Spankey

I’ll go along with the jerkbait also. I’ll fish them the way they are intended to be used, but I manage more fish using it as a crankbait sometimes. Tubes, grubs finesse worms they are all the same to me. I fish them all basically the same way in the same places. They are a big part of my fishing. Probably the buzz bait. I should do it more often. Has gotten me a few nice green fish and brown bass. I don’t fish big heavy versions of buzzbaits. Smaller Strike Kings with a Zoom Curly Tail Trailer.

I think I’m gonna kick my season off a day this week also. We have a bit of a warming trend going on. Don’t expect that much. I don’t find things to turn on out here that fast. My plan will to be fishing a couple of creek mouths. Some smallies might just move up in there. Just don’t know. Tubes, grubs, finesse worms. Rat-L-Traps ????????

We have that same thing here in PA. Pretty gray area. I’ve just keep it gray. But I’m receptive to someone clearing it up.

Man I would not BS you. A Chug Bug or Pop-R on those has landed many smallies. It don't need to be a $350.00 rod.

I have my share of rods. This bass fishing is a disease. A sickness. Hope I stay sick. But there is a lot of hype to it. And truly would hate to see anyone get bit real hard and start to buy everything and anything in site that comes along only to struggle with bills, kids and family obligations. We are in a weird economic situation right now. I’m overkill and admit it. I’m not on a pro circuit. I could do what I do with a lot less. Nothing I can do now. Sell stuff off? Sooner give it to my kids, grandkids and son-in-laws.

My favorite of my rods for topwater river fishing for smallies is a 6 foot Rapala Medium Rod. It’s older than dirt. Butt handle has had Gorilla glue applied in a few spots. A few guides are shot (line cuts). I should retire it but can’t. I still have the original hang tag from it. Maybe make it a wall hanger. My second favorite is a 6 foot Pinnnacle Rod same age, maybe a hair older. A lot of river smallies during the 80’s with these.

I prefer cork. Why? Don’t know, just a lot of years of cork handles. Would like to do an install of Winn Grip some time. Easy enough to do. I might like it. Foam or EVA whatever has come a long way over the last 40 or 50 years. I own some newer stuff. Nice. Don’t regret buying/trying it.

Anchovy paste. Can be picked up at the grocery store in the Italian section with canned different tomatoes and sauces CENTO brand.

The mom and pop I use has been around since 1950. They do not have everything, they can’t. But they have enough to catch fish locally. TW’s and others like that are good for the more specific baits. You are not gonna go there and find a 10’ x 30’ display wall of Megabass, SPRO, 6th Sense. I guess they can’t. I have a couple of set up where I use McCoy Mean Green CoPoly. They have it. People around me have no idea what it is. On one of my spools I use the old school yellow Stren. They have it. I can’t get that anywhere local. No one know what it is.

I know nothing about making plastic baits. Nada thing. But many moons ago I got hooked on a great color for my river smallie fishing. My most productive tube. The owner told me that the pattern was from mixing his scraps and recycling them and that’s how it came about.

I can agree with this. Or can for the most part. I for the most part fish St. Croix and Abu Garcia rods and pretty much know what to expect from the actions of the majority of their rods are. I wouldn’t have any second thoughts about ordering an Avid Series Rod. Fish enough of them to know what to expect. But there is no way I’d order a Megabass, 13 Fishing, All Star, ……. Or anything like that by word of mouth. I’d have to touch it. Couldn’t do a sight unseen on that when not being able to handle it first. It’s one thing to get a rod sent to you. But the haste of sending one or more back because you don’t like the feel. If I have a rod in question or brand new mfg. to me I get Cabela’s to order me a few in and I take the one I like out of the store. I can see your point also. I only have one decent real bait shop near me. A bit of a drive but one you don’t mind. Dang near on top of the lake. Plenty of places that suck around me. My old mom and pop shop is a great St. Croix Dealer.

Just picked myself up a few. Have never topwater fished like this. Do Pop-r’s, spools, buzz figured I’d give it a try. When I kick my season off I’m fishing them shallow right away. Here in PA weather is starting to come around.

I don’t see why it would not work. I’ve caught quite a few chubs on nymph flies. Often thought it would make a heck of a good live bait for a big bass. As far as live bait when I was younger I use to trap crawdads. Some minnows. But as an adult here in PA I never messed to much with the “native” forage fish and bait fish because there are most likely some type of restrictions to those, chubs and darters. Never wanted to put myself in question.

I’m not gonna get into a wizzing contest about native, invasive, wild or stocked fish. Especially the fall fish. Their existence to me is just fine but I don’t purposely fish for them. Out in my area they seem to roam from the river up to the first falls or spillway in creeks. “Trash fish” may be a bit harsh, more of an “undesirable” while I’m out. I’ve caught some eels while Smallie fishing over the years (grubs and tube). They are noted as being a delicacy, I’ll never know. They went right back into the drink alive.

