SoFlaBassAddict

Good stuff, Bruce. Seems like everybody I've heard from has had good reports after the rain this week.

I think you'll do better buying a quality hook. http://www.***.com/Owner_Wacky_Hook/descpage-OWNWHH.html http://www.***.com/Gamakatsu_Finesse_Wide_Gap_Hooks/descpage-GFWGH.html

Looks like fun. Those are some porky bass. Wish I would have made it out today, I've been stuck in bed sick. Hopefully tomorrow.

These are just some of my observations on jigs. I'm sure that I haven't mentioned several important things. I'm quickly writing this while I'm waiting on my oven to heat up for dinner. I fully plan on expanding this topic and each sub topic further in the future. Feel free to add whatever you'd like as well. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Earlier this year, I decided to dedicate myself to throwing jigs. I concentrated on only throwing them for a few months before I started to add them into my normal fishing routine. Although I do not consider myself an accomplished jig fisherman yet, I certainly no longer call myself a novice. Hopefully the following post will help in demystifying the bass jig to some of the other anglers that rarely use them. So, what is a bass jig? What is it supposed to imitate? How do I use this odd combination of lead, steel, and silicone? If you ask 10 different people, there is a good chance that you'll end up receiving 10 different answers. There are no absolutes when it comes to a jig. They can mimic a crawfish moving along the lake bottom, or a small baitfish that is swimming right on the surface. In fact, the same jig can do both. Over the short time that I've used them, I've really started to understand just how versatile a jig really is. You can drag them, hop them, twitch them, and pause them. You can swim a jig, yo-yo one. In fact, you can cast one out and do absolutely nothing with it, and still catch a fish. I have yet to find a situation where you can't use a jig. Now, thats not to say that the jig is the end all, do everything bait. There are times when other lures are a better choice. I personally wouldn't start covering water with a jig unless I knew that there were fish in the area. This is where your typical search bait would probably be a good first choice. Now I'll go into covering the actual meat and potatoes of the jig. How do I choose a jig? What color(s) should I use when? How do I actually use the jig once I've determined what to throw? Choosing a jig: One thing that I think that newer anglers get confused with are the myriad of choices of jig head styles. You have grass, football, arkie, swim, etc etc. The jig head that I throw 85% of the time now is the standard or arkie style jig head. This is a head style that doesn't excel at any one area. It can work in almost any situation. If I were to pick one head type, this would be it. I'll use a flipping jig only when I find myself in cover that is heavy enough to warrant it (i.e. very thick vegetation, submerged brush). The only other type of jig I find myself throwing is a football head jig. I use the football jig in situations where I find myself in sparser vegetation. I find that they are fantastic on muddy, rocky bottoms. When crawling them along the bottom, the wide football head tends to dig into the ground just enough to stir up the silt. Color selection: Does anybody actually know what color lure to use when? Probably not. In all honesty, I've completely given up the quest to find a color for every situation. I tend to concentrate on shades of colors and contrast more than anything now. The primary colors in my jig box are greens, browns, and blacks. That's not to say that I don't have additional colors like white, or chartreuse. I've just found that those three primary color choices are able to be fished effectively in any water condition that I encounter. I probably throw a jig somewhere in the green color family more than anything else. The lake water that I fish in for the most part is semi-stained, with a green tinge to it. Most prey species will tend to blend in with their surroundings to some degree. If I'm fishing in greenish water in lighter vegetation, I don't want a black jig that is going to stick out like a