Bankbeater

Usually when I pitch into vegetation I let is sink to the bottom and start bringing it back right away. It's more like a reaction strike. You drop the bait in front of the bass and you get bit.

Over the past few yearsI have started to remove the rattles from jigs that have them. I’m not seeing a big difference on catching bass, and sometimes the skirt gets fouled in the rattles.

Welcome to the forums!

You've been busy catching hawgs! Nice going!

Around here you have to junk fish since the bite may change hourly. Rarely this year have I had a trip where the bass bite the same bait all day long.

My daughter picked me out some bubblegum flukes for Father's day about 10 years ago because they were pretty. Danged if I didn't start catching bass on that bait. Now I always keep a package in the tackle bag.

I've learned that bass don't relate to all vegetation the same way.

In deep grassy lakes I look for the deep grass that is still green. If the lakes not frozen over that is.

Wow!

Bass is about the only freshwater fish I can think of that I don't like. Everything else is dinner.

I think I've only caught 5 or 6 bass this year on lipless crankbaits. It's definitely been an off year for them. I hope the bite turns around since it's cooler out now.

Chartreuse pumpkin plastic worm. The first time I used one I was sure it was going to scare the bass, but it works in clear water.

I've got a Daiwa pistol grip rod from the late 70's and BPS pistol grip from the early 90's. They are easier to hold in cold weather with gloves on, but you better not have any wrist issues when you use one.

For moving baits with treble hooks I use a sweeping hookset. On Texas rigs and jigs I take up the slack in the line and then hit them hard.

Look at Mann's 1 minus baits. I've also been fishing with the BPS Egg, but I would change out the hooks first.

I fish tubes on either a t-rig or a split shot rig. Most of the time I fish them around vegetation, but I like to drag them across the bottom around wood, and fish them across rip rap.

I usually just use a Zoom Super Chunk, or a Fat Albert.

For a few days its been warm then it cools ways down, then the temps are back up and it's warm again. Winter is playing with us.

So sorry for your loss.

Around here it was about back to normal. Craziest thing I saw this year was on July 4th when I was one of 3 boats on the water at sunup. By 10 AM I was the only one on the water.

I finally found the bass on the outside edge of what I think is eelgrass. I hit several small schools of 1 to 2 pounders.

"I like getting backlashes. It gives me something to do when the bass bite slows down."

Congrats! A new PB is the best!

The biggest thing I've learned, and the one that I use the most, is not to get discouraged when I get skunked. It happens.

I can count on one hand the number of bass I caught on hard jerkbaits and lipless crankbaits this year. I'm not surprised by the low numbers with the jerkbaits, but lipless crankbaits are one of my best producers in the spring.