hookset on 3

I like to swim the Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in tilapia or prime rib color. I use an Owner sled head which is perfectly balanced an does not roll over on the retrieve.

For a little less $, I have a lot of success with the XCalibur twitch bait. I like the deep model that gets down to 6 or 7 ft. on 10lb test.

SenkoSam, I think the ones on fishingskirts.com are to be used in conjunction with the skirt hubs that have the flaired ridge on the end. The o ring sandwiches the skirt to the hub and then you glue it together,so the skirt strands can't move around.

Nice fish, Guys! RW, your lookin' dapper in that jacket. Is that an Orvis coat?

Don't Mess with Texas! Actually,them bass are sayin' the same about Big O. :-?

Goose, that there are some big sows! Be sure to give thanks for the special lakes up in the Cumberland Plateau, that have rewarded all your perseverance.

Starring KVD. The guy is other worldly!

Kevin Van Dam on working a crank to get bass to bite- "If you're not presenting a crankbait to fish in an erratic fashion, you're going to miss some key bites. Make sure the lure is banging on bottom, changing speeds, or making short, abrupt movements. You can do that by periodically snapping the rod tip with the wrist." Master series on Power Fishing with KVd, Bassmaster July 2010.

All the Big Bite Baits,especially the Fighting Frog. I love this for swim'n or pitchin' It's something the bass have never seen before. I've been wearing them out. Can not what until ice-out!!

Great stuff, Guys. It seems like a common theme with a lot of the choices is- good value for the dollar. Pop-R's, Storm Lures, Speed Traps. SK pro model 4s shallow are some of the under the radar lures I think of, too.

X2. used for all of 2010 on both spinning and 3 different bait casting set-ups. Former Yo-zuri Hybrid fan, but I would get break offs with a Palomar which I've been tying for years. I have not had ANY break offs on the Invizx. I also started using the San Diego Jam knot for all my none drop shot rigs and it's been flawless. Shaw Grigsby and Gary Klein were promoting it for fluorocarbon use and it as really panned out well. hookset on 3

Either the Bill Norman Mad N or Thin N. Heddon Swim'n Image or Spit'n Image. These are total sleepers. whenever I tie one on, it's automatic, fish! What are some of your hardluck stories of great lures that never really caught fire, for some reason?

I like the Yum Money Craw in the2.75 inch size. Color- Nest Robber or Ozark craw depending on low light or bright, stained or clear h2o. I only buy them on sale because their hand painted and MSRP $6.99. Picked up some @ Dick's Sporting Goods for $2.97 a pack on clearance to make room for the new Yum F2 line of baits. By the way the F2 Money Craws are no longer hand painted and only come in 3 1/2 inch.

Those drop shots look sweet. have you settled on a price yet? do the tails have any bouncy?

Yup,that's some food for the soul right there. Maine is a land of extremes: extreme beauty and extreme winters. It's been six or seven years since the last time I've been to my buddies Maine camp, but I'm itching for a road trip for smallmouths in June.

Check out this company, Boss Outdoors, that Gary Klein is affiliated with. They have those skirts your looking for. http://fishboss.com/jig_skirts.html

Goose, I'm truly inspired to start bassin' as soon as we get some liquid H2O. I've known for years that the big girls start roaming out of the depths right after iceout. A couple of warming stable weather days and it's lunker time. Great Job!

bassman, you are living right! I can only look out at our ice storm and dream of the Lunker Factory known as The Fork.

"It's in the Glide, Clyde." Bassmaster Oct. 2008. I truly believe that. The swimming action reminds me of the backwards rigged Fat Ika. The first few times the bass in my home(private)lake saw that, I absolutely smoked 'em.

For grubs I also like that Spro K jig head. It has a nice recessed line tie that makes it easier to come through snot grass or moss. The Kreatures are pretty beefy, so I've used this Owner 3x strong open gap hook. The angle of the hook point sticks them bass right in the roof or there mouth.

The color looks just like a sunfish to me.The SK Perfect Plastics line are high end quality, so I pick some up anytime I'm feeling like a big spender.

The Big Bite Fighting Frog is my favorite bait for various techniques. For flipping a creature/beaver bait. swimming on a weedless jighead. casting like a texas rig soft plastic. Try the tilapia or prime rib colors to imitate bluegills.

Try the Sinking Slug-Go with extra salt. http://www.lunkercity.com/

Check out Tackle Making .com for sizing charts http://www.tacklemaking.com/default.php?pageID=42 or Jann's Netcraft.com http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/Content/Parts_Sizing.htm

I read on KVD's blog that he uses only chicken feathers. He then uses sharpie color markers, if he he wants to alter the white feathers that are most commonly used by tackle suppliers.