sore thumb. It just won't look natural. I'd much rather pick something that will stand out just a little but not overtly. I want the action or noise of the jig to draw the fish in, not just a visual cue. Think of the other colors on a jig as accent colors. I've yet to find a situation where a green pumpkin jig with a few strands or orange in the skirt will outfish a green pumpkin jig that has a few strands of chartreuse in the skirt. I'm sure that there are people that have run into that situation, but I personally haven't. If you're just starting out, stick with some basic colors in the green and brown family. Just remember, the darker the water your fishing in, the overall darker shade you want to use. Selecting a jig trailer: No jig is complete without some type of jig trailer. You can certainly fish a jig without one, but I believe that your chances of catching more and better fish are far greater with the trailer on. Many people would like you to believe that trailer selection should be based a lot on water temperature. The warmer the water, the more action the trailer should have. Recently, I've discovered that this isn't necessarily true. I've lately become a big fan of trailers like the GYCB Fat Baby Craw and the Gene Larew Salt Craw. If you've ever watch bass actively feed on crawfish, you'll notice that they generally will attack the smaller craw that can't defend himself as easily. Larger claws on the crawdad equate to a meal that may be harder to eat. I'm not entirely sure if this is just coincidence, or if it actually holds merit. Time will only tell as I continue to experiment. You can use a full sized trailer threaded completely on the hook, or a chunk just threaded onto the end of the hook. I think a lot of this is personal preference. The chunk will also give you a bait that has a larger profile. If you subscribe to the theory of bigger baits equal bigger bass, then you may want to use a chunk style trailer. I generally try to match my trailer color to the jig color. Although, there are plenty of times when I've mixed colors and had equal results catching fish. Feel free to experiment here. You may be surprised with what happens. Using the jig: So you've picked a jig style, a color, and a location that you want to use it. How do you actually go about using the jig? Lots of times after the initial cast, pitch or flip, the lure will get hit while the jig is falling. This is why you must make sure that you have a semi slack line while the lure is falling. Watch for the line twitching, or moving off to one side. If that happens, set the hook. A fish probably grabbed the lure as it was dropping through the water. What happens if the lure hits the bottom though? There are several schools of thought here. Some would say drag the jig along the bottom to imitate a crawdad that is walking along the bottom. Others say that you should twitch the rod slightly to make the jig take small hops back to the boat. I've found that a combination of the two is the best choice. I'll usually drag the jig for a moment, then I'll sharply twitch the rod. What this is supposed to look like is a crawfish that was walking along the ground and then suddenly took off to flee from danger. I've found that most of my hits have come on the hop using this technique. Again, this is an area that will require a little bit of personal experimentation to figure out what the fish in your area like. Fortunately for me, I'm blessed to live in an area that for 95% of the year the water is fairly warm. The guys up north that deal with ultra cold water have to learn how to fish very differently. I'm no expert on cold water techniques. As far as I know though, during that time of the year, you need to slow down for the most part. The fish become quite lethargic in colder climates. As I mentioned earlier, I'm definitely no expert on using a jig. I hope that this will at least help the beginning jig fisherman learn a little bit more. Jigs are constantly thought to be this mystery lure that only a select few people really know how to use. They couldn't be further from the truth. If you just dedicate a few trips to fishing them, you'll be on your way to learning a new and very versatile fishing lure.

