Bluebasser86

This is the same thing a lot of new folks seem to say about the Bull Shad. The line tie isn't always straight, the finish isn't pretty, the whole bait overall isn't pretty, it just catches fish is all. Pretty baits are nice, but I'll take an ugly bait that catches fish over a shelf queen any day.

I fish it for our smallmouth here which is rarely done deeper than 10'.

Haven't seen them anywhere for a long time but used to catch a lot of fish on them. That gliding, darting action would really catch them sometimes.

I've had largemouth puke up all kinds of stuff too. I've had one throw up a still alive baby painted turtle. Then this one that I caught on a 6XD.

Floods largely messed up my spring and summer and even still impacting it now with some reservoirs still 10-30 feet above normal pool. I ended up spending most of my time on smaller lakes with overflow dams as a result, which meant far fewer big fish this year, the one really big exception was finally running into my new PB smallmouth. I also got Lake out with me several times, and finally got to start introducing Finn to it so hopefully my boat gets a lot more crowded in the next few years.

Most guys are tossing baits that sized on customs it seems. Muskie rods and swimbait rods aren't the same despite being built to handle similar sized baits. While they can work, I doubt you're looking into a budget rod when you're dropping the coin on that bait.

#2 is the correct size, provided the hook you're using has a large enough eye. I've tried ovals and they bind even worse for me. Bending the blade helps too but it has to be just right or it will make it worse.

Academy store brand, H2O Ethos rods.

They have Allstar rods that are on sale all the time too. I have an AllStar (forget exact name) "spinnerbait" model that I use for buzzbaits that was around $40 that works well for both also.

They rated it as a MH/F, but it was probably closer to a MH/MF. It was an excellent spinnerbait and buzzbait rod.

I used an Ethos 6' 10" MH/F for several years and it was one of the best spinnerbait rods I owned. Bought it on clearance for $21. Even full price they're only $60.

All the time. Never pay full price for one because about this time of year you can go and pick them up for way below normal price. I've got a few of the micro series and didn't pay more than $30 for any of them. It pays to scan them at the price checker (all different models because some will be on sale while others aren't), because they don't always have them marked down on the tag.

I've done really well in winter with a baby brush hog on a shakyhead. A Strike King Rodent on a 1/4oz swinging football head drug slowly on the bottom is another one of my favorite winter baits.

Bass aren't smart enough to see a shad imitating bait and realize there's no shad in the lake. Maybe even the opposite where they see an out of place baitfish and see it as a possible easy meal. Besides, baby bluegill have a lot of white on them similar to a shad, and so do crappie if they're present.

I wish more people felt that way so it didn't get so much pressure. It's only taken fishing it regularly for 2 decades to get to the point where I rarely get skunked.

Welcome!

Welcome!

I try to clean all my gear, but it's never fully "winterized" since I never stop fishing. Some.of my gear that doesn't get used during the winter months (frog and punching rods), I'll completely loosen the drags to take the pressure off the washers.

Shine Glide 185 in Bone. My lakes are shad, bluegill, crappie, and shiner lakes, but bone just seems to draw them like a magnet.

I much prefer the Shine Glide over the S-Waver, to the point that I don't own any S-Wavers anymore.

The Pats lost to a good team, nothing wrong with that. The Raiders aren't a bad team either, and the Packers played them poorly. Why are the Dolphins trying so hard these past couple weeks? They can't even tank right. It's been nice watching the Chief's defense actually contributing the last 2.5 games. If Rogers doesn't do what he sometimes does last week with those 2 insane completions, they might be 3-0 during this stretch they've been without Mahomes. I was shocked they held Dalvin Cook to under 100 yards rushing and Diggs to 1 catch for 4 yards. I hope it's a trend and not just them getting lucky. They even lost the turnover battle to the Vikings and still managed to win the game with a high school football coach as their QB.

Had another bait match request. This time to do a smaller version to match a #5 Flicker Shad. End result was a 1/4oz bait on a 4/0 hook with a more streamlined skirt trimmed down to make the whole package smaller. The coffin blade is a touch smaller and seems to work better with the lighter bait too.

What size split ring are you using?

The 7" Savage Gear Shine Glide has been my go to bait for the past few years along with a 7" MS Slammer. If you're wanting to fish down through those stumps, a Savage Gear 4d Pulse Tail Trout rigged with the treble on the belly would be a good option. The Weedless 68 Hudd is good too.

The War Eagle Finesse spinnerbait comes in a 3/16oz size. I keep some in the boat for guide trips when a client can't use casting gear.