Spankey

Lucky, that’s a dang nice fish man. Congrats. Thanks for keeping it real. The original fish is a beaut. No doubt about it. Some waterway guy commenting on the same pic we are seeing is just misguided. Other guys I know from on the water have told me of things and comments waterway guys have told them. Have heard a few bizarre statements. I’m lucky I guess that I don’t ever run into them or get approached.

No I have not. Easy enough to rig up and experiment on one line. I’m not new to drop shotting but this season I’ve drop shotted more than the last three seasons put together. To make a long story short I have a new home as far as fishing waters now. On a lake now. I’m a river rat, the majority of my life’s bass fishing has taken place on the river. Effects of Mother Nature over the last couple of years have ruined it and I refuse to let the frustration of that hold me back. Some may say that fishing is fishing whether on the river or the lake. Not sure about that. I’ve found that you have to apply yourself and the techniques a bit different. It is sort of a different world in quite a few aspects. But I’m enjoying the new home. Enjoying the largemouths. Hope the river rebounds, but Mother Nature has control of that. Can only hope I live long enough to see that happen.

OK I bit. I had to order something from TW anyway so I threw a few packs of these on. I’ll have them for spring. I have the SK Dream Shot OPT’s 4.25” coming. * Sexy Shad * Prizm Shad * Bold Bluegill Should have waited for Black Friday but it’s ok. These patterns are very similar to RoboWorm. These colors will not be new but that odd shape will be. They’ll work. I’m looking forward to having the SK rigged on one rod and a RoboWorm 4.5 the same color on another and fish them at the same time. Be tough to do at the same time, you get what I’m saying.

I’m not trying to recommend anything. Can only comment on the quality level of something I already use. The type of fishing will dictate what you need.

You’ll probably like the NACSI. I know I do. They done away with the Symetre because of some name or rights to the name thing. The Symetre are/were my favorites and I like the two NACSI just as much. Good luck.

I’ve heard of them for years. Seen them around only in media or internet form. On a local scale I never seen them around. They have a unique shape that never caught my eye enough to get them. I’ll order two colors and try to fish them the way I fish others. That shape to me is drop shot but I also like to split shot rig and fish a light Texas rig on worms I use. I think they are popular.

But all of our winters are not created equal. We all share the same dates on the calendar as to when seasons start but that’s about all. North Eastern part of the country is no comparison to parts of the south. I’m not envious. But you don’t know what winter is. 40-50 degree days up here in the heart of winter are like a spring thaw. We don’t have anyone to plow boat ramps and run salt spreaders. I’m only trying to say up here it does come to an end unless you want to put a hole in the ice.

I hear that. If I can get out two or three more times by mid November I’ll be happy. Rains ruined my season this year. I’ve gotten out, I’ve caught fish, I found a new home due to Mother Nature. But all in all it was thrown way off. Nice numbers your getting. A few more bass for me and I’ll be happy going into winter. I’ll be fishing for some stream trout until water gets hard.

I’ve been fishing RoboWorms for a long time. Straight tail, curly tail, FX and reg. Can only recommend them. I’ve never fished a Dream Shot. Heard of them. Over the winter I’ll work on getting a few packs. Spring I’ll try them drop shot, split shot and light t rig them. Thanks

Nice post. Great pics. Good luck next season.

I don't think the whole real story was going anywhere other than a great time out, good overall bite going on, some nice smallies were hitting, some nice smallies were caught, an exceptional fish got caught and a pic was taken. A under qualified waterway guy made an inaccurate assumption from the same pic we are seeing. I know I'm not jealous. Whenever I'm smallie fishing I hoping for a state record even though in reality it probably won't come from the rivers I fish. Mick I was not trying to quote you. Not sure how it came up. I do like your photo collage. Real nice, good fishing.

Nice smallie for sure. Congrats to him and his father. Better than a respectable fish. I'm a Pennsy Smallie angler and have caught some nice smallies they didn't come anywhere close to his 9 lb'r, not far from it's said length though. I keep a digital scale on the boat. They are not that expensive. I try to keep it real. Just not into over exaggerating. I river fish. They are leaner for the most part.

It wouldn't surprise me. I've recently (for this season) bought spares of some of my more productive patterns and they are not made as well. Solid black is a good pattern. Bandits are good lures still but not what it was. Why in their right mind would they stop making the Firetiger Craw pattern. They still have a firetiger pattern but its not the original. Some of the old special run colors are my favorites. It's just the way of the world with everything these days.

