EastTexasBassin

I've had great success with BassMagic soft plastic swimbaits which are pretty much the same thing. I either use a very slow steady retrieve or a twitch and pause retrieve. Long pauses often result in strikes, its a great bait for dead-sticking.

I love 'em. I've caught many large bass with them. My favorite way to rig them is kinda weird though- I use a 5/0 ewg gammy and an insertable worm weight. I tried using swimbait hooks with them but I didn't like it. I also use it on a c-rig pretty frequently. The larger sizes work well weightless. I usually work it like a dying baitfish. I let it sink to the bottom, then swim it up a couple feet with a sweep of my rod and let it sink back down again. It also works very well on a chatterbait head.

Well, I wish I had pictures from some of my bigger fish from this year- but I didn't get to start bringing the digital camera with me on fishing trips until I got my wife a new one. This one was a tad over 6lbs. I sure wish I had a picture of my ten pounder. I had to let her go, its a private lake and I kind of consider it my own. I like knowing that she's still in there.

I have Fios but I haven't subscribed to the fishing channel and the outdoor channel yet. I NEED TO! No other channels have any fishing shows right now. I have to work a lot this time of year and I don't get out to the lake so much, so I at least need to see some fishing on TV.

x2

same here, i've sent a few dinks flying over my shoulder

I use 20lb vanish flouro and 20lb yo-zuri hybrid. Both work great. Favorite baits to pitch are t-rigged flappin hogs, kreatures, and jigs with flappin hog trailers.

I wonder if I can get my car professionally painted in this 'sexy shad' pattern? Might be dangerous, wouldn't want my windows busted out by bass that leap towards my car when I drive over bridges.

Flappin hogs without a weight, flappin hogs t-rigged, and flappin hogs on a jig. oh yeah, and flappin hogs too. I'll also throw the Kreature, baby brush hogs, and flappin hogs.

better than nothing

Went out Friday morning to try to catch a few. Water and air temp were both in the 40s all day. I wasted a few hours pitching to laydowns and cover without a single hit- then I went out deep and caught a few on some brushpiles on the bottom. Caught 2 on t-rigged flappin hogs in green pumpkin w/purple&gold flake caught one on a green pumpkin Fat Ika caught one on a black and blue jig with a black flappin hog trailer Nothing with any real size this trip, they were all between 1 and 2.5 pounds. I was just glad to get out and not get skunked since it was so cold.

same here

same here. I prefer weightless soft plastics if its really thick 'n nasty. Senkos, fat ikas, flappin hogs, etc...

The bite is still on nice and strong in East Texas. I'm catching nice bass in shallow water and out deep as well. Winter is my 'time to shine' when it comes to bass fishing. Last winter there were many trips where my buddies were skunked and I was pullin 'em in all day. I stick to t-rigs, c-rigs, jigs, and shakey head finesse worms this time of year. These days its been in the 40s in the mornings and up into the 60s in the afternoon. If it gets below freezing for a while, then it'll be time to hit up the power plant lakes. They stay nice and toasty.

We occasionally see that 'snow' stuff down here in Texas but it usually melts as soon as it hits the ground. I really feel for you guys up north. I couldn't imagine living where water freezes over. Seems like it would really ruin the bass fishing.

I've bought 2 lightning rods and both of them broke. On the first one the cork split in the handle. I still use the rod, but I occasionally have to apply more super glue to the split to keep it together. The second one broke about 5 inches from the tip just from putting it in the car. I've never had any other rod break from doing this- it was my fault but I think it broke too easily. As for the Cardinal, I have one of those as well and I LOVE it. Great reel for the price. Smooth and flawless. As for the line- I don't use mono so maybe someone else can help you with that. I use flourocarbon.

I want one of those melting pots in the video. How much are they? How do I get one?

I used to use paca craws and zoom speed craws, but these days I'll only put gycb flappin hogs on my jigs. I don't know what it is about these things, but they always catch fish for me.

In winter I use jigs and soft plastics almost exclusively. GYCB FLappin hogs and Kreatures are my first choices. Fish them extremely slow, with long pauses between movements. I don't use anything less than 20lb test line. (ever!) Lots of submerged timber where I fish.

and a dink from that day, pretty fish though

to the blade

ok...google is having trouble giving me the link to gman's website. I want some gman jigs! anyone have the link?

A little less than average, I can 'usually' put a couple dozen bass in the boat if I'm out for the day...but the water was muddy from a recent rain and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. ('usually' is in the summer/spring/fall and this is a private lake) I usually do better on cloudy days. I couldn't handle living up north. I can't imagine living where water freezes over. Sure would ruin my fishing trips.

and another pic...

Yesterday morning it was down into the high 30s for the first time (I think) so far this "winter" in East Texas. Clear skies and stained water caused things to warm up pretty quickly. I caught a few in the morning on a black/blue chatter bait with a black&blue Yamamoto Kreature as a trailer. The Kreature trailer gave it a nice fluttering action. I caught a few more on a BassMagic soft swimbait and two on a green pumpkin roboworm. When things started slowing down I switched to the old reliable Flappin Hog (of course) Didn't have anyone with me to take pictures, so I took them myself.