papajoe222

If I'm covering a known structure looking for cover or fish, it depends mostly on water depth. I'm partial to a C-Rig for deeper structure, a crank for mid-depth and, most recently a swim jig for the shallow stuff.

Here, in the spring, the water is super clear and the bottom is mostly sand and stone. I go with light brown/green and dip the tips of a chunk trailer in chartreuse dye. As the water darkens, I lean more toward brown and black/blue

Right after ice-out, I'll work a jerkbait by slowly sweeping the rod, stopping to pick up slack and sweeping it again. I'm basically swimming it for a few feet. Sometimes they'll hit it on the pause and other times, they'll hit it as it's moving.

A glass rod is going to feel heavier than a graphite composite one because it is. That being said, the Med/Mod will suit your needs better than the Med-Lt/Mod (check the lure weight recommendations) and don't concern yourself with the fact that many of the smallmouth you'll be catching are around 12in. They can bend a moderate action rod and keep things exciting. It, the Med/Mod wouldn't be my choice for throwing the 5XD, but occasionally you can get away with using it.

I live in Illinois and I've been using them both on a belly weighted hook and a ball head jig for a few seasons now. They've been very productive in the three sizes that I keep on hand. When the head gets too torn up to use that way, I cut it off and use the tail section as a trailer for a SB or swim jig.

I forgot to mention another retrieve that has produced, although far from my favorite; The backlash pick-out retrieve. Many an outing has started out with this loosing, but sometimes productive method. I didn't mention it earlier as I don't recommend its intentional use.

I always try faster moving baits first on calm days and will revisit them during the day. Buzzbaits and spinnerbaits run just under the surface and over the weed tops and lipless cranks burned over them are the two styles I like most. The spinnerbait and lipless have the advantage of dropping at the weed edge. Another is a Zoom Ultravibe Speed Worm which has the advantage of dropping into openings.

Welcome back. Missed your input.

Not my number one producer, but I love throwing a Keitech Swing Impact (Fat) on a Siebert's Spiked Jig. No doubt about strikes as that thing just gets hammered.

I had to laugh when I read this. It's happened to me more than once that I can't find what I'm looking for and I know it's in the boat somewhere. I'll normally find it after loading the boat and putting my gear away.

I'm from the other school, round bend offset hooks here. Most are thinner wire diameter and I feel that helps with hook-ups.

I subscribe to the opposite practice. Techniques I'm good at, I have a TON of and those that I'm not, I don't waste money purchasing more; I'll use it to try something new, or spend it on more of what works.

I can't speak about getting the feel back for the Ned, but something similar happened to me years back with my worm fishing. I got my mojo back by night fishing. You really have to concentrate on whats happening with the bait and how it feels when working it. When a fish picks up your T-Rig and begins moving with it, the feeling is different and with some practice, you'll be able to feel that before the line tightens and you feel the resistance.

I actually try to avoid watching fishing videos during the off season, especially in early winter. I found that it fuels my craving to go fishing. That results in an increase in both anxiety and frustration. As it gets closer to open water fishing, I will occasionally check out a video about early season movements of bass, or a presentation that I either haven't used or am not very familiar with.

Culprit 7.5, Mag ll, C-Mac, Ole Monster, Jelly Worm, Zoom Z3 and regular Trick Worm, Thumper and Ultravibe Speed Worm

About the only bait I skip is a tube. Probably because I'm awful at the technique and they almost naturally skip with a sidearm cast. Add to that, they are fish catchers so I really don't feel the need to experiment with other baits.

Lift and drop with a worm, pump/hop a craw. Other plastics on a jig head, I'll drag. Which bait I choose depends on conditions.

For me, it will be trying out the Ned rig. I've had the components for two seasons and just couldn't bring myself to tie one on. That will change this year, along with using finesse tactics in general. It will be a situation where I'll be leaving everything else at home so I don't have the option of using anything else.

I'd avoid treble hooked lures, at least for now. You'll likely end up loosing them to snags and get turned off to moving baits. The two baits I'd start with would be a spinnerbait and its close cousin, a swim jig. You can target shallow cover to deep structural changes (the entire water column) with them as well as present them fast or slow.

My favorite place to fish a single blade, short arm spinnerbait is around weed beds. I'll run them over the tops of the weeds and let them fall into openings or at their edge. My second most productive presentation is during the summer, stroking or yoyoing them along bottom contours.

Ah, the good ole possum belly. I still have one. Fact is, I still have a lot of old dodo.

Exactly what Bluebasser said. I go one step further and remove the soft plastics from my jigs and hooks when I cut them off my line. If the rod stays rigged, I don't, but I fish four or five times a week during the season, so if it stays rigged, it'll get used in the very near future.

No truly big fish for me this year, so trying to remember what may have been the biggest is difficult. What I'm sure of is the majority of quality fish that I caught came on a JIg and RageCraw.

I don't know what it is with me and catfish, but they seem to like whatever I'm throwing, even topwater. Back in '89 I, along with my non-boater and those in another boat, thought I had big fish of the tourney when one hammered my spinnerbait and bent my rod in half. Laughed over that story for years. Muskie, big crappie and dogfish are about the only others I occasionally hook.

Immediately after ice-out, I'll concentrate using two baits. The first is a bucktail jig and the tail section of a floating worm. It sits on the bottom similar to a shakey head. The other is a blade bait. Short hops and letting it sit for 15-20 seconds or longer. As the water warms into the 40's, I'll add a jerkbait, moving it with short, sweeping moves and long pauses. The previous mentioned baits are still in play, though I'll experiment with quicker movements. Once the water warms to 50 (sometimes sooner), I'll break out the Flukes and spinnerbaits to work higher in the water column.