papajoe222

I try to mix up my retrieves, but I have found that the fish have a seasonal preference. In the spring a steady retrieve, the summer calls for yo-yo, or ripping them free of weeds and in the early fall, they like it stroked. This bait really produces on the fall, so even when they want a steady retrieve, I'll occasionally pause it. The 1/2oz. is a good size,

What style of jig are you looking for? A good style for most applications is an Arkie style with a horizontal line tie. They work well in wood, brush, rocks and are also okay for dragging along hard bottoms. For fishing weeds, you'll want something with more of a point to it with either a recessed , or a vertical line tie. For dragging along a hard bottom, a football jig shines. Match the color of the lakes bottom to your jig and add a trailer with a little contrast to it.

If you encounter stained water, this is a great color to be throwing. Up here, we get a lot of green algae that colors the water, and it's a killer on smallies.

Rising, muddy, cold water makes for extremely tough fishing. The first thing to accept is that the bites will be few. The second is that you need to approach these conditions similar to other tough conditions such as a cold front. Slowing down and making precise presentations will help considerably. Finding where the fish are goes without saying. Newly flooded cover and deeper water offer the fish the most security. Then it's just a matter of offering them something within that window of security. IMO, fish don't chase down noisy presentations, or those baits that move a lot of water under tough conditions. Those baits do work if presented in close proximity to their place of security. If you accept that logic, the reason they work is because of where they are presented and not what they are. The upside to this is the fact that you can get much closer to the fish under those conditions and precise presentations are less difficult.

First off, let me say that I rarely fish from a friend's boat or from shore. That fact is changing this season as I finally talked my kid into getting his own boat. This is going to put me in a situation where I won't have my normal tackle system available. I put together a bag containing five 3700 series boxes along with a few of the really small boxes containing terminal tackle and jigs. An extra reel, pliers, sun block, bug spray, and sun glasses occupy the zipper pockets. My question is what baits to fill three of those boxes with. One will be filled with tubes and one with cranks, but I'm at a loss as to what else to take as I want to take everything. For those of you 'non-boaters' here; What do you take with?

Welcome' I also fish a lot of clear water lakes, a couple of which I can see bottom in 15ft. I shy away from hard baits and stick with small, soft plastic baits in natural colors. I'm a tube freak when it comes to soft plastics and a 2- 3in. tube in pearl or smoke with pepper flakes does well on most of those lakes. For hard baits, as already mentioned, the fish can see your bait from farther away and have more time to look it over. Downsizing and speeding up your retrieve helps to put you on more level playing field.

IMO, you don't need to spend a lot for a spinnerbait rod. Sensitivity isn't a concern, so pick something that's light enough for you to chuck and wind with for extended periods, but still has the power and action that you'll need.

Unlike a jig or worm presentation with a single hook, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are faster moving presentations. There needs to be a little give somewhere in your equipment so the bait isn't pulled out of their mouth before they can close it. Mod/Fast is a good choice (IMO) for a spinnerbait rod, but as stated above, make sure it has the power to drive that bigger hook home. If it doesn't, you may be able to get away with using it and braided line. Not the best option, but if that's all you have....

Aside from the size and style of hook to choose, you should also take into consideration the thickness and strength of the hook itself. I use a lot of light wire hooks because many of my rods are medium power and I rarely use heavier that 12lb mono. 8lb is the norm. No way am I getting a good hook set with a 3X EWG. They not only penetrate the fish's mouth easier, they go through the plastic easier also.

Yea, you'll want a tool of some kind to take the pin out. I fabricated my own about ten years ago when I began cleaning my own reels. It's worth the investment in purchasing one if you plan on doing your own reel cleanings. Bearing upgrades become an added plus. Drag washers are a simple swap, but make sure you make note of the way the stack is when you remove the old ones so that you install the new ones in the same order.

