papajoe222

or or Followed by going out and buying more gear that I don't need. And I have a lot of gear I don't need.

I just wanted to remind some of you NOT to put your jerkbaits away just yet. They are an awesome post-spawn bait for those recooperating females, especially the ones that get down a little deeper. You still need to pause them for awhile and that's what makes them an awesome choice for early post- spawn. You're welcome.

I prefer to use them with a ripping motion. The smaller the bait, the shorter the rip. I also only use the smaller ones when there is a slight ripple on the water. The larger ones are for when there is more of a slight chop on the surface. That is also when I use double prop baits. Smaller baits would include Tiny Torpdos and Cordell Crazy Shads. Torpdos, WoodChoppers, BoyHowdys and DevilsHorse are larger profile baits. If there is a good chop on the water Mann's makes a bait called a TwoFer that has a buzzbait like prop on the one end that really kicks up a commotion. All the baits mentioned are moderately priced. One thing I should mention; when using baits with front props, use heavier mono to avoid the line getting caught in the prop.

A reel with a low (4.5-5.5) gear ratio will make the task of deep crankin a little easier. Look for a rod that can handle the heavier baits. In this case a technique specific rod is the way to go. Having one with a long handle will also make the task a little easier. Line choice boils down to personal preference, but small diameter combined with low stretch is beneficial. The line is the only item I'll recommend and it's 10lb. Yo-Zuri Hybrid UltraSoft. It's the best, all around, cranking line I've found. I'm sure there are others that opt for one of the fluorocarbon lines, but I feel this one is not only affordable, but a better choice over them.

If you have the room (and that many rods) and it works for you, I say stick with it. Personally, five rods suit my needs anytime I'm not zeroed in on a general pattern.

This is the type of discussion that make this site so great and not just for novice anglers. Great job, not only in the responses, but the questions too.

You could look at it this way, too.....In a few weeks, those bluegill will be on their beds and Mr. and Mrs. largemouth will be feasting on them.

While mono may not be the best choice for this presentation, I can think of three presentations where mono is the best choice and a good number of others where it performs as good as other types of line. Next time you're at a fishing show, ask any of the line company reps which of their lines sell the best. If they don't answer mono, check for your wallet. BTW, if Catt isn't available to school you, shoot me a PM.

Right now, the bass in your area are in late pre-spawn/early spawn and many are just protecting the nest. They'll slap at topwaters in an effort to get the threat away from the bed. They aren't interested in eating, just keeping the area clear. Most are males waiting for the females to move up, but occasionally an overzealous buck or female that has yet to lay her eggs will make a lot of commotion in an effort to do so. With hard body topwaters those fish, if hooked, tend to be hooked outside their mouth. Don't get discouraged, just turn around, or cast deeper from shore and target those girls that haven't moved up yet.

Read it again. I was passing everyone.

This can not be stressed enough. If you can't back off, crouch down. I will even crouch down in the boat when I can back off. The position of a bass' eyes gives them excellent vision above and to the sides. Long casts put you at the edge of, or out of their field of vision. Be sure that your equipment will insure a good hook set on those long casts. It's frustrating enough to see them and not have them bite. There's a much higher level of frustration when you're finally able to get bit, only to never get the hook in them.

I'll sometimes trim the skirt back to just behind the hook's bend when I want to offer them a smaller profile. I'll downsize the trailer too. The only time I shorten the weed guard is if I'm targeting Brian and getting hung up. The shorter bristles are stiffer and will reduce the jig's tendency to catch the limbs

I gill hooked a female full of eggs yesterday and had a heck of a time attempting to gently remove the hooks. I ended up cutting the split ring and removing the hooks from outside the gill cover. Every 30-40 seconds I would dip her in the water for a while. She stopped bleeding and took off quickly after I released her. I don't believe it is necessary to do more (pouring soda over the gills) as their blood immediately starts clotting once it hits the water.

As long as you don't take one while doing so, Parts sometimes come up missing

In my area there are usually enough males guarding the beds to keep things interesting for the week or two after the females lay eggs. By then, the girls start to get active and I start targeting bluegill spawning sites as that is where many of the bass will begin getting their feed on. By the time the gills are off their beds, both the female and male bass will be settling on their summer homes and routines. Those four weeks or so, though frustrating at times, are the best junk fishing period we see around here.

Well, the ladies are starting to move up shallow around here. They've been hard to locate, but I think the warm rains and the calendar finally got them moving. Picked up three nice females and a dozen or so bucks today on SkitterPop before I lost it. Second one in the last two outings, but they earned their freedom. It shouldn't be too long before they're dancing with the guys. On a few of the shallow retention ponds around here they already are.

Catt, is that a Poe's?

Two colors I wouldn't be without are black&blue and green pumpkin. You can add color or contrast with the trailer. Swim jigs are a different story.

With the vegetation growing closer to the surface, I thought I'd give wake baits a try. I was wondering when you guys choose a wide wobbling bait like a Mann's 1-Minus over one with a tighter wobble? As far as cranks go, I opt for a tight wiggle in cooler water and hold off on the fat bodied, wide wiggling ones until the water warms up. Just looking for a guideline to start from.

I'm not defending anyone's actions, but it seems to me that you're assuming quite a bit. If the night fishermen that may have been drinking actually caught the fish, there is the possibility that it was gut hooked and died as a result. If they were fishing for crappie, they had no interest in it or the drum. The missing eyes are likely from scavenger birds that could have pulled it up the bank some. If I were bass fishing and gut hooked a crappie, chances are I'd toss it ashore rather than back in the water. I'm sure crappie fishermen would frown on that. What about the anglers that catch and keep bass? The bottom line is; The only actions you can control are your own and the best you can hope for is that those actions will influence others to follow your lead. Be upset. You have a right to be, but even if all your assumptions are correct, what others do with their catch is beyond our control.

Both of the rods I use for tubes are 7ft. M/F. One is a factory built rod that has a little more power than the other, but I used it for all but crappie sized tubes for years. The other is on par with the power and action of a St.Croix ML/F. A 1/4oz. jig in a 4in. tube is as big as I throw with it.

That must be where I went wrong as I used the thinner mono to tie the knot. I just started using leaders with braid, but this was the first time I'd used that light of a leader.

I wouldn't change using your 7'1" MH/F for bottom contact baits (except cranks).It can be used for a larger number of baits and presentations than a H/XF. Overall weight and balance will add/subtract to sensitivity, unlike a firearm where extra weight reduces felt recoil.

For durability and vibration, I don't think a Terminator T-1 Titanium can be beat. The thin wire not only allows more vibration and won't bend or break. IMO, the cost is justified. The Stanley VibraWedge and MegaStrike Strike Back run a close second.

You were fishing what we call history. Lures or areas that have produced for you. You were also following general guidelines. Both are good places and things to try, but when they aren't working something 'outside the box' is often the ticket. It sounds like something changed later in the day and your bluegill bait became the color of choice. I see this a lot when conditions change throughout the day. A good bite will die and changing baits or sometimes just the color of a bait will get you back into fish. Always remember that there are no 'set in stone rules' in fishing, just guidelines. If there were, catching would be a whole lot easier.