Paul Roberts

Ok... got em. They are not exactly the same as the originals. The paint/finish is different -more akin to cheaper Chinese plugs I've seen. They weren't badly done, but not exactly the same as the Sebile's. The body dimensions appear to be the same as the originals and very likely they will perform similarly. Also, they were all designated "XH", which stands for Xtra Heavy -the 66mm weighing 3/4oz! I hadn't seen this in the description and I can't use such heavy lipless in my waters. So I returned them. I did keep the little 50mm ones I'd ordered (also "XH" and 3/8oz), thinking they were the 55mm length of the original smaller Sebile's. Instead these are quite a bit smaller, which is unfortunate. But I can make use of them in winter (ala bladebait) and in early spring. Never did throw those 66's in the water but I would not hesitate trying them out. They appeared to be quality lures, although not quite the caliber of the originals. That said, I would let the bass decide as they are the ones I'm most interested in impressing. The original Sebile Flatt Shad is my favorite lipless. Oddly enough, it appears they only now make the 3/8oz and 3/4oz! I don't get it.

I've had many jerkbaits of various brands vary in buoyancy. I've also made my own from floaters. Get water (at the temperature you'll most be be fishing at) in a bucket and test them. You may have to doctor them a bit to get the buoyancy right.

Just keep fishing. Do that and Culprit (or name another) will become your GoTo worm some magic day. The magic isn't in the brand name.

Thanks. Looks like I had the Euro site.

I don't find it on FB, or elsewhere. When posted?

I don't think the color of the laser has much to do with bass, or other critters, interest. Dogs are sensitive to yellow-green but not red, yet they will chase. Bass retinas are highly sensitive to both red, and green. It's the motion, and size, that triggers a predatory response. It's an intriguingly intense response though, eh?

Yeah, the "dead of winter" may be the toughest for me too. Both "dead" and "bite window" are good descriptors. Can make for a lot of time spent with numbed fingers for nothing at that time. It seems to take some time for the "dead" part to set in though. Early winter, just prior to ice-up can be pretty good; Akin to the ice fisherman's "first ice" I suppose.

Ditto, and ditto. Not sure what my Matzuo jerks are but I have two different models and they both work well. One I know I got from Dick's under the cheapo line "Blaze". Nice little jerkbait.

Ha! The hopeful possibly stupid guinea pig is drawn in... Yeah, I'll let you know.

I've got some coming. Will let you know. I'm cringing at the thought of opening that box. I've already bought some originals off ebay but the ones I like are disappearing.

With so many fry in there that cove is likely good nursery habitat. The larger ones -those 10"ers- are in there to eat the fry. I would not doubt that there are some mature bass in the area too, after those "larger" bass and bluegills. It's the food chain thing going on there. Those fry may or may not have been spawned in the cove. After they mature some, they begin to travel and large numbers will aggregate in good habitat, offering food and protection -often in the immediate shallows. They start on zooplankton, begin to eat insects, then graduate to fish by the time they are an inch-and-a-half in length. The first fish a lot of young bass will eat is each other! The bigger ones chasing down and eating the smaller ones. This cannibalism continues well through adulthood -larger bass happy to eat smaller ones. I spent a chunk of my summer documenting bass nursery areas for a video documentary on bass behavior. Those fry become "bass" pretty quickly -capable predators- but relatively few survive to see the next year.

I like the X-Rap. It catches fish and is surprisingly weedless too.

They are SO easy to replace, or add to other jig heads. Use fly-tying thread on a bobbin. Whip finish. Nail polish. Done.

Are the "new" Berkley/Sebile Flatt Shad's still the same quality bait they were before Berkley acquired Sebile? They are now about half the price at TW. Same bait?

