Bluebasser86

That's the one big downside to CHW, they don't tell you if they're out of stock of a hook or anything, you just find out after you pay that you're going to be waiting a while.

I never use line condition on any kind of line.

Those look nice!

Captainhookswarehouse is where I order mine from. You can order smaller packs of hooks from there. I believe they're in some relation to Shorty's.

So basically a float-n-fly rig?

Once it gets into the mid 50's and on down is when I do best on them.

I catch fish all through February in Kansas. January-March produces some of my biggest fish of the year every year.

Sounds like your crankbait just needs tuned, not uncommon with mass produced baits. It's a simple process. The metal ring that the split ring you tie your line to just needs bent back to center. Whichever direction the bait is running off to, use a pair of pliers to slightly tweak it the opposite direction and test it again. Do it until it swims true.

I'm just glad I was out of reach of their bank sinkers because they took it pretty personal that I didn't think to give the fish to them apparently.

My 2 biggest largemouth this year have both been on a Ned rig. One on a Hot Craw Big TRD, the other on a 10,000 Fish Sukoshi Bug. They were within a few tenths of a ounce of each other. My biggest smallmouth was a swinging football head and a Rage Menace.

New PB walleye and a bonus flathead for me this week.

Bass were a little tougher to come by Friday, but I still managed to catch plenty. Still no big smallmouth like I was hoping. They seemed to be skittish, just nipping at the bait, caught a lot of them on the trailer hook. Missed one in a laydown on a spinnerbait so I flipped a Hoodaddy back into it, pretty sure what I got isn't what missed my spinnerbait but it was still fun. Towards the end of the day, I hooked a fish on an underspin that took off and pulled line so I thought it was going to be a wiper. Then I saw color and it was gold, so I started cussing this stupid carp that I must have snagged and horsed the heck out of it just trying to get it in as quick as I could and get it gone. Once it got closer, I realized I'd hooked the biggest walleye I've ever had on my line and I'd dang near straightened my hook pulling on her so hard. Got really lucky to get my hands on it but put a new PB walleye in the boat of 5.62 pounds. I was unpopular with the guys on the bank when I carefully released her to say the least. Saturday I took the johnboat out to the same little tributary creek I fished earlier in the week to try and explore further up the creek. I got way up there and caught fish the whole way. I got another good one and after looking closer, I wonder if it's not one of the same fish I caught last week. It had a hole in it's gill plate and a torn up dorsal fin, a lot like the one I caught a few days ago, but it was almost a mile further up the creek. Wednesday's fish Saturday's fish

A 10lb largemouth is a once in many lifetimes sized fish here, so I'd say a 6lb smallmouth would be the same.

Their black platinum lineup of hooks are quality hooks. Most every fish I catch on a Ned rig, shakyhead, tube, swinging football head, bladed jig, or skirted jig, has been caught on an Eagle Claw black platinum hook because they make up 90% of what I pour my baits on. They're also what I use for an EWG worm hook, wacky rig hook, and some crankbait trebles.

I paint all mine black because I can buy bulk flat black powder paint for cheap from Harbor Freight.

No need for a bigger, longer hook. It works better with the smaller head/hook IMO. I use the exact same 1/16oz head and #1 hook as I do with my standard size Ned baits. It was my go-to rig for my Neds this winter and accounted for many big fish including my first fish over 5 of the year and one of my 2 biggest of the year.

I've caught them in 40' of water on a 1/16oz head (basically the only size I use). Just have to be patient since it takes almost a full minute to get to the bottom, but it's not something they see that deep. If you drop it close to them, there's a lot of times it doesn't make it to the bottom anyways it seems like.

Top row left to right; Berkley Frenzy Rattler, Johnson Sprite Spoon, ???, Storm Saltwater Chug Bug, Yo-Zuri Popper but not sure exactly which one, Bottom row left to right; Rattle Trap, Jointed Red Fin, Rattle Trap, Rattle Trap

Welcome!

Going to fall well short of last time I kept track, but I also didn't go to any dink factories trying to run the numbers up. It has been a good year and I'll be well over 2k by the time it's over anyway.

1,984 after today's trip.

Welp, someone just needed to ask I guess. Got the shipping notification just now ?

My weekly after work trip this morning was an exploratory run. I've been to this feeder creek off the reservoir a time or two in my kayak and caught a couple bass, but I was in my johnboat this time and I felt a little better prepared. Still, I was pretty reserved on what to expect. Turned out better than I could hope. I did not catch many fish, but I'll trade numbers of bites for quality any day of the week. The first one had a monster gizzard shad in her throat. Second one followed my bait over a limb in a logjam but didn't eat it. Got her to bite when I pitched the bait back a second time. I think I only caught 7 or 8 bass and 1 white bass. Only missed a couple other bites that I think were pretty small. I found a really large and shallow mud flat. So shallow I had to drag my johnboat about 100 yards over the top of it, won't be doing that again. I should have stopped and gone further up the creek instead. Still a very successful morning after I'd just been thinking it's been a while since I've caught a good fish.