Bluebasser86

I just did a sleep study a couple weeks ago due to always being tired and it sounds like they're recommending a mask for me. Not excited about it but hoping it will help with some other issues I've been experiencing.

I don't think I ever got further than 5 miles from Aunt's boat ramp. I actually caught several keepers right around both ramps Saturday and Sunday. There's several good nothing banks in Aunt's, so I never felt the need to get away from it.

I don't worry so much about the little hook holes as I do the giant holes a culling clip tears in their jaw. I caught a skinny largemouth out of a lake last year with a hole/slit torn in it's bottom jaw so big that a hand sized shad could have escaped through it. Caught a smallmouth last week with holes in each side of it's bottom jaw. I'd like to see pressure cull tabs made mandatory across the board asap to get away from the puncture style.

I believe they've nearly cleaned out a couple ponds I used to fish. Fished one this morning and there were several of them on the pond. Used to be nothing to catch a couple dozen bass out of this pond in a hour or so after work. This morning I struggled to catch 7, and 2 had very noticeable scrapes on them like they'd narrowly escaped being dinner already. They're kind of like otters in my mind. A pond or lake with an overabundance of small fish could probably really benefit from them, but a well balanced body of water, or a small pond that is easily impacted by a sudden rapid increase in removal of fish by predators, could easily be negatively affected and take years to recover if they ever come back.

I smash down a lot of my barbs on treble hooked baits. Don't notice a big increase in lost fish, and hook removal is much easier and the hook hole is much smaller typically.

I've always used the 1/2oz because I like to be able to cast them long distances for covering water and it keeps my fall rate consistent so I have a good idea what depth they're running at. I prefer the ones that the line runs through versus the ones with the fixed hook like the Little George. They're very easy for a bass to throw due to them being heavy and compact, they can get lots of leverage on the bait but not if it's sliding up the line.

Some guys love the circle hooks for wacky rigs. I can't do it, and I've seen lots of missed fish due to using a circle hook on a wacky rig. Personally use a wide gap wacky hook and have an excellent hookup ratio with very few deep hooked fish.

I buy most of mine from TW or Ebay. TW is nice for bigger orders, Ebay is better for buying a couple things or hard to find baits.

Okay so if I'm understanding correctly what each person would like me to do with their baits; @Bdnoble84-divide up and send out @Munkin-Send back @DomQ-Divide up and send out BB86-Divide up and send out @Jig Man ??? @nighthawk25 ???

There is a 7' M/F "spinnerbait" rod that would very likely be a good all around rod. Spinnerbait rods will generally have a good amount of backbone and make good all around rods. Rod power ratings will vary from one company to the next as there is no set guidelines for what makes a medium a medium or MH a MH.

Those are for sure not bullheads, or catfish of any kind. I have to agree with the opinion that they're suckers of some kind. The white spots on the front of some of them would be their rubbery lips. They school often and are very skittish in clear water. Nightcrawlers are a great bait for them, but they'll be much easier to catch if they're in deeper holes where they're more comfortable. Suckers will often make spawning runs up creeks and rivers early in the year and are basically impossible to catch at this time.

This was off a bed in the very far southeast corner of Kansas. I saw lots of spawning crappie and bass in the pit I got this one out of.

Got a nice black crappie from a strip pit to add a species and some inches. 11.75"

Got a upgrade for my kayak tournament in the black crappie category.

Are you sure they were flatheads? Flatheads will congregate, but don't really school like we think of. It's more just during the cold water period when they're mostly inactive until the water hits 50 again, and then during the spawn that usually happens beginning to mid summer. Still fishing with livebait near heavy cover during night time is your best bet but fresh cut bait in the same areas works well also. Some of my biggest fish have been on jigs fishing for bass though.

I did really well on Saturday, over 30 with a couple limits worth of keepers but nothing big. Might have seen you guys launching if you launched from Aunt's Creek? I was putting in at the north ramp while a small tournament was launching at the south ramp. Small Keitech and a small jerkbait is all I could get bit on, white was by far the best color. Sand and gravel banks with a little bigger rock mixed in was best. If a bank looked good, I couldn't get bit on it. Never had a bite on a bottom bait. Sunday was good too but only had about 4 hours to fish before we had to head back.

I have a couple B Calcuttas that are as tough as a reel gets. Nothing flashy or fancy, they just get the job done.

Something around 7' MH/F is a great all around rod.

I have several Shocks that I use for guide trips and also for kayak fishing and occasionally on the boat. They're excellent for the money. I've heard the Arid is very nice, but have not personally fished one.

The newer, injected 175 swims better than the OGs and comes in a variety of really nice schemes, including carp. I had several of the 175's though, the swim is not impressive imo. They like to nose up and just really not glide that great. I've gone to all Shine Glides or Donut Shads for less and around the same price range.

I fish a lot of KO's of certain kinds of baits (110's and warts especially). They work very well for me. I have used several that I didn't like though, the S Crank, DT series, 110 Magnum, and Trick Darter to name a few.

I fish them both on a 7' M/F with a 7:3 reel and 20lb braid.

I fish the MS Slammer on a Dobyn's Fury 795 and 20lb P Line.

Scarborough, because his baits didn't arrive like they should have. Then I got nothing from Duckaholic and rodandreel2010, so I got things from 6/9 who signed up. You sent jig right? I know I got a box from you.

If the water is fairly clear, I will spot quite a few. I did yesterday, and as usual, very few of the fish I could see were willing to bite.