Jig Man

I have trailers from 1" to 10" long. I try several every trip to see what is working that day. Sometimes they like is small and sometimes they like it big, just like OH never mind. ;D

Distilled water.

Tubes are the best sm baits I have ever used. I only use 4 colors (melon/pepper, pumpkin seed, smoke, and black neon). If they won't hit one of those colors they can go hungry. I use the 4" flippin' size. I have some smaller ones but rarely put one on.

Fishing that shallow I would only use 1/4-3/8 oz jigs unless it were windy so I'd use no more than a MH.

While that used to be true, with the advent of modern smart chargers in the last 20 years, if they have a maintenance float stage the batteries will not lose water. Not with my Dual Pro. I fish a few times a year for 3-5 weeks every day. I put the charger on every time I return to camp. In a couple of weeks my cells are low and I have to add water. Winter before last I contacted the MFG and talked to them about leaving the charger on for a couple of months while I was gone. They said under no circumstance should I do this. They said take the batteries to some one who will maintain them or get someone to come by and charge them every couple of weeks.

It all depends on the depth of the water and the size of the jig. I fish lots of ledges which are "off shore". I use M MH and H depending on the depth of the ledge and the size of the bait. Sometimes I fish 50' deep with a M and a 1/4 oz depending on what I am doing. I don't even own an extra heavy rod.

You don't state enough info. (glass boat, alum boat, outboard or electric only). If the trolling motor is a permanent bow mount then putting a ducer on it will be just fine. If it is one you take on and off I'd rethink that. I understand not wanting to drill holes in the boat. You can use a mounting board like comes with Lund boats and put the ducer on it. If you plan to use the unit to find and catch fish, save your money until you can get at least a 480X480 pixel unit. If you are only caring about depth then any unit will do.

I have 7 HMGs and they are very good and very sensitive but a little heavier than my Gloomis rods.

The bait was the same as I always use for sm a 4" tube. The water was the same because I was on the same bank all day. The water was 55.6 all day long.

It all depends on what I want to do. There are fish at both ends of the lake and they all have to eat. I have been fishing both ends of the lake where I usually go. The fish are biting at both ends on grubs, tubes, and jigs.

This morning 4 of the first 6 bass were smallmouth in the 14-16" category. Then we caught 49 largemouth and spots without another smallmouth. Then the last 2 fish of the day were smallmouth. All but one of these fish came off a 1/2 mile rip rap that has water from 1-70'. The fish were from about 10-30' deep depending on what part of the rip rap and what time of the day. I can't figure out why there weren't more smallmouth there and why early and late.

There are a number of ways to make a mold or you can start out with some from a place likes Jann's Netcraft. Since you are going to have to have plastisol, dye, glitter, softner, etc. you might as well spend a few bucks on one or more of their molds to use as you gain experience in making baits. I make my molds from Bondo. I use a non stick pan. I glue the baits to it. Spray them with cooking oil. Mix up the Bondo. Pour it on and go away until tomorrow. I take the mold out of the pan. Peel out the baits. Touch up the edges of the bait cavities with my Dremel and am ready to pour some plastics. When I pour plastics, I spray my molds before every pour with garlic spray. That keeps them slick and puts a scent into the baits. It isn't perfect but it works for me.

Put the tmotor battey only to the tmotor. Hook electronics to cranking battery. Do not hook crank and tmotor batteries together.

If I am working the bottom I use a trailer most of the time. When in other parts of the water column I rarely use a trailer because my hookups are a lot better without one and I have a much more precise control of the jig and what I want it to do.

If you are talking about on public reservoirs or streams, I don't think it would be legal in lots of areas.

The last time I had anything like that it was a busted piston ring on a 4 clyinder rude. It cost me a grand to get that hole fixed.

If you leave them plugged in 24/7 then you better check the water every few weeks.

I live right in the middle of Nitro land. Believe all these guys have posted. My top three brands are Champion, Bass Cat and Ranger. Champion because it has a great ride and good fishing platform. It is well made and will last a long time. Bass Cat has a good ride and is pretty good for fishing. It is family made instead of big Corp. Ranger has the best fishing platform though it lacks in other areas. Please finance for the shortest term possible. If you go long term you will always be upside down in your loan. Also go for credit union or bank financing. Dealerships get all sorts of kickbacks on any deal that they put together and guess who winds up paying for all that.

Call 1-417-887-7334 ask for the rod and reel repair counter in the catalog outlet. Ask for Bob. If anyone has one he will be the guy.

It is the other way around here. I have lots of hair jigs and fish them a bunch. I don't get many smb to take them for me. I catch a lot more spots and walleye on hair then smb.

I have been buying Pline mono in 3000 yd spools for years. I do use it on more than one reel though.

I only have one 7' H rod and I use it for 1/2 and larger spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, heavy jigging spoons and jigs. Everything else I can do on my MH rods.

The lake I fish most of the time has the state record smallmouth 7 lbs 2 oz. It was caught in 1994 so there is bound to be another one someplace in that little pond (25000 acres with 300 miles of shoreline). I can catch a 4 lbr every few months but I have only managed a 4.25 # as my pb so far. I'd really like to get a 5 or 6 # in the boat. You smb experts tell me what I should be doing. I am basically a deep water fisherman who works ledges, rock piles, rip rap and point drops even though 2 of my biggest smallies have been in less than 4 fow on jig and buzzbait.

I have hundreds of hand tied bucktail jigs in lots of color patterns and many different sizes but the smallies don't care a whole lot for them. Most of the smallies I catch on jigs are on a brown 1/2 oz football head with a double tail grub but around here jigs don't compare to 4" tubes. I find the smallies to be much more agressive than spots or lmb and they don't care what size bait they see.

I have tried all of the above and have settled on a Power Zap from Bass Pro. I carry it in the boat and can make repairs on the spot as well as cut braid with it.