MIbassyaker

Can't argue with a spinner or 2" or 3"curly tail grub on a jighead, thrown on an inexpensive spincast.

That's what I think, too -- I'm chucking them into laydowns, bouncing them between rocks...even rigged weedless, you're going to lose a bunch. And if you're attracting fish, they'll get pulled on, mangled, ripped in half no matter what you do....a tube by definition is not a durable bait because it's hollow, with a thin skin, not designed to stand up to abuse compared to other plastics. Some tubes are better quality than others, for sure, but I don't really think quality is necessary in this kind of bait.

Tom's list is great-- all easy and super-effective adaptations of your current gear. I'm similar -- most of my fishing is strongly dominated by finesse presentation with plastics. I get a lot of mileage out of jigworm (any worm + jighead of some kind; shakeyhead is a version of this) and mojo/finesse c-rig (light cylindrical weight sliding freely above a bobber stopper, placed 12"-16" ahead of a t-rigged plastic). But to me, the most obvious categories of things missing from your repertoire are (1) Moving baits and other horizontal presentations (Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, swimbaits) (2) Topwaters (Poppers, frogs, buzzbaits, walking baits) (3) jigs You should be able to get a start working on any of the three with your MH casting combo for heavier versions of these baits, and M spinning for lighter versions.

Overheard at a DSG, not long ago: MY WIFE: "Zooms"? Don't you have enough of those already? ME: No.

TW has done 20% off on most of the stock on black friday, including rods and reels (although maybe not all of them?), and that's on top of individual markdowns, as I understand. I would have my eye on the Kistler Magnesium TS's currently running about 30% off on TW...if you got 20% on top of that, it would be highway robbery. Lots of individual manufacturers will do their own sales around then, including possibly some BR sponsors who may announce it here with a post.

Yeah, that sounds like a fantastic deal for a great rod.

I don't expect I'll ever own a boat and don't want one. Far and away my favorite waters to fish either don't allow motors, or have only carry-down launches, or can only be accessed publicly by paddling in from small streams and creeks.

Well, there's my impulse buy for the week. They have three casting models in stock (none of the spinning from what I can see) -- the 6'9" MHF, 6'10" MHMF, and the 2-piece 6'10" MF. I just got the MHF. 42% off the original $130, with an additional -$15 on the promo code (good through 11/12), brought it to $60, before tax and shipping. Sweet.

That, right there, is the most underrated answer to every possible question about lures.

I have been wondering about these too....but I just really hate colorful rods. Everything should be Black/Silver. Now get off my lawn.

I don't have a lot of experience with shad, but that sounds like time for a moving topwater. Maybe a walking bait (Spook, Sammy, Etc.)

Trying REALLY hard to wait for various Black Friday sales. It is very difficult.

Ever get the feeling that fish you caught on a crankbait would probably have bitten on almost anything else? That never happens with a ned rig.

I have absolutely no doubt you could catch bass on a ned rig without a rod.

Real men don't need baitcasters.

I'd be too busy taking notes!

Of course not. I wouldn't even have a home-lake advantage.....he may have fished my favorite waters already (a couple places I fish sometimes, i know he has)

It was caught the day after I posted that, lol!

I always enjoy reading BigBill's posts about his tackle. He seems to have --and uses, and still buys-- loads and loads of old-school lure kinds and brands, in every color available. Bill, I wonder if you have considered this: Hold off on your next $100 lure order, and instead add that $100 toward the budget for your next rod, and get a nicer one than you would otherwise have bought....

Are bass really dwindling around here (GR area)? If so, that's the first I've heard of it. But in a lot of waters, over 14" can be tough to catch with regularity. I had to laugh at your catchphrase -- I teach college in the GR area, so I have no time to fish once fall semester gets underway, and don't get to start again until May. I know of a few gravel pit locations off the grand river, and they can be productive, for sure. Smallies seem to be best upriver of downtown GR, and largemouths best downriver, especially in the various Ottawa county bayous.

I have had Zman plastics stick to each other a little bit, to the point that they have to be pulled apart carefully....but not melt. Too much heat?

Awesome! My wife has fished with me exactly once, way, way back when we were dating. Oh, well.... I at least inherited a crappie-obsessed father-in-law and a walleye-obsessed uncle-in-law. Could be worse. I'll take what I can get.

Beautiful. In my opinion, the fishing is primary; the catching is just gravy.

OMG, Joe, that is a CHUNK!

St. Cloud, MN? (Are there other St. Clouds? The one in MN, northwest of Minneapolis is the only one I know...) You should post the question to your region in the "fishing locations" section! Quite a few musky anglers around here; I'm jealous -- I've never caught one.