Spankey

I'll have to see if I pick up a few for Christmas presents. i put a couple of version on a request list along with a few new Rapalas. On a local scale I can't find them. Not that surprised, it's a bit of a road trip for me to get to a decent tackle shop. Good luck with it. I'm sure they are great baits.

I'm fishing a few of the 90's for river smallies. I don't have any complaints with the bait at all. I might pick up a 130 to have but not so much for the smallies but I've been nailing a few muskies each year the last few. I jumped on the Whopper Plopper band wagon because of the positive reviews here. It's a good topwater. But my favorite??????

I am not 100% spinning. But if by some chance I were to forget to load my casting stuff it would not make or break my day. I'm a Shimano and St. Croix fan also. If I could throw this in, I fish with (2) St. Croix Premier Series Crankbait casting rods and love them. I can fish 1/8 - 1/2 CB's with them with no problems. I know it's hard to make the conversion. I'm not suggesting you go buy a setup but if you do and you get yourself a setup that works and feels great you will not regret it. I love it for spinnerbaits and crankbaits.

Yes I agree with square bills but in those conditions they don't have much of anything over a rounder bill. The Footlooses and -1 are good baits but they ain't touching bottom of 4' of water. Great when taking off the surface. I'm a river rat and in my experiences the deeper diving crankbaits serve me well also. If I'm fishing 4 ft. Of water I want a CB that will go to 6 ft. Touching bottom will get you some nice fish. I'm not dismissing a very shallow running CB. I don't want to make it sound like 1.5's, baby fats, -1's, or bandits and bombers are not the way to go either. I'd like to have $.10 for every one I caught on them. But try fishing some longer minnow type baits. They don't have to be 4" long. They'll work through your depth zone. Some baits that represent a true shape of a minnow. Conntdowns and some husky jerks. Just an opinion.

Guess there are a million hook choices. I happen to use Gamagatsu Light Wire Worm Hooks for Drop Shot and Split Shotting. I fish Roboworm also. I don't think my rig is perfectly horizontal. I don't think it matters. I don't think I've overthought that issue all that much.

I have to agree 100% on the Mojo spinning rods, the Med. XF and ML Xf are two of my favorite rods. Stick baits, drop shot, split shotting and other finesse soft plastics. I also fish some premier and avids. I don't have any St. Croix rods that I don't like. I crankbait fish with a couple of Premier Series Crankbait rods. More moderate at the tip. Love the rods and don't break the bank. Have fun with your search,

I think there are a lot of variables. Bass species you're after, size of your bass and part of the country. I enjoyed your post and the all the opinions. You have gotten a lot of good info. I just happen to fish much lighter than you guys. I do have a lot of set ups but you don't need all that many to achieve what you are trying to do. As Scott posted above, I also don't like too many rods all over my deck. But the three that I have out at a time will be rigged for 3 different techniques.

Thanks for the tips. Might just help trout fishing through the winter.

I'd like to give it heck for about 3 days. Would need to find the best overall launch site and stick with that area. I don't think I would overthink a darn thing about it. I'd fish the same way I'm fishing out east here. Condition must be very similar. I feel real good about doing well. And bettering what KVD did out there is my drive to fish your area hard. I think it would be a fun trip. Good of luck with your tourney fishing. If you could catch um all day long like the one in the pic that's a heck of a day.

Great choice. I like the way you think. I'm a St. Croix fan. The Premier series rods are great rods. I have a few Avids. Compare them than let your wallet talk. You will like both.

Fish, nice fish. I have that on my bucket list for sometime soon. I want to come across the state in the near future and fish the three River area. I'm a river rat and have had the addiction to smallies my whole life. Not sure what has taken me so long to get out there.

I play around with some trout during the late fall and early winter. Screw around with the fly rod some. Keeps me from going stir crazy. Close to home also.

I have no idea where you are but fish like that are within the Philly city limits. Have done it.

Nice. Real nice. My season is kicked down now. Had a fun year. Did get a few nice smallies. Two people that are not Smallie fisherman I had them out and hooked them up with a few nice fish this season. They were cool with a few pics and putting them back. I have Lake Ontario in my sights this upcoming season. Can't wait. Never Smallie fished it but I'm not gonna over think it. Just gonna go do it.

I use a lot of it in the lighter lines 8, 6, 4# XL clear blue. Good stuff. Back some years ago BPS had great Excel Mono. Was made by Trilene. Not as good anymore. Certainly not Trilene.

I use a few different types of lines on my set ups. Mono's, Fluro's and some braid. My biggest smallies have come on Trilene XL clear blue fluorescent 6#. I buy it buy the bulk spool. I change my line out a lot due to rocks. Can't say that I've lost a nice fish due to nicks or abrasions but want to keep it that way. Don't over think it.

I find that to be true. I think I'm trying to have others do well and my concentration level or just become complacent. I certainly am not in the same zone I am when I'm by myself.

Just a thought on drop shot weights. I pinch on split shot. Pulls off easy and I don't loose or mess up my rigs. Give it a try. Not sure of any advantage to how drop shot weights are designed.

Yes it most certainly is a nice one. Congrats. That big broad blackish tail is nice. Nice it is.

That fishing bud stuff went out the window years ago. When I tell you to be at the boat ramp at 4:45 am that doesn't mean 5:00, 5:15, 5:30...........sorry dude I like you and all but we ain't meant to fish together. Solo I only have to be concerned with myself.

What's $100 today. Wear and tear, gas, trailer tire, transducer damage. Anything can happen. I see it differently . But if those two guys are tight buds and they get along great that $100 is priceless and the time they spend together is priceless. $100 a year is very little money for a lifetime friendship.

That would never work for me. I fish alone for the most part. My immediate family can go along anytime they want to. Wish they would come more often. Ive had people who had no idea about a bass or have not done much in the way of fishing ask me if I would take them out. They are are my favorite people to take out. I don't even fish for the most part on those days. I don't even want them to bring anything. Just themselves. Use my stuff. It's cool to help someone catch their first Smallies. I love it. They love it. Most of these people over the years were more curious as to what the heck it is that I like so much about it. I don't take money for a single thing. It's on me. That the way I want to keep it.

Gammies for the most part. I also like the Gammy Light Wire Worm Hooks. But I primarily fish for smallmouths. Never ever had a Gammy hook break.

When I was a kid my buddy and I growing up use to work a guy's farm. He actually was the person who taught us how to trout fish. He was retired and was always ready to go to the tackle shop. We always had the right stuff. I still have some of my stuff from 45-48 years ago. Some things like CP Swings, Panther Martens, Old Mepps, creel, metal stringer, bait boxes. I still trout fish but that stuff is set aside. Sort of sentimental. I enjoyed growing up when I did as a kid. Stocked trout were bigger back than also. If I were to keel over tomorrow my two grandsons would be set for life with all my stuff.

For majority of my drop shotting and split shotting I use fluorocarbon. Light line on spinning reels. I do use a swivel. I do use braid for some Crankbait fishing but have a Fluoro leader without a swivel. Even my braid is on the light side. Power Pro.