Cgolf

I tried them at the end of the season and got a few smallies on them, they are in the box for next year. They look pretty good on a jig.

I use the slider heads a ton and was going to pair one with a 1/2 Zinkerz and see how it works. Kind of a cool thing pairing an old school finesse rig with the new school finesse rig.

I have the split tail trailer rigged up to try next year, it looks awesome in the water, unfortunately the fish had moved to wintering holes on the river so I didn't get to see how it attracted fish. I also got the 7" finesse wormz on the 25 days sale and cut them in half and they look like they will be good too.

Ike, polarizing figure, but heck of a fisherman, and dude loves to promote the heck out of the sport. From listening to him and reading about his fishing a lot of what he does would help me out. He also sounds like a genuinely good guy from chatting with guys who have met him so I am betting it would be good times and good fishing.

If I can pick the lake, I stand a good chance. He is a numbers guy, finds some big bass too, and while I can't fish as fast as he can, I can always scrape together a good batch of 5 fish on this lake. Also being a northern WI bass lake there just aren't a lot of big bass which would keep it close where anything can happen. I wanted to add that he can use all his gear, if I were to beat him I would want to earn it. Him fishing with inferior stuff would just make it an unsatisfying victory. I would rather get pummeled then win that way It would be a lot of fun to fish against him for a day and then With him for a day to see how he picks apart a lake. I listened to KVD on Ike's show and it sounded like they aren't into getting waypoints, but does sound like some guys out there are. That isn't right, but I don't think they could really ever police it. Maybe that is why those two have struggled the last couple of years.

1.) finding fish and figuring out the mood they are in when I can only get out on the lake once every 2 or 3 weeks. Going to try and change this one this year 2.) Seeing a fish and enticing it to strike and completing the deal without freezing or pulling the bait away from the fish. Got my PB Musky this year by popping a swim jig once more at the boat to trigger her, very satisfying. Also love fishing vacations where you can pattern fish and learn how they transition when the weather changes.

I have been using swim jigs a lot this year and have had them come through weeds really clean only having to clean them off once in a while. Not sure if brand matters, but mostly went with Santone jigs and an Outcast was used a couple of times too. This was a big improvement for me over my standard slider head and tube or grub.

Went to see if I could find some Rage baits in the clearance bin at my local tackle shop and instead found 4 packs of Yum Wooly Bullies in different colors for swim jig fishing and picked up some 1/16 fireball jigs for Ned rigging. Not much spent, but always a good day when you find a deal on baits that work for ya.

Thanks guys will be picking some up, they do look like they could be a solid part of my game plan this summer and give me a different option. That and I have always had good luck with Strike a Kings bluegill color in clear water going back a long time with the Braur flipping tubes. I am thoroughly convinced to give them a try lol Now I need May to get here, the offseason is driving me nuts!

That pretty much sells me on it, because it will have a stronger kick than the other baits. I can rig up one of each and let the fish tell me what they want, more or less kick. It really amazes me how something with such a small brain can be so selective in what they hit depending on conditions.

I either go with a backpack or a small plano bag and try to keep tackle to a minimum. Usually carry a spinning rod for plastics and a baitcaster for cranks. The rods are usually ugly sticks or something I have had for a while, the better stuff stays home due to the abuse the shore rods take.

Perfect, I don't want ya to give a rip anyways! I just wanted some info about the bait to make a decision, this seemed like the right place to get it. Now if you have some info on the bait I am all for hearing it. This is the first I have seen how pronounced the lip is on the tail, never realized it was that big.

I have pictures of all my crankbaits and a spreadsheet with all of the baits and replacement costs (new) from three shops. As I lose crankbaits I keep a running list and eventually update the spreadsheet.

I believe it, I have at times tried to use up crawlers and leeches on bass after a crappy walleye bite on vaca only to get less bites on the real stuff.

