed and sold as a suspending jerkbait, but is one of my favorite floating Jerkbaits for fishing shallow. Am I the only one who Noticed this? Storm lures are usually inexpensive so I was not surprised, but it has a nice action when fished with a straight retrieve with some flicks of the wrist and slight twitches. The Academy lures are great lures for the price and I love their swimbaits, especially for the price and their square bills have some nice paint jobs and you could pass them off as a lucky if you didn't put it in the water.....I wish we had Academy's here in Florida as I always see great deals on their site, but ordering online takes too long and I end up buying more than I need. I do want to try one of their baitcasting reels considering I had 2 of my top casting reels go down this week...Okuma Serrano-1.5 years old and knowing Okuma, they will replace it or give me a chance to switch to a different model...And another Revo, so I am done with Abu Garcia as their reels never hold up for me. I never have issues with Shimano, Daiwa, and Quantums...yet.

I carry just about every type of lure or plastic bait you can think of on every trip even if I am just using google earth to find some new ponds or park lakes to fish. I have only thrown a lizard one time in my life about 15 years ago, and even when guys are getting fish carolina rigging and throwing zoom lizards, I always just go with a brush hog, zipper worm, or any creature bait instead. My buddy just gave me some Spotted lizards that Mr. Twister makes and he is always catching big bass on them in the spring, so I should maybe start giving them a shot as well.... So many lures and baits on the market that work, and I love trying something new on every trip. A few months ago all I was fishing was Suspending Jerkbaits and working on my finesse game with a drop shot & Shaky rig, Then it was Swimbait and Jig time for a few months, and now I am all over topwaters and wake baits...TIme for the lizard and also the chatterbait to change things up. I am thinking big Lizards at night, El Grande sized 12" for the Big girls as I can't break the 10lb mark and with a dozen fish over 9lbs (I just use the Rapala Scale formula so maybe a few of these fish have been 10lbs, but I want a 13lber for bragging rights. I have hooked into a few, but the hard part is getting them to the boat or shore, as I get so nervous and anxious to horse them in since the last few giants took me into cover and never came out......

I am starting to use chatterbaits again as they have been collecting dust the last few years in favor of Jigs, Weedless spoons, and plastics. However, I am looking forward to bringing a rod rigged up with a bladed jig like you have in the picture. I used to love the chatterbaits a few years back and I used to buy the blades and use them in front of senkos, and other soft plastics after having alot of success with the chatter sticks that Zman Makes. I would think they would work great fished like a spinnerbait under the surface, or with a rip and fall pattern....How do you fish them at night? Your bladed jig is an idea I want to try as they will go through the weeds in this lake since they are not all that thick yet. Do you fish them on your Flipping Rod like you would a brush hog, or do you fish a bladed jig more in the spinnerbait/jerkbait territory? I also do not like trebles at night for the reason you mention, and also because many of the lakes will have grass up to the surface, so I modify lures to have only one treble or a single weedless hook. I also push in the barbs on alot of my lures when fishing for fun, and it makes for a much easier time releasing fish and as long as I can keep pressure on them once I get a hook set, I rarely lose fish due to having my lures barbless (At least I don't think that is the reason). I find that if I use erratic retrieves half of the fish miss my lure completely, but at least it gives me an idea where to follow up with a secondary option. I like the Black blue with silver blade, and I may just color that blade with a black sharpie to see which works best since this is going to be clear water with a tanic tint. I am going to approach this trip as if I was going in daylight....Brush hogs, flipping jigs, and of course topwaters just because I love strikes on a top water, especially a good fish over 4lbs.

