Shane J

Use a keel weighted Rage Craw (Falcon Lake Craw color), and prepare for some serious smallmouth action!

My favorite way to rig them, is Tex rigged on a heavy wire 5/0 screw lock-type hook like a Moaner. Great flipping bait, weightless, keel weighted on the bottom, jig trailer, or even topwater bait.

My local Dick's has a very limited selection of the baits as well. I just order from TW now, and they always have all of the baits in every color available.

The P-Line CX Premium is sweet at night under the black light! Great line, too.

Rage Toad all the way. If I want to make LESS noise, I'll throw a Rage Lobster or Craw, and run in on top. If I need even MORE noise, I'll toss the Shad.

You can also use a heavy keel weighted weedless rigged plastic bait or a jig to feel out the bottom for depth changes, and find out about the composition of it, whether it's weedy, hard, etc.

Yup, this past May, during a tournament on the Potomac in D.C., a guy caught a 10lb snakehead.

I don't know what year it is off the top of my head, but guessing around a '99 or so. I know it was winterized and not used for a couple years before I bought it for $400 three years ago. It starts on the first pull every time, and has the gas tank on it (holds about 1 1/2 gallons and runs FOREVER on that). I used to use it on my jon boat, but switched to electric, now I don't need it.

Cool ,man. I got a perfect running 2.2hp Merc that would go real nice on the back of that if you're interested. I'll get off it for $250.

Curado 201E7 and a 6'8"MH XF Cumara to stick it on.

Aw, buddy. My friend just caught a 4.5lb smallie in the Saco River on a Rage Space Monkey last week. Some good fishing up there.

Someone will have a seat for ya, pudmunk. I won't this time, because badcrawdad can't take his boat on this one, and he asked to hop in with me, but somebody will accommodate ya!

You take better bait pictures than ***! Really nice job on 'em, too, they're gorgeous!

Jig with Rage Craw trailer. I can catch fish anywhere, all throughout the year on that.

14.8 grams, but they don't cast as far as you would think a 1/2oz bait would, because of their wind resistance with that crazy tail.

Honestly, I can't believe the milfoil turn around at that place this year. You can actually use your trolling motor now, and get within casting distance of the shore, when last year you couldn't by this point in the summer. I might actually fish there a couple more times this year, especially after seeing that pig outta there!

I'm so there!

And the NH gang grows some more. Welcome aboard, NHBASSMASTER.

Wish I could say it was mine, too! Nice hawg!

Catching a bass on the first cast has always been great for me. Ups my confidence, and leads me to believe they are hungry and waiting for me to catch 'em!

I paid $219 for the Cumara. Best money I ever spent on a rod. If those e-z keepers aren't any good, I'll have to look around, and see what I find, and in the mean time, I'll just use the stock keeper. I'll have plenty of time, because in a week, the reel is being sent out for super tuning and a drag upgrade. Hopefully another visit to BPS outta solve my rod's keeper problem.

I tend to change as the day goes on, usually starting shallow, then moving off deeper if the bite slows in the shallow areas.

I love the idea of the e-z keeper! Thanks, SoFla.

Ahhhh! Thank you very much! Yeah, they could have done better on that, but I do love this rod! Matches very nice with the Curado. Appreciate the help in my dumb moment there.

I just got home from BPS, where I bought a Shimano Cumara CUC-X68MH. I get home, rig it on up with my Curado E7, and fill the spool with line. Then I go to put the hook on the hook keeper, and I know this is gonna sound stupid, But I don't see where the hook goes! It clearly says "convenient hook keeper", but I'm not seeing it anywhere. Am I losing my mind?