Dredd

Anyone experiencing massive delays with TW? They're usually pretty quick but I've waited over a week already (no backordered items) and still nothing...

Take water temp reading and save the jerkbait for another day. "Suspending" jerkbait don't always suspend in all water temperatures. Cooler water is denser than warm water, so a jerkbait that suspends properly in 60F will likely sink when the water rises to 70F. Jerkbait that suspends at 70F will sink in 50F water.

The question is whats it worth to you. Over at the saltwater fishing forums, plugs go upwards of $40-$100 a piece. They generally fall into 2 categories: 1) guys who want lures not being made anymore because of sentimental value (e.g. childhood lure), or 2) retired guys cashing out their 401k's and have some money to play with. Not tens of thousands but several hundred so they bid up those handmade plugs. These lures are priced not according to what it costs the manufacturer, but how fat one's 401k is. Some lures are indeed worth the high prices when you consider what it costs to manufacture them. But then that's bc demand isn't as great and the manufactures can't achieve economies of scale.

What scents (if you use them) do you guys like to use with flukes? The type of plastic used by Zoom in general seems impervious to scent absorption. I've tried smelly jelly and pro cure and both seem to wash out pretty quick.

I spool 10# braid. Its best to manually wind the line instead of having the bait store guy do it on the machine. The machines don't apply enough tension. Here's the best tip I learned - if you ever get a birds nest, pull out line until you get to a jam. Then apply pressure with your left thumb on the spool and make a few cranks. Then pull line out. Repeat as needed.

I grew up saltwater fishing and one thing I never understood about freshwater fishing were people feeling the need to use 5/0 EWG hooks for a 5" worm. In saltwater bait size determines hook size, not fish size. I tried out the 5/0 & 5" worm combo and didn't like it. Too much splash, too fast sink, unnatural action, etc. After trial and error, I've found out the hard way the rule is still the same. You can catch a 350 pound tuna on a hook smaller than a 5/0 EWG... LOL! OP - I suggest you apply the general rule of thumb that Primetime, Wisconsin, PapaJoe, and Scaleface are saying, rather than going with a fixed answer such as "definitely 1/0" bc we don't know how thick of a grub your using. a 4.5" Havoc Pit Boss will likely need a different hook than a 4.5" Rage Craw. Its also much easier to learn the "rule" so you can apply it to different baits than to memorize a hook size for each bait.

I'm a bank fisherman and I like to go as light as possible. LIke the OP, I store all my tackle in Plano 3700's, but when I go out, I pick what I need (a few shakey head jigs, the hooks I need, weights, etc.) and move them into smaller boxes that I can stuff in my pockets or a North Face Roo fanny pack. The following boxes are great for this: Flambeau 00220 Small Spinnerbait Box - Designed for 6 but can actually hold 9 as well as 1/8 oz cavitron buzzbaits. Plano 3414 Micro - double sided and lots of mini compartments. I have 3 of these. 1 for assorted weights, 1 for all my hooks. 1 side has 3 large compartments that can each fit a pack of 5/0 weighted EWG hooks. The other side has a bunch of tiny compartments perfect for mosquito hooks, drop shot hooks, beads, swivels, snaps, etc. You can take a razor blade to cut out compartments. Plano 344985 Five Compartment - has 5 long compartments. Each compartment can hold 3-4 jigs or 2-3 crankbaits. As for plastics I like to keep it in the original bags. I highly recommend you guys keep a small journal of what you actually use and the quantity. I rarely use more than 3-4 hooks, and 3-4 different types of hooks in any one outing.

cgolf - thanks for sharing your experience. I wish the same too (coffee gel) just for my coffee scented baits so i don't have to mix things up. I guess lucky bass near me will get a whiff of anise craw coffee cocktail. Hopefully it's like a espresso sambuca to us LOL. Kcdinkerz - never thought of that but i'll try that out. Even if I don't care scents the annoying thing is that without the oil it feels like that back of a sticky-note. Thanks.

I ordered a couple bags of KVD's coffee finesse worms and they arrived banged up. As per this forum's advice, I boiled them to straighten them up. The issue now is they've lost the oil sheen and are very sticky (attracting dust and whatnot). I'd like to place a few drops of smelly jelly (craw & anise) to them but they still have a bit of coffee scent. Does anyone have experience when it comes to mixing scents? Would too many scents be off-putting? How can I restore the oily coating of the worms? Thanks a ton.

What WRB said - look up your local laws. Here in NY its illegal to use lead.

Noobie question - how do you attach the dropshot sinker to your line? Do you tie a overhand knot and wedge it between the V?

Hi folks, I've been lurking a long time before finally deciding to sign up here. I grew up fishing saltwater and have seriously gotten into freshwater fishing a little over a year ago. I fish freshwater all over NYC, upstate NY. For some reason I've always thought freshwater was "easier" than saltwater but wow I was wrong. In many ways its a whole other universe with the only thing being in common is the species. Thanks for having me, Dredd