Rebbasser

Brush hog, Paca Craw, Horny toad-there really isn't a plastic you can't use as a trailer.

5/0 is probably the largest "standard" blade size. I make my own spinnerbaits and find smaller blades work better for me. I use a size 4 for the vast majority of the ones I make.

I have exactly the same proble. I have a buddy that rarely gets tight on anything so he just goes along and starts throwin cranks in thick weed. The I tried it needless to say after the first cast was the last cast. Guys, get yourself a Bandit 100 Series or any square billed crankbait for timber. I absolutely LOVE throwing a Bandit 100 through flooded trees. The square bill defects off cover and it is surprisingly snag free. Catches fish, too!

Strike King 3X baits. Like fishing a gummy bear, and a sticky one at that.

Without a doubt.

Same here.

I usually start shallow throwing topwaters, spinnerbaits, and soft plastics. this time of year we want to be on the water by 5. Last Saturday I boated a 6 pounder fishing a Senko shallow about 5:30.

Agreed-if you see lightning or hear thunder get off the water. Period. Live to fish another day.

Ever picked up a bucket that was under water? You really have to lift hard until you get the water out of it. Same principal with a drift sock. It trails behind the boat and uses the resistance of the water to slow you way down. I've got one and on windy days it can really make a difference. Be sure to get one rated for your boat, though. The size you use is determined by your boat length, but I'm of the opinion the bigger the drift sock the better.

What kind of water are you fishing? If it is clear water I'd go with a double willow setup but only throw it when the wind is blowing. I fish a lake that has an almost non-existant spinnerbait bite-except when the wind is blowing above 10 MPH. Then fish the bank the wind is blowing onto and crank it fast.

Better late than never ;D! Great baits-I always have one tied on.

Heavy Cover is a great site and good baits. I pick the type of blades based on the water clarity. In clear water I use double willows, in stained I use a tandem-a Colorado balde in front of a willow blade, and in muddy I like a big, single Colorado blade. If I had to pick 3 here is my recommendation: A 3/8 0r 1/2 oz. shad colored head with a glimmer or baitfish colored skirt with a size 3 or 3 1/2 silver willowleaf blade in front of a number 4 willowleaf silver blade. Good for clear water and sunny days. The second would be a chartreuse head with a translucent skirt with a little chartreuse in it, a number 3 silver Colorado blade in front of a number 4 gold willowleaf. Good for stained water or some cloud cover The third would be a gold head with a gold/silver skirt, size 3 copper Colorado blade in front of a size 4 gold willowleaf. You don't see many spinnerbaits with copper blades, but they produce real well when it is cloudy, and since most folks don't fish them the fish haven't seen them. I make my own spinnerbaits and use smaller blades than you find on off-the-shelf spinnerbaits. The reason is I like to burn a spinnerbait just under the surface and the smaller blades allow it to run straight no matter how fast I bring it in.

We always call it snot moss. Weightless, weedless soft plastics are about all that can be fished effectively, and even then you are picking it off every other cast.

I used to hate fishing in the wind. It can be problematic, no question. But here in south Texas it goes with the territory, so I learned how to use it to my advantage. Find a windblown bank, point the boat into the wind and bombs away with a spinnerbait, crankbait, or lipless crankbait. I fish a lake that is notorious for not being a spinnerbait lake, and most times/places it is. But when the wind is blowing the spinnerbait bite can really turn on.

Not formally, but I do find myself taking time to enjoy and admire His handiwork.

It doesn't exactly "fly". What it does is fall away from you when you use a lift-and-drop retrieve. You can get the same effect weighting the tail of soft any soft plastic. Take a senko-type bait for example. Rig it weedless, then take a jighead, cut the bend of the hook off and insert the wire with the lead head into the tail of the senko so the jighead acts as a weight. Lift it off the bottom and it will fall away from you, just like the Flying Lure.

Not as much as I used to. I find myself wacky rigging senko-type baits more than anything.

You may have answered your own question-a smaller body of water. The fish are more concentrated so they are easier to find. More than once I have fished all day on a lake and caught a couple, then later in the day I fish a small stock tank you can throw a crankbait across and caught 10-20. This time of year water temperature might also be a factor-the pond will warm up faster than the lake so the fish in the pond might be more active.

Welcome to the forum! Muryk is a relative term depending where you are, but I use this rule of thumb: In heavily stained/muddy water it depends on the sun. If it is sunny I use brighter colors-whites, chartreuse, etc. If it is cloudy I use darker colors like watermelon and green pumpkin.

Plano boxes here, too. One for casting, one for flipping, and one for finesse jigs.

You can also rig the tube the normal way but make it fall backwards by using a small bell sinker. Rig the tube normally, but when you put the point of the hook through the open end of the tube pass the point through the brass loop on the sinker then skin hook it like normal. The weight will be on the back end and secured by the shank of the hook.

Here you go. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&partNumber=54755&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults Cabelas has them as well. Just do a product search for superline-one word. Not sure what the 64 series, but I use the EWG Superline hook for most of my soft plastics and they do a great job.

Get yourself one of these: They will run you 5-6 bucks and will fit in your pocket like a pen. Run the point down the groove a few times and it is needle sharp.

bighead-I read this article in BASS Times-I haven't had to try it but it sure makes it easier than the traditional method of fizzing: http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/columns/story?page=b_col_bt_1106_fizzing_procedure

Ken addressed it well. This time of year especially water temp is critical. A cheap and easy way to tell is to get an aquarium thermometer. Tie a line to it and toss it into the water when you get there. That will give you a good idea of where/how to start. The colder the water the slower you want to fish. In real cold water-50 degrees or less(Hey, that's cold for Texas )-I use 3 baits for the most part: A suspending jerkbait like a Smithwick Rogue, a jig-n-pig, and a shakey head rig. When it gets a little warmer-50-60-I use those same baits but add a spinnerbait and a lipless crankbait fished in deeper water adjacent to flats. The big girls will move into those areas in anticipation of the spawn and will be feeding actively.