Bluebasser86

It comes up pretty often. Sunfish are aggressive, I haven't had one take a run at a bait like this smallmouth did though. Bait is a Deps 175 Slide Swimmer for reference.

I catch hundreds of green sunfish for flathead bait every year with a 1/80oz jighead and a piece of a orange 2" grub. It cast pretty well on very light gear and the bright orange is easy for me and them to see so I know when to set the hook.

3" Berkley power minnow on a 3/32oz head is my go to crappie bait, but I rarely fish for them.

One of the lakes I fish occasionally produces quite a few albino and piebald blue cats every year. I've caught one of each, the albino earlier this year on Ned rig fishing for smallmouth.

Well, my report won't be of much help then because we only fished around the dam area, but here it is.

You mean like a skirted jig with a free swinging hook? If so, I tie my own with a swinging football head mold and an Owner Twistlock XXX hook.

Welcome! Check out our local forums. There is some great information on lakes you'd probably be interested in, including Sam Rayburn.

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

That's primarily what I use them for, green sunfish in particular .

My casting spoon rig looks exactly like what J Francho's picture shows. Generally using light line and tackle when I'm chasing our big (nothing compared to that monster but big for here) trout, shouldn't ever be able to put enough heat on them to do any damage to that swivel. I also use a swivel on my jigging spoons for bass. Never really use a casting spoon for bass but if I did I'd use a swivel then too.

I use lots of different baits for jig trailers; Uncle Josh pork trailer (pork catches pigs), Zman Batwingz, YUM Christie Craw, Rage Craw, Rage Menace, YUM Craw Papi, twin tail grub, Zoom Critter Craw and speed craw, and 2/3 of a 5" stick worm are some of my favorites.

The shorter, lighter rod would be my pick for the techniques listed.

I also like the 65 pointer but didn't list it since it wasn't mentioned by the OP. They're a killer bait for big crappie and trout as well.

I like the 70. The 50's are too small for my hands and caused my hands to hurt from trying to grip them after extended use. My 70's cast better than my 50's ever did too. I haven't noticed any geary feeling, and I've had mine under more load than any bass reel should ever be.

The Project Z is nice when I want a sharper vibration. I believe baits with more thump seem to attract the larger bites. I build my own so I can get all the qualities I like in one bait and in the color I need. When I started painting blades it opened up even more doors. They've been the hot ticket for me lately.

I think you can do better for less money, but that's IMO.

My grandpa dropped a small channel cat on his bare foot while we were wading for cats once. I remember it hitting his foot and sticking instead of bouncing like I expected. He was sick as a dog by the time we made it back to the truck. I was maybe 6 or 7 at the time, learned a lot of new words that day.

Welcome! That's a good looking fish from (I'm assuming), Miami SL? If so, that lake has been weird the last couple years. It goes on hot streaks, then it's like the bass evaporate from the lake completely. I'd be pretty happy with one good bite out there in a trip.

I've caught the same broken back bass the same day, on the same bait, off the same stump once. I also caught the same tagged bass in a small lake twice the same year, on the same bait, but at opposite ends of the lake. Then I have this fish that I believe is the same fish, caught twice a month apart from the exact same spot on the same bait. The first time it weighted 4.44, next time it weighed 4.84.

I used to fish the small sized Hula popper that had the single belly hook on a ultra light and caught a ton of bass and sunfish with it, even some really nice bass. Now Rebel has their single, barbless hooked poppers that are perfect for ultralight fishing.