Spankey

Rapala, Bomber, Strike King, Bandit, Norman, Lewis all have on the box. Pretty sure. But I have noticed that some of the Japanese stuff is in kilograms. Then you need to make the conversion ounces on your iPhone.

I know this for sure. Going through it right now. I'm on a 6 day steroid regiment and some topical cream to get rid of my recent bites. I just don't know what it was that was biting me. Meds now just starting to kick in. Monday morning on the lake I was getting bit by those grey flies that you come across down at the beach. But I didn't think I was getting bit that bad by them. Maybe was just obvlibious to what was going on. d**n itch will drive ya crazy.

I can't do much watermelon and I know it is in my head. Can't shake it out. But that South African color is on my to do list, I've been eye balling that color up for awhile. I do well with things similar and have no doubts about it. I'll get it on my next order. Some worm version. Thanks for the reminder. Another black Thats been working good is "yoga pants" a flatter black that has a marble to it. That is how I see it.

I don't mind having the variety of colors. Over the years I've mostly stuck to a certain mfg. for what I've been fishing. My cut tail worms for the most part are Kanami, Paddle tails would be Case, 4" & 7" curly tail are Power Worms, Straight tail finesse/drop shot Robo worm. I do have a few strays of BPS or Cabela's or whoever branded stuff but not much.

I have 4" Power Worms, Kanami and 4.5 RoboWorms both curly & straight tails and I've caught fish on them all. But some colors certainly produce better than others. The lesser producing colors are great to have in my possession when I'm out to throw as a change up color. The change up works a lot of times. My soft plastics I store in containers. Only that certain plastic will be in there. Zoom lizards will not be mixed with Power Lizards, 4" Power Worms would not be with 7" Power Worms etc. Easy to find what I want and what color I prefer. I believe color means something but not everything. But I have certain colors I have no confidence in at all. No sense in ever throwing them they are watermelon, bubble gum, yellow or orange type worm.

Word on the street is that it's been a bit slow for bass over there. Much like others are experiencing right now. Kayakers, boarders and all will lessen up soon. Temps will fall a few degrees and things will pick up. Keep at it and never give up.

I love fishing soft plastics. I understand what you are saying about going full circle. A guy is a plastics freak. I know what you mean. But not sure how long you guys have been fishing, some manufacturers had some plastics that I use to kick butt with. They were discontinued. Mr. Twister had a worm called "silk worm 4.5", Lucky had a worm called a "razor worm", Berkley had a finesse Power Worm & a 4" crawler with a small flat paddle tail to it", Manns use to have a 4.5 Dragon Worm with this pointy ass tail on it, Mr. Twister had this finesse worm called "Exude"???? I would kill for these to come back or at least to get my hands on a few more packs. Probably before your guys time. Finesse fishing as been around Awhile.

Welcome aboard. I'm SE Penna also. Good luck and good fishing.

I hope the guy hooks up with some runts at least. I'm throwing 80% soft plastics and fishing 20% crank baits. I got to thinking about a bait I bought and used for the river and I'm totally overlooking it over the last few weeks to fish. The TRD and jig head. I still think it will be an attraction to small fish but may help with a bigger hook up with the exposed hook. Smaller bait may help, may not. Slow finesse presentation may help, been throwing a lot of dark colors may go to opposite side with minnow colors. Believe me I'mnot trying to rub any salt in an eye. The Lalapoluza of dinks and runts ain't all that. Just throwing some ideas out there. Been fishing a few different worms. 4"-5", drop shot, split shot, t rig and shakey head/jig head. I'm gonna stick with the slower, smaller, lighter, plastics for now.

I'm on my third weekend of dinks and runts. Been doing the back to back morning thing. The nice fish are there but have shut down. I've had big hits than they lay off of it. Yesterday I had a nice hook up of decent bass. 2-3 lb. guess. Two jumps and threw a worm. I'm still butt hurt about it. Be patient. They'll kick it up a notch soon. They are there. Try not to get frustrated. Sometimes when things go bad they turn into crap show.

What has to water temp been?

I hear that. I'll settle for the quieter starting Saturday if possible.

Amen

That's BS. You shouldn't have to go through that. I went through that one time with a Quantam reel. After the second time BPS ate that one. I told them to deal with. The majority of my spinning reel are Shimano. I have older Stradics, Symetres(favorite), newer Nasci and Saharas and I've never had to send anything back. Sorry to hear it. I've never went with another Quantam again. Leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Can see your concern.

