Bluebasser86

Agreed, a lot of overthinking going on here. I use 2 trailers for a vast majority of my jig fishing. I use 2 colors of jigs well over 50% of the time. Of those 2 trailers, I use 2 colors almost without fail. The 2 colors are black and blue flake, and green pumpkin in either a YUM Christie Craw or Craw Papi. Jigs are my favorite bait to fish and I'm sure there's times that color matters a lot, but putting it in front of them is way more important most days.

Welcome!

Welcome!

Highs in the mid to high 50's all week next week and lows above freezing. Should be good to go by next weekend.

I don't own line conditioner, haven't in probably 15 years.

Got to have both. Some days one just works way better than the other, even when it doesn't make sense. One of my best days really early last year was over shallow grass in muddy water. Spinnerbait ruled the day, should have been a bladed jig day. I'd rather fish the bladed jig, but I really enjoy a spinnerbait bite too.

I use 15lb for most of my jig fishing but you can step up to 20 if you fish a lot of heavy cover. Zero need for line conditioner.

I prefer micro guides, until it's really cold out. They're awful when it gets icy outside.

70 degrees here today. Buddy of mine went to the power plant lake for a few hours. Said there was 20 boats there on a Tuesday afternoon. The lower end was still iced up when he left despite the temps and warm water (42* at the edge of the ice). I'm hoping against the odds that a small lake will open up by the weekend. I want to get out bad but 60* on Saturday will have 100 boats on that lake and I just don't think I'm up for that.

This is the correct answer. If we're going to have to C-rig, just take me back to the ramp. I'd rather try to force them to eat something else and not get bit, than get bit dragging the ball and chain.

If you're getting a lot of tangles with braid on a spinning reel, you have another problem that a leader isn't going to solve. Regular line is fine for leader material. Leader material is harder, more abrasion resistant, and has less stretch, so it does make a better leader material for the most part, but it's not required.

^The bug, and the Menace are great on a swinghead. The Strike King Rodent is another one of my favorites and seems to catch my biggest swinghead fish in cold water.

They'll eat a lipless as soon as the ice leaves, doesn't even have to leave all the way. I like to yo-yo or stroke them off the bottom in really cold water. The new suspending rattle baits are a new tool in the box that can be deadly in really cold water also, especially over grass.

Welcome!

Pushing it through a callous by yourself with your off hand isn't much fun either. That flexible outbarb hook didn't want to pop through, it was just tearing instead.

I've never once bought a spinning reel because of the drag ?‍♂️ I have passed on reels that didn't have an anti reverse switch though. You set the drag for the line at it's best, but that's not always what you have in the heat of the moment. Plus, the drag is a constant. If a fish surges towards cover and I need to slow it down, I can easily add pressure. If my line is rubbed against something and compromised, pressure is easily taken away. No middle of the fight adjustments to the drag necessary. I can control a fish far better back reeling than the drag can alone, and for that reason, I back reel.

Welcome!

It's a common tactic for spammers on the site, make a post and then come back later and add spam links. It was a huge problem and one that's difficult to catch, so the restriction was put in place.

Looks like a Goonch. Don't think that one would quite reach record status for them but it would be pretty awesome to catch one.

I've got a window weight that I think is 10lbs that works well for my johnboat and my kayak. Doesn't hang up and doesn't drag up a bunch of junk.

I bought my last yak (Ocean Kayak Big Game Prowler II), for $450 with barely any use. Have to be ready to go when deal like that pops up because it'll be gone in a hour or so most of the time.

One of my best colors for flipping in stained water the last few years has been the Yomoma in watermelon red flake/black neon laminate. It's an odd combo but they tear it up.

Green pumpkin in more stained water or cloudy days. Watermelon in more clear water or sunny days. I prefer green pumpkin of the 2.

I don't specifically target bedding fish, so my favorite color is whatever one is working that day. Bedding fish are usually a big time waster for me, even when I find one that's catchable.

I fish treble hooked baits, but I prefer single hooked baits. It's not the fear of getting snagged, or hooking myself, I just like fishing with the single hooked baits more. On that hooking yourself part, you don't even have to be fishing for that to happen. Last time it happened to me, I was rigging up in my shop the day before a trip.