Smokinal

Flippin' is much more fun to say than pitching

Now you're thinkin' brother!!

I'd expect to find a bunch of snagged and broken-off baits on this newly exposed shallow cover!! ?

Done this as well. Other time I had a 110 stuck on an old mooring rope while in my yak. I could see the bait about 3 ft down on the rope. I was so fixated on getting that $25 bait back that, while I was leaning as far as I could and not swamping the yak, I did pull in some water and filled the compartment I had my $600 phone in. ? Myth busted===phones do not dry out and come back to life in rice Got that $25 bait back tho!!!

Timing has to be right to throw those but once you catch one on a glide, man you'll never put it down! Very addicting bite! C-rig was going to be my answer. But, similar to you, I've only thrown it 2-3 times. Just always think I have better options.

I don't know but Casey Ashley has to be the worst fish landing "Pro" out there. And like OP, I'm not bashing him; he's better than me but man does he have a hard time grabbing fish! ?

This stuff is incredible! https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/berkley-jordan-lee-x9-braid-fishing-line Does everything we want in a braid...soft, supple, quiet, strong, visible, sensitive

I'll echo the best 2 possibilities here: ---using a bait that's likely to twist the line on retrieve ---Start the habit of closing the bail by hand. I started doing this years ago and no more loops or twists. Not sure why this works...it just does

Good article and good reminder. About 4 years ago, I bought all the hardware and made up a bunch of these in different weights and hook size combinations; never thrown one yet. Maybe this year

Reminds me of my son's younger baseball years, any player who wore number 11 was referred to as "Sticks" I can still here the coaches and dads, "Here we go now sticks!"

10lb braid to 10lb FC leader

My favorite thing about those is some of the packages come through reading "Bubbring Shaker" Not even kidding

? If it's stained, I doubt you're spooking them in anything over 15fow. I have this issue too and I attribute it to either them not being bass; or that I'm not on the exact spot that I saw them. If you're sure you are over them or very close to them, I definitely wouldn't rule out a drop shot in any type of water, just adjust your bait color until you find something they like. Try Green Pumpkin, Morning Dawn or Chartreuse. If no go there, and they are on the bottom, try a worm of various colors on a shakey head.

First thing I want to know is how are you doing 20-50 on your trolling motor?? Is that a 72V, 340lb thrust motor?

In those conditions, honestly, I don't think it's going to make any difference. And as much of a braid/fluoro leader guy I am, I don't think you would need a leader either. I only use one because everything I fish in Maine is rock; so I like the abrasion resistance of fluoro. You could go with green and color 1 ft sections of the braid with a black sharpie to break it up.

Spinning rod or baitcaster? What types of baits/techniques will this rod be used for? What's the water color and cover you fish mostly?

I'm not sure what it's like in other parts of the country, but I wouldn't limit myself to thinking bass have to be in a certain depth at a certain time of year. My last 2 times out, before ice over, water was 34-38. We went from catching them on blade baits in 35-45 fow to, in the next spot on the same day, to catching them in 5-8 fow on small craws on a light jighead on rockpiles. There's always going to bass deep and there's always going to be bass shallow.

My advice will be this: I know you're excited and want to do well but keep your head about you. Don't be afraid to swap baits if you're not getting bit. Be versatile and try to narrow down a bait and pattern. As a co, there's not a lot you can do depending on how your boater wants to fish. Watch your boater; if he's catching fish, do what he's doing. If he's not, do something completely different. Again, don't beat yourself; keep a level head so you can think straight. Most of all, just go have fun. Keep us posted!

RIP O.N.

Congrats man!! Nice write up too

I keep around 14 rods in my boat and every one of them is set up with braid/fluoro. Keep in mind, the decision to use a fluoro leader does not lie in just water clarity and visibility. Braid has zero abrasion resistance on rock and all I fish are rocky lakes in Maine. Fluoro has good abrasion resistance but I can't stand the stretch and handling of it straight.

"Customer"

Agreed I've always gone with a bait that produces more vibration. Bladed jig, Colorado bladed spinnerbaits, aggressive trailers on jigs etc... Although I will say I gravitate towards Blk/Blue with those same baits. And I guess I'd have a hard time arguing FireTiger in muddy water.

RIP Dottie You're my recordholder ❤️