A-Jay

Good for 'psycho dog' ~ just another one of those little mentioned benefits. I have been in an on going battle with those little varmints on & off for over a decade. Tried all types of counter measures with various levels of success (& failure). All things being equal, very little is as effective as a motivated digging dirt dog . . Makes a mess but gets the job done a good percentage of the time. They often bring them to us after they get done "playing" with them; all wet, no legs & semi-softened. "Hey look what we can do ! " A-Jay

There is a small screw/cap that houses a 'pawl' under the worm gear itself. May need a new one as they eventually wear out. Super cheap part. A-Jay

Stick Bait ? A-Jay

Jigs. Work it low & work it slow; especially this time of year. Second choice would be a lipless bait. And if you work it like the jig you, might get your arm broke. Good Luck. A-Jay

My 'goal' will most likely remain the same for the fore seeable future. And that is to do what I can to stay healthy & physically fit enough to go fishing. The rest will take care of itself. A-Jay

I've not yet had the pleasure & challenge to fish for spotted bass. May have to fix that . . . But I have been fortunate to experience some of the aerobatics that big smallmouth are so willing to participate in. It's impressive and never gets old. A-Jay

Each angler can have their own preference when it comes to rod length. I prefer a 'shorter' rods when looking for accuracy - shallow target aimed presentations and something longer for bomb casts. For cranks like squarebills that usually means a 6'10" - 7' ft stick. For 'distance" only I'm picking up 'the launcher' a 7'10" blank that excels at sending baits far away from the boat. A nice mix of both for me is a 7'4" rod. Takes a little practice to get the accuracy but still offers a decent distance. A-Jay

Shave one time with any of the Creamo products - You may be hard pressed to use anything else. This stuff is completely different from most anything out there and worlds better. A-Jay

Creamo is my product of choice as well - really good stuff. And if you haven't tried it already - I recommend the Bourbon. A-Jay

While I can not offer a definitive reason as to why your baits are not running like the one's in videos, I will say that my most successful presentation with this bait is always low (on or near the bottom) and super slow. There are times where a lift & drop (on a semi-tight line) has proven effective. Regardless on the 'retrieve' you'll note a common theme amongst the trailers pictured below. These are time tested selections that work well with where & how I fish a scrounger head. Although not an all inclusive list - it's a fair representation of what I prefer to use. A-Jay

A-Jay

Handsome Boy ~ Congrats A-Jay

Nice Bass ~ And there's no need to apologize. When the time comes - I certainly won't. A-Jay

OK ~ Something to keep in mind. While not looking spread any negativity, the description you've offered seems to indicate that there's a decent chance 'someone' has or is planning to, take steps to either eliminate or at the very least, halt the spread of, the 'invasive' grass - though I will concede that it's often quite evasive as well. Either way - the results of these actions often change the 'fishing' at least little. And sometimes, it's not for the better. I'd recommend fishing far way from any of the spots that were affected by this. Good Luck. A-Jay

Nicely Done Sir ~ A-Jay

Nice ~ Is that the same as a "Huge Midget" ? A-Jay

LOL ~ Thanks for the support Paul. It's interesting how much of what is falling this winter is somewhat south of me. 125 Days to go . . . . A-Jay

Perfect ~ I totally understand the $$ challenge. I sold my GTO to help fund my rig. Hated to do it - but the return was decent and I really couldn't swing it otherwise. Good Luck. A-Jay

Think I remember reading you are 'boat shopping'. Enjoy your visits from the boat, motor, trailer, electronics, accessories and maintenance monkey. Additionally - this may not help your cause . . . . . A-Jay

Several very informative responses here already ~ Here's my version of why spinning gear is my choice in many finesse type presentations. Keep in mind that I am routinely using it to fish for big brown bass in the deep, super clear, natural lakes of northern Michigan. Line management - When super light line is the deal, I'm using 8 to 10 lb braid as a mainline and a 4 - 10lb leader. It's super thin diameter and this gear excels here. Speed - I can 'drop' straight down to fish graphed under the boat MUCH Faster with spinning gear. Casting - (especially for distance) super light offerings (neg rig, hair jig, light drop shot) are easily presented on spinning gear vs casting gear - at least for me. Additionally I totally prefer 3000 size reels - the new ones are light, smooth in every way and manage & cast light lines for me well. A-Jay

My 200 Opti ran great, including in the 'cold'. Cranking battery is located in a stern space 2 ft from the motor - just for reference. Here it is starting in 38 degree water (with ice still on the lake). A-Jay

Rapala seems always ready with 'the next great thing'. Certainly a curious looking bait. Appear as though they may have used all those left over Scatter Rap cranks lips as the blade on the front of this newest deal. A-Jay

Nailed that one @12poundbass ~ We're currently well below annual numbers. Still have plenty but I'm usually looking to shovel my roof in a week or two. Unless it picks up quite a bit here soon, I may be spared that deal until perhaps February. Doesn't exactly hurt my feeling any either. A-Jay

Glad everyone's OK. Why are you working for your insurance company ? - You pay them to handle this. Get an estimate, send it to your insurance company & have the vehicle repaired. Additionally, if it's part of your policy, get a rental. Dealing with anything else is what all those years of paying them is for. Good Luck. A-Jay

Me Too ! A-Jay