I've been getting very frustrated, being unable to fish, and decided to do a fishing project to help ease my pain (and lighten my wallet). My four favorite reels got upgrades. Fuego-bearings and drag washers Sol#1 Swept handle and star drag Sol#2&3 Swept carbon fiber handles with wood knobs and bearings (all Sols now have bearing and drag washer upgrades). Now, If I can figure out how to add a pic

I fish craws as a jig trailer and rarely by themselves. I'll use them to add bulk, action, adjust fall rate,etc. I couldn't choose only one favorite as both the Paca and Rage Tails would tie for the title.

I tie my own, mostly buck and squirrel tail. I go through a dozen or so between pre and post ice here, so it's a frugal thing for me.

I agree with Rolo when it comes to a bouant worm, especially if you'll be pausing, or dead sticking it. For the conditions you mention, the MegaStrike or a football head design will likely work best. I like the MegaStrike for the sole reason that 99% of the time it will land standing upright and I like to pause for at least ten seconds after the bait hits bottom. It adds a lot to my confidence knowing that jig isn't on its side sitting there.

I'm with AJ when it comes to color selection. The first thing I check is the shade of the bottom, though, not the color as I'm partially color blind. Often times, in the same lake, the bottom composition changes from hard to soft, or rock to clay or sand. Aside from being great places to target, being aware of those changes and changing colors when you do can greatly increase your production. The other thing to consider is how pressured is the lake? Everyone, and I mean everyone, that fishes a private lake I frequent uses green pumpkin or water melon colored plastics. I've gone to PBJ and black/blue on tough days with great success. The other guideline i've always gone by is to show them something different and that goes for color selection, too.

For those that are faced with an 'off season' what kind of projects (not activities), if any, do you take on until you can wet a line again. They don't need to be fishing related, rather just something that keeps your interest and takes some time to complete. I'm faced with 8-9weeks of inactivity and looking for something fulfilling to do. Wrong forum.......my bad

I haven't tried the Whopper Plopper, but have used the buzz plug on a number of occasions, mostly when the bass were missing a slow moving buzzer. I bought it to replace one of my last TwoFers, which they are a poor replacement option for. The biggest flaw is the body shape. I suspect it is shaped so it floats with the tail down. Problem is, I've never gotten a hit while it wasn't moving and a fish closing its mouth on that fat body and big blade has little chance of getting hooked as you pull it out of its mouth. I removed the blade and added it to a Spook, added some weight to the tail and ended up with an awesome topwater. I added the hook to a Rocket Shad, so the only thing wasted was that alien body.

Any other time he doesn't take things literally. Cabin fever setting in? Oh yea, Martin, but if Ike were in the running............

Yea, you don't get as big of an increase in IPT with the higher gear ratios in a Sol, so even with the 7.2 you won't end up with a burner that pulls in 30+in. per turn. Compared to the stock gearing, though, it's a big increase.

I don't quite understand what you mean by the line catching under the spool. If stealth spider wire 30lb is a braid (I'm not familiar with it), then the line is likely digging into itself. That was a problem with some of the older baitcasters. Recent production reels spread out the line across the spool so it overlaps rather than laying the line alongside itself like a garden hose. You can help reduce this by keeping constant tension on your line during the retrieve. With some style baits, the bait's resistance is all that is needed. With others like some top-waters or when jigging, slack line is allowed to enter the spool and any subsequent tension on the line during the retrieve will cause it to get under the looser line. Hope this helps.

Culprit. Day, or night it gets bit.

Here's wishing you Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. Glad You're back.

Two things I'll add; First, WHERE IS THIS LAKE that's thick with muskies????? Second is you need to remember that in muskie and pike waters, bass are not at the top of the food chain and you will do better fishing for them in non-prime habitat. Stay away from flats with cabbage or pond weed. Coontail and hydrilla offer better cover for them and make it difficult for the longer fish to move around in. Small, isolated pieces of cover are another great target and mid-day dock fishing can be very productive, but avoid flats and docks early and late in the day. Now back to that first thing I mentioned...................

Yes, it's their version of a Fluke. I've tried them, but they don't sink fast enough IMO.

Is that how you got the nickname Dink?