Shane J

A couple weeks ago, I finaly made it down to Texas to fish with Big O! After a year of planning, we made it happen. I got to spend a week with a great friend, and we caught a couple fish, too. As most of you can imagine, fishing with Big O, is a blast, but also filled with endless learning, and rib-crunching hook sets! I think every day I was down there, I caught at least one bass bigger than my 9lb New Hampshire PB. We mostly fished with Tx rigged Recon Worms, and 1oz jigs with Rage Lobsters. Hot colors were the new Green Pumpkin purple/gold, and Falcon Lake Craw in both the Recon and Lobster. It was an amazing time, and I am already planning a return trip.

I own one of those rods, and use it for drop shot rig and split shot stuff. Great rod, and I almost grabbed this one up for my wife.

You got that right, bud! Nice job!

Nice one, Edgar! Can't beat a jig/ Rage Craw or Lobster!

Jig/Rage Craw

Sorry for the blurry, crappy pic, but the battery was going on me, and I didn't notice until I looked at it after I let her go. Best of the day yesterday, at 4lbs, caught on a Rage Tail Recon Worm, in Falcon Craw Tx rigged with a pegged 3/8oz Tungsten.

The best way to fish plastics in shallow grass.

Heck yeah! Couple of beuts right there!

Beautiful fish!

Rod: JB Customs Jig rod Reel: Core 51MG Plastic: Rage Tail Baby Craw in Falcon Craw (Santa hasn't released those yet!) Hard: Mattlures Hard Gill Wire: Seibert Big O jig 3/8oz

That's a beauty, Big O! Ooooo, I wanna throw a Lobster into Falcon so bad! Keep 'em warmed up, buddy!

Love those smallies!

For smallies, I'd start with a light (1/8oz) Tungsten weight, and Tx rig it on a 3/0 hook. I also like it with a 2/0 keel-weighted hook, and as a jig trailer. When the fish are keying in on bait fish, I'll throw a Pearl Baby Craw on a sexy shad swim jig, and knock 'em out! I have caught plenty of smallies with it on a drop shot, too.

The first lure I ever bought, was a Hula Popper, and the first plastic I ever purchased, was a bag of white Slug-O's. I was 7 or 8 years old, and that popper caught me my first big fish (probably 4-5lbs), but hooked me for life on the thrill of bass fishing, especially topwater.

I like a Rage Tail Baby Craw on mine in Watermelon Red, just a hint of chartreuse JJ's on the tips of the claws. I also like the Menace or single tail Grub on there.

Yup, Bass Pro's got 'em, as does Tw, in all the colors.

Yeah, they are sweet. My favorite is the Blue Craw, seems to work all the time. I rig mine vertical on a 1/4oz 5/0 Moaner weighted Stroker hook, and run it everywhere like a swimbait most of the time. If I'm flippin with it, I'll turn it sideways on the same hook, and let the slower fall rate do it's thing. Awesome bait, though, and a lot of fun to fish.

Yeah, 4/0 is a little small. I always use a 5/0 Moaner Stroker with the bait screw lock.

The Shad when they are aggressively feeding on top, and the Eel when you still want to fish on top, but don't want to make all the ruckus. They're both great, and a lot of fun to fish.

I feel like I failed to do what I set out to do if I don't catch quality fish. I'm only after the bigger fish, so getting skunked and only catching dinks feels the same.

Here's the best fish of the day for me today. Caught her on a black/blue swim jig, with Blue Craw Rage Tail Baby Craw trailer.

Congrats, jitterbugger! Nice fish right there! I knew it wouldn't take you long.

Jitterbugger, everywhere has 5 pounders in it, you just gotta be in the big fish mind set, and be willing to leave smaller fish in search of bigger ones.

Gottcha. It happens. Luckily, they weren't bass.

Locke Lake in Pittsfield. Pretty good bite early, then died off on me around noon.