papajoe222

Before the shakey head boom, a light wire stand-up jig head (cost $.25-.50) and a 4in. reaper was a go to presentation in Wisc. and Minn. waters for walleye. Bass fishermen kept it a secret.

Tubes and grubs. Spider grubs to be more specific. Tubes probably get used more than grubs, but it seems to me that's only because they have what I consider a cult following; guys that will use them on top, middle, or on the bottom swear by them as their #1 soft plastic.

Depending on the depth of water, a drop shot is an option and I see this bait more as a drop shot bait than a soft jerk bait. I'd use a swimbait hook in maybe 1/16-1/8oz. and work it in a clear water area close to you to figure out how fast it drops and how fast you can work it and keep in in that zone.

I use two types of scents. The ones that change the plastic's color (JJ's-SpikeIt) and ANYTHING with an oil base. I like something with an oil base for a couple of reasons. The first is it helps soft plastics resist catching on vegetation. Second, on some hard baits, it helps the bait slip through the closed mouth of a bass that has clamped down on it. I actually don't put much faith in the scent itself.

I use them for longer thin worms, not necessarily small in length. I prefer the EWG for drop-shot and some split-shot (mojo) rigs over the offset.

That's a lot of specifics, but I'll start with my top three. #1 would be an Arkie head with a vertical line tie. #2 would be a football head, preferably tungsten. #3 would be a shakey head. Color wouldn't matter as much as the trailer I was using and that would either be brown/green or black/blue, with white or pearl as a second.

Welcome It depends on what I'm using it for. On a punch rig, I prefer the Pit Boss. Almost every other situation, I'd opt for the Rage Tail.

Don't let your head start spinning with all the choices because it will never stop. Try a couple of Mike's suggestions and become confident in their ability to produce for you the way you prefer to present them. If you begin with too many, you'll be second guessing your choices when you can't find one that does work. An arkie, or football and a swiming head are good places to begin.

Welcome to the forums. My favorites are divided into two categories; Numbers, and Hawgs. For numbers, a split shot rig with a french fry or centipede in green pumpkin with a little Spike-It on the tail and a MegaStrike Shakey head or Charlie Brewer Slider head rigged with a Havoc Bottom Hopper of the same color as above. A Norman Deep Little N in their chilli bowl or black splatter. A Pop R rounds it out. For better than average size fish it depends on what section of the water column I'm targeting. Both a jig and craw trailer and a 10in. ribbon tail worm can be worked from the upper to lower sections, but I prefer to use either as bottom contact lures. Black/Blue for the jigs with either a RageCraw or Paca trailer and purple or grape firetail worm with a sliding bullet weight. Topwater is a toss-up between a black buzzbait or a bone colored Zara Spook. A 6in. hollow body swim bait rigged on a darter style jig rounds out these four.

It's becoming mine. I don't know what the difference is in action, or whatever. I just know it's been out producing my old Rogues

Berkley Havoc Pond Hoppers are true floaters as well, but not much of a color selection. Those Air Worms worked great on a C-Rig.

Welcome Back I,too, fished mostly 1/4-3/8oz. jigs back in the day, but I don't believe I even own a bass jig under 3/8oz. and the majority of water I fish is under 12ft. Rate of fall isn't the reason for my switch. Maintaining bottom contact and the information transmitted back to me by the heavier/denser weight is. It's much easier to feel the loss of weight when a fish gently picks up a 1/2oz. jig than it is with one half that weight. Even with bullet weights and T-rigs the 'use the lightest weight you can' mentality has been cast aside for my bottom contact presentations. A bass, IMO, has no difficulty picking up a heavy jig, but I have difficulty feeling the bite, or when the bottom composition changes with a light jig. That lighter/no weight presentation is great for finding what part of the water column the fish are using, but once I figure that out, I'm switching to something that I can cover that depth with in a more efficient manner.

I'll agree, under the right conditions. The same could be said for a good T-rig fisherman under the right conditions. The advantage the T-rig has is that the bait can be presented at any depth. With the drop shot, the bait's depth is limited to the length of the leader.

You may want to leave them as they are, depending on how you intend to use them. They can add action to your presentation. The downside is they can also add twist to your line. On jig heads I wouldn't be as concerned with line twist as I would with a split shot, or drop shot presentation.

