Bluebasser86

I catch my own bait whenever I catfish or use live bait for wipers or bass. Throw net or rod and reel are my preferred methods. I'll get shad or catch green sunfish/bluegill/crappie/white bass on the ultralight. Grab crawdads or nightcrawlers by hand. If I'm after blue cats in the summer time, the bowfishing rig comes out and I just find a feeding carp or drum and collect all the bait I need in 1 shot.

Can I ask why you're trying to avoid braid to leader? It's by far the best way to go on a spinning reel IMO.

Not me, I might have a half dozen MB jerkbaits and I found a couple of them and was given a couple. Most of my 2 boxes of jerkbaits are made up of 6th Sense, Strike King, Duo, and Berkley.

I have a 5" fast sink, it's an awesome smallmouth bait to burn across windy points and flats. I had a 6" slow sink but didn't like that much. Peg a bullet weight on the nose of yours to help it stay down. One of the best and probably least talked about multi joint baits that I've fished is the Jackall Gantia. Cheaper than a Bull Shad, a little different profile, (longer but thinner), they're a very nice bait you might look into. A typical 5" Bull Shad eater from one of our lakes.

I caught so many fish on the clown colored Rogue and the more recent avocado colored rogue, not sure why I don't throw them anymore.

Bad thing about doing it yourself is first you have to spend a couple hundred in equipment before you can start saving a few pennies ?

I've had poor vision most of my life. Got glasses when I was 9. My glasses now would stop a high caliber rifle bullet. I wear contacts most of the time but I've been fighting them lately, I guess my eyelids are really rough? Basically to the point they're tearing up the contacts and making them rough also and then my eyes recognize the contacts as something that isn't supposed to be in my eyes and I get buildup and they become uncomfortable really quickly, it's been a problem lately.

I landed a 20+lb buffalo hooked in the tail, in current, from my kayak a few days ago, you'll be fine.

Daiwa Revros spinning and CC80 casting. I have a few of both and all of them have been more than worth what I paid for them.

Meet them in the middle with something like a pencil popper. The Berkley Cane Walker has done well for me in clear water in the right conditions. A popper can be good in clear water but I like something that covers more water when the water is clear. Walking baits and wake baits are usually what I go for.

I make my own also. Haven't done the math but I'd estimate a jighead cost me between $.10 and $.15 apiece to make between the keeper, hook, and paint. I like a #1 Eagle Claw but have some down to a #6. The keeper works well for me, I never use glue on them.

I enjoy being on the water, but I wouldn't put all the effort I do into studying the fish and how to catch them if I didn't want to catch them every time I went. That's why there's such a sense of relief when that first fish reaches the boat, the ultimate goal has been achieved. Thankfully, the more I go and the harder I work, the fewer of those trips I have that end up with me just enjoying nature and the fresh air.

My orginal 112 in the Hankie Pankie color is basically see through from all the fish it's caught. I've got a whole slot of one of my jerkbait boxes that is nothing but Stunnas and I still feel like I need more of them.

Welcome!

I do pretty well at Olathe Lake, but it's not an easy one to figure out.

There's no bass in Kansas ?

If I had perch by me, I'd eat fish occasionally. Something about them is just enjoyable to fish for also.

I have a few slow sink Quakes. Haven't fished them enough to be a fair judge of them but haven't been a productive bait yet.

Strike King KVD HC Flat Side 1.5 or 6th Sense Crush Flat 75X. I don't remember which fish was bigger, both were between 6.25 and 6.5, one in January, the other in October.

It's bass for me, but if I had perch here I'd be after them.

Well this year has started tough, but I can say without a doubt that I've never caught all big 3 species of catfish by the 2nd day of the year before. No picture of the channels, none of them were even over 2 pounds, but trust me I caught them ? This blue was small but pretty exciting for me. I haven't caught one from this lake in years so it was good to see one.

Nothing too crazy for me. Didn't catch any real monsters or win a bunch of tournaments. I did win a couple tournaments and I was really consistent in those. Managed to win on the lake that is super tough and did consistently well enough to get 2nd for AOY, barely missing first place.

Not much unless it's with certain people.

It was a wild ride from the kayak. The bank fishermen barely let me take the picture before they were running off with it.

Walked a little today and only found 1 bait, but at least it was a good one, basically new Rapala DT8.