Bluebasser86

RES is the most popular. I've been experimenting with a Yo-Zuri 3DR that is supposed to do the same. The way fish eat it on the fall it would seem to be another good option.

Welcome!

I have both, so my opinion may not be the one you're looking for, but to me as long as they're respectful and courteous, I do the same. It's usually not a problem, it's the clueless pleasure kayakers that will paddle between me and the bank if I was 2 rod lengths off the bank. I sometimes wonder if some of them aren't anti-fishing and that's why they do it.

They only make them up to a certain size, only in a few colors, no hammered blades, no copper blades, just very limited.

That's exactly what I mean, and not with big fish that are pulling hard, but just standard fish that are pulling the reel won't crank when it should be able to. Basically any fish over 2 pounds was a struggle if it put up much of a fight.

That's actually a band for my Garmin Virb remote control for my Virb camera I run on the boat. The gloves are KastKing Sol Armis gloves, they're the nicest sun gloves I've owned.

14 1/4", both of them he caught were exactly the same size, pretty standard size for out there.

A smaller hook will slow the fall for sure. A sinking bait like that actually works great in really cold water because fish swim up to it and then it's suddenly right on their nose when you pause it so they have to eat it or move out of the way. I wouldn't be too upset, I think you'll be fine.

The color is great, I have some skirt material that will match it perfectly. I'm sure bass will eat the small ones, then the big craws will eat the bass.

Only 2 of them were introduced after I was born ? Senko was obviously '97 but I'd be making educated guesses on the rest.

I do, although I haven't had as much time to do it this year. Had a couple decent finds this winter, 3 whopper ploppers, a 128 Pointer, and a Megabass Vision 110 being the highlights so far. We had a thread going for awhile all about finding baits.

I start with a 1/2oz a lot of the time. I can cover a lot of shallow cover really quickly with a 1/2oz pitching jig. I use a 5/8 and 3/4 occasionally also.

I've swam out into a brushpile to retrieve a bait. Waded waist deep into about <55* water to get a Triple Trout off a stump. It wasn't even my bait, I didn't get it stuck, but my buddy was having a mental breakdown about losing that expensive of a bait while also being terrified of getting into the water, so I went in and got it for him.

It's all about moving slowly and looking easy to catch during the winter. Small creatures are less likely to be able to make a quick escape and are easily overtaken, so a fish has a very high chance of success going for small prey items and since it burns very few calories during the winter they don't require as many making a small prey item more appealing than normal. I still fish normal size to large size baits a majority of the time during the winter because I'm willing to trade bites for quality. The bites are usually pretty aggressive too, case in point; 41* degree water, KVD 300 jerkbait, 6.5+lb fish.

I drop all the way down to one of my 1/8oz micro finesse jigs sometimes, especially in spring when the little craws are everywhere. I fish them on a spinning rod and 8lb fluoro. Then the more standard size that folks refer to as a "finesse" jig, even though I often use them on pretty heavy gear to flip into cover and generally use for not very finesse techniques. I usually fish them on a 7' MH/F with 15lb fluoro. That combo works just fine for 1/4-1/2 ounce jigs. I'll also tie a finesse cut skirt on a small brush jig head so I can use a heavier hook to get a small profile that I can fish on heavy gear. Usually use the 1/4oz head and fish it on 17 or 20lb fluoro or copolymer.

Welcome!

Welcome!

It is really expensive, especially the ones I wanted to make. Nobody seems to make the big, thumping baits anymore and so I bought a mold to make just those. I'll keep buying them from the store for the standard stuff, but my 5/8, 3/4, 1oz mold with #7 or #8 single Colorado or a pair of big blades is going to fill a space that has really been missing, especially the hammered blades and copper blades.

Rapala stuff certainly catches fish, no denying that, just too many durability issues for me which is the same reason I don't buy Megabass. I don't want to whizz in anyone's cereal though, catch fish on what you enjoy catching fish on, that's what it's about.

Banging on the drum! Beautiful eye too. Probably about getting to be prespawn for them around that part of the country.

If you're confident in a Ned, I'd fish that. A jerkbait and Ned are 2 of the best winter time baits for me. If you have enough water, a Shad rap or lipless crankbait slow rolled can be good too.

I'm not sure why they listed it backwards but yes, it just means your rods ideal lure range is 1/4-3/4oz. You may be able to go slightly one way or the other of that range, but don't push it too far.

I'm pretty set in my ways on bladed jigs.

I use an Okuma TCS Mat Daddy 7' 11" H/F 15-65lb 1/4-2oz. It's a really sweet punching rod that doesn't break the bank. It'll pull a good one out along with the pulling the grass out by the roots and dragging it all in.