Spankey

Mo, I’m gonna make it a point to break out some older worms this season that I have had stashed away. Not sure what I’m saving them for. Long gone as far as being on a tackle shop shelf. I have not stored them any way special other than in zip locks. They are still in excellent condition. Old school finesse worms. Silk Worm 4.5 - Mr. Twister Razor Worm - Lucky Strike 4” Ribbon Tail - Culprit 4” Power Finesse Worms - Berkley 4” Manns Dragon Worm

I have a small legit first aid kit on the boat. Over all the years only used a few times. No major mishaps to deal with which is fine. Had all the cpr training at work for years added that stuff to the kit. Have grandsons. They been in there a few times. Come spring I’ll toss the aspirin and put new. Take a few min. in the spring and go over it.

I have to call the factory at some point and ask them about a black version. Have never seen one or been able to buy them in 4.5” or 6”. Robos are very productive for me but there were many time I feel having black would have been a killer time. I have others in black but that is a pretty basic color. Found them in 7” black and bought them. Maybe my search for them is not good or maybe nobody is interested in black other than myself.

I don’t carry a tattoo for any brand. But admittedly I do have some favorites. Most of bigger names have something that catch my eye enough and it’s like “I can catch a fish on that”. A Local tackle shop started carrying their stuff. Some of their stuff. Was surprised because I thought they were only at DICK’S. I have to buy my own baits, don’t have season after season of freebies given to me. Experimenting is on my dime. Most of the time my experiment works. I’m not sure how big of a place they have in the market but seem to see it more and more on the professional tournament scale over the last year or so. But tv ran ads or mag ads I don’t think I’ve ever seen one. Most post here seem to have YouTube attached to them.

I don’t fish a Senko style all that much. Cut tail I do. Various ways. But the good news is there are others out there, that are good, but I prefer GY. Back some time ago, Cabelas had a kit-tail version, 4” & 6” they were decent. They stopped making them I guess. Don’t see them around.

TW stock on a GY Kit Tail is down to nothing. Maybe they quit making them. Hope not but you never can tell.

It’s something how one person can do well with a type of worm and others struggle. A real good worm, smaller finesse worm that was dynamite for me on the river was the Manns Dragin Worm. They stopped making them. The color sand in real gin clear river water was great. August and September it was great. Fish the Chompers version, it’s ok but not the Manns. I guess Manns is throwing in the towel these days. There are a lot of good soft plastics out these days. I have a short list of good worms that I seen go by by over the years. Something does replace it.

I would not use this hook on monster bass, a situation I don’t have to question all that much up here in the North East but 1/0 straight lite wire Grammy worm hooks is my hook of choice.

Split shot rig. The original and “Fat” are great worms.

I like to slider and shakey head fish, I do well twitching a split shot rig.

Have caught river smallies on many bait styles but Grubs have yielded many many fish over the years. They may be overlooked these days. Have been on the lake more more the last handful of years and now use the larger Zoom Fat Albert grub. Produces well.

I like the Bandito Bugs and Kracken Craws. Not to hot on what I see in their worms. Do well with a couple of their cranks. Like walking on egg shells or glass on this site when you mention Googan. I don’t understand it or it’s over my head. Good luck with that bait.

Nothing totally new for this season. Got back on the river (home waters) some this past season. Was going half decent until big flood came. Finished the season out on the lake. Will find a spot to launch, all local ramps had gotten ruined. Only real new thing is gonna be fishing some pink/bubble gum baits. Working on the pink care package right now. In 63 years have never thrown one. Looking forward to trying it. Will squeeze it in as a change up and have outing that i'll start out with it. With any luck I can make it work. If not oh well, tried.

I drilled out a no. 7, works ok. Since then I’ve bought those sticky dots they seem to work ok also. But in all honesty I’m not modifying many baits other than hook changes or putting a red hook up front. Right out of the box the Shad rap is a great bait. Hope you do well with your mods. Snow, ice, sub temps, have me a bit depressed right now but it won’t be long.

REVO4- SX-L, 6.6:1, a bit fast, I’ll keep a high full spool. I might step up to 10# as a few of these guys suggest. Drift fishing for river smallies. Think I’m gonna do an exchange from a 6’8” to a 6’4” rod. If not possible that’s ok. Has a nice moderate action. Can’t wait until smallie time.

