DINK WHISPERER

I will use that color all day while the sun is up and out. If I'm in overcast conditions though I've found the black/blue out produces everything else.

Well I call it orange/green pumpkin but it is basically Alabama craw. Most of the craw I've seen here and found in fishes mouths are that color. So I try to mimic it as closely as possible. It produces almost every single time for me.

Glide baits need to be worked with the reel. They are not a chuck and wind style of swimbait. They can be used this way but that isn't their intended purpose. They are designed to, as their name implies, glide wide from side to side. This almost "hypnotizing" motion is what leads a lot of fish to follow the bait. I like to vary the speed of the glide a lot from slow and wide to fast and choppy like a jerk bait. That's what will usually trigger the strike from a follower. It also depends a lot on the gear ratio of reel you're using. Higher speed reels make it significantly easier to work a glide. While you learn your bait you want to find a place with relatively clear water where you can see adequately. Pitch it out 30ft or so and start turning your reel handle a quarter or a half (depending on gear ratio) of the way to a full rotation of the handle at a time. Pause for a second or so and repeat. You should see the bait start the gliding sequence. After you get that down you can adjust for a longer cast and your gear ratio. It's all about building that cadence and repeating it. They also make what are called "tracers" that go on top of the bait. They're basically just bright colored sticker strips that allow you to see the bait from far away and confirm whether or not you're working it like you want to. It took me a while to gain confidence in them because of not knowing how to properly work one. But once I did I've done really well on them. Don't give up on it. The Chad is a proven fish catcher everywhere. Good luck!

I treat tannic water much like crystal clear water and throw natural patterns. My favorite is a green pumpkin and orange craw combination in both the jig and the trailer. Also, black/blue seems to work just about anywhere.

Fix what exactly? Everyone knows JDM reels don't break!? Seriously though, yes anybody who works on reels is able to work on a JDM reel too. Most of the time the differences are greatly cosmetic and very minor internally. I currently have mostly all JDM only reels and have yet to have any issues with them. I do all my own maintenance and am capable of doing repairs if they were to arise though. I own both the previous Gen and current Gen Bantam MGL reels and love them both. There's no big differences that you would notice in a real world day of fishing IMO. I would go with whichever one you can get the best deal on. You'll be just fine. Feed your JDM needs ?

I ONLY fish mine on a fast rod. The stretch of the copoly I'm using with them makes it a perfect combo.

Taco night on the Blackstone. ?

This right here^^^ The hook point "hides" behind the wire that holds the blades. I run a spinnerbait through almost anything.

That looks like literally every body of water here in FL! What I have found to work best for the bigger fish is pitching compact baits right at the base of the stems. For a faster approach and more active fish I throw a 1/2oz spinnerbait and try to tick as many pad stems as possible. Try to find the open "lanes" to use as paths for the bait. That has produced the most strikes and the most aggressive strikes as well. Good luck, it's very doable.

When you have to go at it on foot the rest of the way to the fishing hole, but you suddenly change your mind! Welcome to Florida!!!!

When you break that expensive swimbait off and the kid makes $20 in 5 min getting it back! ?

Got this new Okuma/Tackle Warehouse Collab custom black swimbait rod for an early father's day gift. I highly recommend it at this price. Megabass quality for a fraction of the price. Got myself another 86 baits Andromeda in golden shiner as a gift to myself. ?

What's your channel? You might have been the one who put me up on it! I know I learned about it from YouTube. I use the 20lb on my spinning combo for peacocks down south. The 30lb for my big top waters. The 50lb for frogging. 60lb for flipping and 80lb for huge swimbaits. I've backlashed 5oz baits on it and it never broke!

Peacock bass!

I usually add 2-3x hooks and up size them also if possible on the bait. Also bigger split rings. If that's not an option then I will use board weights on the belly. But I like my glides in XSS because I work mine painfully slow anyways.

I started out like many throwing the cheapest swimbaits I could find like savage gear. Then I gradually wanted more realism and better action than the mass produced baits could offer. That led me down the rabbit hole that I'm still in today! There's no comparing a massed produced plastic bait to hand crafted resin or even wooden swimbaits. I've pretty much sold off all my conventional gear except for the obvious stuff I need here in FL. in exchange for big bait combos. I have a Hinkle myself along with other high end swimbaits and every single one of them has seen plenty of time on the water. No collecting here.... There's absolutely no substitution for the way a monster bass hits a big glide or a big soft plastic battleshad. It's truly unexplainable.

I made the switch from Vicious to the Hercules and I've never looked back. It's actually perfect in every way. It won't fade even a little like the Vicious. It's also dirt cheap in huge bulk spools. I've been using it for 2 years now and haven't had a single breakage or issue with it at all.

For my lighter jigs up to 1/2oz I use a 7' 2" H/F Poison Adrena and 2022 Zillion TW HD with 20lb Abrazx. For jigs up to 1.5oz I'll go with my 7' 6" XH/F Poison Adrena and 2022 Zillion TW HD and 25lb Abrazx.

Breaking in the new Antares Monster Drive DC with a 6.5oz Andromeda glide!

I do contract work for the USACE and S FL water management so I'm always surrounded by endless miles of canals, equalization basins and lakes full of big fish.

When you find out that the Alabama rig isn't just for Alabama! ? 2 double ups and one of them included a nice one over 5lb.

I 100% believe this is what my next PB will come on. Current is 11lb 3oz. This thing is just over 10" and a half a lb in weight! ?

Just one more JDM reel.... I promise! ?

?This kid is turning out to be a natural with the big baits.