SimonDM17

What worked: Spro Frogs: I went through all kinds of hell figuring out a color I had confidence in, and I finally settled on all white. I can see it, the fish can see it, it's a good look for a frog...it worked. 3X Z Too (on a 3/0 3/32 oz. gammie, made by Falcon Lures) Use braid, feel the line get heavier, sweep up, reel in, unhook fish, repeat. Had my only "can i get one of those?" experience with this lure...outfished the guy I was with 5-0 before he started tossing one of mine. Super Spook Dropshot Jig Buzzbait What didn't: Tubes Worms C-rigs Crankbaits

I throw black/blue or black/red, with a matching trailer, in anything except clear water. Clear water I throw a trimmed-down skirt in black, with a green pumpkin trailer. IMO, the size/action of the trailer matters a lot. Chigger craws have done well for me...I have no confidence in chunks, but I've picked up a couple bass on zoom super chunk jrs. I've started throwing baby brush hogs, and they're an awesome trailer...bulkier, but plenty of action. I've say the easiest way to start jig fishing is with a MH spinning rod, 15-30 lb braid (I use 30), a 1/4 oz. booyah jig in black/blue or a bitsy flip in black, and a black/blue chigger craw trailer. Toss it around cover, and you WILL get bit. Now, deep football jigs, that's a whole different game...

I have 2, one spinning and one casting. Spinning is for jigs, the casting one is an all-purpose baitcaster. Can do frogs, spooks (it's awesome for spooks), buzzbaits in a pinch, and heavier jigs. It's a powerhouse for a MH rod. And, by the way...Dick's Clearance Sale--$18. I love the Convergence rods.

i've seen crawdad claws that were black and blue in clear-water lakes. i've seen black/red crawdads in stained lakes. i know it varies based on season too. i usually throw black/blue, just because i have confidence in it. if it's very clear water, black jig/green pumpkin trailer, or a GP craw on a light t-rig. for very stained water, i usually throw a heavy black jig with a bulky, dark trailer that has some vibration.

Small rapalas are great when trout are on top, but beware the bass dinkfest they can bring.

The only reason to use a steel leader is for pike, or if there's an unacceptable pickerel population. Bass will shy away from big leaders in clear water, and steel will definitely diminish the action and change the sink rate on baits. Topwaters won't float, crankbaits will sink, etc. Learn to tie good knots, and tie direct. Use a heavy mono or flouro leader if you're worried about breaking off, and you'll get more bites.

I have no confidence in crayfish cranks, so my colors would be: spinner/buzz: white or black, blades silver and/or gold jigs: black or black/blue, trailers black, black/blue or grn pumpkin cranks: black/white, perch, or bluegill. One exception is the olive x-rap. plastics: black, white, watermelon red, green pumpkin, black/blue

All the baits mentioned will work. I'd be partial to a 3X Z Too jerkbait and a variety of keel weighted hooks, since you'll be able to adjust the depth/fall rate easily and have a ton of durability. Arkansas Shiner or Ice colors. I think, and I can't believe it hasn't been mentioned yet, your line selection should be mentioned. Flouro seems appropriate here. I'd run a light braid (for castability) with a flouro leader. I'd also back off as far as you can from the fish, especially in clear water, and concentrate on making long, soft-landing casts. My favorite color for clear water is watermelon/red flake, followed by green pumpkin, if that helps.

if you happened to be fishing straight braid, try attaching a mono leader. I've noticed a significant improvement in topwater hookups when using a mono leader--I think the mono provides a shock-absorber for a thrashing fish, where the braid seems to let the fish widen the hook holes, and then toss the hook. sometimes bass like to screw with topwaters too...bumping them or jumping next to them, but not really biting.

A couple different approaches here: 1. Punch the mats--peg a heavy weight, punch through the weeds with a beaver, craw or creature. 2. Hit the pockets--senkos, frogs, worms 3. Crawl on top--I like to make a big impression--find a heavy frog, or the heaviest bait you can put on top. crawl it sloooow.

For a frog, I run straight braid. Heavy cover, no stretch hooksets...I don't want any weakness. For treble hook topwaters, especially walk-the-dog baits, I tie a mono leader on to the braid because the memory in the mono line keeps it from tangling up on the hooks as much as braid will.