My waters do not have fall spawning fishes. It's all sunfishes and young bass as fodder. By 'junk fishing' I mean chasing weeds -as the dying back begins. One week the beds are intact, a week or so later and they are falling apart. Would help if I stayed on one water body. Got quite a surprise the other day when I burned my fishing time sneaking into position on known hot-spots -major milfoil beds- only to find each of them collapsed and essentially gone. I spent my remaining time looking for remaining weeds and when I found them -in places I don't normally fish- they were packed with bluegills! I had to pull out and go at that point though. I know where to spend my time this week however. With the sparser cover, and clear water (4ft or so), I'll be dropping into lighter tackle now. What pattern are you referring to? What are those bass doing? (PM me if needed.) Most of my waters are too shallow to turn over. So, that's not it here. Difficulties I've had in September seem to be when "summer" continues into September. Water temperature does seem to be important and I look forward to temps dropping into the seventies. This year it happened way early, with a string of back-to-back cold fronts in August. The fishing was very good and the bass were jumpers; Always love that. The bass also began to fatten up again after a hot spell that started in June this year, during which many of the bass got thin. I made three videos during those cold fronts, describing them as "fall conditions in summer". I think light levels play a big role by mid-September too, with longer shadows developing that simply reduce light penetration. Every water body is different though in terms of exactly what's at play: temperatures, lighting, cover, water levels, and clarity, being primary factors.

"Junk fishing and scrambling around". That would describe my Septembers and Octobers. Interesting. I've had great days during the initial cool-down. I attribute it to water temps falling, water levels dropping and vegetation dying back, exposing prey fishes. I also look for re-heating days in the shallows. But it is far from consistent. Some days my waters seem more dead than alive.

That is pretty serious weather. 40 degree rains can kill you. That can be worse than snow. Heck, here in arid CO I've been skiing in a t-shirt. Yeah, that drawn out summer weather can be a drag here too. The changes can be a challenge to follow. Or, at times, it just seems the bass are out of commission.

VERY cool answers, bc of the diversity. What's that they say: All politics is local. Or probably should be. Why is that do you think?

What's the toughest time of year for you guys. And... in what state are you located?

I was going to say the same thing for FL in particular, due to how common it is for Floridians to bemoan mid-summer on the message boards. I didn't mention it bc I don't live there. Glad HeavyTwenty mentioned it.

Bass do not "shut down" in the north either. They are catchable all year round, even through the ice. Of course you have to adjust your expectations. Essentially you can leave the buzzbaits at home. This was one of several caught during a mid-winter (Feb) thaw.

There are even trout in northern Mexico. I'd say that's plenty "North".

Fly-tying does not have to be expensive. You can invent your own stuff with cheap and found materials.

Catt chiming in has me wanting to add something: that catching bigger fish is often the result of overall effectiveness (accuracy, efficiency), location (being willing to fish deep, and inside cover), and in terms of timing (night fishing, say). These fish may not be smarter, just not where most anglers tend to, or are willing to, fish. It is interesting, and telling, that large bass are most vulnerable during the coldwater periods. And they seem to disappear in summer -presumably moving deeper, or deeper under "unfishable" cover, or becoming chiefly nocturnal. This would count a lot of us out. (But, not Catt from what I've gathered over the years.) OCdockskipper reminds me of something I was thinking about while fishing this past week. I was sight-fishing mostly, to fish in very shallow water in a pond I know well. I know individual fish and had located the three biggest girls in the pond. They were all together in the back of one cove. I was unable to catch one as they were very spooky. Which got me to wondering how much the fact that large fish have larger eyes which, apparently, confers an advantage in visual acuity. Makes me wonder about other senses too, not to mention experience that comes with age. Sounds like I'm reversing from my comments above -as perception is part of the chain that results in "intelligence"- but I'm not. Rarely does one reason account for everything. And some things are more significant than others.

Ditto Glenn's advice. Another option for weighing fish is by suspending them in net mesh, a "keep-sack", or even a plastic grocery bag. I just caught a bass that someone had punched a hole in its' lower jaw, presumably to weigh it. I know I mumbled something like, "That can't be good." It was, however, able to glom onto my jig. I really don't know how much such a hole might hinder bass feeding. But the mouth of a bass -most fish in fact- are engineering marvels that have undergone heavy selective pressure over time, indicating that they are important to feeding. LMB in particular rely on suction to capture prey, and on a tightly closed mouth, and gill rakers, to keep captured prey in there long enough to be swallowed. A hole in the buccal cavity (as it's called) can't be a help. Also, bluegills and some other prey species have evolved post-capture behaviors that provide them a last ditch chance for escape through the mouth or gills. Prey isn't food until it's in the gut. In general, I think fish are beautiful creatures, and enjoy each and every one of them. I try my best not to damage them.