islandbass

@ATA Thanks! I think I have the 5” June bug senko. ?

Of forgetting to target smallmouth bass this season! How did I let this happen? I’ve been so focused on largemouth and while gaining experience with the t-rig and spinnerbaits that I got obsessed enough to honestly forget about targeting smallies. Rain is in the forecast for the next 7 days. Not good. The rain doesn’t bother me. It’s actually a given living in this part of the country from now until May next year. It just makes for tougher conditions, especially from the shore. And this window of opportunity is nearly closed. After I to my smallie gear prepped, I’m going to go after some smallmouth today. My gut tells me it’s probably going to be tough outing today, but that’s half the fun. May this never happen again, not only to me but you guys too — i.e, going through a season without targeting smallies, lol.

Adding my prayers for him and those also fighting cancer. Aaron was the pro angler who led me to try the drop shot and I’ll forever be grateful for that. If there is one thing I hate, it’s cancer. It claimed my mother’s life way back in my teen years. She battled it like a champ and was blessed to live longer than the doctor estimated.

Thanks for the heads up. I have not heard of livetarget lures. Dare I even look, lol. Down, boy!! Get back in your cage!! ?

That is indeed strange. Perhaps it’s an albino of the typical moss green. I believe contacting them is the right thing to do. Who know, it just might a winning spool, perhaps the 10 billionth power pro spool sold and as the reward, they’ll give you power pro for life, lol.

I use spinning and casting for top waters such as poppers and walk the dog types. I can’t ever recall having that ever happen to me with my spinning gear. That said, I am 99.9% aware and mindful on the slack in the line before it gets returned to the spool. So maybe I’m just different in that regard, lol. A simple movement of the rod by the hand/arms to one side or the other, whichever is more convenient in the moment, is almost always sufficient to eliminate the slack in the line before you start the retrieve. Problem solved.

I’d buy that for a dollar, lol.

Trust, me. Unless you live in the pacific nw like me, rest assured your bps is better supplied than mine, lol. But, my bps is the only game in town I have. ?

Theoretically, casting mechanics, principles are the same regardless of what you’re tossing OR the plane in which you make your cast. A side arm cast is the same as an overhand cast. They’re just occurring in a different plane. Same with an underhand cast. Yes, it’s that simple. The first few seconds of that video prove my point. That cast is essentially an inverted overhand cast. Prove me wrong, lol. Joking aside, and as one who has been guilty of overthinking a lot (steadily worsens in winter), keep it simple. If you can cast even a standard set up overhand, or sidearm, then you should be able to execute that underhand cast BFS or not. Period. ‘Nuff said, so get it done. ?

Yes. When I first started fishing, I tried out the “heavier” (relative to my neck of the woods) with very little success and it got frustrating at times. So I tried going with lighter line and noticed an increase in hooks ups, catches, etc. I became hooked on the finesse side that for the next few years, I focused mostly on finesse type things because it was getting me results. It was good and bad because I learned a lot but also realized I was also hindering learning other ways to fish, particularly the “power” side of bass fishing. I started in 2004. I finally forced myself to steadily get heavier in 2017. Finally paid dividends from 2018 on. With that said, I see both reel types as tools and will use them accordingly as needed. While, I can be as prideful as any other Joe Schmoe, I put that aside knowing full well the right tool for the job will help you get it right more often than not.

Indeed. Works better than bryllcreem, lol. Another vote for megastrike.

Me too. In person is always more fun.

That was an emoji representation of Jimmy Houston kissing a bass ? ?, lol.

I can’t wait!!! This jig monkey has been on my back for far too long.

Indeed !! Bait monkey.? @CrashVector: going to BPS so much? Thank goodness you haven’t heard about tackle warehouse . . . Oops! Cats out of bag, lol. You might want to visit the bait monkey victim support group thread, and welcome to the club.

Darn! I meant to ask that too, lol.