I have always favored night fishing for Freshwater Bass or Stripers/Snook/Sharks in Saltwater over day fishing although I love both of course. I have recently gone fishing with some new guys in the local area who are very skilled Bass anglers and I was a bit shocked when they seemed to approach fishing at night very similar than we all would fish a lake during the day. I have always used Dark or Flash colors for topwater lures, and black spinnerbaits with copper hammered blades, black and blue swim jigs and worms, and bigger profile swimbaits slow rolled under the surface.... I always have success fishing with the Original Balsa Rapala Minnows fished with a very slow but with a steady retreive, Bomber Long A floaters, Rapala Xrap 9 Subsurface Walking lures, Torpedos, Chug Bugs, and spooks...My new favorites after these last 2 trips are now the suspending paul brown Mirrodines, Any soft body Topwater or slow sinking, suspending walking lure, Rapala Clackin Cranks, Spook one Knocker, and a Floating Rattle trap fished slowly..... Here is where I was surprised.....I think we caught more fish early in the night fishing topwaters and subsurface lures, but as it became later, soft swimbaits like the 5" Ez Swimmer or Money minnow in open water worked great, and so did ribbon tail worms in any color, and white swim jigs....The biggest fish and the majority came on 2 lures which is why I am making this post......I never fished any of the soft bodied lures like the Tsunami Cork Walking lures-slow sink, paul brown suspending mirrolure twitch bait, and the old school Kalins Dorky Mullet popper and suspender.....The Storm Croaker suspending lure which looks crazy was also productive as I grabbed a few before heading out last night. I can truly say the soft bodied lures out produced my go to Zara Spooks and even the Sebile Splashers along with all the lures I mentioned.... I am going out with a buddy of mine on a private lake next week and we are going out at night, and I want to try some new tactics and lures...Anyone fish Rattle Traps deep? Spoons? Plastics like a drop shot? any techniques or lures you find work great at night would be appreciated, especially any out of the norm....I know Big Bass like to Roam at night, and bigger baits are often better, but Maybe I should be buzzing some smaller baits and lures etc...I just read a few articles that mentioned Wacky RIgged senkos on a jighead....Never would try that and instead would reach for a large Black ribbon tail....

Ever Read Saltwater Sportsman or tell someone who fishes only saltwater thay you use Fluorocarbon as a Main Line? It is never pushed in that Market, why would it not be a benefit in Florida where the Fishing is more Like Bass Fishing than Salmon fishing is. Saltwater gimmick is the UV Pro Cure Gel as I think it is the scent that helps if any, but not the uv, but color is something where if you believe it then it is true since you will fish it with confidence.. Also, The Banjo Minnow Revolutionized the soft bait industry like Powerbait, Lunker City, Senkos.....Sassy Shads were the only swimbaits when they were on the market. The Segmented soft baits and hardbaits are from the Banjo Minnow, and they did work really good, just had a corny commercial, and silly rigging set up....I still throw them today as they have awesome action.

Phermones to mimic "distressed baitfish"....Problem here is Phermones are used in nature for Mating, so I want my bait to stimulate a feeding response from a school of fish, not the wrong signal...Besides, you would need more than 5 gallons of a phermone of any kind to stimulate any response from a fish dumped within a 8' radius if I remember the study. I would say the Banjo Minnow, but They started the swimbait market and I would not have Magic Shads from Lake Fork if not for Banjo Minnow. LED flashing Blaze lures are a joke but man are they easy to sell. The Fact that Companies Share Plastic Worms and other soft baits..IE...Take a look at the Bass Pro Humpin Toad, and then look at the CHarlies Toads at DIcks or online..Same, and 2 other companies has same frogs, and Stanley Shares with a few....Yum Dingers are in 3-4 labels, GYB worms are also shared to several smaller companies who are not much cheaper..... Also Scent for Saltwater vs. Freshwater like Exude Fresh water product line vs. Fresh, or Gulp and trigger x flukes being different? Same......Just to sell more baits. Rapala doesn't list Salt or Fresh, but uses good quality VMC hooks and compoents but I catch plenty of Snook, Reds, and STripers up North on Rattle Traps, Frogs, square Bills, Shakey Rigs, but my Favorite is how guys look at me funny when throwing a trick worm on a shakey rig to go with current...ALot of very good Saltwater Guys have no idea about Senkos, Trick woms, SWimbaits unless it is a sassy shad....

