Bluebasser86

I really like my Helios and Helios TCS. I use the TCS with 20lb flipping fluoro for pitching jigs and it's worked great.

I use a Scorpion 70HG to fish small poppers with.

About 50 is when I start to get confident in fishing them but the draw of that big bait will move fish even in really cold water. Just have to get a bait that nearly suspends and glides well at slow speeds.

Kansas isn't exactly known for it's big bass either In my experience, they generally attack these big baits from below and towards the front. I've never had any issues hooking up with the big Shine Glide, but they do make a smaller one that is probably the best gliding smaller bait that I've ever fished, but I promise they'll eat that big one and I feel like they eat it even better than the small one. No pike around here, but the largemouth don't mind the bone color either. This was the cast before I caught that smallmouth.

The small lake I grew up on and learned a lot of what I know about fishing. Fished it for a decade before the guy that owned it decided to divide it up and build houses on the shoreline. It wasn't the best fishery I've ever been on, but it was great for around here.

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

I really like bone colored glides for smallmouth. They really like that color and you'll see them hit it from a long ways away. The bone colored Savage Gear Shine Glide 7.25" is my favorite.

I don't like feathered trebles on my jerkabits. Only thing they seem to do better is catch more crappie or trout for me.

I've done well with the 3" Megabug on a 1/8oz swinghead too, killer smallmouth bait.

Not sure what the benefits would be to using a treble hook?

Great little bait and I'm guilty of neglecting the fact that they're great fish catchers.

I rarely see surface activity when I'm fishing topwater for bass, but it is a nice bonus if they are actively chasing bait. Don't believe the rumors that bass won't eat topwater in the middle of the day, even when the sun is shining. I'll fish them all day long regardless of conditions. I had some great days last year fishing a buzzbait all day long. My biggest bass of the year was on a buzzbait in the middle of the day.

Probably my favorite glide bait I own. I fish it way more than I fish my Dep's

I wish I would have bought mine when I was 16 and it was only $450. It's over 800 now and I'm old enough it wouldn't pay off to buy it.

When the heat really cranks up during the summer I turn nocturnal, just like most of the big fish do. Fishing shallow, heavy cover is also a good option too.

Couldn't even tell you what brand my net is but it's lasted a few years now, way longer than they usually do. Mine is a 8 footer with 3/8" holes. It's the best compromise of size and ease of use that I've found. Like others have said, look for flipping shad and try to get a net on the area ASAP. Once you get it right, you can catch bait pretty fast. Always a good feeling to toss a net and see all the flashes or the rope jumping if you're throwing for big gizzard shad.

That's a great bait for smallies around here. I've actually done well burning it with a straight retrieve also.

The YUM Baby Christie Critter has been a good one for me. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Yum_Christie_Critter_45/descpage-YUMCRC.html?from=basres

My last French Pearl STX, cast into oblivion thanks to some zebra mussels. I searched the shoreline where it landed for awhile to no avail. Yeah they still make that color, but it's not the same as it used to be. I'd like to remember the good times with it.

That's just the jig weight, once you add in skirt, weedguard, and trailer it's probably closer to 1/4oz. I've fished 1/2oz football jigs on it occasionally. They load it pretty good on the cast but it does fine.

I don't have a bunch of XF rods to compare it to, but it loads and casts finesse jigs down to 1/8oz well.

I have 6 200Bs and a 100B. I'd take them over a vast majority of today's reels. They're bigger and heavier, but they are easy to service and almost impossible to kill.