I primerarly fish St. Croix rods. Pretty many of them. At one time they were full cork. Now I have a 50-50 mix I guess. Handle length means something to me but really never gave a lot of thought to the split grip. If the rod feels right, balances right, I'm out the shop door with it. I've never bought a rod sight unseen or touched. I can't do that. Unless I have one identical.

Great deal buy. If it's cherry shape that 1/2 price. I fish 1st and 2nd generations of Mojo rods. I like them. You'll find the right purpose for it. But I can't spend your money. If you like it your not going wrong.

I'm out here in mid Atlantic. Stained and heavy stained are the norm. I tried to to give red an honest effort. Overall Didn't make out real well with it. Did manage a couple of fish in the lower Potomac with it. Got the chance back a couple of years ago to talk with Ish Monroe about using reds. A time when I was really trying to make it work for me. Great guy. But he's a Cali guy and maybe his parts of the delta and a few guys who tried to give me some insite from Texas are fishing a section of the country where reds are found as a norm or a large part of color change in crawdad molting process. Ive seen color change to craws in my area but not to where they take on reds. It might possibly have some red in it at some point in time but that period my be short compared to other parts of the country. I don't believe color means everything. May mean very little. But if you struggle with a color move on. Maybe I'll fish a part of the country some day where reds kick but. At least I won't have to run out or order them.

Should still be fun. Even if they were stocked fish by this time of year they will be gamey and you'll have to work for them. Do some ultra lite finesse fishing. Might be a pleasant break from bass fishing.

If i were in your shoe I would not worry about black, blue or black and blue when it comes to jigs, worms, spinnerbaits or cranks. No sense in dealing with the frustration. There are way to many options. I would expand on what is working and buy some colors that are variants of what works. Chuck the black and blue on a day when things are not going too well. Days when you can't buy a hit and than it may be something that will save the day. I don't do very well with red crankbaits. I have nice baits, red versions of what styles I use. I've tried seven ways to Sunday to make it work for me. I tried, I backed off. It's one thing to try a color pattern to see how it goes but I'm not gonna throw it all day and get frustrated. But I'm all about giving it an honest effort. What style of baits are you trying to throw in those unproductive colors?

Rat-L-Trap. Chrome w/ black back Chrome w/ blue back Gold w/ black back 1/4 oz. Mini Trap.

Great post and story info. I dig that blue Smallie. Hope to have one in my future like that. I've caught some super dark smallies. Not totally unusual. And some Smallies with very unusual black birth marks on them. Smooth and in the scales. I've heard these birth marks are a healthy thing. Anyway great post, thanks.

These flooding conditions add up after time. Smallies and silting don't go together. Things compound from one storm to another. Hence taking a couple of years for things to lead up to a certain point. You can lose year classes of bass do to this. Lakers may not be as suseptable to this. Catt, in that post last night is what or where I was coming from about putting time in on a piece of water. Maybe I should of been more clear about it being some what new. Sorry. And again I respect your opinion and knowledge. And all others on here.

Very much appreciated. Thank you. This will be my senerio also. Pretty sure. I may go back in October to a few spots. Basically in my backyard. I'm not going near it anytime soon. Sort of have my train of thought working a different direction now.

Thanks man. That is it exactly. All will be good in time. If I live long enough I may see a rebirth on my old home, but in the mean time I'm not gonna roll over or cry. No plans to learn golf. Too many other places. I have too many rods and lures to not get them wet. Hey I'm not whining about my new home. I'm going to have fun there.

I'm a river rat. My heart is on the river and Smallies are in my blood and in my heart. Will always be. My local home on the river has been on a decline the last few years. Rains have had big affects on it. Environmentally it has changed. Fish species have changed. Boat ramp conditions let go to hell. There are still smallies there. But there has been a serious change. With water conditions the way they have been, I've transitioned this year to a big local lake. I feel now that I should have done this a couple of year ago. It's been there (lake) my whole life but I became a river rat young and stayed there. You become a creature of habit I guess. It's two big different worlds. It's been a breath of fresh air to a degree. A lot of pressure there. There are some nice bass there and when you've caught them and seen them it not too hard to make this your new home. I'm struggling to be consistent. That will be the hard work to become consistent. Learning it more and more everytime out. Weeding out the unproductive areas. I don't know what I'm asking or not really looking for advise but this was a move I had to make because a frustration level had been setting in to what my norm was. Fishing and frustration do not go well together. It's not suppose to be like that. I'm an old dog trying to learn a few new tricks to keep my fishing alive and fresh. Thanks and sorry for being so long winded.