RichF

I only fish these baits in 5ft or less and when there's grass present. Like some others have said, these baits don't really work when fished slow. I rig mine weedless with a 6/0 or 8/0 owner beast weighted swimbait hook. The huge gap provides plenty of room for a solid hookset. I throw mine on a 7'6 H flipping stick and 20lb fluorocarbon. It's like underwater frog fishing...you really gotta give the fish a sec or two to inhale the bait before setting the hook.

Find some structure in water over 10 ft deep and probe with a BIG jig.

No problem! Enjoy!

Call St. Croix's store. You can get the Rage for $50 if you get 2 or more plus $10 flat rate shipping. You'll just have to ask what models they have left.

Seriously! I'll take 1 or 5 for $130!

I've been looking at them myself. I've heard there is very little difference (performance wise) between them and the Tatula Type-R. Since they can be had for less than $200 now, I don't think you could go wrong with one.

Jerkbait, lipless crank, swimbait, bladed and non-bladed jig. Those are my best producers from the end of march thru april up in NNY.

Call St. Croix's retail store. You can get 2 Rage/Avid Neo rods on closeout for $50ea plus $10 shipping.

Got 4 for me and 4 for my father. Haven't had them on the water yet but they seem nice. Don't know if they'll actually fit in my lineup but it doesn't hurt to have an extra set of rods. No better rod out there for $50 a pop. Add in St. Croix's warranty/upgrade plan and it's a win win.

The senko isn't deserving of a $500 setup!

They are definitely on the stiffer side. I have a 7'3 H w/ micros that's an absolute broomstick. I rarely fish it because of that. It's a nice looking stick and is pretty sensitive. Totally worth it for $80.00.

The only red lures I use are lipless cranks...and only when the water is 55 degrees or colder.

As much as I hate to say this because I love it more than life itself, but this is exactly the reason why bass fishing is not and may never be a legitimate professional sport. You couldn't make your way into the NHL, MLB, NFL, etc. with a sack full of cash and mediocre talent. Unfortunately, that's the way the "professional" bass fishing world works. I'm certainly not saying that the touring pros aren't great anglers, I'm just saying that there are a lot of others out there that are just as good (some better) that will never be able to showcase their talent in bass fishing's "Premier Leagues" because of the monetary restrictions.

I could bring some more milfoil down from Northern New York and "accidentally" drop it in the Potomac Being a recent Northern VA transplant, this lack of grass has me worried about my new "home water."

I second the kistler mag. I have the 7'3 H slop/frog. It's amazing. The tip is soft which allows you skip super easy but it also has plenty of backbone. The thing is super light too. I can frog for 9 hrs and not be tired.

Welcome! I grew up fishing the northeast where pike and pickerel are abundant so I tend to limit my use of moving baits as it tends to draw their attention more than the largemouth. Most of the bodies of water I fish don't have shad in them either so that strongly dictates how I fish. I know that down south there is basically a shad bite all year long so spinnerbaits and cranks can work all the time/most of the time. I've basically replaced the spinnerbait with a bladed jig and swim jig. I think they provide a more natural presentation and match our baitfish a lot better. I definitely throw the swim jig more on calmer days or when the fish don't seem super active since it provides a more subtle, non-aggressive action. I don't often throw squarebills either but when I do it's usually early in the season or when I'm around specific cover like wood (only if the flipping bite is off and I want to give the fish a different look). I use wakebaits/buzzbaits similar to the bladed jig/swim jig combination. More subtle action of the wakebait on calm or sunny days vs. buzzbaits on cloudy/choppy ones. Like most folks here say, confidence in the bait you're using plays a huge part. Bass will bite pretty much anything you throw at them if they're in the right mood. A lot of the "typical" techniques/baits used under "certain" conditions discussed by everyday anglers and even the pros often hold true for the most part so you can certainly keep that info in the forefront of your mind when tackling the lake. Just don't be afraid to go against the grain though. I've had some of my best days doing things most bass anglers wouldn't dream of doing under the particular conditions I was given.

Simms products are on a whole different level than Columbia. Not saying Columbia is bad by any means, but as far as extreme wet weather protection goes...Simms has them beat by a mile. I've only seen Columbia rain gear at 10K waterproofing, which isn't ideal for steady rain. If you're looking more for insulation vs. wet weather protection, the Gale Warning suit would be a pretty good choice. The Omniheat layer in the Gale is pretty decent, especially if you're moving around a bit.

This one's kinda like Dwights... I was fishing a team tournament with my father a couple years back on the St. Lawrence River, flipping thick milfoil for a quick limit of largemouth in the morning before trying to upgrade with smallies. My jig hooked up in some REALLY heavy braid buried in the weed bed that someone must have broke off at some point. I started to hand line it in (to remove the litter from the water) and felt some weight on the end, like I was dragging in a small anchor. When I got the line closer to the boat a 6 plus pound smallmouth tail walked and spit out the tiny wacky hook/senko combination attached at the end. That fish must've spooled whomever hooked it because I ended up with a massive handful of 80 lb braid. I wonder if I could've weighed that fish had I gotten it in the boat, definitely would've helped! What do you guys think??

I would say it probably depends on what the main forage is in the particular bodies of water you're fishing in. Most of the lakes I regularly fish don't have shad. Bluegill, perch, and bullhead are the main baitfish so I exclusively throw different shades of green pumpkin and sometimes blue/black.

I'll chat with locals, just not about how, what, and where. I'm a firm believer on finding your own fish. I thinks it's far more rewarding when you figure something out on your own. It's made me a much better angler for sure. I'm certainly not opposed to sharing some things though. I often get asked about baits and patterns if I do well at a tournament, which I'm always willing to share....just not down to the fine details. I never lie though. I just speak in more general terms... "I caught them flipping a 1oz jig in grass 6-10ft deep."

Ott was throwing a 3.8" keitech fat impact on a 3/16 oz lead head. Could've been a kicker fish slapper tail but I would imagine a pro wouldn't opt for the knock off bait.

I have two heliums, a klx, and a mag...All are awesome. Never had any issues with them.

I don't believe so. They should have a sale during the Bassmasters Classic though.

I've been using a Powell glass rod for bladed jigs for the last few years. I wouldn't anything else for this technique. You made the right choice with the Tatula. I've heard great things about that model.

Millsite Lake is really good. Very deep and clear but it has grass, big smallies, and good numbers of largemouth. Giant pike in there too. Hyde lake is very accessible and is loaded with largemouth. You'll catch a bunch of small ones in there but you'll have constant action. There are tiger muskie in there too. Payne lake is another really good one with largemouth and tiger muskie.