RyneB

I do. I lost too many fish to frayed line from non inserted tungsten. I use Reins now, and love it.

Option 4 is option 3. Typo. I use a punch skirt on one setup. If you only have 1 rod and reel for punching, I suggest the Gambler Quick Change skirts. won't have to retie to get the skirt on and off. I have found that a punch skirt is hit and miss. sometimes they want it, sometimes they dont. If I'm in a tourney and I already have a limit, I'm throwing a punch skirt hoping for a bigger bite.

Do whatever you need to do to penetrate whichever cover you think the bass are in. If I see vegetation mats, I'm punching it with 3 options. Option 1.A 1 ounce tungsten, 3/0 trokar Heavy Flipping hook, and a Gambler BB Cricket. It's my confidence punch bait. Option 2. 1 1/4 oz tungsten, punch skirt, and Gambler Why Not, 4 /0 heavy flipping hook Option 4. Lightest weight I can penetrate the mat with, I usually start with a 1 ounce. That's rigged with any type of creature bait. My favorites are Gambler Burner worm, rage menace, sweet beaver, and reins punching predator.

7-1 Loomis IMX. I'm only 5'8 and use 7-11 rods. the 7-1 IMX is a perfect jig and Texas rig rod. I've even Carolina rigged with it.

Gen 2s. I hate the Gen 3s. I own several high end Daiwas, Shimanos and a Gen 3 MGX. But my favorite reel of them all is a Gen 2 Premier with Boca bearings and a carbon handle and EVA knobs.

I use stuff called the Original Vanilla Bug Spray. It's made an hour from my house. It is safe for kids and smells great. It actually works. I fish the Mississippi river and backwaters, spend a decent amount of time in the north woods of Wisconsin. It's the only stuff I have ever used that actually worked.

I have a question for you Michigan guys, I'm heading to lake Leelanau for a family vacation first week of June. Are there any largemouth in Leelanau? I have little experience with lake smallies,and was hoping I could tangle with some largies if I can't figure out the smallmouth. Any tips would be appreciated. I also wouldn't mind taking the kid out and have him reel in some bluegill. thanks

on the brush hog, switch to a straight shank with a snell knot and see if they helps.

wow, this will be in my arsenal

I have a mold for a bait like the Grande Bass type French fry worm. I can make white ones. It's not exactly a French fry hand poured bait.

The Saugers are on fire on the Illinois in the starved rock pool. Was out Sunday looking for crappie, a day after the MWC had a 2 day tourney and everyone seemed to be catching them. Talked to a few guys at the ramp and they all had limits of big saugers. Fat females full of eggs. The crappie and smallmouth bite was non existent compared to a couple weeks ago, I did manage to catch a few nice bluegills.

If you want to keep it simple as far as colors go, don't forget a June bug tube. I have had days where they will not hit a green pumpkin or other natural colors, but will hit a June bug tube.

3.5 bps tender tube is my most successful tube by far. I try to keep my weight as light as possible, 3/16 is my go to weight. A 2/0 Trokar tube hook sends it home. I use a 7-1 MH IMX with a high speed MGX with 15 lb red label. I have two main colors in the Tender tube, they both have orange glitter.

Tatula is a bigger profile reel. I have small hands and it took some getting used to. I now use it for walking baits and poppers, it casts a country mile. I sold my only Gen 3 SX. Not because I didn't like it, but I was made a great offer for it. The Tatula casts further and is more forgiving. The SX needs to be dialed in a little bit more. Did I mention the Tatula casts a country mile?

1/4 Oz Booyah bug finesse jig. It flat out catches fish.

rig weightless, burn across the top around scattered vegetation. I also like it on an underspin.

my favorite way is to speed reel it across the top. I have never really put much effort into trying it anyway else.

megastrike and spike it dye. I use the dye when I want to put orange on the tips of my craw claws. And I use megastrike when I'm punching, helps it get through the mat. I'm not a religious user of any certain scent though. Sometimes when the bite seems dead, I'll throw on some megastrike just hoping to trigger a bite.

I have not used the site you mentioned, so I cannot speak on that. If I want jig components, most of the time it's through Siebert, and a few times IV gotten heads from Cadman. Very very very happy with both. Sieberts Sweet Craw skirt pattern is hands down my most successful jig color. His components are flawless, Cadman also makes amazing heads.

wow, nice work. I'd lose it to a pike on the first cast, no doubt. Something that pretty wouldn't last long.

The Gambler BB Cricket in Bowens Silver color,hands down. I feel the Cricket is the ultimate punch bait. I have been in the boat with a lot of other guys punching and throwing other baits. My Cricket goes in and out of the mat much easier, which means my bait is in the water more, increasing my chances. If I know a tournament will be a punching one, I'll have 3 baits rigged and ready.Cricket, Gambler Why Not with a punch skirt, and a D&M punch craw. I have also punched with a D Bomb, pit boss, RI Beaver, Reins punch craw, but those 3 are what I have my most success on.

the only tube I throw with ribs is the BBB tube craw. I throw that when I want to present a bigger profile than my typical 3.5 inch tender tube.

June bug, I also like green pumpkin with something chartreuse on it, black neon

smallies are starting to heat up on the river. Only got out for a couple hours and managed 7. all in the 14-16 inch range. Super shallow on rock with current, only thing they'll hit is a tube.

Loomis IMX, high speed revo MGX, 3/16 Oz reins tungsten, 6th sense punch stop, BPS tender tube, Trokar 2/0 tube hook.