Sounds like you've got a good plan. Don't be afraid to deviate from it though. There are times when you'll see activity somewhere that doesn't fall into your game plan for the day. Lots of times, the best formulated plans are thrown out the moment you hit the water. Good luck!

Yes we do, lots of them. Certain areas of Hialeah are inundated with them.

Owner Wacky/Drop Shot hook. Size: #1

Aint that the truth. I was fully expecting a serious amount of rain. My lake only came up about five or six inches. Today would have been a great morning to get out fishing, at least from the comfort level side of things. No idea what the fish were going to do after the rain. Hopefully tomorrow will be somewhat the same. I want to get out for a few hours now that I'm starting to get over this cold I picked up.

x2 You don't need to sling it lure out there with as much power as you can. It's more about technique. As you get more and more proficient with it, you'll find that you'll loosen the reel up more and more. You can hurl a lure out plenty far enough without having to horse it out there. Practice is key.

I love this time of the year. As much fun as spring is, I've always caught more numbers and better fish towards the end of the year. Hopefully we don't have the gross cold weather like last year.

Well if we're polishing boats.... I've got a 25' Cruisers down in Homestead that needs some polishing....bring your own DA buffer. Mine already burnt out...

I aim to try. I'll be here all week. Try the veal...

If you've got a set of wheels and can drive down south, I "MIGHT" be able to get you some temp work. It won't be much, but it is better than nothing. Hope you've got a strong back No promises though, but I can ask around and see if we need another hand or two for an upcoming couple of jobs. I'll get in touch with some other companies that I have friends at and find out as well. One of them is based in West Palm.

Is this better for you viewer's, besides I'm comfortable the way I am in my home.I'm Crazy like a bass being hit with a Brush Hog.And paper's to prove it. I think he is kind of giving it away here... As a serious medical note, you should wear a shirt more often. With a tattoo faded that badly, you are obviously exposed to the Florida sun more than necessary. Skin cancer is a very dangerous thing. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. That's some good advice.

Oh my, I have been laughing for 30 minutes now and I just can't stop... Thanks! I'm going to have a hard time talking to customers today without laughing. Glad to make your Day. Don't take offense to it. It's a crappy photo, I'm sure the blur clears when you see it in person? That was my guess. I know the webcam I have out in the living room is pure garbage. The autofocus is a joke. If you fart next to it, it'll blur the image.

I want to see those when you get back. I remember you telling me about taking them with you when we were on the way up to Iso. I may have to send some reel parts with you one day

That is by far the best tattoo of an indecipherable blur that I've ever seen.

Water and Gatorade. The Lemon-Lime Gatorade.

Gotta agree with Bassn about the people down here. I've learned a bunch from some of the local guys on the forums about freshwater fishing. Also have to agree about some of the private pit lakes. Some are better than others, but almost all of them are good fishing. I wish the lake I lived on had a 9.13 swimming around in it. I'd say the 2-5 average is very possible. Theres one lake a short drive from me that is loaded big fish. A lot of the lakes are electric only (at least in my area), so charge the batteries. If you manage to get far enough south and want to try something different, you can always go chasing Peacocks in some of the canals. I've caught some big fish in the lake down by Miami Intl. Airport.

Year round for me. Jerkbaits make a great Peacock lure. Doesn't hurt any that the Largemouth like them as well.

Sorry to hear that. Hope all goes well. Prayers sent.

Somebody recently tried to charge several things on my AmEx. Was some weird online "company" based overseas. They called me and really quickly resolved it. Had a new card overnighted to me free of charge. I probably wouldn't have noticed it until I got my statement.

Not enough mono? You only need enough to basically cover the spool. A few yards at most. Most people will fill it about halfway, given enough backing. Any of the ways you mentioned will work just fine though.

Didn't mean to attack you personally, I just think he got off easy, and by allowing him to play (and people paying to watch the team he plays for) is wrong. No worries. It's not my place to say whether he did or didn't get off easy. One thing you have to agree upon though is that he was found guilty by a jury of his peers and sentenced within accordance of the law. One thing you have to remember, the punishment should fit the crime. He served his assigned time, why should he not be allowed to pursue his chosen career path. If you went to jail for the same thing, wouldn't you want to work in the field of your choice after all is said and done? Lets not take this into whether or not the law's punishments are correct or not here. Like K_Mac said, there are far worse crimes that go unpunished or for those same horrendous crimes, don't receive nearly enough punishment. It's an unfortunate byproduct of todays society.

I must have missed my post where I mentioned anything about supporting him. Hell, I thought I even said that I didn't condone what he did. con·done/k[ch601]n[ch712]d[ch333]n/Verb 1. Accept and allow (behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive) to continue. 2. Approve or sanction (something), esp. with reluctance. Yup, thats what I thought it meant. I had to make sure. This was just a thread about his on field play and the difference in his game play right now. Nothing more, nothing less. I should have known it would delve into this.