Spankey

I'll take dinks and runts over getting skunked. Have had many days and had to settle for small bass. But, they were bass.

Guido Bug style craws are my favorite. To me, some of the more realistic do perform as well. This is just my situation, only speaking for myself. They do manufacture some great imitations.

Go to on a tough bite most likely finesse, drop shot or split shot a power worm.

Thanks for the heads up. I was able to score on some pointers, D-7's and D-9's in colors that should work great in my area. I feel Brownie and Japan Craw will work great in the river. Again thanks, I've never fished a Lucky Craft Lure, looking forward to it.

I'm pretty addicted to Gary Yamamoto/Kinami kut tail worms but found Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops versions of Cut tails to perform very well. I try not to be cheap but I like doing the comparison like yourself. You can buy one bag of every color BPS has for $15. What do you have to loose.

I've used it some. Have picked off fish with it in black chrome and orange. Have a hard finding it local. I base everything around a Shad Rap because of my addiction to using Rapalas. Picked up some SK Lucky Shads over the winter. Looking forward to trying them. They have a pretty big pattern selection. Feel good about them.

Just went through and straightened up my Rattle Traps thought for sure I had a solid chartreuse for you. Closest I come are Diamond Traps that bodies are solid chartreuse but the bottoms are orange or backs are green. Let us know how you make out. Taking one you have and spraying it might be your best option. You could spray up some of those cheapie Cotton Cordells you find in the $1.00 bin at Wally World and won't care if you hang one up every once and awhile. Maybe paint some and hang them in a tree/bush and fade/dull them to a color you like. Those old Diamond Shads have red eyes. Don't know why they stopped them. They work pretty good, I find those DS, a Cotton or Lewis in Chrome w/ blue back, Chrome w/ black back or Gold w/ black back work equally as well. On a cloudy or lower light situation I just go with a painted shad pattern over the chrome.

Ghost, happy retirement enjoy it. Hope you have your best season this year. Good fishing.

Where the review? Oh..........That's the review. Great. Been wondering about that version of a Shad Rap.

It would be no for me. In the condition I fish, similar to that of smalljaw67. He couldn't put it any better. In my case black, green pumpkin or roadkill, colors I love to fish would peter out in clear water.

Yes that is a hang up on size also for me. Somewhere in another guys post I have that throwing a 6" worm is occasional for me. He's trying to throw 9" at smallies. Do hope it works for him. When I'm out, I fish crankbaits, spinnerbaits and plastics. But I catch myself to slow down many many a times with those plastics.

If possible let us know what the water temp is. I would not hesitate throwing a rattle trap/rattlin rap. Good luck, good fishing.

I'm right there with you also. I have a little down time now because of recent carpal tunnel surgery. Reorganized a few crankbait boxes and made a modification to my line spooling station. But I'm ready. I can't cast quite yet or shotgun for sporting clays. Two more weeks of healing I should be ready for fishing and work. Might paint some jig heads today, and see what is all involved with making my own 3 - 3 1/2" craws and some finesse worms. This is something I've been wanting to do for years. But never researched it

Looks like it might be an old Grappler Shad that's Cotton Cordell. Just a good guess.

Sometime you just have to go with your gut feeling. Asking questions is great, and if you don't know ask. There is no dumb questions. But if you had cash enough to buy everything you are told or see you'd have a lot of cash tied up and no fish in the boat. Depending where you are all situations are different.

I agree with all the above posts. I have a good variety selection of soft plastics and colors. More than I need but that's from trying to fish with different versions. All of which work but to different degrees. Taking 4 colors out, I believe I could make something happen with that. Leaving everything else at home. In good conditions or a normal conditions I feel confident enough about taking (4) bags of Power Worms or Sliders out on the Big "D" and catch bass. I realize you said senko, but I'm more apt to be throwing a tube, fluke or finesse type worm in my fishing over the senko. Putting myself in your type of situation.

What is the natural forage in the lake?

