Bluebasser86

The more bend the more lift and vibration, to a point. After several years of trial and error I've gotten them to where they vibrate hard, run at the depth I like to fish them, and hunt quite a bit. The resulting bait has been one of my top fish catchers for the last few years.

The extra cover is also going to give your bass fry the next few years a lot more area to hide. Provided they don't mess with your water levels a bunch during the spawn you might see a big population increase in the coming years.

Get a treble with just enough gap to reach around the edges of the bait. You'll push a needle through the mouth of the bait and out the back and tie the hook. After it's tied, pull the bait as far as you can back into the bait, pushing one hook into the back of the bait or cut it off completely. You should end up with something similar to a frog hook that is pretty weedless.

I keep mine on, show them how to switch between screens like the maps, DI, or SI, and let them adjust the RAM where they need it to be able to see the screen. If they don't want it then I'll turn it off though.

Send some of that rain this way!! Looks like a good day to me.

I don't know anyone who hasn't had to learn that Razor Clam lesson the hard way. I've learned it multiple times, and they still get me sometimes.

I'm right handed. All baitcaster right hand retrieve, spinning are all left hand retrieve and I CANNOT interchange the two.

Once they get much over 4 pounds they either get lipped or netted. I've seen way too many big fish lost by lifting them with the line.

Welcome!

Yep, that and Big Game are my 2 main lines I use anymore. It's great for pretty much any treble hooked or moving bait.

If you're fishing in heavy rocks I wouldn't use braid. Otherwise, you can use it anywhere you want. I wouldn't add a leader but you can if you want.

It's a painted and modified shakee blade from Barlow's Tackle.

Welcome!

Have you referenced your owner's manual? Did you install a breaker/fuse? I would check the prop first off and make sure everything looks good there including your prop nut and pin are installed correctly. Don't try to open up the motor in any way or you'll most likely void your warranty. All else fails, contact Minn Kota.

This is the rigging I've heard suggested for the bait, except you go out the back to help keep it a little more weedless. I think you're on the right track switching to braid too.

Spro just released the smaller size of their BBZ Rat. I'll be getting a couple, mainly for smallies.

Welcome!

The surface water will be moving faster than the bottom but still if it's really fast there's a good chance those aren't bass. You're probably looking at a really heavy jigging spoon/slab spoon or a really heavy Jika rig. Not many options in that situation.

Agree with WRB. Break the lake into small sections and learn a section at a time. Once you get comfortable with each section you can put it all together and open up the whole lake. Learning big lakes takes years, don't expect yourself to be able to do it in a couple trips.

I like a shorter rod for jerkbaits, to keep the tip from slapping the water when I twitch the bait. I use a 6' 2" M/XF Avid and a 6' 8" M/F Ethos depending on the size of the jerkbait. Both reels are spooled with 10lb Big Game or Pline. That 7' M/MF would be a rod I'd probably use for small squarebills, but most rods I've used with that rating are pretty light and wouldn't be capable of doing what I like to do with squarebills and traps.

Snagged hundreds of shad, especially this time of year and winter when they're really schooled up. Not sure how you did it on a plastic worm though.

C rig-Brush Hog swing heads-Netbait B Bug or Zman Palmetto Bug

He's too organized, half the fun of fishing a crankbait is getting it untangled from all the rest.

jerkbaits, bladed jigs, and jigs are my favorites when the water starts to get cold, then jigging spoons when it gets real cold. I'm going to try hard to get my first fish on a blade bait this winter though.

Welcome!