papajoe222

I just finished the article by John Neporadny Jr on the importance of the thermocline and I realized I missed another opportunity for making money off a bait modification. I've been throwing short arm, single bladded spinnerbaits for years as they are the perfect bait, IMO, for fishing bluffs, drop-offs and deep weed edges. When fished as a drop bait, that single blade will helicopter on the fall and trigger some bone jarring strikes. The short arm positions the blade above and in front of the body/hook, which gets the fish to focus there. No need for a trailer hook as short strikers are all but non-existent. I modify a standard spinnerbait by removing the rear blade, cutting the arm, removing the clevis and blade that rides on the arm and bending a loop on the end. I'll either use the blade and swivel the bait came with originally, or upsize the blade for a slower fall. This isn't a bait with one purpose as it is an excellent, common use spinnerbait, too. Without the blade on the arm, it comes through vegetation extremely easy and, as I mentioned, there is no need for a trailer hook. If you love throwing spinnerbaits, or are looking for something different for targeting those sharp drops, you owe it to yourself, to try one for yourself. You'll likely be cutting up a few of your baits soon.

Go to the home page, You'll see it. Thanks for the heads up Tom

I choose the style of worm I throw based on the cover or structure I'll be bringing it through and the clarity of the water. Unless that cover is a clinging type of weed that catches an action tail worm, my choice is a ribbon tail. If it is, I go with a straight tail, stick worm. If I'm fishing stained water, I go with a paddle tail for the vibration. This season, I got hooked on Big Bite Baits Tour Swim worm. It's not a big worm, only 7.5in. but the tail gives off a lot of thump and you can split it for action similar to a Ultra Vibe. I stick to three colors for worms, Green Pumpkin, Purple (black grape) and black. Peg the weight if that's your confidence way, but I prefer a sliding sinker.

You'll find that at any given time, bass will bite a vertical presentation over a horizontal one and the opposite is also true. That is one of the many attributes of a jig. Without changing baits, you can alternate between the two and as you've discovered, you can do it on the same cast. That's one reason I always have a jig tied on. Read that first line again as it applies to other baits, too. If a crank or spinnerbait isn't producing and you know there are fish present, switch to a vertical presentation.

Always the showman. And no, that fish is a good 12in. shy of being an official dink. I think the gene you’re referring to is the persistence gene. If you’re a quitter, you don’t have it. If,however, as you’re working your jig over a small outcropping of river river rock after five hours of nary a bite and you still envision a monster bass eyeballing your jig, you got it.

Yes, there is a difference and there is a difference between different labels for both types of line. What works best for you depends on your budget and what benefit you see using one over the other. Personally, I only use fluorocarbon for treble hook baits, with the exception of topwater. Less bow in the line during the retrieve, more sensitivity, less stretch (for the line I use) and better abrasion resistance are my reasons. I don't like fluorocarbon for single hook presentation with the exception of finesse. In the end, use what you have the most confidence in. One suggestion; Whatever type of line you decide on, get quality. It costs more, but when that hawg is on the other end, the last thing on your mind should be a concern over the line.

I use a pair of side cutter pliers. They cut braid cleanly and double as hook cutters for those times you need to, you know, cut the end of a hook off for some reason.

No doubt, that's an unusual color. Your best bet is to check out some local hand pours and contact them about making you some. You'd likely have to order more than a dozen, but it sounds like you'd go through a dozen in short order. There are a number of guys here that pour tubes. looking45 just gifted me a few, you could PM him.

I like that term, 'lake lice' mind if I borrow it?

My come back would have been: Dude, I don't cast perfectly. I occasionally backlash and I don't know the water we're on. If I did, I wouldn't need you......would I? Many 'guides' are just good anglers looking to make a buck on their off days. Your best bet is to go with one that's been recommended, or will give you the contacts, or reviews of prior clients.

From shore, I'd target that point and cove on the lower right side. Reason being the slower drop on that point vs.the sharp drops of the points on the left. As there is no scale, it's impossible to figure where a 30yrd cast would get you as 20yrds would be needed to fish the base of those. Also, other than the standing timber noted on the map, there is no indication of any cover.

