Paul Roberts

Big plugs pass muster as big bass baits. They are not swimbaits, as actions are quite different. But they do work. Back before all the big swimbaits hit the world I used big plugs (and worms and SB's) to catch bigger bass from my waters. I came to realize that you almost can't go too big for LM's. It did decrease my overall catches, but also selected for big bass. I broke a few pond records doing it.

Good point!

Tiki's are very buoyant, the opposite of the Senko. I use Tiki's in really shallow water. Next in density I use is the BPS Stick-O. I'm trying the ElaZtech's this year. They should be very buoyant too. For depth, and just plain...cheating... I do carry some Senko's -both the 4" and 5". The expense and cheatin' nature of the original has me pulling them out reluctantly.

Backpack too. I ended up with one made for students bc they offer more pockets for organizing gear than the "fishing" ones I tried. If you search you'll find lots of discussion on this very topic.

Season has less to do with it. Shaky is a jig so it free-swims and hops a bit better. DS big diff is it offers a weightless plastic at any depth. Ether could work. I find jigworms easier to rig and maintain. But sometimes losing the weight in the presentation matters. I'd rig jig first, then go DS if needed, or to eek out more bites. That would be my thinking.

I use both, on extra spools for my spinning reels. Mono's buoyancy is helpful in really shallow water and around vegetation. FC for deeper use and in wind as it's density bucks wind better.

Read the recent pistol grip thread. It'll give you fun ideas on uses. I now only have one pistol grip rod -a Skyline- but it is fun.

Pork.

Good rods they were. Still functional.

Contact your fisheries folks on what waters have shad. Bass do not instinctively know "shad", except to say they'll eat what's abundant and available. If it's shad, the bass will be on them. You hear so much about shad bc in so many reservoirs (esp in the south) shad is the primary forage. But probably more waters -natural lakes, ponds, and small reservoirs- have bluegill as the primary forage. Even in the shad fisheries, bluegill often rank high. "Shad" colored lures work almost anywhere though bc they tend to make a good general baitfish imitation. Imitating shad, compared to other prey species, has more to do with location than anything else -shad being mostly pelagic. Bluegills can be somewhat pelagic too in places but they do not school in the density and tightness that shad do.

Well that is a some perspective. Sorry to hear papajoe. I'm nursing a bad elbow. Will be fishing lefty -again- but at least I'll be fishing. I've cleaned my reels, organized tackle, doctored baits, bought unnecessary things, ...

Will be interested to hear how they pan out. I'm a sucker for bluegill look-alikes. It goes back a long time... I was probably 8 yrs old and I found a dead sunfish washed up on shore. I thought I'd use it as bait, thought about it, then decided "Nah!" and through it in the water. It's swim bladder must have deflated as it sunk, fluttering slowly to bottom. It rested on bottom for a moment then, suddenly, it appeared to levitate! Then a big eye and a lined side appeared. A big bass had it! I was shocked, and bummed I hadn't gone ahead and used it as bait. Among my xmas tree ornaments is a modified Heddon Punkinseed lure, with the lip removed and a spinner blade in place of the rear treble. I bought it, and modified it, years ago and it was meant to mimic a dying falling sunfish. I'd tie it on with shaking hands. I never did catch a thing on it, which is why it's now an xmas tree ornament. I still spend inordinate -and fun- amounts of time "bluegillizing" many of my lures. And they catch fish although I do not know whether my efforts really make much difference. Fun stuff anyway.

If you have no vegetation, yes frogs can work but there are lots of other, likely better, topwaters. See the GoTo Topwater thread. I find a popper frog can draw fish that are not close enough or noticing a regular style frog that moves less water. I use both. If they aren't on the regular style I'll try a popper and see if I can wake a few up. Sometimes it makes a difference.

I just bought one on clearance for $29 for my son to learn on -take out there and do what he will. The reviews are across the board great on the reels. But when I received it my sense of aesthetics were offended. The first thing I did was take some steel wool and buff down those glossy plastic side covers! Just couldn't stand seeing a plastic-looking reel. Also going to replace the plastic chrome handle nut cover. Otherwise it functions well and will serve it's purpose. If it lasts a couple seasons I'll add my positive review to the long list of them already out there.

If you have the chance of getting into species that can run -like stripers- mono backing is a good idea. Otherwise I just use kite string.

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I doubt anyone has used all the mentioned rods. I can tell you what I like in a soft plastics rod... -Some length (6-1/2+ft) for reach. -Light weight high quality graphite for sensitivity. -Power in the butt for hook-sets and controlling fish. -Some flex in the tip for two reasons: tossing weightless or lightly weighted baits with accuracy, and for "weighing" the line in feeling for life below without disturbing the bite. This is diff from my jig rods which have rigid tips (power all the way out) as fish don't hold jigs long. I have them in both spinning and casting and I don't think brand matters enormously as there are so many good rods out there. I would want to see it in person before I purchased though. I'm particular about rods.

Jig, buzzbait, SB, BIG bait, all seem to select for bigger fish.

Me too.

I recently started a thread called "Red Teeth 2" highlighting a Youtube video of a bunch of bass caught through the ice, with scarlet red tooth pads. It was pulled bc it had some promotional content I wasn't aware of. Anyway, here's a thread where we discuss the phenomenon at some length: One things for sure, old myths (such as crayfish munching) die hard. I think that one can safely be put to rest. Something physiological is happening. There was a discussion about red teeth on the PondBoss site and the assumption by the Mod's there was cold stress and the word "disease" was even used. But I think it's probably a natural response to cold -possibly to ward off cold stress -possibly related to the enlarged hearts John (J Francho) mentions in the original thread. The red is on all tooth pads (see Goose's pic above) and can even extend to capillaries beneath the skin along the belly, the fin bases, and in particular the pectoral girdle (throat area). This is only evident in the very coldest water -like right at ice out, or as I could see in that video, under the ice. This super-cold water red isn't just 'red', it's... 'scarlet-red'.

Well.. I was going to say Gitzit -thinnest I know. I've just got some Zman ElaZtech tubes which are very soft but not necessarily as thin walled as a Gitzit.

I'll second the Spit-n-Image. I have only one and it does catch fish. Doesn't appear as though it should -too short a walking bait. But it does catch fish. It's good where I might fish a popper, and will sit in place, juke and spit. Bass do hammer it. I didn't mention poppers in my previous post - like the SkitterPop, among others. So little time...

Walking baits (several), bulged SB's, buzzbaits (a couple sizes), and a waker are my primary GoTo's. When I use them depends on conditions. I also use various slop baits, SS cranks, floating Rapala, and the Jitterbug.

Great to hear from a true die-hard, C22. And...Neat breakline. I have a pond I've been considering my winter laboratory. It's small and easy to cover so it makes for a good test pond. Unfortunately, it's only had one thaw enough to break ice, and that was over a month ago. Anyway, that thaw left about 50% of the pond open, and I spent 8hrs without a bass! There are no perch or pickeral (active in cold water) to keep things interesting. I began to suspect that most of the bass were actually under the remaining ice. It was too punky to walk out on but I wish I could have. Either that or the bass were dormant, or, they didn't like anything I did, and I did a lot in those hours. Waitin' on the next thaw.

I like the MLF format. Intuitive, intimate, and fun to watch. The immediate release and mindful fish-handling regulations set a great precedent as well -one most of us non-tournament anglers apply already.