papajoe222

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/eagle-claw-plain-shank-weedless-baitholder-hooks-249wa I don't know how many fish I've caught with a wacky rig and these hooks over the years, but if I'm faced with fishing weeds, they are my go to hook.

I'm also not stuck on any particular brand. In fact I purchased a dozen off that auction site, from an outfit in China. I switched out the hooks and use them when fishing from shore. If I loose one, I'm only out $1.50 and they do catch fish.

It sounds like you're looking to add hard baits to your selection of presentations. Crankbaits are the way to go, especially in the spring for starters. There are some good articles here. I suggest you start by reading a few. The thing I love about cranks is, with only a few, you can cover the entire water column until you locate fish. You may loose a few fishing from shore, but learning how to get them back and how to not get snagged to begin with are two of the things you need to learn. Lastly, you don't need to be banging a crank off the bottom, or cover for them to be effective. Just remember that like most lures, changing the speed or angle of your retrieve will trigger more strikes than a steady retrieve.

I mark the bill with the actual running depth, with a fine Sharpie. If I don't know the exact depth, I'll mark the depth range that's on the package and then the actual depth once I figure it out. I have dedicated tackle boxes (3700) for shallow, med., deep divers and silent cranks. The silent crank box is stuffed and it looks like I'll be needing to add another as I just added a few more.

A Spook, although my favorite, isn't the only top water you can tune to run under docks. Just like tuning a crank to run right or left, an original floating Rapala or any floating jerk bait can be tuned to do so. Another presentation fish don't often see.

I had a MinnKota with the fob and wireless foot pedal. Two weeks after I bought it, I sold it. I couldn't get used to the idea of turning down the power before I took my foot/finger off the control. I'd go to move and the thing would still be at max thrust. Knocked me on my keester one time an it was back to a Tour Edition MotorGuide. I only wish they offered spot lock because I'd use the heck out of that feature.

Headed out after breakfast this AM with high expectations after a warm couple of days. Ended up being a typical spring outing. Water temp. (surface) was 57 which is only one degree more than it was Thursday, so I started out the same way targeting the points leading out to the deepest water in the lake. Nothing going on with bottom contact presentations, so I did a 180 and tried my favorite jerk bait with the same results. Two hours later and nothing, so I switched tactics completely and went with a RES lipless just off the first break from a spawning flat. Second cast, got a buck and thought I might be on to something. NOT. Not one to jump on the finesse wagon unless really desperate, I tied on a jig/craw and started covering the few lay downs on the flat. Bingo....Got a nice, chunky 17in. female that just sucked it in and sat there until I set the hook and it was game on. Sadly, she was the only decent fish of the morning. This seems to be a reoccurring scenario here. The fish have very short feeding windows and then they hunker down. I'm going to need to travel a ways to one of the power plant lakes to find some active fish next time out.

For slow, subtle presentations I agree that touching the line will aid in detecting light bites. For fast/reaction type baits, Your rod will give you all the information you need even for lite bites. You don't need to pinch the line between thumb and index finger either. My grip isn't what it used to be, so I need my thumb wrapped around the reel, or at the least on the spool. I just place my index finger under the line, but on the reel in front of the line guide.

IMO, eyes on a bait are as important as the color of the bait. ? Both are at the bottom of my list when choosing a bait. Are there instances when the right color or the presence of eyes on a bait make the difference in catching or not? Ask the lure manufactures.

There was a time, back in the 60's, when anything of legal size I kept and ate, or my family ate. I'm 70 and I've been a catch and release angler since I was 22. I love the sport. Unlike hunting, you can catch the same fish over and over, but you can only kill a living thing once.

Sorry about suggesting you what you needed earlier. Here's what I did, though out of your price range for the combo. I built a casting rod on a Forecast spinning blank (6'6" L) I forget the model. I added a Wally Marshal casting reel. BPS no longer offers that crappie reel. I now use a Daiwa Sol on that rod for all my light stuff and have landed plenty of bass on the combo. You don't need a custom combo, but you may go through some combos until you find one to your satisfaction. I knew what I wanted, so I went this route.

