thediscochef

This! EWG neds only for me. You can buy them custom poured from individuals for less than what you spend at Walmart too

I've already gained a lot of insight that's done exactly that, especially with the ned rig and chatter baits. Has me actually catching bass when others around me are pulling up blanks. Granted I'm in higher pressured areas doing shore fishing so my results would be considered frustrating for many here. But I'm routinely pulling up good size bass than those sharing the shore with me, thanks to things I read here. Cheers!

Depending on conditions, Finesse jig Wacky head jig Ned rig skirtless 1/8 chatter using a finesse TRD 1/4 willowvibe head with finesse TRD Sometimes a pad crasher junior And the classic Rapala lipless rat-l-traps, usually the tiny ones.

I hadn't introduced myself. I'm 30, I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro and my main water is Ray Roberts. I've also fished in Alaska, Maine, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and the Indian Ocean. Largemouth are my main jam though I enjoy all fishing. I've only been particularly serious this year. I inherited my dad's old equipment in January and have been at the lake multiple times a week since early May. I mostly shore fish with finesse rigs as I don't have access to a boat and I don't like using live bait with regularity. Mostly catch and release only unless I'm on a boat. Anyway. Hi

No lie my only catch on a popper was a larger (3") rebel baby bass that had a sinker on it. That setup pulled up a 16" channel cat on the first day of summer at like 11am. Haven't caught anything with it since. But I've been much more focused on chatter and finesse setups

I'm in Denton, not super close to you but similar conditions. My local ponds are different the last few years, but I think the freeze earlier this year caused a lot of change in the smaller bodies of water too. I don't really know how well Bass handle temps below 0 but I'm guessing fish in DFW aren't used to that and it may have affected the population in the ponds. All the extra rain probably isn't helping either, depending on how much draining your pond does. The only bait I'm getting bit on right now is what I call a 'chatter ned' which is basically just a skirtless micro or mini chatterbait with a TRD rigged as straight as you can get it and then fished like a standard Ned. Chartreuse 1/4oz eyeless head with a coppertreuse TRD has been yielding strikes on nearly every cast at Ray Bobs from the shore over rock piles. Pulled in two largemouths over 4lbs in the last two days on that bait (Catch/Release only). So you might try that, not much else is working for bass where I'm at if you're shore fishing or on a pond. Hope your luck improves

IDK where you are but I shore fish in North Texas at a ton of overfished, high-pressure, and super spotty recreational areas and have had extremely similar results - until this week with my discovery of the Ned Rig. I've not used it in a lot of places just yet, but the last week or so have sold me on the concept. It's the only thing I'm even getting bites on right now, and in some places I'm the only guy catching fish. I usually cast it out next to the edge of cattails, lily pads, the tallest grass you can see. If there's trees hanging over the water, the shade under them sometimes works. Had hard strikes in all those settings. Even a few in open water. Try a 1/16oz ned rig, use a flashy craw or 2.75-3" dinger (I buy the 6" ones and cut em in half) in muddy water, a subtle pumpkin/black etc in clear water. Watch videos on how guys fish it and read some interviews about it with Ned Kehde - it is a finesse rig so small movements and a slower retreive are better. hope this helps