Bluebasser86

I use the 1oz football jigs just in deep water situations. A 1oz flipping jig can be good if you want a fast fall, want to cover a lot of water quickly, or for flipping through heavy grass. A 1oz football jig would probably last a cast or maybe 2 in the places I normally fish a football jig before it was snagged and lost.

I get what you're saying. I fish a lake similar to that where there's just huge areas of stringy grass that grows to the surface but doesn't really mat, but there's dark spots (holes), in between the long strands. I just go around flipping into the dark spots and yank them back out. It's a lot work because I catch grass EVERY flip, but I catch a lot fish too so it's a trade I'm willing to make.

They'll have different flights I'm sure. Like one group going at 0630, one at 0645, and so on so it gives time to get people launched, the area cleared, next group launched, area cleared, until everyone is fishing. Keeps the ramp cleared at take out also.

I had a rattle bait come back at Mach 1 and I just managed to turn right when it hit me in my side just back and below my armpit. Same thing, didn't feel it penetrate but when I tried to pull it out of my shirt, I felt it pulling skin too and I knew I was stuck. First time I ever fished with my buddy at the time and he had to push a hook through and cut it for me.

You don't punch holes in the weeds, you make the holes with your weight. That's why such a heavy weight is required. I promise if there's any kind of canopy below those weeds, there's fish under them.

Go as often as you can and fish where they live. I have a lot of lakes closer to me where the fishing is easier, but I choose to drive further to where the fishing is a grind because the big ones live in those lakes. Bait selection isn't nearly as important as those 2 things I mentioned. I've caught so many fish that fit your desired range on so many different types of baits, all because I was out there fishing where they live. I fish big swimbaits pretty often too, but my biggest one I've caught on them barely makes the mark of what you're looking for. I've caught several that would qualify on a small shakyhead worm though.

1/4oz standup football head with 1/0 hook and a trimmed down Crock-o-Gator ring craw.

Are you sure the massive wakes you're seeing are bass? Usually when I see a huge wake, that means I spooked a carp.

I'd just settle for air temps that don't hurt my lungs to breath.

Look for changes in bottom composition. If you can find hard bottom, or rock piles, mixed in with the weeds, you'll find productive areas. You've tried punching the weeds I assume?

One of my favorite lakes in Missouri for bass is also one of the best lakes in the state for muskie. It doesn't produce lots of bass, but the big ones are there and that's what I like. Here they blame them for eating all the crappie. Or they blame the smallmouth for eating all the crappie, or blue cats for eating all the crappie or walleye. Meanwhile, none of the guys targeting those fish species have ever practiced selective harvest in their lives and instead live by the "gotta fill the freezer", mantra. My brother in law caught this muskie out of the lake I mentioned in Missouri. Appeared that someone had cut/ripped it's gills out and released it in an attempt to kill it but the fish had managed to survive.

Pure Fishing bought the company in 2007 best I can find. The last President I bought was about 5 years ago and it was bad and got worse straight out of the package. I didn't save the receipt because I'd never had an issue with one until then so I was just stuck with it and it sat around for couple years until I sold it for a couple bucks in a garage sale. Did some looking around and found out they'd sold to Pure Fishing and people had noticed a significant drop off in quality since. I switched to Daiwa Revros for my budget spinning reel of choice and it worked out for the better.

Looks like a fairly small lake so you should be able to cover a good portion of it pretty easily. Personally, I'd start where you have those tight contour lines close to shore. I would say starting about your furthest mark up the lake and working down that side where that fast drop is near the shoreline and should also be catching the warmest sun of the day, should be a good starting point. As for depth, that can vary wildly depending on a lot of variables. I rarely catch a winter bass deeper than 10' deep in the lakes I fish. If I head south a few hours to Ozark lakes, it's not unusual to catch them 70+ feet deep. That will be one of the pieces of the puzzle you'll have to figure out. One thing I can say, is that if you mark vegetation, try to find the deep edges and fish that.

I've got at least a week before I'm going to even be thinking about working on baits. Even now that I'm in my garage instead of a shop, it was only 40* in there tonight when I left for work, and it's suppose to get even colder out this weekend with 3 days in a row not making it out of single digits.

I haven't messed with weighting it any. I haven't run into a situation to really fish it in colder water. The lake I fish most in the winter they feed on big gizzard shad. If I ever get over to the other power plant lake where they eat a lot of smaller shad I'll probably give it a shot though.

My Legend Glass has someone else's name on it (bought from their bargain room), I don't ever even notice it. I wish they'd redo the Rage lineup. Loved those rods, they just needed new guides and reel seats.

I'd go Tranx of those 2, and I'm a Daiwa guy ?‍♂️

I've used a lot of VMC trebles. They're not quite Owner/Gamakatsu sharp, but plenty sticky enough to get the job done and much more affordable.

That color with purple instead of blue with War Eagle's Lavender Shad color would look amazing.

I'd take EC straight shank flipping hooks 10/10 times over a Trokar straight shank. They have some pretty nice specialty hooks also. I have some wacky rig and Neko EC hooks that I really like. I haven't found an EC replacement for the Owner Cover Shot hook yet though. I like the EC EWG trebles, but their regular round bends don't have a very wide gap, although they are pretty sticky and I've used them in a pinch with good enough results.

I use their worm hooks and their straight shank flipping hooks and have been for several years now. Not sure what you spend on a pack of worm hooks, but I'm spending less than $15 on a 100 pack of 4/0 Mag worm Eagle Claw hooks ?‍♂️ I'd bet a vast majority of guys still think of EC as the cheap gold and bronze hooks that are only good for panfish or catfish. Same company that makes Trokar. I just need them to work on their treble hooks a little more and then I'd be almost all EC.

4" Yamamoto smoke no flake

7' M/MF Falcon BuCoo, Daiwa Eliminator 2500, 8lb AbrasX. The action is pretty decent but I wish they sank faster.

The Provoke is one of my top 3 jerkbaits and has been the last few years. We have a different forage base as we have no yellow perch, very little vegetation in most lakes, so they mainly feed on shad and crawfish. With that being said, if it were me, I could easily get by with just a few colors on a majority of days. French Bone Pearl-The color I'd pick if I could have only 1 Violet Panda-My off color water choice or for sunny days in stained water Wabi Sabi-My clear water choice Assuming you have a good population of yellow perch that your bass are feeding on, you'd almost have to add a Yellow Perch to the mix too.