Bluebasser86

Gamakatsu Nano Alpha is my preferred hook for most of my T-rigging. I also mix in some Owner Cover Shot hooks for thinner plastics and dropshots. I have a few packs of Ichikawa weedless wacky hooks and they're the most insanly sharp hooks I've ever felt.

I found a nearly brand new Rock Crawler yesterday. Unfortunately in a baitfish color, but still a nice find. If you like looking for lost lures, we've got a thread for that.

What do we technically consider the "prespawn"? The definition I found is when the migrate from their winter hangouts to feed heavily in preparation for the spawn, typically when the water temps range from 50-60 degrees. I'm sure a lot of northern anglers find the same thing that I do, they start much earlier than 50* by that definition. We've had temps in the mid 40's for a few weeks now with the constant cold fronts slamming us and erasing any warming the water has done. Still, the fish are shallow, heavy, and feeding. It's not what I'd condsider a late-winter/coldwater period because of their activity levels and locations. I think a lot of people wait too long and miss the prime prespawn feeding times. They certainly weren't feeding like wintertime fish yesterday despite the nasty weather.

I fished in the rain, wind and sleet yesterday. I determined I'm tired of being a hardcore angler, I'm ready to be a fairweather fisherman any day now.

When I was probably 12 I had all my tackle and rods and reels stolen (probably $200 worth). Then later that year someone stole my 2 man boat off the dock.

Chrome/black back SK 2Tap (although their chrome is a little less flashy than other companies and I like that about it). I've got it in several colors and they all catch fish, but this one is my most productive.

I hope that it is, so everyone will leave the fish I like to chase alone 😂 The average bank beater, weekend angler isn't swinging for FFS, that's always going to be a staple of those guys to flip and pitch shoreline cover. I don't know who makes the best, or exactly what you're looking for in one. I'm not someone who needs a really long, super heavy rod because I rarely encounter extremely heavy cover here. Most of my flipping and pitching is done with Kistler Heliums. Okuma makes some really nice rods that will get the job done also. I've got one of the old TCS Mat Daddy rods that is 7' 11" H/MF for when I do run into that real heavy stuff.

Top right corner of the page. Mine is right above my name, kind of blends in a little bit though.

I get a lot of lure building supplies at Hobby Lobby and they do have lots of beads. I've never checked how small the holes are but I'd assume they're pretty small for threading on necklaces and such.

Go with what you know I guess. I mostly fish a Ned on mine. Although I have been having a pretty good time tossing a Beetle Spin on it lately. It feels line a new twist on an old school style of fishing. Reminds me of fishing them on a Zebco 33 in ponds for whatever bites, just on a much nicer rod and reel than a Zebco.

It's molded into the dividers. That box isn't waterproof, but they do make the same style with the gasket if you want the waterproof boxes. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Plano_StowAway_Waterproof_3700_Stow/descpage-PSTSW.html

I use to have this issue about every year it seemed like but I started using the silica packs in my boxes and that helped a lot. Now I've got the Plano StowAways with the Rustrictor in them and rust has been a nonfactor. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Plano_StowAway_3700_50_50_Split_Stow/descpage-PTSSS.html

It expired. I guess I'm missing the hype on these. I like 6th Sense baits, but these aren't doing it for me.

I got mine yesterday, actually a couple things I might have to spend some money on. 50% off on Berkley Money Badgers has got my attention as well as discounts on the rest of the Berkley hard bait lineup and 20% on Crush City baits.

I dove in pretty deep this winter and tied braid split rings on dozens of baits. I've largely be happy with the results, BUT, I've had 2 hooks pulled off the baits also. I give them a really good pull test after tying and they don't budge or I don't leave it. I'm not sure what's happening but it can't happen many more times or I'll be putting the split rings back on. They really seem to help with smallmouth on topwaters, so I might end up sticking with them on just those and taking them back off my other baits.

One and the same.

Early in the year a good, warm rain can really activate the fish and anglers who take advantage can get on a hot bite. Finding the inflowing water is the key to capitalizing on this bite. That’s one of the great features of the Deep Dive App. I capitalized on this bite 2 weeks ago and it showed me right where the water was going to be coming in from recent rains. The water temps were 38-42 everywhere else, 46-49 where the water was coming in and that made all the difference.

@Pat Brown I appreciate you taking the time. I think it's something that could really be good in the laks I fish with zebra mussels where a jig and T-rg are basically worthless now. Seems like it would be good in lakes with lots of snot on the bottom also.

I've had good success on about every trailer I use during warmer months, in colder water also. Menace style baits are always a good option. Craws work Paddletails Spunk Shads and Freeloaders 2/3 of a 5" stick worm is a another great trailer that I used to use a lot but haven't lately because it's not "cool", or trendy I guess. I caught a ton of big bass on it in the past, I should really break it out again. I guess I did win a little tournament using one as a trailer a couple falls ago, just didn't catch any real big ones on it.

It was only a short distance from the kayak when it slack lined my bladed jig and bulldogged under the kayak. I was really worried it was going to get into my drive and cut me off but I guess it didn't get far enough forward to reach them. I'd got blown into the bank by then, so I was fighting the battle with the fish and boat control but the water is still so cold that the short burst of energy it hard was short lived. I doubt I would have gotten it out from under the kayak if the water was in the 50's or 60's. Huh, so you just hop it along like a T-rig then? No bead between the bait and weight to protect the knot?

You mind posting a picture of your free rig? I have never caught a bass on one. The rig makes no sense to me but obviously it works so it's something I'd like to work on. Friday afternoon I got out to the pond across the street for about 30 minutes, trying to get some numbers for the Catch 2026 challenge. Had my BFS setup and decided to roll old school with an 1/8oz yellow and black beetle spin. Something about pond bass and beetle spins that just go together. Sunday was brutally cold and windy. Barely made it above 30* and gust to nearly 30mph. I made it about 15 minutes with the fingerless gloves before I was in full fingered gloves the rest of the day and my fingers were still stinging. I caught about 30 small ones from the first stop before hopping across the road to a smaller lake in search of a bigger bite, I should have made the move sooner. Didn't get a weight on either. Only had about a hour left in the day and only tossed 3 rods in the yak with a few baits in my Tracpak. The big girl was my big fish of the year for sure though. Caught enough fish on the day to sneak into the top 10 for Catch 2026, getting into the mix with all the southern boys.

😂One of the other guys in our kayak club made that of me. Apparently that's what he sees when I show up to the ramp on tournament morning.

I've caught so many trout on Ned rigs that I can usually tell the difference by the bite between them and a bass. Last time I fished the trout lake I caught 2 of them. One of them I scoped out of open water, apparently from a school of trout cruising off a point. The other ate my Ned next to a big laydown like a bass.

Lots of different folks that are hardcore for many different reasons. Honored to be mentioned with all the other names on here. I was wondering why I was getting so many notifications yesterday, but my fingers were too numb to want to try to check it on the water 😂 Yesterday was a full finger glove kind of day out there. I'd give it to anyone who lives up north where the season is shortened several months because of the cold. There is no way I'd survive.

R2S SWaver 168 is only 18.99 and comes in a baby bass pattern. Proven big fish bait but small enough you don’t need specialized equipment for it. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/River2Sea_S-Waver_Glide_Bait/descpage-R2SW.html This would be my choice in a baby bass pattern. The 185 size Savage Gear Shine Glide Pro. Excellent imitation of a baby bass and still a very reasonable price when it comes to the swimbait world at right around $40. You will need specific gear to fish it though as the 185 is 2.7oz. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Savage_Gear_Shine_Glide_Pro_Glide_Bait/descpage-SGSGP.html