You're supposed to list dumb things. If we all do this, it isn't dumb, is it? BTW, what lake do you miss all these bites/hook sets on?

What you need for throwing that light stuff isn't a casting rod, but I think you already know that. I suggest you get a BPS MicroLite rod and a Plfuger President (their smallest offering). Why chance the headaches of using a casting combo.

Snaps are great for guys with vision problems (like us old farts) and lazy types. They are also a prime excuse for lost lures and fish because of knot failure. I love using them, but still retie frequently.

There is. Papa's law #6 reads: Any angler caught fishing a skirted jig without a pork or plastic trailer will be immediately barred from fishing with him. Gibbs is a copy cat with his Rule #s

Which way was the line coming off that line spooler you have,from the top or bottom? You may have inadvertently added line twist when spooling. If so, just remove all hardware from the end and let 30yrds or so trail behind the boat. You can also walk off a casts length on your lawn and reel it back on with your rod tip down and that will help eliminate twist. The other thing is, with braid, it needs to be spooled tightly and well below the rim of the spool.

Rapala ShadRap. The jointed model suspends, which makes it a great alternative to a jerk bait.

You've heard the saying and there is a lot of truth to it. Of the many sayings regarding fishing, specifically bass fishing, there is one that applies 100% of the time and this one isn't it. (maybe 80%) That leads me to the following; If you have the opportunity and time to go fishing, even for an hour or two on the way home from work, don't pass it up. I was rewarded with one of the best two hours of fishing that I've experienced in the last ten years by doing just that. Bluebird skies and 15mph winds out of the east be da#!d, I was going to wet a line today. Sounds like I'm about to give you a fishing report, but what I really want to do is convey a little bit of common bassin' sense. It's that saying that applies 100% of the time and is ignored by way too many anglers; You can only catch fish if you have a line in the water. Don't pass up the chance to have a memorable outing, be it an hour or eight hours, because you don't think you'll catch anything. If you don't, what have you really lost?

The only hook style I use for Flukes.

Are you regretting the upgrade due to lost baits, or because you think the upgrade was a waste of time and money? Just a suggestion if loosing the baits is the issue; Cut the lead (bottom) hook from the front treble. This will all but eliminate hanging up on timber. Some anglers can feel when a crank is approaching an obstacle by the increased tension of the line as it passes over it. Another reason braid is sometimes a better line choice for cranking.

The quality of the information available here comes from many different sources and is the main reason, IMO, that this site is so popular among bass anglers from beginners to pros. If you're looking for a specific individual to thank, the author of the article would be a good start. There is a team here that decides what information, whether it's an article, video, or individual threads, end up on the site. Then there is Glenn, to whom we all owe our gratitude, for the time and effort he puts into this awesome resource. They all deserve our thanks and the best way I can think of is doing what you just did.

My favorite all around jig is an arkie style jig. My favorite trailer depends on the season, the fish's activity level, and how fast a drop the fish want, so I really don't have an all around favorite. If I were forced to choose only one, it'd be a RageTail Craw.

My Daiwa Sol. I love all my Daiwa baitcasters, but my first Sol will always be my favorite.

How the bite feels is affected by not only their activity level and whether or not it's an isolated fish, but on your presentation (C-Rig. drop shot, Mojo Rig, T-rig with a sliding bullet weight, pegged weight, etc. You'll likely only feel the bite 50% of the time. If you only rely on feel, that means you're missing 50% of the fish that take your offering. You will develop your own rules for when to set the hook when using a plastic worm. Become familiar with the technique your using and how to best set the hook for that technique. Then work on recognizing those other 50%.

I hold my rod differently than when I'm fishing a jig or a T-rig soft plastic. I keep the rod tip perpendicular to the water and slightly off to my strong side. My hook set is more of a sweep to that side. I hook about half of my catches in the tongue/ bottom lip area and they tend to stay hooked better there than on the side of the mouth.