fishballer06

This is actually a great idea for these. Cheaper than a Menace Grub which I normally use on a spinnerbait or swim jig. To answer @Catt, I bought a few different colored packs but haven't fished them yet.

You think he's truly happy? He's fishing the Northern Opens and is in second place behind only Brandon Palaniuk. As well as fishing the kayak series as well. That's A LOT of dedication for a guy who isn't trying to scrape by.

I can't comment on kayak tournaments... But yes, he could walk right into the Elites if he wanted. I believe he said at the beginning of the season that he wanted to requalify the old fashioned way. So I can respect that.

Pretty cool little article by Ike about his BASS kayak tourny win, and what his *potential* plans may be moving forward. Could we see him leaving MLF and rejoining the Elites? https://www.bassmaster.com/mike-iaconelli/ikes-big-kayak-win

There's two methods. You've probably seen the dorsal fin kind where it's a string style tag that goes between the two dorsal fins on the back.

Not really...

I'm not sure what you're trying to throw on said reel. The MGL 70 is not meant for BFS presentations/casting. If you want to go MGL, I wouldn't go much lighter than a 3/16oz weight + your hook/bait. A BFS reel is a BFS reel. The MGL is a compact version of the traditional Curado K. Buy accordingly.

Lure Parts Online Barlow's Tackle Jig Junkie Janns Netcraft There's literally dozens of stores that sell this stuff.

You're right, it is basically a vertical presentation. Hence why we never flip/punch more than maybe 50 feet from the boat (plus whatever depth the water may be). Most often, I'm only flipping out 20 feet at most from the boat. Any further than that and I will just be waiting until I can get the boat closer to my target.

I look at it this way. I'm usually not going to have much line out at all whenever doing this technique. Most of the time, 40-60 feet at most, and majority of the time 15-30 feet out. That being said, your rod needs to be able to handle the weight of what you're punching/flipping with and the weight of a big fish on short line in the heavy vegetation. So a good, stout rod is going to do the majority of the work and heavy lifting. Your reel, in all honesty, is only going to need you to take a few cranks to get that fish into the boat. So the benefit of having a higher gear ratio is being able to get that bait back to you quicker and allowing you to make another flip/punch quicker. All that being said, I've never noticed a difference in power from my 8:1 Daiwa's and Shimano's compared to the 7:1 counterparts. So give me a faster reel and the opportunity to put my bait in front of more fish.

Looks like Mike hasn't been online in over 4 years @Bfrye09...

I'm still big on the old Wiggle Warts and Risto Raps. I also like the old Mann's 1- before they cheapened them up. Those old one's run so well.

If you don't have an airbrush to do a two colored head like that, you can do what I do. Go buy a cheap makeup brush. Dip it in your powder paint. Then tap the brush with your finger and sprinkle it on the top of the jig. This will give you that two-toned color you're looking for.

My concern with the blade above the bait for an underspin (errr, overspin), would be the blade hitting the line and interfering with that.

For a while now, rumors have been going around that Zoom was going under/being sold. They have finally cleared the air on what is going on.

@FryDog62 These looks like a viable options. Now you have me wanting to tie a few up. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/DM_Custom_Baits_Underdawg_Swim_Jig/descpage-DMU.html https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Picasso_Single_Barrel_Underspins/descpage-PSBUS.html https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Santone_Lures_Chris_Zaldain_Z-Spin_Underspin_1pk/descpage-SLCZP.html

Like Bluebasser explained, why not just tie your own skirt? That's what I would do.

I love a good crankbait that runs just barely sub surface. Perfect for grass that isn't topped out at the surface. The Manns Baby 1- is the classic bait in this category. The Evergreen CH-1 is my modern favorite. It runs much better and has premium hardware (compared to the Manns). The Megabass Over Rev is on my radar to try though.

There's almost no reason to really even set the hook with a squarebill. Usually the retrieve and the fish grabbing a moving bait is enough to get a hook in them. At least with good hooks it is.

Word on the street is that Zoom is in the process of being sold...

And that lure was....?

Two things to consider between something like a Pit Boss or D-Bomb, compared to something like a Bandito Bug or Rage Bug. 1. Action 2. Fall Rate The flanges on the appendages of the Rage/Bandito Bug catch more water as they fall in the water column. This makes they kick more and have more "action". In doing so, this slows down the rate at which they sink to the bottom as they fall in the water column. So switching between the two can change up your presentation. So experiment to see which is better given you fishes activity levels and water temperatures.

Lets get a thread going for all of the new products for 2021 coming out this week at iCast. What all products have caught your eye thus far? Me personally, the Curado MGL150, Rapala DT6, Megabass Sleeper Craw, and the new Missile Chunk bait all look pretty promising. The Rapala OG is now coming in a downsized version as well.

You need a $450 BFS specific baitcaster and a special ordered Japanese made rod that will take 3 months to ship in order to properly do this technique. Trust me, the bass know the difference.

It's very well possible that the fish just aren't there quite like they used to be, or they have wisened up. A fish kill, fisherman keeping fish, or perhaps someone else is fishing this pond daily and has made all the fish a little more lure shy.