I didn't want to start a post about Fluorocarbon and the Refractive Index of Light when Fluorine is compared to Mono underwater, or the studies showing most Fluorocarbons stretch more than Mono of equal diameters. I did want to post the following statement that I have been messing with and seem to have reached this conclusion along with John Crews, and several reputable scientists.... Fluorocarbon is Certainly not INVISIBLE & has only a SLIGHTY BETTER REFRACTIVE INDEX # COMPARED TO NYLON, AND NUMBER IS A TINY FRACTION. SAME WITH THE DENSITY CLAIM & SINKING PROPERTY.....IF BOTH LINES ARE EQUAL DIAMETER AND HAVE A 1/4 OZ. LURE ON THEM, FLUORO WILL BARELY SINK FASTER. COMPANIES ARE SELLING 15LB TEST FLUORO WITH BREAKING STRENGTHS OF 12LB TEST, SO OF COURSE IT IS THINNER, BUT I COULD CARE LESS WHICH LINE SINKS FASTER WITHOUT A LURE ON IT SINCE THAT IS NOT HOW WE FISH. I realize that it does not matter what "we" see but what matters is what the Bass can See. I have felt the Bass Industry is pushing Fluorocarbon Sales in Magazines, and to anyone who will listen, and I am a guy who pitches it a few days a week. Here is what a rep from a major Reel company told me recently.....Braid is cutting into line sales since it rarely needs replacing, and Mono and Copolymers are inexpensive. Why is it Saltwater magazines and Saltwater Pro's are not pushing Fluorocarbon mainline? Is it because Heavy 100 lb test Mono is not cheap, 80lb Fluoro Leader is Plenty Expensive, you also need to carry alot more sizes than bass fishing as well as Snook can cut up to #80, so leader is all they shoot for.....Abrasion....not really the visual aspect for the most part. Moral of this story, and I am not claiming to be a line expert, I am truly trying to undertand the science and I want to believe in Fluoro which has led me to try all the Major labels and here is where I think the problem is. I am sure this is not groundbreaking, and I do realize some of the problems in my position & argument that I am laying out. I am aware some of the hardcores may call me out on 1 huge hole in my argument, which I am trying to wrap my head around. There is not an FDA to validate claims these companies make, and there is not a "Gold Standard" as not all Line is created equal......I found 2 brands of Fluoro to be very good, 1 ok, and the rest not good at all. However, I would say that I trust Seaguar and Yo-zuri Products and would call them Reputable companies, so how is it they sell on the same shelf the following: invisible Light Green, Pink, Red, and Clear? Obviously it depends on the color of the water, and that is where I can say with certainty that the Camo colored Line of Green, Purple and Brown is not only tough to see in all water tints-(even my pool), but it seems to have been outproducing any fluorocarbon as far as strikes are concerned in very crude tests of course. I am glad I love my braids, some copolymers, Some mono, but very happy to have rediscovered and ordered some Camo Perlon Line which is very affordable at Tackle warehouse....2000 yards of 6lb test is $8.99. However, I found 6lb to be weaker than the Yo-zuri I am used to for obviousl reasons like Diameter, but for Finesse fishing, 8-10 is solid, 12-18 is great for cranking to flipping, and #25 is good for heaviest of applications.......It is hard to see, decent memory, knots are reliable, and perlon is actually decent, just not as strong according to tackle tour as they state, but close enough as its better than many other labels. Triple Fish is 1 of 3 or was only 1 of 3 OEM's in the world who manufactured fluororcarbon........ I went back into my older Bass Magazines from 10 years ago and pros would be using 4 Rods, 2 with Braid, 1 with Mono, and 1 with Silver Thread......Then I noticed all Braid...Now, it is 6-10lb fluoro for finesse, 10-12lb general soft baits, 17-20 for heavy flipping or cover, 14 for suspending Jerkbaits, Heavy Braid for Frogs with a Mono leader since it Floats.....It is crazy to me, and John Crews said it best when he said that a braid with a 2.5-4lb diameter willl not only dig deeper than 15lb fluoro, Cast Further, Get a crank deeper, Harder for fish to see when light is out of equation for sure, but even in clear water since it is so thin, and they can't feel it....... sorry for the Rant I guess, It was a tornedo here today so I did some research to try to get a grip on line selection, and I will stick with proven Braids, Copolymers, and Mono line, and will always use Camo line as a leader and mainline for all aplications except flipping and frogs, and for long casts when In need the Samurai 15lb 2.5 dia yellow which is so thin it is truly amazing for an 8 strand. I recommend getting a large 1/4 spool from Tackle warehouse or whereever else it is sold as I am quite sure you will find it excels in all water colors and in finesse to topwater techiniques both day and night.....Great value and easy to handle....Now, I don't like how they market their RX copolymer as 15lb with 10lb diameter when it breaks at 14.....But Money matters

