Bluebasser86

Welcome!

Welcome! Water temps are cold in this part of the country right now. Bass' metabolism is way down so they're moving slowly and only eating very occasionally. Most everything a bass eats right now is moving very slowly as well. Provided the water you're fishing has decent visibility, slowly twitching a suspending jerkbait with long pauses in between twitches should get you a bite. Another bait that I've caught lots of bass in very cold water ponds is a tiny spinner like a Beetle Spin believe it or not. I normally put my own together with a 1/16oz head, a #1 jig spinner arm, and a 2" crappie tube. A nice bonus is that you'll catch trout on it too while you're looking for a bass

copolymer 10-15 pound.

Finesse is normally referring to smaller bait with little action. When someone is talking about a finesse worm they're generally talking about a straight tailed worm in the 4-7 inch range.

Late February/early March here and it should be about the same in your area.

I move too much to sit and fish. I don't even sit when I'm in the boat unless I'm running the gas motor. Just one more thing to have to carry too.

When I do my annual wintertime lure hunting I come across lots of baits that need cleaned up. A scrub pad, soap, and hot water cleans them up pretty good for the most part.

I have some cheaper ones but the cheapest one I use regularly for bass is an H2O combo. Bought the rod and reel both on sale, a Mettle for $29, Ethos micro guide for $59, out the door for right at $100 with tax. Probably my favorite jerkbait combo I've ever owned.

It's a jerkbait for me.

Pictures kind of blurry, but anything like this one.

I make my own and use a 3/8oz almost exclusively. I use almost anything for a trailer but 2/3 of a 5" stick worm works well. My new favorite trailers has been either a Rage Menace or Havoc Pit Boss rigged sideways. Both have a ton of action and have been killer trailers for me and both last through bunches of fish most of the time.

If it were me in the same situation, I'd be looking at 20-30 pound Sufix 832 or Power Pro Super Slick braid with whatever weight leader you need for the cover you're fishing.

It really don't matter. If all that hardware on the rig itself doesn't spook the fish, your line isn't going to bother them at all. I buy the crystal clear but I also use my A rig rod for other swimbaits.

IMO, that line has too much memory and is too heavy for that reel, not sure it would cause what you're seeing though. I have 3 Presidents and my only complaint is that they don't come with a spare spool. We have some resident reel experts that I'm sure can diagnose the issue from your description and picture though.

Deep water in an area where they can move vertically quickly ( steep shorelines, bluffs, fast dropping points). Shakyhead with a finesse worm, jigging spoon, or a jerkbait would be what I'd be tossing at them.

Spro Little John's are pretty small and very heavy.

I like the baitfish colors myself, hitch is my favorite.

If you're talking about yellow perch, they're illegal to use for bait anywhere I've ever been that has them. Bluegills and green sunfish (also commonly called "perch" even though they're not related) are legal to use in some areas and not in others.

6" per second is right about what I'm getting with 20lb copolymer.

Jigging spoons or flutter spoons cast under the diving birds or dropped on baitfish schools you mark on the finder. Biggest mistake guys make when they see diving birds is motoring right up to them. You have to be quiet and move up slowly with the trolling motor and make long cast a lot of the time or the fish will spook and scatter and you'll be out of luck.

Is the R2S Rover very similar to a Vixen/Repo Man? Never tried either but the Rover is a good looking bait and a bit more affordable.

$1.99 by my house, never thought I'd see that again in my lifetime.

I use mine for A rigs and swimbaits. It's an awesome reel for heavier baits like that.

That's 1 more bass than I've ever caught on blade, congrats.

Of the rods you listed, #3 would be my choice. I use a 6' 6" MH/F with 15-20lb copoly. If you aren't changing out the hooks on that War Eagle spoon, do it. They aren't bad hooks, but they aren't good hooks either. I've bent a lot of their hooks and rolled a lot of points on them. I usually go to a size larger hook too.