Team9nine

Probably just a factory print error - someone forgot to update the metric conversion - just a guess. For those that may not know, this is how you can tell the manufacture date of any of their line (from an old post). Seems like it always “worked” on the spools I’ve checked. Neat way to tell how old your line may be, or how long it’s been sitting around. “ALL Pure Fishing lines have a date code on them somewhere on the spool. The code is read like this example: C-12-10-1 C is the month starting with Jan. being A. Ex. c- means March 12 is the day-meaning, well the 12th day 10 is the year and 1 has no meaning. So why is it there? internal reasons So examples date is.....March, 12, 2010 manufacture date.”

“Notching” is an old technique where they’d take a file and file a small notch into the line tie eye that created a little depression so you could cinch your knot around it in the specific spot where you wanted it to be located without sliding around.

This and this ^^ …also Splash-Its. But yes, if you have existing poppers you want to convert, sand the bottom of the lip (and possibly the sides). Also, tie direct, don’t use a snap or split ring, and pay attention to knot placement, even notching the eye if a bit OCD - lol

Ninety percent of my fishing is location based - what I can walk to in a matter of minutes, or drive to (boat) in under 30. I’ll occasionally drive up to an hour to fish a lake, but not much more than that these days. Got plenty of time and miles under my belt from 20+ years of tourney fishing.

I usually just shoot for horizontal balance and near neutral suspension when weighting most times with just a few exceptions. If a bass is looking for a particular heads up/down alignment in order to bite, its intelligence is stronger than my patience ?

I’ve thought about her and if she’s still swimming several times this year - lol. Only been back there a few times all year.

Dots and strips here, too

Dead calm today at the two places I stopped at. Couldn't get bit on the jerkbait or a small jigging spoon. Might have the answer on the wind - lol. Squeezed out 3 little guys on Ned. Even saw two decent bass cruising the weedline slowly, but they weren't interested in anything.

Most all my recent catches have been on downwind banks, whether strong or light winds. Seems like some wind is better than none, for sure, though I still catch a few on it in calm areas. I need a change in direction so I can test this theory out more.

The last of the skim ice was just floating downwind when I arrived at the pond this afternoon. Nothing going on bottom after a quick pass through, so switched to a Husky Jerk and got to feel the rod load up on 10 bass during the fish back. High briefly hit 45 today, but no sun. Sprinkles but warmer (high 40s/low 50s) over the next few days, so waters should stay open for a while longer.

This sums it for me, too, though my desperation move is to go out in mid 30s temps if the wind isn’t blowing. I no longer do the frozen guides trips though, or worse - just not worth it to me these days.

Give them just a little time on the water and you’d be surprised at all the productive patterns, locations and stuff they’d come up with, as well as what doesn’t work. I’ve seen it first hand fishing with Wheeler over the years on smaller bodies of water (30-1300 acre lakes).

Arrived at the pond today just as the last few sheets of skim ice were breaking free from the bank and melting as they drifted off in the breezy open water.

Reverse the order of your list, and that’s where I’d fall. Big fan of OG Spotlock and like Randy’s perspective, but guessing you’re not - lol. Do nothing might not be a good alternative since you already purchased from the sound of it, so no sense letting the stuff just sit unless a new boat is imminent over the winter. Which brings us to ‘stay the course.’ You got it, put it on and use it. Going beyond to either of the last two options risks your wife finding out the real cost of your purchase, and maybe even sinking the deal. Waiting for better makes no sense since ‘better’ will be obsolete in 2 years also…plus better will cost more than the 7k you already dropped. T9 - keeping it “old school” ?

Another fan of the Husky Jerk. Great perch color. Can be had in standard or deep versions.

First of 2 Black Friday purchases arrived this week. Couldn’t pass up $7.50 + free shipping for a pack of 24 Ned heads. That’s crappie priced. Bought 3 packs. Was hoping for something just a bit larger (hook size/weight) than traditional Midwest Finesse to play more with big TRDs/RoboNeds, etc. Looks like a great fit now that I’ve seen them. Will be curious to see hook strength, etc. once I get them out on the water.

