tholmes

Snagless Sally! There's one I haven't seen in a while. The black w/gold blade is a smallmouth killer! I'll have to dig through the catacombs and see if I still have a few hanging around. Thanks for the reminder! Tom

T-rig Jig Crankbait Colors and styles vary as needed. On the bench - spinnerbait, topwater, soft-bodied swimbait, blade bait, etc. Tom

July 4th is one of those days I generally stay away from the lakes. The others are Memorial Day, Father's day and Labor Day. Tom

Due to some health issues, I'm only good for ~3 hrs. or so. If it's really hot, maybe only 2 hrs. I just can't do those "all day in the boat" trips anymore. Tom

^This. Right behind it is crankbaits. I just can't resist 'em. Tom

A drop of super glue just below the eye of the hook will cure that problem. Tom

Stop worrying and have fun fishing! Tom

Be sure that the line guide pawl is seated properly. If it is then replace the line guide pawl. It's probably worn enough so that it won't engage the worm gear properly. Tom

I had an osprey grab a Jitterbug and take off with it. Luckily, he avoided the hooks and dropped it. Tom

What he said^ Don't swing for the fences when you're learning, let the rod do the work. Distance will come as you get better. IMHO, you'll never completely eliminate backlashes. We all get one occasionally. But with enough practice, you'll limit the frequency and severity of them. Tom

^ I agree. You don't have to fish a T-rig slowly, Sometimes it's more effective to pick up the pace. I've caught bass on a T-rigged craw by hopping it fast along the bottom. Pick it up, let it fall and, as soon as it touches the bottom again, hop it again. Tom

Welcome to the forum from a fellow flatlander! Tom

Crankbait or spinnerbait for me. I'm looking for reaction bite first. If that doesn't pan out, the next thing I'll try is some kind of T-rigged plastic Tom

10 lb. Trilene Big Game. Tough and cheap. Come to think about it, that's the way I like my women too. Tom

I have a couple of Shimano Bantams from the late '80s that I break out and put through their paces every now and then. With 8lb. mono, they cast 1/4 oz. cranks amazingly well. The only old Daiwa that I still have is a Millionaire 5H. No graphite there. Tom

Both, along with swimming them. Tom

I like the ones that I make. Tom

I use Big Game on almost all of my baitcasters and on none of my spinning reels. As others have said, there are much better options for spinning reels. I like Yo-Zuri Hybrid the best. Tom

Norman makes some great lures. My favorites are the Fat Boy, Deep Little N, Big N and Flat Broke. Great colors, consistent quality and affordable prices, you can't go wrong! tom

I don't know about pros, but I'd be willing to bet there are a few cons. You know who you are. Tom

Vocal Frogs. That's gonna be the name of my next band. Tom

That's a question only you can answer. No doubt, Luck Craft makes top-shelf quality baits that catch bass with the best of them. But so will many others. Personally, I won't pay the price for new ones, but then, I'm a cheap old codger. All of the LCs that I have, I've bought used in the Flea Market section for half of retail or less. Tom

My favorite spinnerbait for overcast days is a black skirt with a hammered copper Colorado blade. No reason to think a black buzzbait wouldn't work too. Tom

I throw them in an old coffee can. When the can gets full, I duct tape the lid on and throw them in the trash. Tom

Monster bass! Good luck with your new pursuits, but be careful chasing those smallies. They are addictive! Tom