Gander Mountain has some great sales right now, and some stores can have the sale items shipped to your location if you are fortunate to find an associate who is aware of all the promotions going on right now..... I found, and was forced to purchase a bunch of stuff I didn't need, but I wasn't going to let some other guy beat me to a good deal so here are some Gander, Dicks, and Cabelas sales I have found in Florida, and they are all on the same street, I did not seek any stores out specifically. Red Eye and Diamond Shad, KVD Suspending Shiner and Pro Model Lipless Cranks at Gander for $1.99. All Storm Soft Swimbaits, Exchange packs, cranks etc..$1.99-$4.99 Storm Kickin Sticks $6.99, Clackin Cranks $5, DT20-3.99, Random Bandits & Norman cranks $3.99, Spro Frogs $7.99, buy 2 and get one free, and scatter raps were under $5....Next The Kinetic Spinning Reel was $69 with a rebate on top to make it under $60, so I now have another Nice Reel For Display.... At Dicks, Make Sure You find the Guy or Gal who knows the Fishing Department, how to find hidden sales (.97-.98 or .57 endings are often 75% off. You have a 30 day price match, and if you take the survey, you can get a $10 coupon for a sale of $50...Very Easy to do with Lucky Crafts $9.99,KVD cranks $2.47 Plus, Bandits under $3.00, Powerbait worms, Flukes, finesse etc. $1.59, BUy one power pro get one half off, same with Rapala and DT10's are down to 4.97 already...Trigger X baits 1.99, Trokar 6.99, Egret Swimbaits (Hidden $3.39)....anyway, make the purchase and take the survey and all clearance items will go 1/2 off todays prices for 1 week, here in Tampa it is happening this week, and Rc Sticks are already being cleared out and getting ready. They will adjust your receipt, save you$10, and you can buy twice as much tackle you didnt need, and usually they have some nice jig heads for .97 by Falcon, Jackall, Owner etc..Look for endings and flat out ask. DIcks employees are usually cool. Cabelas has awesome deals right now, just can't find any Megabait Charlies.

Best Soft Swimbait IMO pound for Pound is the Gambler Ez Swimmer in all sizes....Not Expensive, Can throw them in heavy weeds, deep water...Rig with A Hook to match size of bait, as well as conditions...If Weedless, go with a Screw Lock EWG hook from 1/0-5/0 depending on size as with the big 5" swimbaits you have alot of plastic to get through but the Gamblers are soft, and Hollow bellies like Yum Money Minnow are good as well, but they are a bit stiff for my liking although they have awesome colors and make a 6.5" which is great. I will go as large as a 7/0 weighted swimbait hook, but you can mess around with nail weights, Inserting Weights in belly etc..... If you are in open water, a Sassy Shad on a jighead is not a bad idea, or simply rigging any swimbait with a VMC or Strike King Swimbait Jig Head works for me. It takes time to master the art of Swimbait fishing and I am still learning and have tried alot of them, and not sure if the More Expensive models catch more fish, as I feel it is the action you give the bait that matters most.... I view the Zoom Swimming Flukes as a Fluke and not really a swimbait, and the Swim Senko is fantastic,but I fish it more like I would a plastic worm or Stickbait, just like a senko only I can get strikes on the way back to the boat instead of just reeling my regular senko back to the boat.... I carry and use Zoom Swimming Flukes, Swim Senkos, and both Gambler Ez Swimmers, Lake Fork Magic shads, and Hollow bellies as they all have different actions and each has advantages over others for certain situations....The only way to learn what you like best is to experiment with a few different styles..I know alot of guys throw the Keitech Shiners, Castaic Swimbaits, Strike King Shadalicious, and I recently did well with some Zman Paddle shads.. Hope that Helps, I always seem to do better with a weighted hook and I find the Owner Beast Locks or VMC swimbait Hooks to be the best and easiest to use...Also the Zoom Horny Toad Hooks work well with the bigger swimbaits also.

I still use the original zara Spooks which had lead rattles (I believe) super spooks by jimmy Houstan and Bill dance under Excalibur Label from 90's...The sound from the Versions pre 1997 sound completely different and had awesome color patterns...Very sublte rattles...But the best by far is the original Rebel T-10 and T-20 Walking baits with the Silver Ridged sides and black backs as they also had a one knocker sound, while the new versions lack a split ring, and Most New Pradco Lures make too much noise for me compared to the originals..... Spit'n Image, Swim n Image, Cordell Boy Howdy (Just like a devils horse) Original super Spot lipless cranks, Rebel and Bomber Long A Floating Minnows Made in USA before they were part of Pradco....Yo-zuri banana boat Topwater, Crystal Vibes, Original Rapala Balsa Finish Minnow-Tank Tested with Ireland Stamps and same with Metal Shallow Shad Raps and Metal Suspending shad raps..... Luhr Jensen Woodchopper, Fish Stick, Original Poes Super Cedar Deep Divers, Rebel Craws, and anything Rebel as the flash and vibration from the original Fast Trac Countdown versions, to floating versions always produce for me. Last but not least....Cordell Jointed Red Fins From Older Days, and Original Culprit worms in the original laminate colors that were so good before Power worms from Berkley took over the Market. Manns Augertails, and lets not forget Mr. Twister grubs and worms as the 6" Phenom worm still needs to be in every Bass Fishermans Box for sure.......Johnson silver Minnow and the Moss Boss have been known to catch a few fish and so do the Inline Hildenbrandt weedless Spinnerbaits. I love the new stuff, but still love the older stuff as the fish are not seeing them anymore....If everyone is throwing a Senko, I go Slugg-o....

When I first saw them arrive, my first thought was to simply glue some Eyes on a Smithwick Rogue, Or Rapala Xrap, or any lure with a finish I like...I am not impressed with how the baitball looks, and I doubt fish will strike it due to the fact it's supposed to be a pair of baitfish. Why not just use a bait in similar size, and I am sure it will catch fish as Live Target Lures are made well and if fished properly will suspend and roll with a good action..I'll Pass on this one, as I still have not tried the half dozen Scatter Raps in my box yet.....Now I am curious to see if I like them. I have become a Sebile Guy and the Flatt Shad could be the best Lipless crank I have ever thrown, especially the suspending 77mm model with glitter cavities for scale falling off effect, and its ability to stop dead in its track, and just suspend vertical...Only dived 2' right over weeds...Must have lure, and it lacks rattles but draws strikes from far away...Splasher for topwater popper, Crankster for Square bill, Koolie Minnow, Ghost Walker, Magic Swimmer...Worth the price in my opinion....They can be found cheap if you look on ebay and at clearance racks.

