Spankey

Good luck and have fun. We’ve been having temps all over the place lately. Not rain associated with it but different fronts. That is probably worse than rain. Temp swings are day to day. I’m mid Atlantic/North East. The worm has definitely turned I just have to deal with it. Fish hard have fun.

That lavender Shad you have tied on is a nice pattern (a favorite). Many of the blue gills in my lake are of the lighter colored. Washed out look down to a pinkish purple. Good luck. I have my eye on that Ike delay also. Or move on to the MH version for 5/8+.

Hope you make out great tomorrow. Some nice looking lures. Good luck with them. I have no idea what is in store for me tomorrow. Probably just gonna stick with what has been working up until now. Gonna try to cover 5’, 12’ and 18’ depths. Get some worm and stick baits in and hope for the best.

But if it’s not “hit” it’s obviously not a reaction “strike”. I’d generally write off your opinions as being from someone who is clueless but I know that is not the case. I just think your posting as to oppose something differently than you believe. Maybe the real hang up on reaction and reaction less. Which has nothing to do with a reaction strike. A reaction and a reaction strike are two different things. I’ll stick to that. If a fish were to do nothing at all stayed unphased and never acknowledged that a bait was thrown in it’s presence. And never moved. This takes place everyday. That’s not a reaction, that’s being reaction less. I’ll pull out of this post. We all seem to differ on some real simple terminology and I’ll leave it at that. All I know is Tomorrow morning I’m going to be looking for some reaction strikes on a few crankbaits. Some of y’all might be looking for a reaction of not getting bit or a plain reaction or the reaction of Bass being reaction less. I don’t think that is the case you are fishing for. I think y’all are fishing for a “strike” in the morning.

Y’all ever just drift fish the river pitching CB’s toward the bank and have Smallies hit your lure immediately upon contact with the water? Not one second, or two or three seconds later after your retrieve is started. I’m talking immediately. Probably a lot of you have not. I have and if that not a reaction strike nothing is but, strikes most of y’all are talking about are reaction strikes. The talk about Hunger, thought process, finesse, the day of the week, everything is a strike, thinking like a bass is all BS. If you never had a reaction strike and hookup you don’t know what one is. But I believe most of you do know what it is and have had them.

I sort of think you are wrong. I can’t say I pick up on any envy of any posts and previous threads. I’ve seen a lot of help given and a lot of encouragement over the years. Even as simple as guiding guys around issues with Black Max or BPS reels and I don’t mean any slight around those reels. Just an example. I know that I would never strongly recommend and rod or reel because #1 I’m not comfortable spending someone’s money and #2 what feels right to me might not to you. But I know I’ve stated mucho times I’ve never buy a rod unseen or untouched. It has to be what I’m after. Positive results come from that. Don’t care if it’s $50 or $250. Guys on here ask for opinions. And they get a million answers and I’m willing to bet dollars to donuts when they buy a rod on impulse or a post opinion many times it doesn’t work out. Yes probably did buy a nice rod. Most likely better in the hands of someone else. I can only suggest do some homework, do the touchy feely thing and not let the $dollar$ be the driving force. And with the fishing thing driven by specifics and techniques these day you better touch as many as you can.

Over the years I don’t know if y’all ever experienced this. I for the most part for years and years have fished solo. I love to get my grandsons out with me now. But this is a more recent thing. Anyway over the years I’ve had people men and woman, probably more woman than men approach me about taking them out to catch a fish. These are people I know, I would say not close friends more of an aquaintences that are curious about my obsession and want to experience it. People closer to my wife. I tell them don’t bring anything but yourself. No need to because I have what we need to catch some Smallies on the river. Rods, lines, reels, baits. What’s worse case scenario loose a crankbait or a couple of worm hooks on me. All ok, all good. I like it if you use my stuff. My stuff is decent, better than average (Not top of the line, but St. Croix and Abu stuff) and it works. I’m not looking for the on the water hassles. We are there to fish. Not fix issues. I had this one gal this time show up with stuff that I told her she could leave her stuff in the car. Everything was ready to go. I take it I insulated her. She insisted on using it. Than I took it as an insult to going against my wishes. We get out to chasing some river Smallies and the stuff she was trying to use was nothing but problems, crap turd line was most of the issues followed by her being a lefty set up with righty stuff and Wally World combos meant for kids and panfish. The crap show started. I let the know-it-all have it her way for about 45 min. I let her ruin the lines and reels she brought. I got the “I should have left my stuff in the car”. I asked her if she was ready to catch her first bass and all went well after that, she caught a decent handful of them that morning. The thing that ticked me off was someone went out and just bought the stuff to go out for a first time. Use my stuff, why buy something that you might not like, may never go again in your lifetime. If you do like it ask me about the things you were using. You don’t need a $300 rod to catch river Smallies, or a $210 reel to put on it or $65 dollars of braid line on the spool but you do need equipment that your are comfortable with and sized to fit you as well. I think your line plays a big part of overall performance and overall regardless if it’s a rod is $100 or $300. I sort of believe your combo of rod and reel need to be balance to a certain degree. I think this effects sensitivity as well. I think it goes deeper than the big $$$. Sensitivity and performance are more than just the rod.

Often thought about going to a ski shop and checking out those bibs those guys use. Might be a decent trade off to the Carhartt bibs. Can only assume they are lighter and have a decent insulation value to them. Carhartt bibs do work fine. Seems like I shed them as soon as the sun is truly up. Geographically were are so spread apart that fall and going toward winter is so different. How you have to dress and the temperature swings between states by is unreal. And we all are basically trying to get the same fish to bite.