I know a few guys that will throw a fire tiger crank bait all day long. Spring, summer and fall when they have a boat full of baits. They catch some smallies. But, will get skunked and trailer up and go home when they don't want it. That's one great pattern but I'm not fishing that way. I keep myself rigged up in a way to cover a few water depths and with a few different lure shapes when crankbait fishing. Color DOES means something to me but not everything. Some productive colors have been black, brown, deep purple, olives and deep blues when I'm hunting for a bit when things get a bit tuff. I believe these colors could be natural colors in the bass food chain, not an expert in aquatic forage. Not and expert in anything. Never give up, just try to make something happen. Did you ever have one of those days when you just couldn't make anything happen? But, you couldn't bring yourself to getting off the water. Than you tie on one of those $1.94 Wally World Specials out of the assortment boxes on the lower shelf, You throw it than nail two fish in three casts. That's what that box of lures is there for.

Last couple seasons have been pretty good on my home water rivers. Past season was my worst top water effort or lack of effort ever. It started out poor when I should have gotten fish on productive lures. I would of settled for all dinks or runts. They were few and far between. They were there. Fished other baits in the area and had hook up. Caught myself throwing them knowing with the attitude they were not going to work. Just didn't believe. I hope to turn this around. I was told to give them a different top water look. Almost endless choices. That was what I should have done. Should of fished a few new topwater lure to death. This is something I have to work on this season and get my mind right at topwater time. I'll admit I can be a creature of habit. Pretty hard to convince me there is anything better than a Rapala or Bandit hard baits. Gonna fish a few new Strike Kings this season. During winter boredom bought some great patterns of them. Fished a few new Bakers last year . Still out to lunch on them. They were fish catchers but as water cleared Channel cats and Carp were taking them. Good...bad, probably better than worse. I'm going to throw a few old school baits this season also. You all most forget how productive they once were. I'll post a review

I got hooked on fishing when I was in my single digits. I've been addicted to smallies since I was about 16 yrs. old and that been 40+ years. Did some tournament fishing............didn't find it to be fun. Recently was going to revisit it and decided against it. I'm making it a point this year to go back to throwing some old school baits that I have not fished in several years. Somehow you get yourself away from them. Hard and soft baits.

I don't need any more rods but couldn't resist the new series Mojo 6'10" ML X-Fast. A lot better feel then previous series but the older series is a great rod also. The show had some discounted prices so went for it. I have other St. Croix that are similar all great soft plastic rods.

I fish a lot of worms. Not many 6" worms. A 6" is tying on a bigger worm for my type of fishing. They work. 9" go for it, try it. Let us know how it works for you. I don't want a whole pack of 9"ers but if I scored two 9" green pumpkin or pumpkinseed ribbon tails I'd try it. Good luck.

I'm pretty sure my first smallie of the year will be off a Mini-Trap or Rattling Rap or possibly some pattern of a Rapala countdown husky jerk style jerkbait. I'll be on the river soon (not the New) buy don't figure it will be caught in real shallow water. Starting to Jones a bit about going. Just had Carpal Tunnel surgery on Monday. I'm a few weeks out but I'm always ready. Gold w/ black back, Silver w/ black back, Chrome w/ blue or black back, Pearl w/ blue back. As long as it's not high heavy stained water this will work for me.

It was like trilene xl back at one time. Word on the street was Berkley was making it. I fish two set ups using the Excel in 6# clear and green, on sale the price is right and the deal is real. I don't keep that line on a spool for more than 2 or 3 outings at most. Go through a lot of line in a years time. This is not a complaint I just change out my line often. I don't think its a weak line just not what it was. Not the same line it was 10 years ago. Trilene is what it was ten years ago. Believe me I'm not starting a line war, like many things they are not made the way they use to be made.

Fish what you have for right now. Your next purchase will be more in line with hat you want to do. Right now it would just be a guess on any rod. Go fish for awhile. You'll get plenty of great opinions when you upgrade. Fish the Pro Max for now. Just my opinion.