JT Bagwell

I actually have a Capital One card too that I never use. They told me I could get that QuickSilver deal but offered little information (during an online chat with a rep). Thanks for the info.

Alright, here is the deal. I am looking for a credit card that gives rewards that are something I will actually use (i.e. fishing gear). My current credit card has a very lame rewards program that is pretty much worthless to me. So which one is the best to have? Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's seem mediocre but are they actually the best?

4" Swim Senkos are awesome on Swim Jigs too.

Best jigs are at SiebertOutdoors.com (that one was easy). My favorite trailer has been the Yamamoto Medium Craw but I have a bunch of the Yamamoto Psycho Dads that might knock the Medium Craw off of its throne. Now on Swim jigs (Bloody Shad from SiebertOutdoors.com is the best), I like a 5" white Yamamoto grub or a 4" Yamamoto Swim Senko.

I think the Lucky Craft LV500 Max in Aurora Black is my favorite. I use several different LV sizes but I think that one is my favorite. The LV500 Max is a bigger 3/4 ounce lipless crank bait.

Lucky Craft has a few that I like but I think my favorite Square Bill is the Lucky Craft SKT MR in MS American Shad color. That bait is absolutely ridiculous. I have a couple of pictures of it on my Instagram. One picture you can see it about as deep in a Bass's mouth as you can get before it is in the stomach. Fish just choke that thing. My Instagram is www.Instagram.com/JTBagwell if you don't already have it.

One can never have enough of the Bloody Shad swim jigs. They are sick.

I asked someone with the company if you can replace the batteries and the answer is no. Once it dies that is it.

Nothing like the old Pop..Pop...Pop......BOOM!!!

What is your favorite Popper style bait? Mine is a Lucky Craft G Splash I bought about 10-12 years ago out of a mobile tackle trailer at Kentucky Lake when I was there for the ABA Nationals. That thing is a fish catching machine. It is still in pretty good shape too (with the exception of a missing eye which just adds character).

Christmas time and my love for Chocolate Covered Cherries was rough on the old gut. I have to work extra hard to get back in shape for fishing. Funny how you can work so hard for so long and just a few weeks of bad habits can erase your results. How are all of you doing?

I have been getting messages about this subject almost daily so I thought I would post this article again. If you are trying to or even thinking about getting sponsors start here. https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/Bagwell/how-to-get-sponsors.html

I just ordered more of these bad boys so I can be fully prepared for whenever our ice decides to melt off of the lakes. http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/Bagwell/bloody-shad.html

Just curious how many other Northerners on here have already started making large tackle purchases even though we probably still have a couple more months of frozen water? I have ordered tons of crankbaits, soft plastics, monofilament, hooks and even sunglasses (in addition to the ice fishing gear I am stocking up on now). I think, if every week or so I get to mess with fishing gear it makes me forget for a little bit that I cannot go Bass fishing for a while. Today I also went out to the barn and visited my Triton for a little bit. More snow right now and -5 degrees tonight means I better order something. Siebert Outdoors jigs anyone? lol

I like this one as well.

I will start by saying although Columbia has given me tons of free gear over the years, I am not sponsored by them and this particular product I purchased at my local Gander Mountain store. When I was a little kid I begged my late grandpa to take me ice fishing. He reluctantly agreed but because I didn't have the proper footwear and waterproof gloves, I ended up getting frost bite. I still deal with the after effects of that to this day. I am now using a boot from Columbia called the Bugaboot. They are absolutely awesome. Today while out ice fishing there was a 2-3" layer of water and slush on top of the ice. They kept my feet completely dry and warm the entire time. I think the normal price is somewhere around $120 but I got mine on clearance at Gander Mountain for about $60 and they are well worth it. I just wanted to share this in case there is anyone like me on the forum that has always struggled with keeping your feet warm while fishing. http://www.columbia.com/Men%E2%80%99s-Bugaboot%E2%84%A2-Plus-II-Omni-Heat%C2%AE/BM3876,default,pd.html

Nice fish

I was just in Ames for the first time a couple of weeks ago. We went to see my fiancé's grandma in the hospital there. It was snowing like crazy.

Not sure, Glenn is the brains in this family. I am just here for my charm and good looks. lol

Keep signing up everyone, it is FREE!!!

More good input.

Just curious who is in the category where your "sponsors" just give you a discount off of their products and do you think that you are getting a fair deal?

Gas stations are a perfect fit for anglers.

For you tournament guys, do you have any non-endemic sponsors? If so, which one is the furthest from being related to the fishing industry? (i.e. chainsaw company, Chinese restaurant, etc.) And how did you get hooked up with them? No particular reason I am asking, just curious I guess. lol I was just out shoveling snow earlier and thought I should get a deal with a snow shoveling company because I am sure I could promote their brand up here.

All I can say is this: There is a lake that I have fished several times per year for probably going on 8 or 9 years. One of my first trips out there I found an old stack of wooden pallets (skids) that someone had nailed together and submerged just a couple of feet below the surface. If you didn't know they were there you would probably never notice them. However since I know they are there, I can put my Wiley X sunglasses on and look at the area and see the dark area in the water from a mile away. I do not know if there has been a single time since I found that pallet stack that I have fished the lake and not caught at least a couple of fish off of these pallets. This summer I took a guy fishing that isn't what I would call super skilled in the art of catching bass. He watched me catch about a dozen fish and he had little more than a nibble from a bluegill. So I cruised down to where the pallet stack is (which is out away from the bank) and as I was casting to the shoreline I told him to whacky rig a 5" Gary Yamamoto Senko and it doesn't matter what color as long as it is dark. The guy looked at me funny and I said "I am serious." So he reluctantly ties on a Senko. I said do you see out there where the water looks a little different color than the water around it, cast right there and let the Senko fall on slack line for about 3 seconds and then engage your reel. Again he looks at me funny and again I tell him that I am serious. So he casts exactly where I told him, lets his Senko drop for 3 seconds, engages his reel and BAM he catches a bass. He looks over at me and says "Are you freaking (language cleaned up for the kids) kidding me?" I just laughed and said "that's how I roll." So the answer to your question is Yes. You should hit that same area again.