papajoe222

Seeing as you mostly fish braid with a leader, why don't you try an orange or yellow braid? They're easy to watch and with a leader, there is little concern with spooking the fish. As for fluoro, or mono; I find Yo Zuri Ultra Soft Hybrid fairly easy to pick up when fishing stained water. I used Original Stren for years because it was easier to line watch than most monos. I would say that any line that contrasts the water would be a big plus. You might consider sticking with the braid you're currently using as it's likely to loose it's color (most do) and become easier to see against the surface.

Great info Tom. Another myth debunked by Bass Resource members. :thumbsup1:

I'm not sure what the bass relate to in GA, but up north here the craws are gone once the water temps dip below 55 or so. I prefer less action and smaller presentations as the water gets colder and a white BitsyBug is my preference until I start throwing hair jigs (no trailer) from the mid 40's until ice up. My response to the OP was to his comment about the pros using those types of trailers when the water starts to cool down.

The switch to a twin tail grub or something like a RageCraw will affect the jig in two ways; First, it will slow the jig's fall rate and second, it will add more drag/lift to the package. The first will get you more bites as the jig is falling and also gives it a more natural bottom presentation should you decide that is where the fish are holding. The second allows you to slow your retrieve speed down, but still maintain the depth. Slowing down a horizontal retrieve is always a good choice when starting out in colder water. A good starting presentation here would be to cast out and let the jig fall to the bottom, raise your rod tip and reel for a couple of yards and then let it fall to the bottom again. Work your way up the water column letting the jig fall a few feet (not all the way down) when you pause.This will tell you which type of retrieve the fish may prefer with the first one you catch. You can adjust your retrieve speed along with the depth until you find out what the fish 'prefer.'

I prefer a longer slide/barrel for shooting paper. Springfield offers an XD 5" that fits the bill for me. Decent sights and trigger and that extra inch or so makes a big difference in accuracy.

YoHo. Wish I could still find them

It could be that it was reassembled incorrectly. If you have the parts diagram you should be able to check that Give Mike a call. If it's something simple you may save yourself some time.

That knot that Gary Klein demonstrated has been called by many different names, including the Jimmy Houston knot (LOL). It's a pitzen tied with the double line. Simple enough for me as I've been tying the single strand version for years. Looks like my second option.

Thanks a bunch everyone. I can eliminate the line issue as I've tried a number of brands,10lb.-12lb. as that's what I use for cranking. I'll be concentrating on my knot tying, I'd been using a straight uni, but my first attempt is going to be the Fishin' Fool knot which is basically doubling the line through the eye first. Plenty of time to experiment and practice over the winter.

I really want to use FC for more than just cranks, but I'm constantly breaking off at the knot when setting the hook on just about any single hook presentation. I love the sensitivity vs. mono, but I can't remember the last time mono failed me. I've tried different knots with the same results, along with various brands. Do you adjust your hook-set when using FC?

I do tend to use a swim jig more like a spinnerbait than a jig, letting it fall on a tight line just to give me an idea as to where it is in the water column. Unlike a spinnerbait, I like to keep them close to the bottom. A Kalin's Lunker Grub is my #1 choice with a RageTail Grub getting the call in murkier water.

90% of the time I don't use any trailer on a hair jig. I believe the subtlety of a hair jig is it's greatest asset and any trailer takes away from that. When I do add one, it's almost always a Berkley Power Grub and I do it more for the scent than the action.

If I were to venture a guess and that is what it would be, I'd say it had more to do with the size of the offering vs. the other offerings. I'd also venture a guess that conditions changed over the course of the afternoon and the fish became more aggressive. I'm just guessing though.

I'm a little confused with the topic as how it relates to your question. If you're asking if cranking that ledge when water temps are below 40 is an option, I'd attempt to discourage you even if they are suspending baits. If you're asking if you could use them instead of jerkbaits for pre-spawn conditions then the answer is a big yes. In fact, the closer it gets to spawning, they'd get the nod over the jerkbaits in my book.

I decided to give spinning equipment another chance and will be doing a build on a 7ft. blank. I know next to nothing about spinning reels as far as size vs. recommended line. I'm looking for something that can handle 8-12lb. line, but doesn't weigh 9oz. I'd like to keep within a $100 budget. Any recommendations? Thanks

I rarely yo-yo a lure with my reel. Most often I'll raise the rod tip and pick up slack on the fall. Other times I'll let it fall on slack line and a fish will just 'be there' when I go to raise the rod tip again. Lipless cranks are just like most any other lure in that the bass will prefer a particular retrieve at any given time. This is why it is so important to know what you were doing when a fish hits your lure. The majority of the time, if you can repeat that retrieve, you will repeat that success. This is also why, before switching lures when the bite dies, you should experiment with other retrieves. The fish's attitude may have changed, but that doesn't mean it's preference for a particular bait has

I use a free swinging trailer hook in all sorts of cover. The only cover I don't use that type is in brush, then I use one with shrink tubing that stays straight behind the bait. I proved to a friend the benefits of a trailer hook when I out fished him eight to one. Six of them were hooked on the trailer. He uses them now.

Hair jigs and blade baits. If they're still venturing to the shallows, a jerk bait or lipless crank. On the natural lakes around the Twin Cities, when that water temp gets to the mid 40's the majority of bass will have headed for their wintering spots, but you can still pick up some walleye from any green weeds close to a drop off. If you're into multi-species, a #3 Mepps.

I prefer softer tubes with internal jigs, but there is really nothing to back up that preference. I get more bites on TenderTubes and hand poured ones because I throw them more. If I'm Texas rigging, I'll go with something with a more solid head and thicker walls.

The clearer the better, but I've been known to throw them on a sunny day in water with 4ft. of visibility. Any murkier than that, I'd opt for something fatter that will move more water.

I have the jumbo and it isn't big enough for me. I would base your decision on how many bags of worms you plan to carry in it. You can always purchase more to fill up the bigger bag

It'd be great to have one around here. I've a bunch of gear I could possibly unload and maybe pick up a deal as a bonus.

Rarely on willow blades, but I do like them on a Colorado when I feel I need to attract more attention with more flash, or if I want the bait to ride a little higher or fall a little slower.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fish's forage preference one year vs. another. Bluegill had been the primary bass forage for a number of years on a local lake. I don't know how many lures I colored or changed skirts on to imitate bluegill. Early this year I only caught a handful of bass on that pattern. I found out sometime in June that 3"-4" perch had been stocked just after ice out. Perch patterns have been outproducing the old standby big time all season.

As long as the water isn't super clear, I'll go with standard or larger profile presentations, but they don't seem to produce as well in the clearer water. I've found that downsizing seems to work better under those conditions. For Night fishing, of course,it shouldn't make a difference and bigger baits would be my choice then.