'Bottom Baits' as you refer to them are not fished strictly on the bottom, with maybe the exception of a football or shakey head jig. The majority of the time they are targeting the same fish your drop shot is unless you fish that drop shot directly under the boat, or with a long leader. My point is; you are basically fishing a different version of a 'Bottom Bait' without knowing it. Jigs, T-rigs, Tubes, C-rigs although sometimes fished on the bottom are often most productive when the bait is falling. Sometimes it is the initial drop to the bottom while other times it occurs as the bait re-settles after rising during the retrieve. You favorite, the drop shot, when cast isn't very far off the bottom even with a two foot leader to the weight because of the angle. The advantage the drop shot has, at times, is its ability to stay off the bottom the entire retrieve. You will find that a T-rigged curly tail worm cast out and allowed to sink to the bottom and then brought back with a steady retrieve will out produce a drop shot under most conditions mainly because you will be covering more water and presenting it to potentially more fish. The same can be said for most bottom baits, so give them a go next time your drop shot is getting hammered (when you know you're on fish and they're active). As for hook-sets, my rule of thumb is; If the hook is burried in the plastic, I reel down taking out any slack to about the 5:00 position and then quickly straight up to 11:00-12:00 while turning the reel handle. If the hook is outside the plastic, either resting on top or skin hooked, I'll use more of a reel and sweep the rod style of hook set. Hope this helps.

I, also, have done a couple of builds using their blanks and love both the quality, performance and value they offer. You can't go wrong building on them. You can compare their cost to others on any number of sites.

Great video, but like all general rules in fishing there are exceptions and cold=slow is one of the ones where I encounter numerous exceptions. Slow and deep is a great starting point, but if it isn't producing (in cold water one fish an hour, I feel is producing), I'll speed up and/or move my presentation up the water column. My point being; good information is invaluable, but not infallible.

What type of cover will you be targeting? One thing FC adds vs mono, is better sensitivity along with abrasion resistance. Personally, I stick with 6-10lb. YoZuri and retie frequently when targeting brush and deadfalls. The issue with line breakage on the spool is a result of kinking the line and spooling more line over it, for instance when you get a backlash. It forms a weak spot as does not wetting down your knots before snugging them down. If you can afford it and you believe it will up your game enough to justify the cost, go for it.

Keep the braid on, it'll help when you go to clear the bait from weeds and the extra sensitivity is always a plus. Keep your drag setting on the light side and drop your thumb on the spool when jerking to clear weeds or if you feel you're missing fish because of a poor hook set.. Don't worry about line visibility as you'll be fishing the lipless with constant movement whether it's horizontal or vertical .

Two things you should take into consideration when choosing a jig are the cover you'll be targeting and the wind/depth factors. The first helps you choose the style of jig and weight. With punch rigs, you want enough weight to easily penetrate the canopy. The second helps you determine what weight to use for presenting a jig on the bottom. You want to be able to maintain bottom contact and depth and wind will make it difficult to do so with lighter jigs.

I like the 1/4oz. just about anytime I'm targeting the upper water column, but they really shine when the ladies and gents are building nests in the spring. I like them because I can keep them up off the bottom in 3ft. of water without having to burn them back. I use a Daiwa Sol in the original gearing (slow) and a steady retrieve and give it a pop of the rod tip as it approaches the nest builders.

I built a rod with the CB843 blank and to me, it lacks the sensitivity I like for cranking deeper than 12ft. I fish a lot of cover with cranks and I like to know when my line is being drawn over a limb, or when my crank just starts ticking the tops of a weed bed. With shallower cranks I don't concern myself with the latter because I know exactly how deep those baits run. What are you using now? Are you satisfied with the sensitivity and if so, what is the material the blank is comprised of? Does that same company offer a 'cranking stick'? Some guys swear by glass, some composite and some graphite. Knowing what you prefer will make your decision a lot easier and your ultimate choice a lot more enjoyable to fish with.

As the title implies, what is your favorite ice-out lure for muskie? I'm talking water temps below 40. I know many are unable to target them until May because of state regulations, but where I'm going next week there is no closed season. I've personally had mixed results using smaller lures. A 42in. is my PB on a 6in. Jake in a perch pattern. I just purchased a Li'l Ernie so I'll have something that runs a bit deeper. I've had follows on smaller bucktails, but never hooked up with them. I have heard that hollow body swimbaits in 6in.-8in sizes rigged with a stout jig head and slow trolled can be a great alternative to a hard bait, but I've yet to hear from someone that has actually used them.

My goal for 2017 is to see 2018! Soft plastic swim baits. I love hard baits and this is one soft bait that relates to my style more than any other soft plastic. I've just been reluctant to really give them a serious chance. My other goal is to introduce at least one more person to this great sport.

Welcome to the forums. For cleaning that grease from 20years ago, I'd go with lighter fluid followed by a good rinse and dry. For relube of the gears, most any grease marketed for fishing reels will get the job done. Same goes for oiling bearings. Just remember 'less is better' is a good motto. You may need to relube prior to your next cleaning, but that clean-up will be a lot easier.