Sorry that happened to your buddy. This crap is everywhere. I’m far enough outside of Philly but local news cover a story like this everyday. I wish your buddy was behind the wheel and that guy stepped out of his car with a gun. Your buddy than running the guy right over with his truck.

I can’t see why they would not. To me they are just an occasional nuisance fish while trout fishing. Back when I was a young guy my younger brother and I were trout fishing in the National Park and he landed one about 15” or 16”long. That fish had ten to twelve hooks in his face. Flies and bait holder hooks. Most old and rusted. From breaking guys lines. Trash fish moment that I’ll never forget. He didn’t keep it. No sense to. Anyway a silver/black back lure should work d**n near anywhere there’s fish.

I’m usually late to the party. But back a few months ago I had my cc compromised. It was most likely because of something at TW. Never really but it together. There was a post on here about the situation but I blew the post off. Never opening it until weeks later. Nothing ever went against me or the bank. Bank never took a loss. As others said I just let the dust settle for a bit. I was in no rush to order anything anyway. I’ve had many orders prior to the situation and have had a couple since. I’ve never had one bit of a problem with them. I believe there were a couple of orders where they noted they were having delays. There were delays but not extremely long. I’ll stick with them until I take a screwing. And The guys that do jump ship by taking a screwing or being lied to, I can see your point and don’t blame you one bit. I’ve been lucky with all my rods.

Heck for $10.00 - $12.00 it’s worth the try and fun. Good luck with it. I love the name.

Those crankbaits are not real small but not huge or very heavy. Can be thrown on a spinning set up if you wanted to. Moderate action, medium power. I’m not comfortable about spending your money. And just my opinion on an affordable not bank breaking crankbait rods is the Abu Garcia Veritas “Winch”. This series of rods is made in casting and spinning. I use both. With slower retrieving reels. True moderate actions in my opinion. Pretty light also. Doesn’t feel like your handling a light pole. Options on length and power are with the casting rods. I like the 7 foot versions.

My last few season has been chucking a lot of Strike King Crankbaits. I like their versions of the gizzard Shad. With the addition of these Wake Baits and my other SK’s I can truly cover from surface to about 16 feet. This is not a dis to Strike King but a true fact in my fishing of them. On the 3XD’s (fish them the hardest) I could be fishing one for 4-5 months, runs good, runs true, catching fish on it, then out of nowhere they don’t quit running true. Not physically damaged, bill and tie point look fine. I believe the rattle chamber goes bad or cracks internally causing an imbalance to them. Again I’m not complaining. Sometimes it might take a long as a year to do that. They are fairly inexpensive in the full scale of things. But I have a small handful that have done that. My favs I do have spares. Maybe I’ll call them sometime. I have them hanging, and wouldn’t be opposed to sending them back if they were to just truly tell me what went wrong with them. Not about the money.

Older Bomber? I fish the original Rapala floater diver quite a bit (a Rappy junkie). Even a Husky Jerk like a topwater. The original f/d was not my first lure I bought. But I’m pretty sure it was my first bass lure. May have been a Bomber. Can’t wait to try the 2.5’s.

In the river world they change a lot. Ditch one season and gone the next. To me it’s a drop off as well. I prefer to fish that. I like to fish toward the bank and back to these ditches and drop offs. My electronics are not overly high tech. But these areas your talking about are easy to find as long as they exist.

Thanks, the 2.5 are what I picked up. Gizzard Shad patterns. Still waiting on a 6th Sense that someone ordered for me. These will get me started. Trying to give my topwater a bit of a new twist. I have a couple of small coves and creek mouth that are productive. But I can’t say that I’ve caught a bragging size fish there yet. I know they have to be there. Easy ambush point for them on bluegill. I can make it work. Just have to wrap my head around it tight. I have to step my frog game up this season also. Fish it more at floating debris, rocks and those areas that look like saw dust. Not sure exactly what that stuff is. Heavier than pollen, maybe bud shell that link up.

My next trip will definitely be a great time as well. When we lay that out I want to catch both the Cub’s and Sox being home at the same time. Catching both teams. I had back to back day and night games last time with the cubs. That was a great time. We arrived early to the day game, a lot of employees working at the part are elderly locals who walk to work and a pleasure to be around. A gentleman who worked there took us under his wing and showed us around to different parts of the park and gave us a history lesson. Took us up to the open air roof top cafe that overlooks downtown and hung out with us there. Everything about those few day went great. It was no disappointment but I like New York/Philly Pizza better. Water from the Big “D” and Skuke must be the reason.

BPS Pro Qualifier. They will be about that price in a couple of weeks during the sale.