I believe it's a 4 and a 6, larger one is on the belly. They seem to hang up a little bit, so if I were really going to put a lot of time into it, I'd find some very small but strong split rings, and swap those too...maybe reduce the hook hangup a bit.

12lb suffix is a really nice line, but i don't think it's a good line for the application. I'd switch to either a heavier mono, for the sizmic toads, or a braid, for the toads and for frogs like the Spro.

Great bait. I like Chrome or Pearl/Black back, because I'm not adventurous. I like the original series, though--I don't like the rattle on the Elites, and they seem to run a bit shallower. Also, swap the hooks. The bluegill color, if it's the same as on the waker, is pretty sweet, though.

I think there are some great ways to save money on baits. I just don't know what they are yet.

I hear a drop of super glue, or a similar substance, does wonders for braid-to-leader knots. I've never had a problem, even without the glue, but I fish mono leaders, not flouro. I agree on the uni-to-uni splice. Could it be that you're fishing cover too heavy or snaggy for 12lb line, and you're experiencing breakoffs that are strength-related, not knot-related?

Go Froggin' on the Sudbury! Do it! Seriously, do it. My last two trips have been cut short by thunderstorms, but I've averaged two 2-3 pound bass and a couple dinks per hour, and I lost a couple 4+ boatside. About ten bass in a total of two hours of fishing. Hit the mats. If they miss the frog, toss a fluke as a follow-up. They'll nail it, but all the fish have been up REAL tight to cover, usually matted vegetation, so they don't come out to chase the fluke. But if they just missed the frog, they'll take the fluke instead.

I've put a Spro Frog into my crotch when wading. I saw a blowup in pads, set the hook, realized the bass had completely missed the frog, and saw 5/8ths of an ounce of Spro whizzing at my crotch. Braid+topwaters+crotch=bad news.

Palomar or an improved clinch with the line doubled through the eye have worked best for me with braid. The only time I've ever had a knot failure with braid was on a regular improved clinch--if you pass the line twice through the eye (and then pass the line through both loops--it's a little tricky) the knot seems much stronger and less likely to slip. Doesn't work too well on mono, though--the line memory makes it tough to cinch down.

I put 12lb Seige on a spinning set-up. Make sure you don't use a small reel, but it's the best mono I've ever used in terms of strength and abrasion resistance. It casts really well too.

The Bitsy jigs are great "catch-anything" jigs. I use the Bitsy Flips since the hook is much better on them--how's the bleeding series hook? My go-to lure has to be a jig to cover. Black/blue, unless the water is clear, then it's black jig with green pumpkin Zoom Ultravibe or Berkely Chigger Craw. Conditions permitting, the second choice would be either: 4 in. powerworm hopped across the bottom on a slip sinker Soft jerkbait Spro Frog Rapala Minnow and a walk-the-dog bait Those 5 baits, and I'm confident I can pretty much cover anywhere and catch some bass.

I love the 3X worms. I know a guy who swears by the 4 inch ones for dropshots, and he's caught some great fish on them, and I use them for most open-hook worm presentations. I just tried something very similar to what was described above with the 7 inch 3X worm in white and a 3/0 hook. Definitely could have a lot of missed hookups on that combo, but the action was sweet. If you're looking for a totally weedless topwater, throw a 3X Z-Too on an unweighed 3/0 or 4/0 Gammie. I suggest "Ice" color, as it's really easy to see from above.

Another SSB, and one that is WAY more durable than the Senko, is the Strike King 3X Zero, but it's pretty tough to skin-hook it because of the 3X plastic. Also, it doesn't come in black.

I've heard white jigs can be pretty effective too, if you don't want to go for any crawdad-imitating colors.

I'm looking to pick up some new jigs--in the past I've been throwing Strike King Bitsy Flips, but I'm sick of the hook bending out and I want a larger profile. Can someone suggest a jig that comes in 1/4 or 5/16oz. size, with a 3/0 to 5/0 gammie or owner round bend (not EWG) hook, preferably with a head suited to weeds and brush?