Actually that was what I was coming down to, but if they have a lot of action over the other baits 1 pack or 2 isn't a deal breaker. I just want to make sure I am buying something different vs another bands version of a bait with the same action. Wish I would have learned this thought process with finesse worm colors lol, the bait monkey is evil

I have my flame suit ready on this one. This year while I have a decent budget, most of it is going to Zman baits which are not available in WI in stores (I know I had a rant about the Ned the other day, but it is money on the river for me). Along with those I have some of my standards that need replacing so my extra cash for new stuff to try is limited. What I am looking for are soft baits to rig sideways on swim jigs, I already have a lot of Paca craws and a ton of green pumpkin yum wooly bully's I got on clearance at Wally World a couple of years back that worked well for me last year. I am thinking I can stick with those along with the 100 pack of Kalins 5" grubs I am getting. The menace grub has been recommended a lot, but seeing that they are a sponsor of the boards I want to know if that plays into it. Price wise they are quite a lot more per bait than what I use currently. Are they better or just different? I am guessing the ridges on the tail will give it a harder kick than say a Paca, so maybe there is a place for both in my box and the Paca is for neutral and rage is for more active. I know some lakes I hit the fish are very sensitive to fronts, so having different actions is a must, have seen it many times. So I am really on the fence if I grab a pack or 2 to try. Soft baits are our crack, there are so many we just have to try and they just end up sitting in a box lol.

Paca Craw, Price is right with a good color and size selection

Just want to verify that these are the exact same bait and I can mix them together. Since the Zero is not as well known, I am hoping to find some in clearance bins locally.

Bandit 100 fire tiger Norman Deep little N Chartreuse sexy Shad Sun Perch 5/16 oz Santone swim jig with a kalins 5" Rons Craw grub Water Red tube on a slider spider head, most likely 1/4 ounce Strike King white 3/16 ounce bleeding bait spinner All of the above colors will work in gin clear or stained water, the only questionable one is the spinnerbait in stained water

This drives me nuts, I love the Ned for River fishing. I will have a big order of Zman baits this spring to cover my river fishing habits, so call me a hypocrite. As for lake fishing the Ned has to be the most inefficient lure I have fished and is difficult to toss to vertical cover in wind and waves where your line blowing pushes the lure 5 feet from where it entered the water. I have found it will catch fish, but not as efficient as other lures. Even cold fronts, Ned isn't punching through milfoil to get to the fish that buried in there. Will I work with it again this year, sure, but to me it is just another tool to use on the water, it isn't magic. To the sponsor thing, a couple of guys I know said that it is cool to use other stuff, they just can't say that they did. Heck Randy Howell won the classic with a shad rap, but of course they are pushing that he won with his sponsors bait.

Last year I relied on a Rick Clunn Sglass squarebill rod which is a 6' 8" Heavy action MH power rod. I tossed the SK KVD 100 SB and their new shallow SB with it all summer and really liked it. Being glass it is a bit heavier, but I found it comfortable to use during the day.

Banjo Minnow and I would love to run across a clearance sale on them somewhere. My dad had some in his workshop and gave them to me last year, they are going to make great swim jig trailers this year.

Like the idea of tying a fly in front of the finesse bait. I would personally go with a synthetic, bucktail, or a rabbit strip fly. I just have a thing against feathers and marabou when I tie flies.

This is me and the only thing I would add is starting out with more active baits and working my way down to something more subtle. What is active of course varies by the time of year, for 50 degree shallow water I would start with a bandit Flattmax or shad rap for cranks for example, which in summer would be the last on my list. That is on a water that I coming to that I haven't fished in a week. If I am on a vacation lake where I spend 15 hours a day on the water, I use the bite from the day before and weather to guide my lure selection the next day and many times then I start slow in the morning. One trick I learned is to reel a soft plastic back quickly once I get it out of what I think is the strike zone and if I get a hit or a chaser I start tossing a spinnerbait or crank because something has activated the fish. Ultimately my goal is to find active fish, if I have to grind I do, but my goal is to get the easy ones first

First I can remember is a mister twister 2" grub. Will never forget my first Crankbait bass though. Was casting off a pier and reeling in a Luhr Jenson speed trap as fast as I could, as the bait came near the pier a bass shot out going as fast as the lure in the opposite direction and hammered it. I got really lucky to land it, because the viscousness of the strike ripped a small hole in the mouth and the bait just fell out when I landed it.