flyingmonkie

I try to put as many of the pieces of the puzzle together as possible (weather conditions, water conditions, time of year, sonar readings, etc.) to put myself where I think the bass SHOULD be, and then fish using techniques I think SHOULD work. I rarely focus on search baiting. It's a feast or famine strategy though.

The stuff you are losing your lures on is the stuff that the bass are attracted too! Don't avoid it! Do some quick research on the Texas Rig - it's one of the most popular bass techniques (and my personal favorite). Endless possibilities, easy to fish, and the gear is cheap enough that you don't get PO'd when you break a line. That being said, done right, you can fish a T-Rig in dead trees all day without losing it.

IMO, the more stuff you can bang your crank into, the better! Unless I'm targeting wood with square bills, then I'm trying to get my crank to drive into the bottom... in which case you'll want a crank designed to go deeper than the water you are fishing. PLOW BABY, PLOW!

HAHAHA! No kidding. You're shooting for that numbness in the hands you get after working the weed-whacker for an hour.

Weightless t-rigged! It's impossible to work it wrong. Started playing around with a nail in the tail end.

There's something about a BLACK spinnerbait on cloudy/wet days... that's the only time I'll tie one on (unless it's dark, but that never works for me anyway )

Yup - it's instinct!

I once had the same black Berkley worm rigged and ready for what seemed like months. This was years ago when I was less anal, but it held up.

I run straight braid on my shaky head rig, and straight flouro on my drop shot rig. I'm historically bad with leaders, although thanks to some practice with the Modified Albright, I'll probably try to be more diligent.

x2

Great sensitivity! Allows so much more feel of the bottom and light bites. Little bit harder to fish with, but worth it IMO.

Devoting my next 4 pounder to you.

Poll results are already reassuring.

That's pretty much the norm, in my experience... but if you've caught 3 or 4 fish on it, then you happily stick on another! I'm partial to the Berkley craws, alot of folks on here like the Rage craws.

Sounds like you'll be doing alot of dragging... i'd vote for a football jig or even a shaky head. You want something that will send those pincers up when you pause the retrieve. T-rig would be second choice. Not a fan of craws on a C-rig - they tend to glide lackadaisically behind the weight and it looks unnatural IMO.

Last year, I had just about talked myself out of using EWG hooks, opting for straight shanks or larger sized offset hooks. That being said, I'm an avid t-rigger of creature baits, and functionally, it's hard to beat them. Plus, if they're good enough for Glenn, then they must be good enough for me... right? Is it just the Elite series guys that have problems with hook-up ratios? Does anybody make a EWG with the point and eye not inline?

Just wanted to say thanks to all of you - what a great debate! I've been out all week and was presently surprised to see so much discussion. I love it when things aren't black and white.

I've been questioning this lately, and a few posts tonight have given me the urge to ask. When it comes to the bass spawn, which is more important: water temp, or time of year? As with most of you, we've had an unusually late winter and cold spring here. Regardless, days are still getting longer. I'd be hardpressed to find water in 60s, but blooming dogwoods are everywhere. In off season's such as this, will bass follow nature's other cues, or will they wait?

My hometown lake! Lake Thunderbird (or Dirtybird as we affectionately call it) is the busiest state park in Oklahoma. Typical summer weekend is a madhouse - 30 minute waits at the boat ramps, and no less thna 50 boats in eyesight at any given time. We're also pretty big into water skiing, and we wouldn't think of dropping a skiier in the water when it's like this.

Will love to see what everybody else says... I've fished similar conditions (not so clear), with similar results. Were there any rocks, wood, or vegetation? I would have tried to find anything that could hold heat, or any spot of water that might have been a bit warmer. Did you try anything shallow? With water temp in the 40s, this wouldn't be my first stop. However, on my last trip (I got skunked), that was the one thing I regret not trying.

Talk about an imasculating feeling! It's one thing to go out all day and not see a fish - you can at least say that you and the fish were in different places. When they swim around right in front of you, there's no escuse, right?!?! Nine times out of ten, I strike out in this situation. Same thing when they are slooooowwly cruising the shallows. Obviously, there is something else on their mind. I always give it a valiant effort though, because every now and then you get one that'll eat. It has been my experience, however, that if they don't chase the bait during the first or second presentation (especially in the scenario when they dart off), then I usually tell myself to move on. ..... Then I try for 15 more minutes and just end up PO'd.

If I'm searching for fish, it means I'm moving around a lot. I usually stick with a combination of four or five baits that have different uses (crawling bottom, covering water, working brush, topwater, etc) and select appropriately as I encounter specific structure/cover. I usually change location before I change a lure. The baits I use to cover water (cranks mostly) have the highest propensity for being swapped out, but I try to give them a solid 50-100 casts unless there's something fundamentally wrong with the approach.

Laziness and selfishness… my two biggest pet peeves. I always make room in my pockets for the trash of others, but I don't have near enough pockets, and I hesitate to pick up a half-empty containers of old chicken livers and 12-packs of crushed beer cans. Blows my mind how disrespectful people can be.

I've been meaning to give Elk River Jigs a try. Huge selection, and made in Oklahoma!

Broke off a H20 red SB this evening and am ticked off! Seem like fine quality to me.