heavyduty

If that ain't it, it should be!

I emailed Nichols to see if they will sell the #4 nichols metal flake silver flash colorado blade. I'll keep you posted on their reply Black head, black skirt, gold blade is my go to buzzbait, will have to try it in a spinnerbait.

Help the kids enjoy the outdoors!

P-line in 0

Well done, thanks!

These cut braid like a hot knife through butter. I got several from Walmart when they were on sale for .99 cents

I started using the Bett's spinner #3 in gold. I use a 1/4oz ball head jig with a baby menace with great success this year. May I ask what gauge wire you are using? Are you using pliers to bend your wire or a wire bending jig? Thanks

The VMC rugby head is also a good option but it is a texas rig style vs open hook with weedguard.

Power Team Lures hog tonic will gag a maggot!

That's a lot of hair past the hook. Wonder if missed fish on short strikes is an issue? Looks like a trailer hook would be a plus.

I would agree with you on black. Purple and gold flake on skirts and in plastics has been a good pattern for me with smallmouth

Moon juice looks good. Markers can add that little extra Craws don't swim like that. I wouldn't focus that someone called them craw trailers, I don't believe they mimic a craw unless resting on the bottom (and that might be a stretch also); but more so the action they create to trigger a strike.

Zoom creepy crawler is a good trailer and inexpensive. Depending upon size, the menace bug or baby menace bug in green pumpkin/purple/gold is a good bluegill choice, with tails rigged vertically or horizontal. Seiberts has some great bluegill skirt colors for swimjigs

I had a buddy wear me out on the Susquehanna, late April, with this spinnerbait. Toledo Gold, 3/8oz. I've since thrown it in the Fall with success also. Stained to muddy water.

Yep, ripples/chop on the water is spinnerbait time!

I'm a river smallmouth fisherman. Gold blades are my #1, mainly willow with a #4 on the swivel, #3 on the clevis, lighter wire 028-032. If heavily stained to muddy, then I'll go colorado blades. White and chartreuse blades work great in this colored water as well. White, white/chartreuse, GP with purple, shad, and bluegill skirts are my top producers. Toledo gold gets a strong showing in the Spring. Seldom do I use a trailer or trailer hook. I find the river smallies usually crush a spinnerbait, not just nip at it. Seldom burn it, usually either a steady retrieve with a slight pause every couple cranks to let the skirt pulse out or slow rolling ticking the bottom. If fishing the bank out to the boat, get the bait as close to the bank or on the bank to start the retrieve. If out in the river, learn to cast with as little splash down as possible. I'll start my retrieve much like a buzzbait, start cranking before it hits the water so it glides into the water, then let it sink if you are going to slow roll. Bites can occur in the first few cranks, after it bounces off something, or as the spinnerbait starts to climb in the water column near the end of the retrieve, so fish it all the way back. Let it hit/bounce off of limbs, trunks, rocks, just like a crankbait. I use screamin eagles, Snagler Tackle, Patterson Custom baits, Battle Baits, Limber Blade, and Stanley's Vibra Wedge

@Siebert Outdoors, Thanks Mike! I'm expecting a skirt package from Mike any day now. When I got the box out of the mailbox I thought this thing sure is heavy for a skirt order, not thinking about Fishmas. Opened the box and BOOM! The pic speaks for itself! All items I fish and will fish, a smallmouth buffet. You're good to me Man!!

Enjoy!

I just got the chunks and thought they would swim well, so why not try them on an underspin. Also will try jigging/hopping it. I’ve had a lot of success this year with a baby rage menace on this head and I think these chunks should work as well

Can you link one or two of these video's?

Not doubting you at all. I was referring to the San Juan Worm. I had never heard of it until I read your post and had to look it up

Homemade 1/4oz underspin and weedguard with a mini d chunk for the body

Adding just a couple strands of silicone to a soft plastic for cold water can make all the difference in the world. "Cold water jig" perhaps.....

I like throwing the Bett's spinners in #3 size. I wanted to try some with hammered gold colorado blades, they come with smooth. I figured the #3 size was referring to the blade size so I ordered some 3.5 hammered colorado blades from Barlows to get a little bit larger blade. They arrived yesterday and they are at least a half size smaller than the blade that came on it. So I don't know if the #3 Bett's is for blade size, if it actually has a #4 blade on it, or if Barlow's blade sizes are different as mentioned above about variance in manufacturer. I now, at least, have a starting point to order more from Barlow's, hopefully I guessed right on this order!

Been there, done that, still do! It's a sickness!