NiX

I want to upgrade treble hooks on my crankbaits and jerkbaits. Is there a universal size of hooks that I can buy in bulk that will work fine? Also how do I choose what size will work best? Is it personal preference? The lures I am wanting to replace trebles on will be my Strike King Lipless Red-Eye Shads, Megabass Vision 110's, and 90 and 130 Whopper Ploppers. I've never switched out treble hooks before so any info on doing this is helpful, thanks.

If you reel up the slack you won't rip it out of their mouth.

I've trimmed the weed guards, trimmed skirts, trimmed the front of skirts, and yada yada. I've caught fish with modifying my jigs and I also catch fish without doing anything to them. IMO I think it is just personal preference, it's a confidence thing. If you're not confident in your lure you are not going to catch anything. That being said, when I am jig fishing, I swing on them hard. If you are hooking them at the top of the mouth you're doing it right. It's pretty satisfying when you pull em up and the hook is between the eyes! HEADSHOT!

Reading through this thread makes me want to go out and start swingin' on some fish. I guess I need to set the hook more often. A lot of times i'll get hit, reel down, and if I don't see or feel any line movement I pass on the hook-set. I have felt the double tap but not anymore, I am going to start swinging on first tap.

Meaning I stop fishing because I have to go to work, pick my daughter up from school, doctors appointment, ect. Often I stop at the lake for an hour or 2 just to get my line in the water. I actually get more of those type of days than I do of full fishing days.

1/4, 3/8, 1/2 Jig and Craw is my preferred method at the moment.

I only stop fishing because I have something else to do. If I had a a day off to do absolutely nothing but fish, I would. I'll fish all day without a bite if the weathers comfortable. Lol not likely to not get a bite all day but it can happen. I will usually go to a small shaky head if I am getting no action. If it gets really bad I'll drop shot just to get that one fish. I don't care how big it is, I am not trying to get skunked!

I fish Folsom Lake in California and it's a true finesse fishery... I fish from the bank and catch 1-2lbers frequently but lately I found a new spot and have been catching 2-3lbers. I never got a weight on my biggest fish just got length at 26". After that I got a scale and new PB is 5 lbs. I caught that this year

+1 on readimg through that thread. It helped me a ton.

I got a few more jigs from Seibert Outdoors, 3 arky's, 1 sniper jig, and 1 g2 derocker football jig. I love the arky's but wanted to try out something new, so I grabbed a sniper jig and that g2 football jig. Also I have to try out the ned rig on my spin setup!

There is some good information in this thread. Since we are on the subject, what are some ways you guys adjust to short strikes? For example; lately I have been fishing a new weed line on my lake. When I am hopping my jig back ill get smacked, wait a second but they never actually take it. My lure is literally just getting tapped. Usually I get the tap and then I try to reel in the slack to feel the fish on. I have caught some decent fish in this area but I experience more of those type of strikes then actually catching fish. It even happens when i downsize to a small 1/4oz shaky head with a zoom trick worm.

A buddy I go fishing with uses s $20 shimano 2000 or something from walmart. He catches tons of fish on it and loves the reel. Nice and cheap for a starter setup. Just pair it up with a rod of choice. I think buying a inexpensive combo is best for starters. I am going to be upgrading my spinning setup sometime next year. I've been eye balling the dobyns fury line up for the rod. I haven't decided on a real yet but interested in trying out the presidents reel.

There is a thread "best of" bassresource.com and it has a tackle and gear section. I think this will help you pick your rod out I could pick out what I would get but I don't know about using it for both salt and freshwater as I fish only freshwater for bass. I would probably get a decent rod and go cheaper on the reel. Then again, I was also told to spend the same amount on my reel as I would on my reel. This has resulted in me having a $200+ setup though. lol

I think your problem is reeling in the slack line. I tend to create some tension with my index and thumb on my line just before spool when reeling in a lot of slack line. When you spooled your reel up did you create a good amount of tension while spooling?

I didn't even know there was binders like that for plastics. I put mine in a plano box LOL! I would like to see some of these binders/bags.

Stopped at Sportsman Warehouse and grabbed a few things just because.

Yeah, I throw a jig almost all the time. I can do everything I want with it!

IMO it is way better to fish with a trailer on your jig. I have never caught one without a trailer on. I like to think I fish my jig pretty fast, but if I am not getting any bites I start to slow down. I mainly fish from the bank and what I try to do is find cover. Now if cover isn't available I try to hit submerged structure. You can find submerged structure via google maps or google earth. You can also find submerged structure by throwing your jig out and feeling bottom. Drag the jig around, different structure has a different feeling, try to find rock piles or lay downs. Fish break points from a sandy to rocky bottom or a weed line. Here is my favorite way to work the jig: I cast it out and with my thumb slightly controlling the free fall until I hit bottom. Be prepared to close it up and reel down because hits can come on the fall. Once I am on bottom I reel in the slack, maybe dead-stick for a bit, then with a little bit of slack in line I start to hop it all the way back. I hop it back in a random pattern until I find what the fish want. I really like to get on top of a rock and hop off the top and let it fall, I get a lot of hits this way. Well, I am a little stoned and feel like I wrote too much. Good luck! tight lines

Before this year I had no confidence in jigs. I have been fishing with them for years and just didn't know what the hell I was doing. Now the jig bite is one of my favorites, the tick-tick reeling down on 'em and then swinging on 'em is so awesome! Long story short, I decided in the spring time that I was going to get good with the jig and made sure to fish with it every time I went out. Now, mid-summer, I love the jig and I always have one tied on. I have gotten so much better with using them, less snags, better bite detection, I can feel rock/brush/lay downs, and overall I just have so much fun working it. The best way to get good at it is hands on experience! Good Luck!

Just bought an assortment of Siebert Outdoors Jigs! Now the anticipation till they get here.

Caught my PB spotted bass at Folsom Lake last night! 2lb 13oz. 1/2oz Jig with Sweet Beaver trailer. Fishing in about 20 ft of choppy water.

I still use the same spinning combo that I started out bass fishing with, a medium light 6'6" 2 piece spinning combo. It's actually the same combo I have had since I was 6 years old ( I am now 26 ). I started off throwing weightless senkos 4", 5", and 6" was what I would use. T-rigged them weightless and I wacky rigged them. I then progressed to trying out ribbon tails, tubes, and drop shots. Once I was comfortable with those I started throwing spinner baits and crank baits on it. Obviously not the best setup for those lures but I did it anyway and I caught fish. I eventually bought a bait casting combo so I had to 2 rods. TLDR: I would suggest just start out with worms and 8lb mono..

You are probably right, I have gone fishing with my dad and he has a pretty decent spinning combo and was able to throw his at good distance. I think I feel that way because most people I see fishing the bank with spinning combos are throwing light tackle. Obviously the light tackle isn't going to go as far as my 1/2oz jig! Lol!

I use a 1/2oz on almost all of my Rat-L-Traps and other cranks.

I like the cast that is most successful. I like to consider myself pretty accurate with my cast. I can say though, when you do that long distance cast and land in the sweet spot it is so satisfying to get that strike. I only bank fish at the moment and I find myself trying to reach structure at distances most bank anglers don't hit. Mainly because most of the bank anglers I see are using spinning combos and their max distance is less than what I can hit with my baitcaster. Also because I am bank fishing most of the time, that distance helps a lot when I am using cranks, spinners, and top water.