Latest Tackle Purchase Thread (Bait Monkey Victim Support Group)

[Spankey]

4 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

The Tiny Lipless are 1/10oz (those are what I got)

The 'Pond Favorites' are 1/16oz

 

That's what Creme has for lipless...more for crappie than for bass, unless you're after dinks.

 

4 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Or unless the big smallies you target eat 1.5-2 inch threadfin shad most of the year. ? 

I would not bet against a 2 1/2 or 3 lb. smallie crushing that. 4# test on a 6 foot light spinning outfit will be a nice fight for you guys. I realize crappie is your intent.

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, Spankey said:

 

I would not bet against a 2 1/2 or 3 lb. smallie crushing that. 4# test on a 6 foot light spinning outfit will be a nice fight for you guys. I realize crappie is your intent.

There are smallies in Minnetonka - not many, but they do exist.

 

I'm putting 6# Elite on the L/F rig.

 

4 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Or unless the big smallies you target eat 1.5-2 inch threadfin shad most of the year. ? 

We don't have threadfin - all we got is gizzard shad.

[TnRiver46]

Just now, MN Fisher said:

There are smallies in Minnetonka - not many, but they do exist.

 

We don't have threadfin - all we got is gizzard shad.

I should have said the smallies “I” target haha. Those things look about perfect for size. Just for reference, I’ve got some pics of shad I snagged the other day. There are enough of these to walk across year round.

[roadwarrior]

Little minnows are for crappie and sauger. Step up to bass baits and you will

catch bigger smallmouth...GUARANTEED!

 

 

[TnRiver46]

7 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Little minnows are for crappie and sauger. Step up to bass baits and you will

catch bigger smallmouth...GUARANTEED!

 

 

You leave me be Kent!!!! I can’t hide from you in any thread haha. I knew you were going to comment on that!! They eat what’s available, and that’s what’s available, especially this time of year and in early fall. Again, I’m not on pickwick. It’s not like I’ve never tried larger shad, they work in summer. 
 

In winter, Bigger minnow baits get skunked, small minnow baits get 20” smallmouth, that’s just how it works here . I do lots of research through single line sampling ………

 

also look at any bass tournament held in East Tennessee in winter in the last 10 years. Damiki rig dominates 

[Aaron_H]

11 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Little minnows are for crappie and sauger. Step up to bass baits and you will

catch bigger smallmouth...GUARANTEED!

 

 

 

I figure if I soremouth all the dinks, I'm bound to catch a big one!

[roadwarrior]

Well, that's another point I will make. Store bought (farm raised) shinners outfish native

threadfin, probably just because they are "different". The retailers get all their bait from

the same wholeseller in Arkansas. The better shops have three sizes. I buy mine from 

two stores so they keep the biggest ones in stock for me. 

 

You cannot be frugal with bait, if it ain't lively, throw it away and stick another. For two guys

I liked to start with six dozen with artificials mixed in. Surprisingly, the Rage Menace sometimes

is a better option. Other options we mix in are BPS Tender Tubes, Red Eye Shad and topwater.

[Eric 26]

6 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Creme makes lipless ? This I didn’t know 

I get mine at Wal Mart? The fish  may be dinks but I really don’t care. Bonus it’s cheaper than live bait ?

[AManWearingAHat]

2 hours ago, Spankey said:

 

I would not bet against a 2 1/2 or 3 lb. smallie crushing that. 4# test on a 6 foot light spinning outfit will be a nice fight for you guys. I realize crappie is your intent.

 

I literally had this happen to me at Lake Norfork back in October. Water was still warm and the bite was super slow. Decided to downsize just to try and find SOME action. Finally found some active panfish on one of the steep walls. Fishing a Bobby Garland baby shad on a road runner head on a 6' Ultralight on 4# test and WHAM. Something hits it like a ton of bricks and bends my rod in half. Sure enough, 3 pound smallie. Talk about a good fight! Little bugger.

[Aaron_H]

7 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Creme makes lipless ? This I didn’t know 

 

They're pretty deadly on the panfish if you're on a budget. I prefer the size 04 Rattlin' Rapala (the 3/16) or the Bill Lewis Tiny Trap, but the Creme is effective. For only $5 for a 5 pack you can't go wrong.