I just finished up two builds for friends. One spinning with plenty of bling for my Italian buddy. Gold framed guides, gold thread bands on the guides, and a diamond wrap at the base. The casting rod was a patriotic red, white and blue, three thread guide wrap. It was my first multiple thread wrap and I surprised myself with the finished wraps. The base decoration was a fairly simple chevron design, again red, white and blue. Both blanks were MHX. I didn’t think I could post pics, but here ya go.

I just wanted to clarify, for those questioning how to work a C-rig on a point. The lakes I fish are mostly natural lakes and the only cover, if any, is weeds. Working uphill with a lighter weight doesn't present the problems it would in many man made lakes. This is just another example of applying information to your situation. Would my approach work as well if I reversed it and worked shallow to deep. Most likely, it would.

If I'm fishing a point, I work a C-rig a little different. Because I rarely use a weight over 1/2oz. I'll work from deep to shallow, that way I maintain contact with the bottom. I'll begin my search that way and work my way around the point until I contact fish. Then, I'll move out to that depth and parallel cast my way around the point. For weed edges, I stick with a traditional Texax rig (free sliding sinker)

Everyone seems to like early morning and late evening. I, however, prefer mid-day. That's not to say I don't catch them early or late (under low light conditions). The reason I prefer mid-day is because I just seem to catch bigger fish then. My biggest bass this season was bagged at 1:30PM on a hot July day with only scattered clouds. I was working my Spook over a submerged brush pile. Mid-day is also ideal frogin' time, so don't put away your topwaters when the sun is up, give them a shot anytime.

The bait monkey has him on the payroll. Sneaky Monkey

I think we all need to petition Glenn to add a drool symbol to the like, sad.confused, laugh, thank responses.

I have a serious dislike for answers that included the word winter! Spring and late fall are great for catching big fish for me, but my vote for favorite is SUMMER. Numbers are up, there is next to no one on the water, the temperature drops to bearable levels and I just got my first bug bite last week. The Lord has seen fit to all but eliminate those pesky vermin the last few summers and the last hour of daylight into the darkness is as close to heaven on the water as I could ever imagine.

I smiled when I read this. Not because I remember being taught it, but because I have my own scale for shooting bench rest. 0-8mph = prime time 8-14mph = stick to 300yrds or less 15- ? mph= save the ammo and go fishing

My club lake is only 120 acres and has many long islands, it’s an old strip mining pit. Those islands shores are on the east and west sides. What I’ve found from fishing this small body of water, I’ve also seen in most every lake I fish. After two or three days of wind from the same general direction, my catch rate is almost 50% higher on the wind blown shores and structural elements than on the calmer ones, even though they may be facing the sun for the majority of the day. This catch rate is slightly biased as I have been targeting the wind blown areas first whenever this happens. During the summer, the prevailing wind/breeze may last a week and I may never hit spots on the other side at all.

I pieced together my equipment and the piece that made the biggest difference for me was a wrapper with a tension arm. Made it super easy to back up a wrap that maybe crossed over. I believe that kit includes one. There are many videos for beginners, including ones from MudHole, so if you decide not to go with the class, there is plenty of guidance available

Thanks all. Good news for me, It appears that a couple of changes on my part have, so far, eliminated the leader knot breaking at the hook-eye.. First, I went back to a long(er) leader, around 7ft. Second, I changed from a 'cross their eyes' hook-set to something resembling the one I use for hair jigs. I believe the leader length made more of a difference, But I'll stick with that style hook-set for now, except for my skirted jigs. For them, the dinks are gonna grow wings.

My first thought was; change colors. My second was; they're not taking the frog deep enough into their mouth for the hooks to bite. Topwater bites are, for sure, hit or miss. I throw full sized Spooks and wonder how one of the three trebles doesn't hook them, but I've had that happen more times than I'd like.

I don't recall. All I ever ordered from him were the original FishinFool and SinkinFool.

Of all the hard baits I have, cranks outnumber all the others combined, even if I count skirted jigs. I have a box full of each, shallow runners, square bills, med. runners, deep runners and another box of each that are silent. Add lipless cranks and I have a small fortune tied up in just cranks. I just picked up some Live Target cranks........just because.