Blade-Runner

Topwaters and soft jerkbaits.

At almost all reasonable depths I use 8# fluorocarbon on a long rod and a 3/16 oz. sinker. Don't have a specific hook, but it's usually a small quality baitholder. I really like Zoom Superfluke Jr's in Chartreuse Pearl on the D-Shot.

Also try a Striper-jig bucktail, etc. One of those 3/4-1.5 oz. feather jigs w/ curly tail could work.

Spoons. The Ledgebuster is a great spinnerbait that I cannot find anymore. Roadwarrior is the first individual I've heard mention that bait in years. It's a great deep water alternative to a crankbait, and it can really get down there if you have patience and the right tackle to support it. Although it looks "clunky" - particularly for clear water lakes, I've caught nice bass in relatively deep, clear water on a 1.5 oz. Ledgebuster in the past. I don't think I've caught one quite 60' deep, but I'm sure it can be done. It's nice when you can feel the blade thumping...then the stop/strike/cover-on-structure-bump, etc...

Hey All, While I'm stuck in Indiana, my Pop has been trying to get on some of the early season smallies down in Eastern TN. I sent him a couple of the BPS XPS "Freestyle" jigging spoons that I found on sale a few weeks ago. Problem is, I'm not exactly sure how to fish them. Are you guys using these things just like a normal jigging spoon? I told him just to cruise, locate, drop like we normally do but he's asking me questions and for suggestions to which I have no experience to base upon. Since it is basically a Hopkins spoon w/ two single barbed hooks rather than a treble, I don't see the complexity. But, I didn't know if you guys had any tips on hookset or technique with using these things. I've got him using braid on the jig rod; we're usually fishing about 35-45 ft. on this lake. Any suggestions on equipment, "feel", lure technique, etc? I've not caught anything on one of these new spoons and don't really have much knowledge on them specifically. I can only relay what I've always done with normal "conventional" jigging spoons for black/brown bass and crappies. The lake we fish often has a large population of alewives - I found a color scheme on the spoon that really looks good, and I was hoping it might lead to success... Essentially, "sup" with these spoons; have you had success with them, and do you have any knowledge or ideas to pass forth? Thanks Bassers.

Welcome from Madison County, Indiana!

Who's anti live-bait? Guns, subsistence farming, live-bait rigging - all things that make America my kind of place...What a beautiful late winter largemouth...Congratulations to ya! For me, nothing is as sweet as that small early-summer window when I hit the big water with nothing less than 5 dozen soft craws...

Congratulations: That is an absolutely beautiful rig. I could certainly generate some memories with her. A good motivator to work hard and save. Thanks for sharing; I've looked at several jets but I just cannot find one that is affordable. Until then I'll keep fishing out of my "johnboat to bassboat" 14-footer. Fish on.

Congrats, Can't seem to get into that multi-pound range but we've been catching them over here on small ponds that have recently thawed. Though I've caught some on the traditional slow jig, drag rigs - the majority of them have been decent-retrieve speeds on cranks. Crankbait bite is looking good for now. Can't wait till we get a good 3-4 day warm spell. I'm going crazy to hit some proven pre-spawn ledges on the big water near my area!

Just throwing out a report from Central Hoosierland; Smaller surface waters are thawed. Hit a local pit/pond this evening and caught 2 small largemouth in about 45 minute span. Water temperature at surface was 43 degrees. Both fish (12 and 13.5") hit a 1/2 oz. Strike King "Red-Eye" Shad lipless crankbait. Depth was between 6 and 8 ft. Upset that the cold front is going to swing down and hang around for the weekend, but it's definitely time to start hitting the water. Both fish today, while mainly a "load-on" strike - were feisty and looking to eat. Looking to the big water in the next 10-14 days. I love this early pre-spawn - not just because of "fish re-awakening" and the overall aggressiveness, but because the fish haven't been pressured for a while and haven't seen lures buzzing around day-in, day-out. It really boosts your confidence when you are beating the crowds!

I too like the BPS Crankin Sticks. I use a 7' ML and it is outstanding for crankbaits under 1/2 oz. I mostly throw 1/4 and 3/8 oz. plugs on 10-lb. line, and this is a great rod for this application. It also has just the right tip to throw smaller finesse crankbaits (1/8 oz. Speed-Traps, small Bandits) as well as balsa stickbaits. Outstanding rod to work jerkbaits, especially those lighter ones that are just a little hard to "dance" on heavier tackle. This also makes a great walleye rod for rigging, jigging, or cranking. And, matched with an older Curado and quality mono - didn't break the bank and I don't mind taking it out in rougher conditions or down the river. Try one - I think you'll be happy with it. As previously mentioned, I wouldn't pay full price: mine was $29 back in '06.

49-lb. Barracuda caught off Marathon, FL when I was 10 years old. Hooked it on a live pinfish off a flat and fought him for almost 40 minutes. It wore me completely out, but Dad would not let me give up. I pleaded with him to go ahead and take over but he wouldn't. Looking back I'm glad he didn't, and it's the fish story we always share over a cold beer when I get down to see him.

95% of my spinnerbait fishing is done with a War Eagle Screamin' Eagle. It is my favorite spinnerbait and functions well in a variety of fishing situations. Works the entire water column well. I will use other versions as conditions dictate. One of my favorites (that I'm down to only 2 of) is the old Ledgebuster spinnerbait. I have an 1.5 oz. and a 1 oz. These work great in stained water in the 15-25 ft. zone, especially when you're tired of slinging DD-22's and Fat Free Shads all late-spring/summer long.

