Bluebasser86

Spinnerbaits were my #1 big brown bass getter last season by a mile. I love fishing them, and they're fun to tinker with too. I fish them enough that I bought a mold for them.

When you see me fishing with full fingered gloves, you know it's cold out.

Temp got down to 1* on my way to the lake. Climbed all the way up to 9* by the time I got to the ramp. It was tough fighting wind, ice, and frozen fingers, but I did manage to get bit, including my first 2 smallies of the year. Only took a couple pictures because I didn't want to keep the fish out of the water long in those frigid temps.

Welcome!

I have a Baby Bull Shad and have had the H2O baits, along with having a few of the resin Bull Shads. The BBS beats the pants off the H20 baits. It's a much more fluid swim, a much more level and controlled sink, and the hook hanger placement is much better. I like most H2O baits, but the swimbaits were not great.

Don't know about the Veritas. The Hammer doesn't fish like a typical H/F rod. Most rods with those ratings are way too stiff and have no tip at all.

T rig with a 1/4oz weight

8" watermelon Zoom magnum lizard

They stock double digit size trout in a lake an hour from me every spring and a minimum of 400 over 4lbs. I get my trout fix that way without standing shoulder to shoulder with someone trying to cast a fly rod.

I use the 6' 9" H/F Hammer, awesome rod for them.

I use a Tatula 150 for mine, but since you're using braid and skipping is important, you might want to look at a Tatula SV.

YUM Houdini shad for me. Never bought a bag of Flukes where I didn't get at least a couple that were bent and worthless. Hasn't ever been a problem with the YUMs.

They're hard plastic

No issues at all with them swimminig, diving, or casting. I'm fishing them in pretty shallow water but I'd guess they're getting down about 3' when I try getting them down.

I have one skin mount. It's a 6lb fish I caught out of a pond in the middle of summer. Water was hot, temps were in the mid 90s in the middle of the day, and she took the small crankbait deep into her gills. Didn't look like she was going to make it, kept floating back to the surface and the big snapping turtles were closing in fast. I still felt guilty keeping the fish. The mount looks good, but it doesn't look much like the fish did when I caught it. Water had a very dark, tannic stain, so the fish was almost black. The fish I got back wasn't nearly as dark as the fish in my pictures. I don't personally have any desire to ever get a skin mount of fish done again and don't understand the need for it to be "your fish", but it's legal so it's not my place to tell someone what they can and can't do with it provided it was caught legally by someone with a fishing license.

Sounds like there was a severe lack of preparation on that boat. I can understand not wearing them but didn't even have any on board? No excuse for that.

Decent number of guys toss those costly baits just for muskie. I know @SPEEDBEAD. has been known to toss a Deps 250 at a 'ski on occasion. I'd probably just stick with the baits that are similar in price range to what most muskie baits run anyways like a Magnum Shine Glide.

I've been sticking to only the big fish lake this winter. Haven't been to the numbers lake once where it's possible to catch more fish in a day than I can catch all winter at the other lake, but not a single one will be over 5 pounds and most will be under 3. 10 fish is a pretty solid day at the big fish lake in the winter, which is what I had Saturday.

I'm only counting black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spots, and meanmouth), just like I did a few years ago. Been a slow start to the year, only at 34 so far.

That's what I like in a rod for mine too. A tip that loads well to throw them a long ways and feel the blade wobbling (even watch the blade wobbling if I want to), but good backbone to drive a big hook and move big fish away from cover.

IMO, Gamma is more abrasion resistant, but less manageable. Tatsu has been the better all around line and isn't as expensive as Gamma. For deep cranking and abrasion resistance, I just go with a good copolymer though.

I don't like them with a bait with a large jighook either, grass or no grass.

No such animal. Just have to know you're going to come out on the losing end of the deal when fishing around the razor clams. Shorter cast help if possible so you're not dragging your line through them as much. Baits with the line tie on top instead of the front of the bait help a little. Presentations that don't touch the bottom too much are best case scenario.

Nothing much better than night fishing on a warm summer night.