Bluebasser86

Welcome!

Good chance I'll either be asleep or at work so either nothing or whatever is leftover from the dinner the night before.

If the fish are actively protecting their bed, I don't think line will matter much. If they're being spooky, you'll probably want a fluoro leader though.

I've caught fish on everything I've really tried that I can think of. I've had less than exceptional results on a drop shot and a swim jig though. I have good success on lipless baits, but a Rapala Rattlin Rap is one in particular that I couldn't catch a cold with. Even schooling white bass won't touch those things.

Evergreen Showerblows

I think I read on one of the links that if you pre-order, they'd start shipping in May

The warm temps and wind the next few days should take care of it in a hurry.

I catch plenty of fish on 6-9 inch baits in NE KS. Just have to be willing to commit to a bite or two and sometimes none at all.

Are you sure you're casting it in the water and there's a hook attached?

Casey Scanlon squeaked into the last spot fishing deep and actually left the shallows even after he found the leaders fishing there. I think that was a good move because he wasn't going to beat them, barring a miracle, so he went back to what had sort of been working for him and it paid off. Scott Suggs is the only one that has fished deep and seemed to sort of be putting something together. He looked like he might have been able to catch Montgomery if he hadn't run out of time. That might be a big a big factor, there may not be enough of those shallow fish to make it through to the end if someone figures them out deep. That could especially be true with as many seem to be heading to the backs of those creeks. Those are small areas that probably have a limited amount of fish to give.

Welcome!

In Kansas we can get nuisance permits to control animal populations that are doing damage to crops or property. You might check with you DNR and see if that's a possibility.

I don't have the exact blank but my heavier swimbait rod has the exact same specs as the 946 and I've been really happy with it. I don't think you'll have an issue with a fast vs a mod/fast when you get into bigger baits like that. You just need something that will load properly with the baits you're planning on throwing. I'm pretty against throwing swimbaits on braid but if you're set on doing it, then you need a more moderate action.

Welcome!

Eggs are formed months in advance. You must have caught all males of the other fish because even in cold water lakes around here, fish already have egg sacs in them. The fish spawn about a month earlier in the power plant lakes I fish, but the weather still has to be warming and fairly stable.

I actually really like some of the new Berkley paint schemes. The Vinatge Craw in the Wild Thang 8.5 has been a good bait for me since it came out. The Warpig and Skinny Cutter 110 have been doing a lot of work this winter, although a lot of the Warpig fish have been whites or wipers. I haven't tried the Pitbull or Digger cranks enough yet to form any opinion on them other than I think they'll catch fish. I do really like the hooks on them also. They've been very sharp and stood up to some strong fish (don't get much stronger than wipers around here).

Here's some links to the species that I see most often on Table Rock. The Northern Crayfish and Spothanded are the most common ones it seems. http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/longpincered-crayfish-long-pincered-crayfish http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/northern-crayfish-virile-crayfish http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/golden-crayfish http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/spothanded-crayfish

The Rainshadow RX7 ISWB 945 would fit the bill perfectly and is available for around $100. http://www.rainshadowrodblanks.com/product-line/rx7-multipurpose-swimbait/

Mallards are great if properly prepared. Geese on the other hand, I wouldn't give to my dog.

Our water has only been frozen for a few weeks but there's a good chance it will be open again by the end of this week if the forecast holds up, and there's no more big freeze in site as of right now on the month forecast. I get as excited for spring fishing as I use to get on Christmas morning as a kid.

Another fan of the Shad Rap in clear water. I like to weight them for a slow rise as well. The #5 is my favorite, followed by the #7.

Just like fish in an aquarium, those bass know when it's dinnertime and will respond accordingly. Gulfcaptian already suggested everything you really need to know.

I prefer white if I can find it available. Actually, pink or chartreuse are my favorites, but aren't easy to find.

There is no way I could pick a single company. Maybe for just one certain style, but not for all kinds of plastics.

Really?! That's a deal breaker for me. I'm one of those guys that would rather back reel than use the drag to play the fish and wouldn't feel comfortable without it.