A-Jay

Seriously - before there was place for an angler to type a question & hit Enter, Fully Expecting an Answer - how do you believe the rest of us figured this stuff out ? The majority of your posted questions, including this one are loaded with overwhelming enthusiasm and inexperience. This is not a bad thing however you may be focusing your enthusiasm in the wrong place. Without some experience behind it the answers to many of your questions may end up being more confusing than helpful. Don't get me wrong, knowledge is good, but too much in the beginning can lead to sensory overload. There are some basic angling concepts but there's No Rules - No Fishing tackle laws to be broken. So do yourself a favor, take the gear you have and the baits you want to fish, along with what you know so far and Just Go Fishing. Start out with just a few rigs & a few baits and see what happens. I'm betting that you'll get the answers to most all of your questions in short order and the confidence & experience you gain will help answer questions that you haven't even thought of yet. Be safe & have fun. A-Jay

Yup - and even though Washington played a nice game mostly, that very short schedule turn around was a factor. Either way, you gotta beat the teams you play. The 2016 Dallas Cowboys are Strong & Confident team in all three phases of the game. A-Jay

What you're asking is a fairly tough thing to describe - especially accurately enough to where you could get a real sense of what happens. Best way is to simply experience it. Admittedly I am not this great catcher of many Double Digit bass, but I've caught a few. One thing I had in my favor is I was fishing for them specifically, so my tackle reflected that. As challenging as a 10 pound bass can fight - it doesn't have to be that big to get your attention. I've had many fish that were quite a bit smaller hand me my lunch especially if and when I wasn't ready for them. I try not to let that happen much but it still does. Part of the fun. Seems "Fighting" a bass is little different with most everyone. Some like to speed reel, others like to pull with the rod, and others still want the fight to last, - I'm some where in the middle there but ultimately what to put the fish in the net. To your point and specifically to your past experience, where fishing with 6-8 lb test can & does land it's fair share of big bass, when presenting baits in & around mid - to heavy cover (which is a good place to look) a tackle upgrade is a good plan. The "Drag" is important but I see it as part of a balance fishing system that includes the rod, reel, line & terminal tackle all working together effectively. So here, an incorrectly set drag (too tight or too loose) and be just as detrimental to landing a hard fighting bass as the wrong rod, line or terminal tackle. This doesn't take into account that each fish has it's own "fighting" personality and some fight a whole lot more than others. I like the little ones to pull like crazy and the super fat ones to simply swim into my net . . . . A-Jay

Good Luck - I'm eyeballing Sunday as the forecast is a wicked Tease. My problem won't be hard water but lake access. Snow & slush as well as muck & mire . . . and I'm not exactly sure what that last part even means - but my Dad used to say it a lot. A-Jay

Two Totally different baits in my fishing. Chatterbait is Almost always fished Low & Slow and a spinnerbait is fished high in the water column and at a much faster pace - often burned. Your mileage may vary. A-Jay

Me Too ~ ! I use it on just about every treble bait hooked fish I catch. A-Jay

A Cheap one ~ A-Jay

Those prices ARE KILLING ME ~ ! ! ! A-Jay

The KVD comparison is nice but other than fishing some of his gear - ENDS RIGHT THERE. I'm a Hack. And you do more than OK yourself. A-Jay

We Both Know There is NO Doubt they are very effective - But for whatever reason, I just do not like fishing them. I might be mentally defective. A-Jay