Plastics-I need all types and at least 2 colors of each and could go fishing with just plastics, jig heads, Hooks, and cover all areas needed... 2-FLatt Shad Lipless Crank Sinking and Suspending 77mm 3- Rapala FLoating balsa original minnow 4- Jig with Yum Mighy Craw in any color 5-3/8 oz Booyah Spinnerbait in Live Gill Color. , I would lIke a Spook, Rogue, Buzz Bait, Reaction Strike lipless crank 65, and chug bug...and a 1/2 Johnson Silver Minnow with a 3-4" White Grub....I could deal with just that.... One bait....I will take 4" Kalins Lunker Grub with a 1/4 oz. Ball Jighead...Smoke Grub, White jig head....and sneak a Weedless Spoon in my pocket in case too many weeds

I have been Bass fishing for almost 30 years and I agree with what everyone above has written....Most Important part of fishing a soft bait is 1-Casting Accuracy & Knowing where to cast, being prepared so you know how your bait falls, sink rate etc... 2- Style & size 3-Action you give the bait, also the right hook size and type (Light wire vs. EWG etc...) Weight or leader type, lb test, color and lastly...Color.... I carry tons of colors, but I rarely stray from Junebug, Green Pumpkin, Watermelon, Black, black and blue, and pumpkin and I add some various flakes and also carry some smoke and Motor oil colors, and a bottle of chartreuse spike it..... I can say with certainty that Color matters, but I have only had 2 trips in my life where I noticed a Signifigant difference where I knew color was the reason, and the fish were on that color, and nothing else.....Growing up My older brother would always Out Fish me 3-1 and Back in the 80's My go To bait was a culprit 7.5" Ribbon Tail worm in Tequila Sunrise or Mocassin color. We used to use Culprits almost exclusively, and I remember when they introduced a bunch of new colors and I had a bag of Pumpkinseed. We had a day fishing early in the Spring where I started catching a Bass just about every cast while my brother was wondering what was going on....After I had 6-7 fish to his 1, he then asked to try one of the pumpkinseed worms, and the next few hours were one of those days that I will always remember since we caught fish after fish until we ran out, and then we figured Motor Oil or Cotton Candy would work but nothing.....So for whatever reason, the fish on Long Island Ny wanted Pumpkinseed, and I am not sure why, but maybe that was the crawfish color or Bluegill panfish shade, as they were all shallow Males getting ready to bed.... The last time I noticed a difference was at night, and all 4 of us were throwing topwater walking baits in darker colors/Black patterns, and we were doing Ok, but I decided to switch to a spook in yellow with white stripes and a yellow/orange bottom, and I started getting hit in the same water they passed on other spooks, smaller walking baits, poppers etc. all in darker shades.....I only had a few lures with me with orange or yellow bottoms, and we ran out as casting at night is tough with trees etc. especially in a new lake....I was glad I carry Sharpies with me to color my line at times, as I started coloring the bottom of my topwater with orange or yellow and that saved the night....and one last thing...A white Jig at night is often the ticket, just as Black and Blue often is, and the same with spinnerbaits...I also find that when fishing topwaters, they often want something with flash or sound, but the Yo-zuri Banana boat is a great lure for Flash and reflection off of moonlight.... I always start out throwing bluegill, crawfish, or shad pattern cranks or jerkbaits, white or chart spinnerbaits, and for soft baits I like to use a color that matches the main forage in the lake, and I find Junebug to be a good start, or Pumpkinseed with chart tail always a good choice in a zoom trick worm or if flipping it is always watermelon red, or GP to start out.....I carry pinks and swirls and they all work just as well on most days, and I sometimes feel swirls, Pinks, and colors fish do not see in pressured lakes work better.

