fretfishman

I don 't think so, I 've fished jigs a bunch of times without trailer and I still catch them. So if it's not the trailer - is it the skirt or the jig? Gotta be the skirt, cuz if I just drop a plain jighead I ain 't gonna get a lot of bites. What I 've found in my stay as BR member is this, people generalize a lot, also maybe it 's because I 'm old I 've seen lack of knowledge in many members which coincidentaly tend to generalize, when you say jig I don 't know why is it that you say jig aned apparently everybody makes this mental image of a rubber/silicone skirt jig :-/, man, jig skirts are not only made of rubber/silicone, they are made also with feathers ( marabou is my favorite ), hair, tinsel, alone or in combination. Can you catch fish with a jig without trailer ? ---> aboslutely yes Can you catch a fish with a plain jighead and a trailer ? ---> absolutely yes Can you catch fish with a jig and trailer ? ---> absolutely yes Can you catch fish with a plain jighead ? ---> I serously doubt it So which one catches the fish ? the trailer and the skirt alone or in combination. Lol @ a guy catching a bass on a plain jighead....youtube it. Of course, he used berkley gulp alive on it and it was probably an extremely "active" bass time or a severe reaction strike, but still...pretty hilarious.

the rule of thumb I try and use is: if you can see the outline of your bait in the water condition you're fishing - switch it. granted, sometimes this can't be avoided, but in those cases use a natural color. using phrases like "x for stained or muddy water" don't work, because everyone's definition is subjective. watch a video of kevin van dam for a good example of this - to him, stained water is something like 4" of visibility. joe blow down the street thinks stained water is a green-tinted water throughout and he can't see anything in the water. the list goes on and on.

odd. I get tap, tap, tap on quite a few soft plastics on everything from 1 pounders to lunker bass. it probably depends on how closely you're monitoring your line in respect to slack. I do think setting the hook is the best option. it doesn't cost you anything. (except maybe an eye if you come unglued setting the hook when your bait's 10 foot from you)

rocketball, you are gonna love those fat ikas. they hit 'em like a mack truck most of the time. great craw looking lure - among other things. funny thing is - it doesn't matter how ya fish 'em and they'll usually gobble them down. I've rigged them in about every way possible except wacky, but weightless t-rig or t-rig have been my faves.

grats to you, man! those are nice smallies. something about those red-eyed, ruthless fighters that just gets me goin'. hope you had fun.

one thing about st. croix rods that I've noticed (and this isn't a slam - I use st croix rods a lot) is their shorter rods in MH power and their longer rods in H power - both in fast action - are very stiff. most people love or hate this from the start, but for me it has been a grow to love it situation. I will say that, because of this, the st. croix rods won't fit all fishing styles for me, which is why I have others. perhaps others have had different experiences. I don't know if this helps at all, but g'luck!

4/0 ewg here.

thanks for all the tips, people. 8)

thanks for the advice - I'll check out the site. Cruz, I sent you a pm and I'll give ya a call asap. (probably after my surgery this week) looking forward to hitting some water with you, man!

ditto to what marty said. however, if you're up to conducting a full scale test then by all means.... ;D let us know!

Nice work, JT! very good read.

catch 5 fish over 5 lbs in a day - check. get my nephew to listen to me when I'm teaching him how to fish - check. (finally) join a local bass club - arghh!!! (no response yet from them) You're right...writing down goals is amazing and they will be realized much quicker in doing this, imo. good point!

the price is crazy, but holy hell...I throw so many perch patterns in my neck of the woods that I've got to snag that one. looks great!

I've been using Loctite's Industrial strength super glue, because it was recommended on some swimbait sites. it works very well, but my problem has been the last two tubes of it I've purchased dried up extremely quickly - no matter how well I take care of it and close the cap well. it may have to do with the fact that it dries so quickly (your swimbait is ready to go in about 5 seconds), but if I can't make use of the full bottle of it then there's a design flaw. having found nothing better out there - I'd try the mend it if I were you. hopefully someone chimes in with a good option...I need something also.

agreed. if you're fishing in less than 30 foot of water patience will pay better dividends to fish weightless. the fluttery action can't be achieved any other way and, in 20 foot or less, it doesn't take all that long to let it glide down. if you do want to move to a weight, though, I'd recommend nail weighting the senko or switching to a drop shot - either method have their own benefits and don't hinder the action like a 1/4 oz or higher bullet sinker on a texas rig would. g'luck!