Go big(ger)... In various models I like to use at least the size where it has 3 sets of trebles. In floaters, I really like the Long-A, Original Floating Rapala (F11,F13), Smithwick Rogue, and the Bang-O-Lure. Suspenders are the one region of specificity where I will spend a little $$$ on a "quality" bait. Particularly if you're smallie hunting the 40-50+ cool prespawn waters with good clarity. I hate to say it because I'm thrifty and not wealthy, but nothing "feels" or looks better (for me) than a Lucky Craft Pointer in a suspending jerkbait. As a result of my high confidence and constant use, I catch bass on a LC... The LC-Pointer 100-SP in Aurora Black, MS American Shad, or NC Shell White coupled with a 6'6" M/F Browning Medallion GT, a TD-Viento, and 12-lb. fluorocarbon is one of my go-to's when I'm fishing clear smallmouth lakes in pre-spawn. It will definitely be my most used horizontal bait during this time in these conditions.

Great topic... A million great memories...but one that comes to my mind immediately is in Quetico Provincial Park (Canada) in June, 2005. Took my old man up there for a week-long canoe fishing trip and it was absolutely monumental. Excellent bonding experience. We caught and released hundreds of smallmouths. Loved it. And to this day, nothing can compare from a fish-catching standpoint.

Hello Fellow Hoosiers: I'm up in rural Madison county and fish mainly out of a Lowe Lake-Jon. My main lakes are Summit, Westwood Run, and Prairie Creek Reservoir. I also try to get over to Brookville, Patoka, and Salamonie. In addition to big water, I spend a great deal of time in/around local ponds and creeks. I hunt the West Fork of the White year-round for smallmouths. I try to get all over the state; weather, money, time permitting - wherever the action is... I also spend a good amount of time fishing East Tennessee where my family lives. Excellent smallmouth, walleye, and trout fishing...

Good luck

Don't forget to try a crankbait, too...

Actually it was a Sportsman's Warehouse in Columbia, SC. I stopped there on my way back from the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston... Should have picked them up on a credit for under $100! I came out to my truck and looked at a BPS and Cabelas' catalog and the Lowriders were $119-$129!

Haha hahaha. That was a good one ;D

Haven't bought a Lowrider yet but I do love my Falcon Originals. Played with a 6'7" MH/XF Lowrider XG and a 6'10" MH/F at a Sportsman's Warehouse and they both felt great! They were only $99! I would have bought either one but had just enough cash for a clearanced St. Croix...

I'm no tourney pro, but I always did the "yo-yo" routine as a simple lift/drop with a rattle-trap. I raise it just fast enough to feel the rattle, then slowly drop the rod to let it flutter back to the bottom. It's almost like slow-popping a jig when I do it. I also let my lipless drop all the way to the bottom before I start the retrieve. And I slowly take in the slack as I'm lowering the rod back so I can feel a bite. In the few to small amount of fish I've caught this way, I think the bite has always been sort of a "jump" in the line... I do the same thing during the classic "late" pre-spawn and mid-spring bite when I do the yo-yo off sprouting submergent weeds. I just speed up the retrieve. Quick raises, quick drops, quick line-pick up...I guess some people also call it ripping. As far as spinnerbaits, which are one of my favorite methods, the cold water period is one of the only times (aside from dirty water) that I employ the use of a colorado blade spinnerbait. I "crankbait" fish a single-colorado spinnerbait so I can just barely feel the blade "chuck-chuck-chugging" - even in clear water. The single colorado lets you do the slowest possible retrieve and still make the blade spin. And, I think (although it looks clunky and obtrusive) that the fish are super-hungry and (in their memory abilities) unpressured as of this point in the year... I suppose you could also consider a yo-yo retrieve on a spinnerbait, too...We think too much about classifying techniques, as I usually end up trying all different types of retrieves or tactics with any given lure that I am using. "Pull" the spinnerbait up off the bottom, then let it "helicopter" back down, etc...The fish will pick something they like.

I've been hitting the first pond in my area to thaw the last few days. We've caught fish on jigs and crankbaits. I've tried some suspending jerkbaits, but the water (although at its clearest for the year probably) is a little too stained. I've had luck dragging the jig w/ a good sized trailer just off the short winter-tall grasslines in 8-12 ft of water. I've also caught one slow swimming the same jig. My fishing buddy swears by a medium diving crank and has out-caught me in the last 2 trips. He is not even slowing down his retrieves, just doing a steady wind... I like wide wobble cranks because I can retrieve them slower and still have some attention-getting action. This goes against the old adage of tight-wobble "Shad Rap" action for winter cranking... Strangely enough, the "north bank" routine hasn't hit for us yet, nor has the super shallow heated water bite. All of our fish have come from breaks or bottom composition change zones at least 15-20 yards offshore. And this pond is only about 4 acres... Good luck...I was hoping for a warming trend but it's supposed to snow this weekend...

? Troll with downriggers and spoons. I guess the only time I've ever fished below 100 feet in freshwater is going after lakers... I don't think I've ever fished the 100 to 300 ft. range on the bottom even in saltwater. Are you talking about fishing for suspended fish out in open water in a deep impoundment? What are you doing? If you do hook a bass that deep, I hope you can de-gas the son-of-a-gun or he might just bloat out or explode in your bass boat.

Caught two largemouth this evening on the only pond in the area with open water. Fishing out of my canoe, I managed one pitching a 3/8 oz. black Strike King jig "THROUGH" a skinny ice layer between two cottonwood laydown logs (deep water) and the other bass came off a slight ledge where a near-shore flat broke from about 5 ft. to 9-10 ft. That fish barely loaded up the rod; lure was a craw-colored Storm Wiggle Wart. Took a meat thermometer on the canoe - water was between 40 and 42 degrees...