Over all the years for river smallies I never pass up the wood lay downs. Always the possibility of Mr. Greenjeans in there also. Worms, craws, creatures, spinnerbaits (I don’t fish huge spinnerbaits), Shad Raps, DT’s, Rat-L-Traps (favorite), Bombers, sometimes the lay downs look scary but start out in the outside and take your time and work your was into it. I love it when you catch a brown and green bass in the same lay down. Another crazy scenario is you’re fishing the heck out and around of this lay down and not much is happening, then on your last few casts at the base of it on the bank in foot water and you nail a nice one.

There is a creek not far from that house that has smallie. I’m not on it much for smallies because I primarily fish a bit deeper water for them. Fishing my fly rod and fishing live minnows are only things productive to me. I’ve tried countless times with small and ultralite Rapala crankbaits, lookers but no takers. Sometime I might go up there with a few topwaters only and give it heck.

I’ll admit I bought these, maybe not ready to totally give up on them yet but certainly will not be kicking the upcoming season off with them. Savage 4 1/2” 3D Suicide Duck in Wood Duck Savage Slide Gill Topwater in Bluegill Routine to come across baby mallards and woodies. Numerous times ran across injured or dying bluegills in pads and grass. Thought lures would be a no brainer. No brains for buying them. Thought by some outside chance a smallie might just show some interest. I’ve caught musky while smallie fishing and thought they’d be all over these 2 lured. Not yet. Should have know better because I do not do well with like image or real image type baits.

Like you I never got good results with it on spinning gear. That experiment was many moons ago. As of the last few years my mono choices have been working great SunLine, Stren and XL.

I keep my bulk mono spools in a cool dry basement. You should be fine. But that’s the thing. How fresh is it? Buy from someone you trust.

My FC experience is exactly as mentioned. Used it, it sucked, went to XT. Tried it again, not impressed went to Big Game and so on. For the most part I’m using Stren and Big Game on my BC’s. Just want to step myself up a bit. With any luck there is a local guy that might be able to get my a sample or a pony spool of one. A lot of the good old days of samples are over. I generally buy my line in bulk spools but on this one I’m sort of starting from scratch. Price is what it is $$$$$ can’t control that. Only have a few bad habits, fishing, hunting and clay shooting. But that InvisX and Tatsu has a following here for sure.

I’m gonna be using this setup to make general crankbaits casts but majority of my casting is gonna be pitching or flipping under overhanging tree branches drift fishing the river bank. Pitching or flipping is probably not the correct term but you know what I mean. The rod they got me is great 6’8”, would like a bit shorter, 6’4” version. Was out of stock no back order. I’m not that tall and in some circumstances shorter is better. Will reach out to TW and see if I can Score on one of the 6’4” when they come in. Even exchange or put on waiting list for it. I have time for it to come in. I’m in ice and snow now. Or will be by tomorrow morning. The SunLine Super Mono is the best mono line I’ve ever used. Stumbled on that a couple of years ago by seeing an ad and was on sale. Fish a couple of fast and x-fast soft plastic setups with it.

I’ve had a life of live and learn. I’m use to it and not apposed to it but on this I’m just trying to take away any major disappointments. That Seagar and invizx I’ve seen you guy throw that around.

Guys have had great results with Monos and Co-poly lines from SunLine and McCoy. Along with XT , XL and Big Game. Have a new dedicated crankbaits setup. Was thinking about doing an 8# spooling of a fluoro. Not really interested in braid with leader. Looking for a few Fluoro suggestions. I do see in a lot of post y’all mention Seagar. In the past fluoro generally turned out to be a real hassle. Nightmares. Thought maybe I could be steered in a better direction. Crankbait weights will be 3/8 to 1/2 oz. Don’t see exceeding that. Don’t see trying to throw under 5/16 oz. Appreciate any opinions. Trying to avoid any frustrations. Being thrown on an Abu Rod and a REVO SX. Willing to give something a chance. Have to believe fluoro has came along way also. Thanks.

Great post. Ike has a few short vids on it also. You probably caught them. He makes like all his mods to baits are a secret but that just his gig. I’ve added weight to the head section. Worked good on no. 7’s. I reload my own shot shells so I used some lead pellets than sealed it off. Good luck hope you nail a bunch on it.