Comfortably Numb

Problem with hardbaits with treble hooks from shore is they snag easy and you will lose alot. A Jerkbait will be good choice. 1.5 Squarebill Topwater Popper. Spinnerbait/chatterbait work great and dont snag as easily.

Get a Senko Knock off. Yum Dingers or BPS are good. Fish them Wacky with an o-ring or heat shrink tubing. I use a 1/0 weedless hook on a 4" or 2/0 weedless on a 5". A light bass jig with a baby rage craw traier would be a good next step. Try 1/8, 3/6, or 1/4 if water is not too deep. With heavier weights everything feels like a bite. Lighter falls slower and is easier to feel bites I went from wacky stick baits (Senko type) to a Rage rigged regular Rage Craw with a light 1/8 oz swimbait hook. Since on shore you will be able to fish any of these nice and slow. You may need a more stiff rod to drive the larger hooks in. Medium 6'6"-7' Graphite rod is fine. Fiberglass Ugly stick type rods are a little "whippy".

Ima roumba. medium Strike King Wake shad Medium heavy

PM me for info on who made it for me. Is that OK Mods? Or can I post his FB site info here?

The belly is pearl white. The body is not as green as the camera shows either

Custom foiled and imaged Chain Pickerel made for me

^^^agreed. Shakey dead with small straight tail worm or a craw

There is no difference in a hand poured (not many hand pour anymore) or hand injected bait over a name brand. It all depends what plastic the person uses (soft, medium, hard, blend). If you want very soft baits, you can get in touch with a custom bait maker and they should be able to make what ever you want in softness, salt, color, scent, etc. Just rememcer softer means less durable.

I use 20# PP braid. If I get snagged, the line will break when I pull before a treble will straighten. And the whole mono thing with cranks to get some stretch so the fish has time to take it is hooey. Even a person with the fastest reflexes takes at least a second to feel the bite and start pulling. Plenty of time for the fish to get it.

Pulling any crank up a bank will get snagged. I would try a spinnerbait or carolina rig Carolina with heavy braid and lighter dlouro/mono leader so you dont lose the whole rig.

Biwa. Godzilla came out of that lake too you know.

I sit when I fish so not much of a pitcher. Being short and not too far above the water (like on a boat) you may want to do a modified back hand cast pitch. As said, almost like throwing a Frisbee. Or an underhand roll type cast on the other side.

Deep, what about the plastic Mallard duck decoy we found

Jerkbait wake one minus shallow (2-4) medium (5-10) deep (11+) lipless/countdown

Are baits vertical (up and down) or horizontal in that mold?

trick worm/shakeyhead

Craw or jig and craw in a river

Brrrrrrr

Ima Roumba PopMax

nice

I am pretty much where you are. I was addicted to Senkos for shallow water. My buddy kills them in shallow water on very light jigs. 1/8 on spinning rod is deadly for him even fishing in the back of the boat behind my senko. I have been catching bass on them and def getting more confidence

Dont go out with any other baits but a jig and craw. That is if the jig craw is good presentation that day. I tell people to fish what you are not comfortable in the spring. Fish will eat pretty much anything then and you can gain confidence and feel what the bite feels like It is easier to feel the bite on a lighter jig in shallow water. Try a 1/4-3/8 oz

Color matters???

4/0 twistlock

I guess the guys bouncing of the bottom must have hard bottoms or rocks. My lakes are mostly muck , leaves or that slime grass. Hitting bottom fouls them every cast. I use a crank that doesnt quite hit bottom and do pretty well. Usually a pretty fast way to fish with alot of cast to cover water unless water is cold.