They are Guaddy made now with Bandits. They have been going down hill. Not sure if they even put the little American Flag in the package anymore. Should not if they come from Guaddy. Bandits use to be made in Mississippi. I'm pretty sure. That Company took a bad turn after that. But hats off to the old crew at Bandit. I love my older patterns. They'll never bring those back.

Pretty nice looking. It will work if you believe strongly enough that it will. The base color alone will catch the heck out of smallies. (Solid olive green) One of my most productive Bandits. I can't say the Goby Bandits are a must have. They caught fish but not a great pattern. Like you I just had to try it. I don't believe they see that as a goby. Just my opinion. Just a lure they reacted to.

Some guys will give you the argument that the high speeds are better. But I feel the lower speeds of 6 and under are great for crankbaits. My set up are used for 3/8 oz. or heavier and for lighter I have spinning rods that I would not call fast or x-fast. I don't throw heavier than 9/16 oz. cb's with a BC setup presently. On the river I crank to about 13 ft. I've held that Abu "Winch" in my hands a few months ago. What's not to like about it. It's 4.7 I believe. Maybe I'll ask for it as a Christmas present. My fishing has changed this year. I've made a local lake my new home because the river I grew up on and spent my whole life on is under some major issue due to Mother Nature. I'm not gonna set here and tell you Shimano, Abu and St. Croix are the next best thing to sliced bread. You are smarter than that. If it's something you don't need right away make a winter project out of it and have yourself the ultimate setup for spring. Will give you a long time to see a lot of stuff. I want to get to a guy that has the Abu "Winch" rods, I hear they are 7 ft. and have a real moderate action. Supposedly they don't break the bank either. I won't but a rod or reel sight unseen. You'll find it but the whole package has to feel right in your hands.

To each his own. Hard to tell someone what will work for them. It has to feel right for you. I'm a river rat and my baitcaster set ups are the St. Croix Premier series Crankbait rods with Shimano 5.4's. I like the softer type tip for crankbaits. I like a moderate to moderate fast tip. I max out on crankbaits at 1/2 - 9/16 oz. But 1/4 - 5/16 oz. Shad rap types I throw with spinning stuff.

S&W Mdl. 60, 357mag., 5 shot, nice carry gun. I don't carry all the time. Hardly ever. I've had a CCP for a long long time and just don't feel comfortable doing it if you know what I mean. But I have fun with my pistols at the club range. Great way to have fun on a summer night.

A lot of guys are adimately oppose to split grips. Some don't want the full cork. I fish St. Croix that are both. It means nothing to me. You'll find at least one SC you'll like but it may not be necessary to spend it to find something you like.

I'm pretty much a St. Croix guy. I'm sure if you handle enough of the Avids in ML & M you'll find the feel your looking for. But it for what it's worth I also fish with the 6'10" ML IKE Abu Rod. I like it a lot. I fish lighter drop shot, split shot, t rigs and Ned rigs with it. I would recommend you look at it. But it has to feel right for you. You have to consider the reel also. Pair whatever to make it feel right. You can get the IKE Rods under $100 now.

His shows in and around the Philly area were pretty decent. He keeps it for real. I've fished those same areas on the Delaware River and in toward the city. Decent mix of smallies and greenies. For the most part he is somewhat local to me. I've never met him though. I'm fine with the fact that he doesn't come off like a Hank Parkerish dude.

Ike is who he is. I'm a fan. "I Like Ike".

There is no one on this site that is more anal or mental than I am. Gotta try it. That baby bass in the pop r's is sweet. Been throwing that for years. Rebel has two color variations of that baby bass. Spend the $3.49 and pick up a pack of the Roboworms in baby bass. If they don't work for you, Ill buy them from you and I'll fish them.

You don't have to break the bank over it. And certainly do not have to go out and buy high dollar crankbaits to be productive. I'm a bit disappointed with my results with the real image versions. Really thought I'd light the world up with them when I first saw them. I had to have the DT's and Shad Rap versions of the baby largemouth and smallmouths. Has not worked out well. You should still find some of the older vintage classic styles no problem. Bomber recently brought back the vintage Smallie version back. Something to check out. Hope you do better than I if you tie on and real image patterns.

You might still be able to get the Cotton Cordel Big O in bass. I use to fish the heck out of it in the late '70's and '80's. I still have them. For posterity I'll have to tie one on next time out.