Bluebasser86

Use a very light mono, like 4 or 6 pound, run it through and then back through making a loop. Thread your braid through the loop and use the mono to pull your braid through the eye. I have to do that to get heavy braid through some bullet weights. You can also buy line threaders and try that if you want. They're for threading line through tiny trout flies so I'm sure they'd fit through the eye of that hook.

BBZ Rat and Savage Gear 6" Line Thru trout.

We've had about a week of cooler weather and it's like they have flooded the shallows, it's great

Top one is a great looking fish!

It's possible she'd just eaten a large meal and was just sitting there digesting, hence why she was ignoring your bait. Also, the old adage "If you can see them, they can see you," probably rings true in this instance. Once a fish knows you're there, catching them becomes increasingly difficult. There's about 3 baits that I've had much success catching fish in that instance, and you fished 2 of them. When I spot a fish like that I'll usually fish a Senko, small craw, or a fluke. Not every fish you see is a catchable fish, but at least you know there's one good one in there

I believe right now we have 2 boaters without a nonboater if they both can make it so I can keep you posted if you want to try to make it.

It was on the trailer but not hooked up yet. Shallow ramp so I didn't power it on, just coasted onto it. Got out to crank it up the rest of the way when a huge barge wake I didn't see rolled over the back of the boat, filled the whole boat and sucked it back off the trailer. The thing kind of planed out away from the ramp in reverse until it finally hit bottom and stopped, just the very tip of the nose of the boat was sticking out of the water.

I caught some monster bluegills out of my grandparents old pond. I used to use a tiny lightwire hook with an ultralight to hook a big grasshopper under the collar and let it kick around the surface with no weight or anything. One day there was a school of huge ones under their dock, 12 inchers that were bigger than my grandpa's hand by a lot. No idea what they weighed, certainly in the 1.5 pound range.

I use 10lb PP Super Slick on my shakyhead rod and have never broken on the hookset. I use a short 10lb fluoro leader, don't think that makes much of a difference though. It says it's 2lb diameter but it looks much more like 6lb to me. I've fished with 2lb test quite a bit for bluegills and trout, 2lb looks like a spider web.

See my comment right above yours, Rangers DO sink! At least a the 1992 451V I had did

I've had zero issues with my Arashi wake bait. It has an extremely wide and aggressive wobble, but I think that's a lot of the attraction to it.

They will work at night even. We caught some nice smallies on them in the dark at Bull Shoals last year.

Best baits for the money, especially if you can find them on sale. I've found them down to $1 apiece a couple times, usually $3 on sale though and only $4 or $5 at full price. Bandit, Norman's, Bomber, Rebel, Cotton Cordell are other good brands that aren't expensive.

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The oldest bait that's actually in my tackle box would be my original wiggle warts for sure. I've got some much older baits but they stay at home where they won't get lost.

I haven't fished the actual Biffle Bug but the swinging football head jig is my favorite soft plastic presentation now. Like others said, I've been shocked how snag resistant they are, especially in rocks. I love dragging them through rocks and even on lakes that are notoriously snaggy, they come through while snagging very little. I pour my own and love the versatility of getting to choose the hook size/head size/color combo that I want for each presentation or bait.

The BPS bait does not walk well at all and the finish is terrible. Their baits are very hit and miss, some are good and some are horrible. If I'm looking for cheap hard baits I always go to the Academy H2O lineup. I have yet to find one of their baits that wasn't a successful bait, the finishes are good, hooks are decent, and they have good color selection. They put their baits on sale very often too, their squarebills are $3 apiece at both the Academy Sports by me right now.

I'm as passionate about fishing, if not more, now than I was when I started.

He said it's relative, which it certainly is. A big fish for Raul is a fish that almost doesn't exist where I fish. For me, anything over 4 pounds is a really solid fish. I usually catch one about that size every 2 or 3 full day fishing trips. I go on a lot of short trips to the local lakes that don't have many fish that size in them, but if I catch 1 or 2 over that make out of them a year then it was a good year on those lakes.

We saw one the first time I was ever on the trout pond that I still believe was 100% for sure a state record class fish. The number of fish in the 5-7 pound range we saw that day was incredible, they just wouldn't eat anything we threw at them.

Cabela's had a ton of special buy Diamond Shads several years ago with those eyes very far forward. I bought a bunch of them but not sure I still own any of them.

If you have one by you, the Academy 7' MH/M cranking rod is a great rod for the money. Keep your eyes open and you can get them on sale for $40 pretty often. The BPS cranking sticks are nice rods too.

I've used both the Rage and LTB, they're both nice but the LTB is far and away the nicer of the two (as it should be). If you want to keep in the St. Croix lineup without spending a bunch, the 6' 9" ML/F Mojo is a pretty decent dropshot rod as well.

Like any other time in fishing, I always keep an open mind. They're more productive than during the heat of the summer for sure, but some days plastics and jigs are still the better option.

Slow rolling a single Colorado bladed spinnerbait is one of my favorite night time smallie baits. I've caught bass at night with snow on the ground and part of the lake iced over, they still have to eat!