the reel ess

If I want to change out a crankbait's hooks, I usually just swap the crank hooks with a Rat L Trap. They have quality EWG hooks and I don't use Traps anymore. I use the CC Super Spot and others. If I want to use one of the Traps, at least it has newer hooks from the crank on it. ?

Exactly what I was thinking. The only things that have worked for me lately are jigs, T rigged craw and blade bait. I got one on a gold spinnerbait slow rolled. But our water rarely gets that cold, and never gets hard.

Yeah, he was. I sent her this pic after cleaning off the oxidation and she said it was likely a gift he never even opened. He forgot he had a tackle box. One man's trash is another's treasure. I asked her for pics of the other stuff in it and she said this was the only thing of any value. And she knew I wouldn't turn around and sell it.

A coworker sent me this bait as a Christmas gift. It was out of her ex's old tackle box he left in her garage. LOL. It's the 1/4 oz., 2.5" version in rainbow trout pattern, if you can't tell from the pic. Looks close enough to crappie to work here though. It has the old paper list of other Bomber lures in the box and appears to never have been used. There's a price sticker of $2.99 on the back. If you know me, I'm gonna use it. I already cleaned the oxidation from old lead off and sharpened the hooks. Good as new. Does anyone want to guess at the year it was produced? I know they're still making them. I have a few in other patterns.

Me too, but with a 100+ lb thrust trolling motor.

And the gap between 42 and 52 will seem even smaller. Stay active and do what you love. It keeps you young. Happy Birthday!

And it's the exact opposite for me. I stopped buying jigs and trailers in anything other than black/blue. We are in different areas of the globe though.

Be that as it may, I don't catch anything on red craw lures. I do on brown or black ones. Perhaps it's water clarity.

It's all about forage. We have no red craws in SC, but plenty of shad, minnows and shiners.

I think it works better where there are yellow perch present. It used to work for me on my home lake. We used to catch yellow perch while fishing for crappie. But we sold the house there and I rarely fish it anymore.

I too have had little success with a red craw crank, lipless or otherwise. Gold works great for me as well, in all seasons. Firetiger and chartreuse don't seem to work well where I fish these days. Green pumpkin is not the killer color here that it is most places. Black/blue is my go-to most of the year. I don't even like brown jigs.

A Zoom Trick Worm or Finesse Worm. Maybe with a 1/16 oz bullet weight.

I have no desire to stand in a kayak. I have to look down when I walk to avoid falling.

That''ll be on my headstone.

It's just winter time. Sometimes when you fish in winter, you're just looking for 1 or 2 bites. It happens to pros too. Go back in March and I'll bet you'll catch more.

What has worked best for me is the Heddon Sonor blade bait in 1/2 oz. These should come in 3 packs because they're easy to lose. I've also gotten bites on a T-rigged craw, jig and wobble football head with T rigged craw. Also one bass on a spinnerbait. For most of the winter I could get by with 3 rods, often 2. Side note: big crappie like the blade bait too.

It was a joke

I have a quality pair that I used in saltwater once. I just sprayed them with WD40. Good as new, except ugly. WD40 has been tested as a fish attractant. So maybe they don't mind. Like getting the gas when you're getting dental work. ?

I have kept a written log before and got tired of it. I kept a log of every fish over 3 lbs, the dates and the lures for 2021. It was a good year.

Since we're in winter, I can think of a time when I got some big bass to take a larger Rooster Tail. I was casting out, yanking off the bottom and letting it fall, like a jigging spoon or blade bait.

My bro-in-law drew my name for Christmas and gave me, among other things, a pack of KVD Ochos. I didn't throw them away and they caught bass. But I pretty much only buy black/blue jigs and craws. I have some other colors that I never use.

There's a time and place for every style. I enjoy the power fishing. But I'll get finnessy when I have to. Honestly, if I can still catch a few power fishing, that's what I'm going to do.

nm

I caught over 50 bass on a Tiny Torpedo in flooded timber once. I was getting the occasional bite with the standard retrieve. I started a steady retrieve and they went crazy on it for a couple hours. I would get a bite, lose that fish and get another bite on the same cast.

My wife and daughter say I like to watch YouTube videos and buy tackle more than I like to actually fish. And there is some truth to that. But they have no idea how bad some of you people have it.