As I work through the somewhat painful process of putting up my gear for the hard water period. I like to look back and see which baits did what over the course of a season. Now I’ll openly admit that the more a lure produces the more I fish it – but there have been times I’ve made a switch during a good bite “Just to See”. I don’t do this as much as I used to because I think I missed a lot of potential bites re-tying & all that. But it’s still a good way to gain confidence (or not) in a new to me bait (or technique). It should also be noted here that a good percentage of my fishing especially this season, was done on new to me lakes. A couple are much larger than what I’ve been able to fish so there was a requirement for quite a bit of prospecting. Fortunately, the vast majority of that was done before I ever left the ramp (Humminbird Contour Elite). Once I got to my spots, I tried to fish as “Small” as I could. In addition to what’s listed here & as one would expect, I fish many, many other baits & presentations over the course of the (way too short) season; to include but certainly not limited to drop-shot, jigs (football, swim & structure jigs), smaller paddletail swimbaits, deep divers, and quite a bit of Texas rigged soft plastics; craws, worms, tubes, creature baits and dare I even mention – Stick baits. That was for you @Darren. And so as this past season progressed, the colors / patterns of the baits pictured below were the ones I reached for the most. Others did catch of course but these were the baits that seemed to routinely get bit the most; making them the Go-To’s. And I usually dislike that term, but it does apply so . . . . there ya go) None of this is new or remotely earth shattering stuff, just felt like sharing. Ok – enough of that . . . Topwater ~ Duo Realis 110 Pencil – I throw this bait a lot – it’s easy to work, and catches fish. Love this one. If I’m throwing a walking bait during low light or overcast conditions – this is often it. And then there’s Paycheck Baits Repo Man – a bait I received a few years back as part of the BR X-Mas gift exchange. (sorry CRS has kicked in and I am unable to remember which BR member sent it – but Thank you ) Fished this one a ton this fall ~ It Got All Kinds of HAMMERED ! Squarebill ~ SK 1.5 & 2.5 – I had several fantastic outings throwing these bait exclusively – like for an entire day. In time tested fashion early & late in the season while bass were shallower is the classic time when these shine but late summer I started burning these like a spinnerbait. That’s one I’ll do a whole lot more of. The Strikes are a ton of fun. Honorable mention goes to the 6th Sense X75 – which is a flat sided bait that has been a bass magnet for me for a few seasons now. Spinnerbait ~ The Megastrike Snapback Colorado Willow. With so many excellent choices in this category, it’s hard to pick one sometimes. The jointed mid-section on these however is effectively different than most other baits on the market. I’m not a huge spinnerbait thrower but burning this one over, through & around shallow vegetation was a blast for me this season. The SK KVD Perfect Plastic Blade Minnow made for a nice trailer on as well. I cut off about ½ an inch (the head essentially). Medium Depth Crankbait ~ The Spro Mike McClelland RkCrawler 55 Crankbait. This one was very good. I particularly like the somewhat translucent color patterns and the subdued rattle which routinely did the trick in the mostly clear waters I’m throwing it. It essentially replaced the SK 5XD which up until this year was my bait of choice for mid-depth cranking applications. Jerkbait ~ This one was a bit of a surprise for me. The SK KVD Jerkbait; both the standard 3 hook model and the Deep version. For the past several years, ALL of my jerkbait fish came on one of the (way too) many Lucky Craft baits in the collection. The LC”s are certainly quality baits that run true, have great actions & come in a mind boggling array of colors & patterns & get bit. But for whatever reason, this spring I picked up a few of the KVD Jerks – and I am Very Glad I did. Bait’s a winner. Doesn’t look like much in the package or at first in the water. But I’ll be the first to tell anyone that will listen, these baits are M O N E Y. Super early (still ice on the water) and very late (right before ice up) the deep bait filled the live well many times over. And the addition of a red treble on the front didn’t seem to hurt either. Up here – it was all about the Perch pattern. Lipless / Rattle Bait ~ SK Red Eye Shad ½ oz. (Rattle & Silent) The new Tungsten 2Tap accounted for a ton of tight lines as well. I like fishing this style of bait. It’s remarkably versatile and effective in many depths. And although the collection includes other brands like 6th Sense, Duo Realis (g-Fix) XCaliber & Jackall, the SK baits see more action. Blade Bait ~ Original Silver Buddy in 5/8 oz. A very close second goes to the ½ oz Damiki Vault. In order to fore fill complete disclosure here – I had several magic days on smallmouth water very late season fishing a rattle bait low & slow in the same fashion that I do a blade bait. In particular the Duo Realis G-Fix 68. It’s a tungsten filled, super thin profiled bait that seemed to excel for this deep water application. And something that is sort of glaring – are the baits NOT mentioned. Like for instance Larger Swimbaits. I have them & fish them: and enjoy doing so. But having so many soft body baits just completely Shredded by pike time and again, I’ve all but abandoned their use. Baits like Matt lures, Hudds, and the JSJ Hitch that I Really like but just get totally bummed out when they get sliced & diced or worse get cut in half. Then there’s the U-Rig or the A-Rig or whatever it’s called now. I made a concerted effort to fish this one – hard. Was a lot of work and ended up being a bit of a disappointing deal for me. Despite throwing it a ton (sore shoulders) there was very little to show for it. But I haven’t given up completely on this one. Then there’s the infamous Spy bait. Whipped this one around a fair share as well. Did have a few takers but still it didn’t really produce as I’d hoped. So there you have it. A-Jay

I'll say that your described approach above is similar to mine in many ways. Some of it may be driven by the habitats fished. Another part might be because of the diversity between many of the waters fished. Either way, I do what is necessary to first find the bait & the fish & then get bit. But this common term of Junk fisherman is pretty deceiving and one I'm not a fan of. Where Junk is often thought of as useless or worthless stuff, trash & rubbish; being adaptable is anything but. Ability of an angler to effectively alter presentations & approach in responses to the changed circumstances or environment is a far from worthless. Adaptability shows the ability to learn from experience, and improves the overall angling ability especially as a competitor. So in other words Brother - You're the Man. A-Jay

Hope you had a good one ~ A-Jay

Don't forget the hair jigs ~ They are a very effective option anytime but do often shine in colder water. These 1/4 & 3/8 oz Predator Hair Jig & plastic combos get it done. A-Jay

Admit it ~ You're Loving this . . . A-Jay

Great Bass ~ PB's Are The BEST ! Congrats A-Jay

Very Sad. "Paddle Board" users not wearing Life Jackets may be the next group of humans who could reach their demise while "having a good time". Stay Safe A-Jay

No Sir I don't believe it does - no worries though. You'll get it when you get it. A-Jay

And if you add the 360 imaging - you're looking forward as well. A-Jay

Happy Thanksgiving to one & all. Safe travels if you're doing so. Please remember those not able to be with their families. A-Jay

Agreed ~ my prediction for GB - end of season head coaching change. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ Although it can be challenging fishing pressured water from the bank can also be productive - just have to be there at the right time doing the right thing. If there are bass there, they can certainly be caught but it may require something other than what some may consider "standard" techniques. This site has a ton of information on many bass fishing topics - including fishing pressured water & fishing from the bank. Here a couple http://www.bassresource.com/hank-parker-fishing/fishing-pressured-lakes.html http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/pressured-water.html A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ I like St Croix LTB & Fenwick Aetos A-Jay

Nice Bass & Way to Brave the Elements. Congrats A-Jay

Hello Matt and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay