Shane J

I don't know where they're for sale yet, but I know they're fish catchers. Two sizes available, 4" and 4.75". Try 'em keel-weighted, on a swim jig, on a shakey head, on an umbrella rig (Yessah!), or weightless. The bigger size is where it's at. Not telling where to get the secret 6" one.

Prayers for you and your family as you all go through this. I'm so sorry for the news, but I know you got it in ya to beat it. We're all pulling for you.

Live Target is doin' it right. They are offering quality stuff, from cranks, to topwaters, at a reasonable price. If there were an award for most improved tackle company, my nominee would be Live Target. I keep finding more and more of the stuff in my boxes.

Also been adding to the crank and topwater game. I gotta say, I like the looks of these new Koppers squarebills. And some Shellcrackers (Thanks, D!) And some more mid-weight stuff for the new combo A couple heavier entrants into my arsenal. Still looking for a Roman Negotiator or Trick, 8" Lunker punker, and a Bullshooter 160 or 190, but I still got ice, so I still got time.

Just completed the swimbait lineup, with a little help from my friends here at BR. A trade here. A couple nice flea market moves, and the under 4oz bait category is covered. 7'11" Okuma Guide Select, paired with a Shimano Calcutta 201B. They make a lovely couple, don't they? In a couple weeks, my dream rod from DVT will be done, and my 301 will have a home. MAN, it's gonna be a cool year!

Signed up for the 2016 BBWC. Can't wait to get it goin! Good luck to all, and I'm looking forward to seeing all my new buds from last year's event. Good stuff, FOR SURE!!

Yeah, I won't be breaking any laws, I can assure you of that.

Throw 'em as soon as the ice melts, and right on through. Swimbaits are effective year round. If there's bass in the area, and they're eating something that looks like what you're throwing, you're gonna get bit.

I've been waiting for this reel for my whole life. Now she just needs the Swimbait rod that Mike at DVT is building me for it. Man, so sweet!

Just throwing this out there, but what are everyone's plans for June 1st, when we can no longer fish jigs? Besides move. Obviously moving, but what about until we move? Who the heck is making good quality, non-lead jigs? I talked to my boy at Moaner, and he says it is possible to get custom jigs made (Enraged Jig), but it'd have to be in huge orders, so we all gotta get our crap together, and do a massive jig order. Man, I'm getting REAL sick of this state.

This year bigger swimbaits are going to be part of my game plan more than ever, so I'm filling in the gaps here and there. Few pick ups from the last week. Also got Mike over at Delaware Valley Tackle going on a custom built Swimbait rod for me. I'll have to put up a pic of that, and the Conquest getting mounted on it, when they make it home. C'mon, Spring!!

http://moanerhooks.com/product/1-oz-enraged-shakey/

And now the harsh reality of where we live sets in.

They are both amazing reels, and are probably pretty much equal. That being said...

It may not be as quick as you think right now to establish a pattern. This is the exact time of year a lot of people start to struggle. If you were fortunate enough to catch the short window of very aggressive feeding, then you may be expecting the fish to just be going crazy like they were a couple weeks ago. Front after front, extreme fluctuations in barometric pressure and temperature, oxygen levels changing dramatically, angle of the sun, and of course going from low low water, to very high water, are all your main factors in what mood those fish are in. Will you still find bass near food supplies as always? Yes, pretty likely, however, finding them there (or anywhere) with this particular set of environmental circumstances, is sometimes challenging. I'm a big fish hunter, so I choose to always start on my off-shore humps, and points first, and this time of year, I want to know where any active fish are immediately, if not sooner, so a crank will get in there and scout a section of the area I wanna hit. If I get hit, I'll go to a jig, see what happens. At least 3 flips to each primary target. If I get on fish that way, I have a pretty good idea my depth I should be working, and to what they are relating to. Depending on how those first two presentations went, If I need to keep looking for fish, I will check shallow, often using a topwater as my search bait first, tossing it all the way up onto shore, and slowly crawling it into the water, and creeping it back to the boat. If that works, sweet, if not, I'll switch to a swim jig, and make my way through the water column, see if they are on those wind blown shorelines following baitfish. Of course, I'll never pass standing timber if it's in my target depth, and a jig or a Tx -rigged Lobster, Bug, or Space Monkey on braid to check all those. Again, hit as close to the tree as possible, then try the other side, then put a couple behind and to both sides of it. I could flip trees all day, every day, and be happy. Just be versatile out there, keep your lake changes in mind, don't be afraid to try as many things as you need, and you can still have a successful late Fall, and they are all fat right now, so you just might mess around and catch a PB. I'll see you out there.

All jigs!! Flipping jigs, swim jigs, shakey head jigs, football jigs, brush jigs, Everywhere a jig jig!! I'd grab yourself a 7'6" MH or Heavy Fast rod, some 17lb flouro, and get to work. You should never, EVER, go fishing without a jig rod coming out at some point. Ever. Never. All year, all places.

I leave at O-Dark-Thirty on Friday morning. I'll see ya There! Safe travels, everybody.

Short answer... maybe. In my experience, most of the time, The bigger bass are elsewhere. Sometimes you do have to leave fish to find bigger fish. If all I'm catching is smaller fish, I'm gone to look for the big gals.

Pretty good dang photographer, too.

You're right, I should put that slobberknocker up, too, huh? This little lady had a thing for my crankbait, so I let her have it.

Oh, and yesterday I got 7-1, and Jitterbug got his new PB of 7-3, but I'll let him show you if he wants. We were getting 'em on jigs and swimbaits yesterday. Man, you gotta love this stuff!

Biggest of the year so far. Caught her a couple hours ago on a jig and Baby Rage Craw. 8lbs 1oz of fall feeding beauty. 23" x 20.5" They've been all over the moving baits lately, and tonight was no different. Swimming my jig was getting all my fish. Hope ya'll are getting in on some of this action. P-S Just realized how crappy the pics came out. Looks like my line might have messed up the focus. Oh well, you get the point! PP-S The line, by the way, is 17lb Vicious Pro Elite flouro. Awesome line for jigs, especially in the rocks.

Football season is on!! Go on and get ya some of that, why don't ya! This plus-sized model weighed in at a stout 7lbs 7oz of crankbait eating fury. Thanks, Mainebass for an adventurous day, and lots of good times.

Just got a new cranking rod, and went with the Lew's. Pretty sweet.

Nice light weight swim jig rod, too.