Bluebasser86

Welcome!

Alton Jones seems to always catch at least a few of his fish on a YUM Dinger and it's about the only bait he fishes around spawning time.

I've used both, doesn't seem to make a difference with worm hooks. Thing is, if you're confident in it, you'll fish it harder/better, and that does make a difference.

Ethos from Academy for $60 or $40 on sale. I have the 7' MH/M, it has been a great rod for squarebills to mid depth baits.

I've caught bass on holdover here in Kansas. No such thing as a holdover here because they all die when it gets hot. All a bass knows is it looks like a little fish and it's small enough to eat.

Super Spook Jr is one of my favorite topwaters. Works great in all our lakes around here. #2 or #3 split rings and #4 hooks. I like regular length hooks and stick with round bend because the fish like to slap at them. They're one of the easiest baits out there to walk. Keep some slack in the line each time you twitch it to allow it freedom to glide, always twitch the rod down (it can be done other directions but that's the easiest way while you're learning), make sure you're not using fluoro or anything that will drag the nose down like a big snap.

Yes, that should work just fine as long as the tip will load properly to cast a frog.

I believe they've officially decided that the Alabama spots are a different strain of spot that the Kentucky spotted bass. They're basically the spotted bass version of a Florida strain largemouth.

Have you looked at the Okuma TCS series? They offer a 7' 6" H mod-fast/fast or a 7' H mod/fast that would probably both suit your needs depending on your preferences. I have one of the Mat Daddy TCS punching rods and it is very nice! They're the Scott Martin Signature series rods too so you know they were designed with Florida and vegetation in mind.

Mouse, lavender shad, sexy mouse, and spot remover.

Not for free but you can pay a little to upgrade it. FWIW, I have that rod, it's a nice pitching rod, although it's quite a bit heavier than my LTB's or Okuma.

All that work for that little thing?? That's some pretty creative thinking to get it all done, but I better be catching something big enough to eat that one to go through all that work. You can catch them that big on accident all the time fishing for bass.

I wouldn't want to use jigs on either of my jerkbait/topwater rods. I could easily do it with my frog rod, and have done it with my buzzbait rod though.

It's in the roof of the fishes mouth, just back there a ways. Should have been a really easy removal.

I've never been there but always heard it was a really shallow lake, even dangerous if you don't know where you're going. Are you fishing the kayak tournament out there this weekend? The Webapp version is pretty limited in what it shows but it does show lots of water 40-60 feet deep all over the lake.

The 3/8oz Cavitron in black on black is my go to buzzbait. I never target smallmouth with a buzzbait though, they're always incidental catches while fishing for largemouth, but I've caught plenty on that bait. If you like burning a spinnerbait, I'd get the War Eagle Screaming Eagle. It's one of my favorite smallmouth spinnerbaits because it's a 1/4oz frame, but it weighs 1/2oz. It's a great one for fishing deeper too if you want to slow it down.

I believe most of them are using light swimbait rods, probably rated 1-3oz or somewhere in that range. It looks very effective when they're on it. It also looks like a lot of work.

A new Conquest for $200? Don't I wish!

My last boat was a mod V and it could get as shallow as any fish could swim.

Hire a guide for sure. Those lakes in Florida are just endless grass fields that you could fish all day and never get around a fish.

I lost my last silver blue back Xcaliber XR50 while I was bank fishing one day. Next day I was in the boat fishing a chrome black back XR50 and got snagged on the same spot. Pulled a little and it popped loose but felt like I was dragging part of the snag with me. Reeled it in and saw this.

My bass ate my car payment! Glad he's taking care of you, I think I might have cried a little.

I leave them in the bag and carry them in binders or gallon bags.

I loan baits to people all the time, especially if they're biting something they don't have. As long as they know I want it replaced (in most cases), if they lose it or break it, it doesn't bother me.

People with buckets, simple as that. They see a pond with no fish and think how nice it would be to have that body of water close by with this kind of fish in it, so they make it happen.