[TnRiver46]

Look what this little panfish ate a few weeks ago @roadwarrior. My buddy throwing bigger baits in the front of the boat got skunked 

 

i think every winter tourney I can remember in this area of late has been won on that soft plastic. It’s simply what they eat (where I live, in winter)

 

[PhishLI]

13 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

i think every winter tourney I can remember in this area of late has been won on that soft plastic 

Nice! Where'd you get that weedless ballhead?

[TnRiver46]

2 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Nice! Where'd you get that weedless ballhead?

Wal mart , 10 for $3 or maybe $2.50 

[AManWearingAHat]

5 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Wal mart , 10 for $3 or maybe $2.50 

Did someone forget to tell the smallies that those are far too cheap to catch fish?

[PhishLI]

8 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Wal mart , 10 for $3 or maybe $2.50 

Walmart branded or something else?

[TnRiver46]

15 minutes ago, AManWearingAHat said:

Did someone forget to tell the smallies that those are far too cheap to catch fish?

Yep. And too small to work also.  You’re supposed to pay extra for the ones with the mushroom head so the fish can just snap the hook shank in half 

12 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Walmart branded or something else?

Eagle claw I believe

[NorthernBasser]

38 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Look what this little panfish ate a few weeks ago @roadwarrior. My buddy throwing bigger baits in the front of the boat got skunked 

 

i think every winter tourney I can remember in this area of late has been won on that soft plastic. It’s simply what they eat (where I live, in winter)

 

 

I'll reply in roadwarrior fashion...

 

 

 

[heavyduty]

43 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Look what this little panfish ate a few weeks ago @roadwarrior. My buddy throwing bigger baits in the front of the boat got skunked 

 

i think every winter tourney I can remember in this area of late has been won on that soft plastic. It’s simply what they eat (where I live, in winter)

 

armor shad?

[TnRiver46]

7 minutes ago, heavyduty said:

armor shad?

Indeed! 

[gim]

3 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

You cannot be frugal with bait, if it ain't lively, throw it away and stick another.

Are you referencing golden shiners with this philosophy? Those things are about 15 bucks for a dozen here…if you can find them. And if you look at them wrong, they die too. Half of them are belly up by the time you get to the lake.

[Spankey]

10 hours ago, AManWearingAHat said:

 

I literally had this happen to me at Lake Norfork back in October. Water was still warm and the bite was super slow. Decided to downsize just to try and find SOME action. Finally found some active panfish on one of the steep walls. Fishing a Bobby Garland baby shad on a road runner head on a 6' Ultralight on 4# test and WHAM. Something hits it like a ton of bricks and bends my rod in half. Sure enough, 3 pound smallie. Talk about a good fight! Little bugger.

Real nice thanks for sharing that. 
 

You hear this and that about how smallies will hit anything. I’m not sure I believe that but am not interested in starting that debate. But as far as my river smallie fishing goes, I’ve caught river smallies on every Bandit CB I own. I have a nice collection of them (not a collection that sets on a shelf). I’d bought certain patterns not having that warm and fuzzy feeling only for them to be good producers. 
 

I’m not gonna buy and use any old crankbait but if it looks like it might catch a river smallie for me I’ll give it a shot. 

[FishinBuck07]

The boat monkey got me last evening!  New set of steps on the way for the boat!

[nhpleasantlakebass]

Well had some rewards points to use at DSG. Walked in and they had a ton Newly added to the Buy5get5 deal.  Clearance the bait monkey is definitely the hardest hitting.  The line was different and from a TW order, that also included a new Tatula SV in 7:3:1 I’m waiting on still. 

[HaydenS]

2 hours ago, nhpleasantlakebass said:

Well had some rewards points to use at DSG. Walked in and they had a ton Newly added to the Buy5get5 deal.  Clearance the bait monkey is definitely the hardest hitting.  The line was different and from a TW order, that also included a new Tatula SV in 7:3:1 I’m waiting on still. 

Anyone have anything to say about Basix?  I saw it academy, and did a side by side comparison to Invisx, and it was crazy how much thinner and clear the Invisx looked.  The basix almost looked like mono on the spool. 

[zpelletier]

15 hours ago, nhpleasantlakebass said:

Well had some rewards points to use at DSG. Walked in and they had a ton Newly added to the Buy5get5 deal.  Clearance the bait monkey is definitely the hardest hitting.  The line was different and from a TW order, that also included a new Tatula SV in 7:3:1 I’m waiting on still. 

Wow, your DSG is wayyy better than ours