From what you’re describing, I’m going to guess you’re relatively new to bass fishing or fishing in general. This means you have to pay your dues. Put in the time needed to learn ways to fish different lures and the nuances each has, and the conditions they offer higher percentages in catching fish. Also, you can’t catch fish if they aren’t where your targeting them. You have to pay your dues in learning not just fish patterns but patterns of the seasons. I’m not sure if by wasted you really mean non productive. Many of us have those lures that have yet to produce for us personally. We just still haven’t cracked the code. All in due time. I’ll give you some perspective. I started fishing going in cold turkey in 2004. My first bass was caught on a Rapala floating minnow. Naturally, I expanded my reportoire. Spinnerbaits (I think you mean spinnerbaits when said inline spinner), buzz baits, senkos, jigs, other soft plastics like brush hogs, etc. First spinnerbait and buzzbait caught bass? 2018. First senko (5” t-rigged weight less)? 2019 First brush hog t-rigged with or without a weight? 2021. So I finally cracked the code for those lures. I put in my time and paid my dues. Every one has to also. Of course, I used other lures and techniques as a crutch, as I’d try those mentioned above, back off on them, but still tried to learn from each and every failed attempt. Just hang in there. It will come. My next lure to crack? The jig (tradition skirt and pig) - coming in 2021. I’m a coming for you, accursed jig! You’re mine next year, lol.

Alright, you got me. I use the Albright. What would the modified Albright be? My curiosity has been piqued, lol. That FG knot always makes me think in my head, “Fahget about it,” lol. I get a headache just watching how it’s tied.

Hello and greetings from the Pacific NW.

I like the look of the willow and Colorado tandem combo. However, like @Hammer 4, it seems that the double willow has been more effective. Perhaps for every 10 spinnerbait bass, maybe 7 would be in the double willow. the single Colorado has never worked for me in any size or condition. ? I forgot to mention I like both hammered and smooth finishes on blade.

Had one of those days about a month and a half ago. I had a long a stressful day, spent over an hour in traffic to make it home. Got to the lake at about 1940 and I had about 20 minutes to fish. Had to pick up my son at 2000. So with great haste I tied up a T-rig with a 3/16 oz bullet weight. Then I noticed this: Come on, ib! How can you make such a rookie mistake. In my gut, I knew this was not a good sign at all. Half of me knew things were just going to get worse from this point and the other half said fish when you can fish. The latter half won. I retied it and ran to the shore with my casting set up. I had just commissioned my curado 101d for duty from out of storage. I set the reel to the lure’s weight and quickly made my cast. That dreaded thwrrupppp! sound followed. Unbelievable. It was so bad, this stint was over. I undo the side plate and what did I find? Zero brakes set. What a dummy. What an idiot. Ib sure knows how to shoot himself in the foot. Momma said there’d be days like this, lol.

Heck yes! It’s so much fun. Just like regular bass fishing but everything is scaled down. One other difference is that it isn’t recommended you fish heavier cover. Other than that, even a 6# bass could be brought in on 4# test in open water easily, if the angler knows how to use his or her gear properly. My UL has caught more fish than all of my other rods combined. That sounds like a blast. ?

I’ll take those conditions any day of the week. rain or shine. Sleet or snow. High heat or low cold. Lil old me might as well have been working for the USPS, because I know how to deliver in any condition, lol.

I can’t help on colors but I find it interesting that what I found works best for me is like many here as already been stated. Chartreuse and white for some reason is just a killer and nothing in my local lakes resembles it. If I made spinnerbaits and I hope to soon, I’d be making variation of these tried and true colors and color combinations with some type of reflective flashabou scattered about. So perhaps take the white/chart combo and had a blue or red flashabou. If even try a white silicon or rubber skirt material with a a chartreuse or lime greenish flashabou. The combinations are practically endless. Since I have perch, blue gill and pumpkinseed in my bass lakes, I’d also try to make relative close ideas of them. 3/8 oz and also double willow seems to be my most effective and productive blade combination with a larger willow and smaller Colorado blade being second. I would also experiment with French blades.

Looks reminiscent of a rebel, but something does seem a wee bit off for it to be a rebel. Maybe @moguy1973 is right about it being homemade.