Bluebasser86

Lots of walleye guys use them on a jighead and snap them.

2 different fish for sure. I use to think the fish we have here that is actually a hybrid sunfish (bluegill/green sunfish), was a pumpkinseed. Turns out, there's no pumpkinseeds really anywhere close to here. They're a cool looking fish though. I love Redears, they're spookier than most sunfish and get way bigger.

Well, just like always, this went nowhere but downhill. Do it the way that works for you, and know that it's fine if someone does it different. Also know that we're done here. LOCKDOWN!!

Nobody is making you buy those awful, overpriced, technique specific rods. I don't like a 5.5' spinning rod for really anything except a little panfishing, even then I prefer a longer rod, but I'm not going to start a post just to whine about how they make rods shorter than I like and why would they create such an abomination ?‍♂️

I'm really bad at explaining the difference, but I'll take a stab at it. Unbent blades have a wilder, more erratic action imo, while the bent blades have a more consistent wobble but still occasionally kick out (hunt), when bent correctly. The water hits a flat blade and flows around all edges evenly, but with a bent blade it flows over the bend and creates a vortex around the back of the top of the blade, which I think helps to stabilize it, creating the more consistent thump. That's just my theory as I can't really prove any of it. I think the bubbler blades might be somewhat of a trade off of the two, but I've not experimented with them enough to comment on them.

Maybe you could use a razor and slice open the claws of a bait, hollow out the inside a bit and then Mend it back up?

Man, calling the "flipping craze", a gimmick has got to be one of the flaming hottest of the hot takes I've heard all year in a year just jammed pack full of them.

Absolutely, 2 baits that I'd never put up until they started to bounce on the cast. Bass here stay crazy shallow until after it freezes. One of the last big ones I caught from a cold water lake a few years ago was well over 5 on a jig in the back of a pocket in December on a jig in less than a foot of water. It was cold and cloudy out that day too. They know they have to eat in late fall to get through the winter, so they get up there and do it.

Beat me to it. The 6th Sense Catwalk has really impressed me since it's introduction earlier this year. A plan Super Spook Jr is my Ol' reliable. I bust out my Paycheck Baits Repoman when I want to give them the ol' Razzle Dazzle.

100% agree. I struggled big time with a drop shot for a lot of the reasons listed. I moved the bait too much, moved the whole rig too much, and used too long of a leader. I don't remember who it was on here that told me to think of the sinker more like an anchor, holding the whole rig in place, than something I'm trying to drag across the bottom. That made it click for me. I was way overfishing it. Now I use a 8-10 inch leader and basically just try to quiver the bait in place next to likely areas. They'll 100% eat it in stained water too, so don't think you need ultra clear water to get bit.

Bass before ice are much more active than bass immediately after ice. Other than topwater, there isn't much I take off the menu late in the season.

I meant to take a separate picture of that snap. That's a 1.5 sized crank it's hook on and it was barely floating because of the weight of the snap. Pretty confident that bait never caught anything before it was lost.

It's synthetic leather, not actual leather.

Good! I'm so tired of hearing these guys poaching and getting nominal fines. There was one a year or two ago when the water was high, a couple guys were 30 something wipers over their limits below a spillway here, their fine was a little over $300, didn't even lose their gear. I bet they were back there the next day doing it again. We pay way too much in permits and fees every year for people to be out there stealing away the chance for people who are doing it the right way to take a trophy animal or catch a big fish.

I appreciate the thorough breakdown. Wasn't referring to you guys that are bringing real information to the conversation.

And if it wasn't him, there was Peyton Manning and Big Ben picking up the slack. Not many titles left over after you take away all of them won by those 3 in the last 20 years.

Not really, I have no idea of what the point of arguing what a "true bass", is? What does it really matter in this context where the OP is asking if his fish is a pure white bass or a hybrid striper?

Get it while it's good. That fall bite is going. Few hours after work this morning with a DT6, Booyah Covert, and RES 2tap.

I don't fish the tiny or super lightweight reels that a lot of people that complain about them seem to use either. Mine are mostly Tatula 150s or TWS SVs Tatulas. The tiny reels are too small in my hands and uncomfortable to hold for very long (think Shimano 50E, Scorpion 70 sized reels). I need a reel big enough I can actually get a grip on it without clenching my fist. I don't even think it's that I don't care, I just never have picked one up and thought it felt real tip heavy, but I'm sure the fact that I prefer larger reels probably has something to do with that.

It's almost the best time of year for finding lures. The shoreline weeds are dying and the leaves are falling revealing all the lost baits from this summer. Found a few while I was fishing this morning.

Used them for the first time today. They're nice and warm, obviously except for your fingertips. Didn't notice them getting wet despite misting and catching quite a few fish. The palms are extremely "grippy", and that took a minute to get use to because the reels were sticking to my palms when I was casting and switching hands. Had a couple fish get headaches trying to release them when their teeth stuck to the gloves when I tried to drop them into the water. Overall, very happy with the purchase so far.

A good drag is great until the line is compromised, then it's not longer properly set and you're stuck trying to adjust it while fighting a fish or just hoping for the best. I can decide instantly when to add to remove pressure when backreeling.

A ton of factors weigh into what I'm throwing at rocks. This time of year, it's a lot of squarebills and traps. I fish a lot of shakyheads, jigs, swinging heads, bladed jigs, Ned rigs, topwaters, swimbaits, and wacky rigs along it too.

After work trip this morning. Great fishing weather, so not very nice weather really. 39* at the ramp and misting with a 10mph SE wind. I started out struggling, just covering water with a DT6 and RES 2tap mostly. Finally figured out they were TIGHT to the weedlines and cover but wouldn't eat a slow moving bait for me. It was on after that. Mixed in a Booyah Covert once I found how close they were to the willows and caught several on it. Biggest was on the DT6. Leaves are falling fast and willows are dying off so lots of lures to be found also. Caught bass number 2020 for 2020 (plus a few more), and a bonus white bass. #2020

Someone is going to win that division and be a playoff team at 5-11 at this rate.