Using a copolymer is going to be the same as using Mono....Only it is usually thinner and stronger and for the money the way to go in my opinion compared to fluoro....You can even tie an improved CLinch knot on a Hybrid, and it handles like the Mono that still works pretty good for most applications....Nylon-Mono coated with FLurocarbon or fused together....Cheaper, strong, and much more cost effective, and no need for sprays, break offs in cold, 28 knots to learn...Just like fishing Mono....and MOno is good, I like that it floats, and yes fluoro sinks, but so do weights which I can add, and Invisibility, they all make invisiblel likes in different colors.....Everyone has a personal preference and I get that, but if you are having so many issues with fluoro, the same one's I have, my suggestion is Copolymer, Mono or braid to Mono...Yo-zuri Hybrid or any copoymer is good. Cheaper and like Mono....I wish I could use FLuorocarbon as it is super nice, but not worth the headaches for me.

I have tried almost every line out there and I recently tried to go back to Fluoro just because I keep "Reading" about it in Magazines...What I have found is that Flurocarbon is not for me, and neither is the leader....copoly leader, Mono leader, no leader, Mono leader for floating properties as well as copoly's, and only use fluoro as a leader for abrasion resistance for Snook and I am talking 60-100lb test as their gill plates make a joke out of 40lb if they are a true lunker snook and I used to think guys were crazy when I heard this...Bass Fishing, I am sticking with Yo-zuri Hybrid 8-12lb spinning & 12-20 casting, same for leaders, and for braid, I go 10-65 depending on application, but I no longer use FLuro as it is smooth, thin, sensitive, casts a mile, but it does break at knots, cold, and why do I have to deal with bad batches, feel my line every cast, and tie bimini twists when Mono or Hybrid keeps my line in the strike zone longer as it floats, if I need it to sink I use a weight, if I want Invisible wich fluoro do I buy? Seaguar and Yo-zuri make invisible Fluro that is green, pink, red...What is clear water anyway? Pool? PHosphate pit? All water is tinted so Fluro for "Dropshotting" and invisible due to light refraction is a gimmick in my opinion, so then Copolymers are invisible since they have flurocarbon coating Mono....... If I want invisible line, I use a camo line like Triple Fish used to make and it works.....I use Sharpies to color line to match the color of the water, So I like Clear Line to start, white braid and I carry sharpies with razor slits in it and I find a brown, green, purple subtle smear is hard to see in most clear water...... I fished Mono for 15 years without issues, went to braid when it was awful, back to mono, then to fluoro a few years ago when it was awful, now I am back to Braid which is awesome, and for Leader, I will take my Yo-zuri Hybrid all day long over any Fluorocaron on the market and save money for other things...I am sure Fluorocabon is a great fit for some fisherman, but I find it too much trouble and Copolymers do what I need, and if I want my line to sink.....That is really not a problem....I am going Yo-zuri Hybrid for now, Berkley and Stren Mono as I still trust them, and for Braid, I like Suffix, Tuf Line Xp, Power pro Plus, or whatever spectra or Dyneema on sale, and maybe one spinning rod with some crystal fireline superline..... But, if you are losing lures mid cast, setting the hook to breaks.....Why keep trying when you would get those same strikes on Mono? What is stronger than Hybrid or Big Game, Stren High Impact and I am sure there are more.....I like some lines that are not pitched in magazine articles as Triple FIsh is good, and makes many of the lines mentioned here., only not sponsering anyone....Tried $20 spool of Suffix fluoro 100 yards 12lb test a few weeks ago...Broke of 2 fish because I don't enjoy checking my line every minute, sparying line conditioners, or whatever else required, for 20 bucks and 100 yards the line should be good to go and not break unless I hook into a Monster and I mess up my drag setting...That 12lb test was sensisitive and thin, as soon as cool weather rolled in, it turned to brittle junk.......Just my experiences, I say don't fix what isn't broke for your style of fishing. Buy a quality line and you should not need special knots, line cream, or retie every time you brush up against a tree....Just my opinion...Can't like it or see any benefit, braid and mono/copoymer does it all fine for me and I will not donate money to advertisements anymore.