In 1966, Buck's Baits (Buck Perry/Spoonplug) introduced the "SJ Series," sometimes referred to as the 'Action Jig.' It was a combination spoon/jig/fly meant to be used as a 'jump lure,' though it could also be trolled. If you can picture a modern day belly weighted hook like is commonly used for swimbaits, but centered and encapsulated into a jigging spoon body, with a Johnson Spoon like hook built in, and little wing tabs on the tail end. It could be had plain, or dressed with either bucktail, marabou or nylon. It came in 7 sizes from 1/8 oz. up to nearly 2 ounces. I'm not sure it was around for more than a half dozen years or so, as you won't find a single mention of the lure in his 1973 book, "Spoonplugging." The bait was designed for fishing poor/cold/slow/windy conditions. It casts like a traditional jigging spoon, and sinks fairly quickly to the bottom. When you pop it off the bottom like a spoon, the belly weight feature immediately flips the lure right side up at the top of the hop (think of a "Weeble"), and then the little wing tabs glide it back to the bottom like the Space Shuttle, hook up every time. Dressing is just for added attraction, but plain ones could be tipped with the item of your choice (pork, plastic, live bait, etc.). It has a subtle shimmy/wiggle to it on the fall/glide, and looks mighty attractive in the water. Apparently the bass thought so, too. A few guys have taken older ones and repainted and retied new material onto them. I was fishing with a "new" original one that featured a purple and white body with silver flake and a white marabou tail dressing. The pic below is of some "refurbished" ones a friend has, but shows the features of the bait pretty good. They are very hard to come by though, and I paid a pretty penny for a set of 5 "new" ones in original box with the original instruction booklet included. Debated whether to fish with one or not, but really wanted to catch a bass on something that old and unique - and then just said a little prayer and hoped I didn't snag it up or break it off - lol. I cleaned it up, dried the hair back to original condition, and have put it back in it's original box, now sitting in my Spoonplugging display in the office. If I can ever get my hands on a couple more though, they're definitely going to be put to work again

Possibly the best trip of the whole year today!! ...but not for any of the obvious reasons. A slight warm front pushed us over the 50 degree mark, but brought steady 20-25 mph winds with gusts to 35+ along with clouds and some scattered sprinkles. Fished a small lake that just a week or so ago was frozen over solid. Pulled out a special lure just for this trip that I had recently obtained, hoping to catch just a single bass on it. As it turns out, I did that on the very first cast! That alone made the trip a success, but I continued to throw it to see its potential, and ended up catching 12 bass total, missing a few others on it before retiring it back to its display case (before I ruined it or lost it). Managed 4 others on a suspending jerkbait before calling it a day. This nearly 4 pound 'chunk' was the last one I caught on it. Any guesses on what the 'secret' lure is/was (see pic below)?

I’m pretty close to this, but…I trim the top and bottom halves separately. I start by separating the skirt halves and trimming just the bottom strands to 1/4-1/2 inch below the hook bend depending on bait type/style. Then I gather just the top strands together above the bait and trim those a bit shorter than the bottom strands. I forget the exact ratio, but there is one - lol. Then I notch the top strands so they are slightly varied in length for better flare. That’s the basic cut, as I have a certain visual profile in mind that I always try and attain. Other alterations depending on bait type could include weedguard trimming, thinning, or flaring as well as adjusting skirt count (for less bulk/smaller profile), or even decreasing or completely eliminating certain color strands to get my final finish. Beyond that, I adopt Catt’s philosophy and fish the bait regardless of appearance until there is little left of the skirt - as long as it keeps getting bit ? then rinse and repeat the process all over again with a new replacement skirt.

Still catching them from the boat and the bank. Water temps running 44 deg or less on most all bodies of water. Small jigs, jerkbaits and blade baits depending on water conditions. Hoping we can keep throwing at open water for a few more weeks - or that I run into a big one before it all ends.

Yes ? They both work well. Don’t limit yourself. The one thing I’ll add though is my hookup/landing percentage rigged wacky went up when I switched from a traditional drop shot hook to something with a bigger gap like the Rebarb style hooks. YMMV

Great bait. Can cast larger sizes, say No. 7 and up on a good baitcast rig, especially if weighted. A spinning outfit works well, too, especially for the smaller No. 5 and 6. I use Suspend Dots and Strips most times to weight. Agree with it’s reputation as a cold water staple in many tackleboxes - now through early spring (water 50 and under). A nice alternative for fish that see a lot of jerkbaits.

Sounds like you’re making really good progress, which is great to hear. Seeing a lot of high 40s, low 50s in the extended forecast along with precip, so that should buy us time with the open water enough for you to heal and make it out. Just be very careful with the slopes and grass when you do - not worth aggravating or reinjuring the knee over. They’re just fish…most of them will still be there in the spring to catch ? but I totally get catching a few soon as “therapy”

Wanted to go for bass today at the local reservoir, but got sidetracked by the crappie again. Did throw jerks and jigs on some of the crappie holes and scored one decent bass. Water at 44 degrees and holding steady, but expecting an inch of rain over the next 24 hrs, so we’ll see what happens.

A couple of the places I fish have been froze over with our recent cold snap, but after a few warmer days and some sun, they were partially melted today. Checked a couple of them out, passing by the areas that still had large ice sheets sitting over them. Fortunately, the deeper holes were open, and I was able to nab half a dozen bites on blade baits. May take a crack at the local reservoir in the next day or two if schedule allows.