Bluebasser86

Bladed jigs are more similar to squarebill than they are a spinnerbait IMO, at least that's more how I fish them and the bait they've basically replaced. Not a lot of flash, but a good vibration. A bit of a more natural profile versus a spinnerbait. Easier to fish in grass than a spinnerbait since the blade doesn't spin and get bound up and can usually be ripped free of all but the heaviest grass. I like to fish both, but on a majority of days the bladed jig is far going to outproduce the spinnerbait for me. Clear water, heavy wood cover, and cold water (below 45*) are times when a spinnerbait will outshine the bladed jig typically.

I have several TCS rods and really like them. I have one of the KVD cranking rods too and it's a nice rod, but I hate cranking so I don't use it real often, but it does a good job when I use it and occasionally even manage to catch a fish with it.

On the lower end, a couple years. On the higher end, around 5 years, depending on the amount of use and care taken of the reel.

Seibert Morel head would be a good option to look into. I personally went with the create my own option. Never seen a need for a weedguard. I fish them in some moderately snaggy areas and they rarely hang up even with the open hook.

A lot of different types of fish will hit the surface other than bass, so first be sure you're casting at bass before you waste a bunch of time. In the lakes I fish, a lot of those surface splashes are either carp or big gizzard shad, very few are bass, especially off the bank.

I don't have a tournament jersey and never have, but I'll say I think it looks silly when I see guys fishing on a weekday morning at one of the small, local lakes in full tournament gear. I guess maybe they have the "Practice like you play", mentality or something. I saw a guy on the little 100 acre lake I was fishing on Wednesday morning in his tournament jersey. I'm sure your sponsors appreciate it though.

Daiwa Revros, I've got a few of them now. Smoother than my Presidents and can be found even cheaper than one on Ebay. I like the shallow spools on the new models so I don't waste a bunch of line too. I've had them out in all kinds of weather, including some really heavy rains, no binding issues. Shimanos binding spinning reels was the beginning of the end of my love for their reels.

Same for me unfortunately.

Push the bait up past the keeper, then push the bait down forcefully past each side of the keeper until you feel a "pop". The bait is rigged and won't go anywhere at that point unless you remove it. Glue ruins the bait from being removed and reused or easily changing colors/styles and leaving them rigged after a day of fishing is a sure way to ruin the hook due to the salt content in the bait. I haven't carried glue for them in a couple years, rigging isn't difficult and the baits don't go anywhere with the keepers on the heads I pour.

Lipless baits probably produce 10-1 more fish than lipped crankbaits do for me. Other people may not think to fish them, but I'm not in that group. Bite detection is way easier with lipless baits IMO.

Welcome!

Melvern is a lot the same. I bet I caught 20-30 sub 10" largemouth Monday. I was really getting frustrated with them for awhile to be honest, but they could offer some great secondary options to the smallmouth in the coming years, especially if they're resistant to the LMBV that infected the lake. Just as long as they don't take over. Made a few cast at Gardner this morning, glad I did. 4.16 that hit my frog with everything she had, wasn't sure it wasn't going to be a catfish as hard as she hit.

I really should have gone straight home and gone to bed this morning. Got the same crud my boys have had the last couple weeks and I'm just worn out, but the cool weather and clouds were too much for me. 45 minutes from the bank were enough to catch 10-12, all dinks on a stick worm except this 4.16 that absolutely crushed my popping Pad Crasher.

Welcome!

Looks like the GYCB curly tail to me also. I had several bags I bought from Overstock when they had them on sale.

Great fish and great picture! What'd you catch her on?

Silly crappie trying to be bass Monday. I caught one off a shallow rock pile on a 3.5 green pumpkin/goby tube, and this one off a rock breaker wall on a Ned rigged 10,000 Fish Sukoshi bug. Unfortunately for them, my neighbor had been bugging me for some fish so both of them and several white bass were brought home for them.

I believe Monday was the first time I've ever caught a keeper (15") of all 3 species of bass in Kansas in the same day.

I've caught lots of fish in the 10-12 (and smaller) inch range on the skinny cutter. Chameleon Vapor has been one of my favorite colors. I bought one at the Bassmaster Classic in Oklahoma in 2013 when they first came out that I still have in that color but it barely has any paint left on it.

Owner ST36 or Gamakatsu short shank EWGs depending on the bait.

Crankbaits aren't my strong suit either. It's not that I don't know how to use them, the fish just don't eat them very well in the lakes I fish for some reason. There's exceptions, but a majority of the days I'm on the water, I don't even get my cranking rod out of the box, and that's okay, I do just fine without it.

Welcome!

Welcome!

Pretty much the only option unless we have a mild winter.

Took me a minute to find them since the lake was 2' lower than it was last time I was on it, but I eventually got on them pretty good. Spinnerbait was the hero of the day. Even had the super rare (for Kansas) keeper of all 3 bass species.