Spankey

This year I've jerkbait fish more than I had over last few years. Rapala Husky Jerks and Countdowns have always been productive. I started using some Rapala Shadow Rap Shads in shallow and deep models. They are catching fish and will use them as long as possible this season. I don't like the shallow version. I'm having a tough time getting them down to the 3-4 foot level. More like two feet if that. Probably something I"m doing wrong. Might need to use them with a spinning setup and 6 lb. test to get them deeper. ???don't know???

The Shad Rap is a go to bait. I don't throw the jointed version as much. I mostly throw the jointed as a change up or for the slightly different look. Very productive bait for me. I'm also using something very similar that I get great results with. But I believe its pattern color related. Sz.7

I know nothing about where you are. I'd think about the drop shot and t-rig some 4-5" worms, split shot some 4-5" worms. Not sure what your worm choices are. There are millions I guess. There are are dozens of ways to approach it but worms are my choice way. If I were thrown into that situation knowing you threw everything you had and came up empty.

My baits are pretty much the same. I throw at times a larger bait. Slightly larger. I have a few color changes that they seem to react better to. I fish more points and creek mouths.

Generally I have no problem going or being at work but today it's killing me. I think I'm missing out on what may have been the best Smallie day of the season. 35 deg. Air temp. No air movement, dead calm. River will be like glass. We had an early sign of fall back in the beginning of September for a few days and I hammered them. We went into a heat spell for the last month. Bite slowed but catchable. Fall appeared this morning. Sort of bummed. Please shoot me. Good of luck to anyone in the NE that can score today. It will have to be Saturday and Sunday for me.

At times I'm my own worse enemy. I go out and have my self fishing to my own game plan. The way I want to fish. Fish a bunch of confidence baits that generally produce. I don't let the fish tell me what they want. I've had this happen. I've went home shaking my head. But I try to reason with what is going on on the water. Change something up and continue to fish hard .

That's for sure. Very well put.

I fish two St. Croix premier Crankbait Rods. A bit more moderate at the tip. $$$ Don't break the bank. I use mine for 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8 crankbaits. Rat-L-Traps being part of that.

I know I can spin myself into the ground when I overthink colors. I try not to. I fish water that has a stain to it the majority of the time. I'm all about the color patterns mentioned above and the theories behind it. But I throw a lot of natural colors in stained water and they produce. I think firetiger craw color is a great pattern but if that was all i threw there would be many day I'd be trailered up going home without a fish caught. Two very productive crankbait colors that I've thrown over the years in stained and in clearer water is a solid black and a dark olive green Bandit 200. They both have been very productive over the years. Bandit doesn't put out colors like they use to. Bandit must have been bought out, they are not what they use to be.

I've settled on Rat-L-Trap Brand many years ago. Have a few Super Spots and Rapalas in the mix also. The trap style of baits are great baits. My most recent trip out this past Saturday was bleak. Lock jaw and a case of smallies being nonexistent. Rat-L-Trap saved a being skunked day, fished wood log jam at a bridge piling and nailed two largemouths, only 13-14" fish but I felt lucky and blessed to get them the way that day was going. I have a pretty decent color selection of traps. But I really only need a few colors. My most productive have been variations of these colors: chrome w/ blk. back chrome w/ blue back gold w/ blk. back Have been messing with red variations the last couple of seasons. Mixed results. I think I just have to build a confidence level in red at this point.

We should be in fall temps now but we are not in eastern PA. Saturday water temps on the river were 67-70 degrees. Air temps have been staying in the mid to high 60's over nights. In my opinion a fall pattern has not started yet. This season has been weird in so many ways that it might be unforgettable. Somewhere around September 7th-9th we got a cool snap and the fishing was great on back to back days. Since than they have been biting but I'm not seeing the baitfish activity over the last few weeks. For me I'm not sure how it will play out. It will get cold that's a given. No hard water fishing for me. Stream trout I fish for during the winter.

It happens don't sweat it. Get away from your normal routine. Sort of fish your way through it. There is most likely a good explanation for it. It's a matter of how deep you want to think about it. Let it go, and fish through it. I was out on Saturday and the Smallmouts were nonexistent with a case of lock jaw. Managed two greenies fishing an area I had no plans on fishing. Was gonna call it a day. Felt lucky and blessed to get them. Covered a lot of productive water and threw a lot of productive lures. Thats fishing.

Wow! That's some good stuff there dude. Congrats! Go get more! I tried to open that the other day and it wouldn't let me. Just tried again no problem. "Sweet"

I'm dealing with the grass and leaves also at this time. Both will get worse as time moves on for me. I just throw worms, tube, creature types and grubs more. Saturday I struggled to catch a smallie. Lock Jaw and they seemed nonexistent. All conditions seemed perfect. Caught 2 Greenies in heavy wood build up at a bridge piling. A Rat-L-Trap save what I thought was going to be a skunked day. Was greatfull and lucky for the 13" and 14" Greenies.

Can only comment on what I use. I like my St. Croix Premier Crankbait Rods. A bit softer in the tip. They don't break the bank either. I would not by anything sight unseen. You have to touch it. Certainly it will act differently on the water. But you have to give it the carpet test. I don't like an X fast or real fast rod for cranks. Moderate fast is the St. Croix. Everyone has their own preference though.

My thought are pretty much the same as others. I'm pretty much a Rapala freak throwing Count Downs, Husky Jerks and the last couple of seasons the Shadow Rap Shads. Before ever trying one I read the reviews on the SRS's and they were a bit negative. I find them to be productive and certainly did not have them break. Now for the most part I'm fishing River smallies. An 8, 10, 12 lb. fish might break one I don't know. Colors gold w/ blk. back, silver w/ blk. back, silver w/ blue back. The Shadow Rap Shads have some nice color choices but I'm only throwing shiner patterns. I can't comment on any other brands. A lot of them out there that are good or better than Rapala. Have fun, good fishing.

I have to agree. But I'm not throwing swimbaits a high percentage of the time. About 1/5 of my fishing. I find the Storms productive and easy to find. I've been using chartreuse garlic dipping dye on them. Wish I could find some that are a black and silver minnow pattern that are more black than silver. Been touching some of them up with a sharpie. They are east to work with.

That was fantastic man. Enjoyed it. I love your thoughts and take on mental relief time on the water. Great way to put it. Good fishing.

Great stuff. I miss a few of my relatives that are gone. The trout fishing, bass fishing, deer and turkey hunting. But I have young grandsons that I get out. When I'm gone they will have more than enough stuff to use. Glad you and him shared the experiences.

Love the big hellgies and Jacks worm. Good stuff.

Do you think you could post a pic sometime of this? Just curious as to what this looks like. Thanks.

"I like it a lot." Love the black lip on that one.

++++++++AAAAAAAA++++++++ I have a boat load of Bandits, have caught at least a fish on each one. I fish some natural patterns that are real killers. Majority are Special Runs that you just can't get anymore. Wish bandit would pull it together and bring back some of those. Some of the newer patterns will pick up some fish but the older ones were the bomb. They are not in the USA anymore.

I bumped my sizes up this season on a few of my favorite crankbaits because of stained water. Not sure how it well it worked but surely did not hurt. Went with the larger profile thought. I'm in clearer water now. Hope I can get a few times out with my current conditions. I'm back to 1.5 ish sizes and natural type colors.

Split shot, drop shot and T-rig Roboworms. But others as well.