backwater4

PM sent

I dont know if it helps or not, but I did have a co-angler in a tournament spray it on his lures and he did catch. I dont or wont use it as a scent and caught just as many, if not more. So as some have said, it doesn't stop them from biting.

Early, early spring, until the spawn. No trailer most times, occasionally a piece of straight tail worm cut off. All black 99.9% of the time. Light line (6 lb fouro) Drops adjacent to spawning flats, sometimes on the flats themselves.

I've had luck fishing them around submerged grass and weedlines. Let it sink and twitch slowly back. I've also done extremely well fishing deep with them on a carolina rig.

No panic box, just a whole tackle compartment I can go to in a panic. When in doubt, throw an inline spinner.

Great baits! They used to have a 4" finesse worm that was the best.

For me it a 6:3 on a medium heavy 6'6" rod w/ 12 lb berkely big game mono.

Never. I've caught in a snowstorm with water temps in the mid to high 30*s. Ice in the guides and all over the boat. It's not fun at times, but why stop when thers open water.

1/8 round black bucktail or maribou.

Arkie is definitely an all around style. Maybe not great for weed, but it will get you by.

5" senko and a 3/4 tungsten weight. Goes through pretty much anything and doesn't get caught up.

Yup, twist and mash. Be careful not to deform the wraps when massing though.

Early fall, jigs and spinnerbaits. Late fall, deep structure with spoons and silver buddies.

Man, I can't even buy a topwater fish. Hopefully this week is the week.

I'd go with a popper like the others suggested. I don't know about tackle making on a budget. I started making my own baits years ago to save money and all I do now is spend more money building baits. It seems you can never have enough supplies and always need that one more color.

That's a great early season technique in cold water.

In this case " size doesn't matter " they all work the same. I usually use the size 11 I think. They are nice on light action. It's also a topwater a lot of guys don't think to through anymore or in tournaments.

Like bluebasser said, it's a great twitch bait. Cast, let sit till rings go away and twitch again. Reel in a lttle and repeat. They are great baits.

A nail through the head, between the hook eye and the and where you come back through with the barb wont affect the action that much. A 1" finish nail works well. Also a 4" Sluggo on a light weight Carolina Rig can be deadly.

Also, length of rod.

All of the above. I only use lo vis green line, wether flouro or mono or braid. I don't use an offset wide gap for wacky rigging, only a 1/0 octopus hook and rigging a senko Texas rigged with a weight or not and pitching to wood or grass is an excellent way to fish.

Brown and Orange Green Pumpkin All Black You can go wrong with these 3 colors

I dont tie, but do fish hair jigs a lot. I've found I like to fish deer hair the best. Maibou a close second and then rabbit and craft hair.

1/8 all black jig and trailer Blue Fox in line spinner gold frog 3" senko small worm or brush hog

Hopkins shorty and a silver buddy, 2 of the best for me.