Bluebasser86

Will it? No. Can it? Yes.

I plan to have an aluminum deck built onto it at a later date so the deck I build won't be anything fancy, just a temporary deck to get me through until then. I just need it functional until I have the extra money laying around to have a deck cut and welded on.

Sounds like a great place for a Texas rigged plastic or a swim jig.

Yes the fish are biting in northern Missouri right now. Actually getting into their prespawn patterns and some of the biggest fish of the year will be caught in the next few weeks in that area.

I use a Garmin Virb Elite and like it. Very easy to use and shoots quality shots. I like having the wrist remote so I can start/stop filming or take a picture without going to the camera. Does not capture sound well without an external mic, but that works out well for me because a lot of my videos I couldn't post if it did.

Welcome!

It was actually the plain head you sent that I tied in my color I call grasshopper. I'm sure the black and blue one would have worked but I expected clearer water than what we ran into.

You covered lots of good water that has been productive for me in the past.

Had a little multispecies action this weekend.

There's so many people out there pouring with the Midwest Finesse mold and CNC molds for the smaller sizes that I doubt they do, especially with their unwillingness to communicate with anyone trying to get their products.

Love is in the air!

Melvern is starting to wake up a little bit. Water temps were 45-50, so still a few degrees away from where it needs to be for the smallmouth to get more active in the shallows.

I use the Zman Punch CrawZ on them when I want a craw profile bait and it works really well, especially in early spring.

I use 20lb braid on a couple baitcasters I use for topwaters like 90 ploppers, poppers, and WTD baits.

The most used lure I'd guess would be a jig because of how broad that category is. Everything from a crappie jig, ice jig, jighead with any plastic body, skirted bass jig, bucktails, all could be classified as jigs.

Frogs are more versatile imo, because they can be paused for long periods or fished quickly. Of course they can't be allowed to sink down into holes or near cover like a toad can, which is deadly at times.

Get an order into Siebert for a 3/8oz Arky head jig in black and blue, green pumpkin, and Missouri craw. You'll be good to go anywhere with those.

Jerkbait bite is a shorter window for me, but when they're eating it nothing else comes close. I fish a jig more just because I fish them all year round.

The mushroom jig wasn't used for the shape of the head, but the size and quality of the hook available from Gopher. Since they've gone out of business, Ned is using an pill head from VMC now, the mooneye I believe it's called. I started out with cheap ball heads from Wal-Mart but use the Midwest Finesse mold now. Having that wire keeper is a game changer with Zman baits. The head shape doesn't matter, it's the small, thin wire hook that doesn't hinder the subtle action of the small baits that is the key. @cgolf that speed craw probably won't have much action with the light jighead. The Zman Crusteaz might be something that would fit the bill for you though. They're a fun little bait with a lot of action in a small size that catches everything.

Took it out for the first time yesterday to a creek off of a reservoir. I was hoping for the big push of spawning bass to have started but wasn't happening. I did manage to catch a fat spawner white bass and a crappie getting ready for the dance, so no skunk on it's first run. Floated nice and high and didn't seem to have any leaks. I feel like I know how I want the deck to be now too, which was the main point in taking it out and using it before building it.

I had one for a while. I was fishing down a bank and heard a little noise on the shore that was probably 10' away. Looked up and saw a giant beaver had emerged from the hole it had dug into the bank. As soon as I saw it, it jumped in the water and went under headed right in my direction. Probably the only time in history a belly boat has ever been on plane. I was kicking for all I was worth to avoid a potential scuffle with the oversized rodent. I sold it shortly after that.

First day on one of the smallmouth lakes of the year for me on Monday. It was a grind like I expected, but still managed to catch some. My biggest of the day had a sizable crappie it was working on digesting.

Great looking fish! That's a big ol' bullhead too.

Welcome!

I talked to a GW once that told me about a guy that got himself a hefty fine because he was keeping some smallmouth for aquarium pets. He had a half dozen 4-6 inch smallmouth he was saving in a minnow bucket, problem is it doesn't matter what your intentions are with the fish, it has to be legal sized to keep (5 fish over 18" on this particular lake). So he got citations for several undersized fish and being over his limit.