papajoe222

Regardless of water clarity, no one retrieve works every time. Stained, or dirty is a vague description, but with visibility less than a foot, I've found that dragging a football jig with loud rattles and a high action trailer to be the most productive.

Did you spool your baitcaster the same way you did your spinning reel. By that I mean was the spool of line set on the floor? If so, that is where the twist is coming from. Also if you are using some kind of rod through the spool of line, was the line coming off the top, or the bottom of the spool. If not from the top, you added twist during the spooling process. I echo 30lb. test as a minimum for a casting reel and with some lines, that's too light. The only way to determine which is to spool it under a lot of tension. If it digs into itself, go to a heavier test.

For Texas rigging, weightless, I go with an offset, round bend worm hook. 3/0-5/0 I use the same hook for Flukes. I find that I hook up with the majority of fish with them. With any size worm weight, I go light wire straight shank Trokar

I've been throwing the UV SpeedWorm for longer than I've been on this site, but mostly weightless. I opt for ribbon tailed worms from 6in. to 12in. for swimming.

I've used a baitcaster for drop shotting with mixed feelings. If you've ever used a C-Rig, casting is very similar. I used a M/Mod Fast 7'3" rod and weights ranged from 1/4oz. to 3/8oz. I use SpinShot hooks to avoid dealing with the log tag end of a Palomar knot. The extra knot has never been a problem and most of the line twist is avoided. I also like the fact that I can use a lighter test drop line vs. the main line. If I get hung it will break first.

It's been a long time since I fished early season in WI and when I did it was on the river where there was no closed season. Does the date differ from lake to lake? Is there a closed season like some other northern waters?

That's the one he always has tied on. My most productive is yo-yoing a Red Eye Shad

Congrats on 25yrs Where to start? Rice Lake, WI Balsam Lake, WI Lake Geneva, WI Lake Minnetonka, MN St.Clair Kentucky Lake Pickwick

The weeds themselves can give you clues as to where there is deeper water nearby and if there is a change in the bottom content. Points and cuts in the weeds are a good indicator as is a clump of weeds that taper off at some point (subsurface weeds) along with the weed edge. Isolated clumps of weeds often times indicate an underwater hump, or a change in bottom composition. Speaking of change in bottom composition, when you see a change in the type of weeds, or and area where they begin to mix, it's almost always because of a change in bottom composition. Those transition areas can be some of the best producing when confronted with large expanses of weeds.

I normally pre-rig my rods while waiting to launch. It seem I always forget to put the line through the reel's guide on one of them. I'll tie on a lure and set it on the deck and don't notice it until I pick-up that rod to use it. I'll repeat that same scenario multiple times throughout the season. That, my friends, is the ultimate brain fart. Well, that and forgetting to put the drain plug in.

I've been tying a snell knot for my punch rigs for a while. I got to thinking (I know.....Dangerous), You get the same cam action on a worm hook. Why not snell them, too? Anyone do, or try this for their T-Rigs?

For years, I used round split-shot (without the ears). Now I use cylindrical weights and a peg. I fish a lot of vegetation and find nose hooking a chore, so I opt for a thin wire, straight shank finesse hook. Never tried nose hooking with an Aberdeen

For flippin/pitchin/punchin, I like a craw tube. Plenty of bulk and they hold air and release it when the bait hits bottom. I'm convinced there have been times when that bubble of air escaping was the trigger to a fish.

One big reason is a lot of the companies that originally made those baits were bought out or merged with others. If each company had similar baits, guess which one would still be in production? Another is cost vs. profit. Even baits that are still produced are done so with less expensive components. The results are two-fold: Higher profit and to keep the purchase price at, or near where it was. A prime example, IMO, is a Wiggle Wart. However in that case the price actually increased.

Yes. I like the compact size and the lighter wire hook for light cover, especially in the early spring with constantly changing conditions. The 3/8oz. works well in all but very windy conditions.

Great timing for me for this post as I just ordered a few costom painted cranks, because of the red colors. I plan on using them mainly in the spring, but I throw red baits all season, so I won’t rule them out.

When it's in full swing (sometime NEXT month), I like a using a blade bait as I can fish one at multiple depths, A flat sided crank, A 4in.-5in. suspending jerkbait and a JIG. Closer to the actual spawn, I'll break-out a popper or a Crazy Shad for some topwater action.

I just finished going through my tackle getting ready for the season and was somewhat surprised at the number of older lures I still throw. Mann's......Two-Fer, Piglet Rooter and Chug and Spit Cordell..... Big O Heddon.....Crazy Crawler, Lucky 13 Creek Chub Water Dog ( I think it was bade by Arbogast) Poe's.... Cedar Bomber....MudBug List any of these, or others, that you still use.

#2 is allowing slack in your line. It's called staying in contact with your lure. Slack line hits are difficult to detect. That brings us to......... #3 Become a line watcher. Watch where your line enters the water. If it jumps, goes slack, or starts moving in any direction other than the one you're moving it, SET THE HOOK I'll add one more observation I see frequently with beginning anglers, They don't keep their rod tip high. If your rod tip is below the 10:00 position, you'll miss a lot of pick-ups because you've taken most, or all of the rod's sensitivity out of your presentation.

From ice-out until water temps get into the 40's, I opt for a slow drag with frequent pauses. I'm talking casting as the fish rarely move up to shallow cover that early here. As the water warms, I'll vary location and retrieve as conditions and the fish dictate. Once they're working the bedding areas, I'll go back do dragging, but it will be at a much faster pace, again with pauses or I'll just pitch and shake.

Always on a jig, but one with less action in cold water. With a spinnerbait, I'll use a 4in. or 5in. Calin's Lunker grub until the bass spawn. They not only add bulk, but allow you to work it slower and that's a big plus in cold water especially when throwing willow blades. After the spawn, if I use one, it's a twin tail (straight), or none. I'll add a trailer hook if I'm targeting off shore structure, but if there's cover other than rocks, I nix the trailer hook.

I turn to a swim jig when conditions are tough. A 1/4oz swim jig with a Zoom Swimmin' Super Fluke Jr is a killer on post cold front outings. I cut the skirt back to the hook bend and bite the 'head' of the plastic. It falls slow enough that it won't bury into the weeds and can be retrieved over the tops drawing the fish up. I've also slow rolled over over hard bottom for smallies.

Here you go, it has a recessed line tie and a lighter wire hook. https://siebertoutdoors.com/products/ols/products/swim-jig Although the heaviest weight offered is 3/8oz., With bottom hugging weeds, in my experience, the fish don't bury themselves in them. Other vegetation that grows upward has space below for bass to swim around. Bottom hugging weeds don't have that and bass will either cruise just above it, or on the edges of the growth where the bottom composition transitions. A lighter weight jig will sit on top rather than bury itself in the weeds. A slight twitch or short rip will often times be just the trigger.

If you want some variation use a razor blade, or scissors to cut the little appendages away from the body. Do it on the nose side and you'll get a ton more action than separating them toward the tail. ?

I have two bags of Zman Lizardz I planned on using this spring, but they're all deformed. Anyone know if, or how I can save these baits. They're nice, high floaters ideal for C-rigs and I'd really like to be able to use them.