I’m not hurting for any crankbaits but have been working my way into the 18-20 depth ranges late this season. Not so much for a true winter fishing because my winter can be tuff below freezing and ice. I’ll probably be out tomorrow or Saturday, maybe both. Chucking it all 5 - 18 feet I guess. But when you go to buying you don’t need to go crazy buying up a bunch. Try to match your herring, shads and bluegills. Should be easy finds. Cloud 9, Strike King, Rapalas.

Often thought about going to a ski shop and checking out those bibs those guys use. Might be a decent trade off to the Carhartt bibs. Can only assume they are lighter and have a decent insulation value to them. Carhartt bibs do work fine. Seems like I shed them as soon as the sun is truly up.

Have to agree with you on one thing for sure. Those suspended fish can and are tough to fish for.

Sure I cut school. That was mid 60’s to mid 70’s when I was a kid. Was high school time when I was cutting some because I drove then. But I never missed a day of HS baseball practice over it. For spring trout fishing. An obsession since I was about 8 or 9 years old. I’ve cut work and I still cut work these days to trout fish. It is what it is and it’s been that way for a long time.

About 2 months ago I heard a version of an old Humble Pie tune called “30 days in the hole”. I just didn’t try to put it together until today.

Well needless to say I’ve crawled out from under a rock again I guess. But I’m still gonna check it out on the weekend. Learn something new everyday. Thought I heard them doing an old Buffalo Springfield song yesterday.

I agree with you 100%. The other season ago, I had one of the long time regulars from down the river that I’ve known for years, tell me, because the fish warden told him, that the only lure he needed to fish the river with was a firetiger crankbait. He started doing that and as of my last talking to him he’s taken a number of skunking. And he still still has a strong belief in it as far as I know. Well no doubt a Bomber Firetiger crankbait is a good lure and will catch smallies. End all do, do all? Not hardly. But a good lure, yes. Being a fish warden doesn’t mean you know anything about Smallies.

Mo, I have to strip myself down in layers because I might be starting out at 38-40 degrees but but the time I wrap up it might be 68 deg. this weekend supposedly. Bottom side: gym shorts, sweatpants over that, Carhartt insulated bib overalls on top. Top side: Tee shirt, Carhartt mid-weight hood, BPS hooded Tourney Jacket. I just strip down to the combination that works. Can cast just fine in all that garb. Pretty sure when I leave that lake I’ll be down to the gym shorts and tee shirt.

Have you guys been listening to a band call “Government Mule”, ? that is what I believe it was called. I’ll research it better on the weekend and download some. Heard what I’ll call a couple of tune throwbacks to late 60’s and 70’s.

I guess you can call it whatever you want as long as it gets the results you are after. I’ll stick with reaction. Two other terms I guess guys can spin themselves into the ground with are “hit” and “bite”. “Hit” to me is if a bass strikes a worm and spits it out and there is no hook set. “Bite” is a hook set and you land the fish. Or I guess even if you loose the fish in process of boating it. He was at least on and hooked.

Even though I’m still winding it down long about now, it gets me to thinking about needs for next season. I really need nothing. For this season I wanted to mount a hands free type spotlight. I’ve used it more the last few weeks than I did this whole season. For over the winter I need to repair a burnt out led on my pointer of my trolling motor and 1 half out the head body has developed a crack so I’ll do that at the same time. I’d like to get my hands on one of those Ike delay rods and maybe have someone to get it for me for Christmas. But would like to touch one first. Nice!

Fish solo. Basically all I’ve ever done for years because of situations like yours. I’m not gonna have some DB ruin my time out. Once a guy was late, real late, I took off without him. If I say get there “before sunup” I pretty much mean before sunup. I have grandsons that will go with me. They stay over the night before. They are up before me at times. Boat and truck are prepped the night before. We are basically just pulling out of the driveway. Good man!

I would say keep doing what you are doing. Reflecting on past outing can only help. I had to do something like that with fishing squarebills. Crankbait fishing is a huge part of my fishing. This year I threw a lot of SB’s, nothing caught to brag about but have no reservations about tying one on or throwing it in certain situations now. I’m older I’m sure than you. Never to old to try and learn something new. You have your whole life to progress.

I’m not ready to pull the plug quite yet. If I’m gonna catch a real nice one it is in this time period. I’m not gonna brag about my season. I actually took myself away from bigger fish to fish at home on the river. I had to see if it was rebounding and on its way to some kind of recovery. I had to do it for my mind and soul as corny as that sounds. It was good for both. 30 fish outings a couple of times, with a lot of dinks and runts but managed an nice size handful of 16 & 17” fish. I’ve been back on the lake for awhile now, hurricane destroyed a couple of my ramps. Water has been looking beautiful there though. Probably just finish my season there. I’m going to check out another river ramp I’ve never used before or fished that section. Could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Never know.

A moderate action is pretty tuff to just go out and find. I’m not saying impossible. But I’m not buying anything unseen or untouched. Do your homework and feel a few to you get something that fits your needs. Cranking I need medium and med. heavy to throw what I normally throw. I’m pretty much a St. Croix guy and had fished the Premiere Series CB Rods for a long time. Is a great rod. Over the last few years I’ve taken a major liking to Abu Garcia cranking rods. My opinion that are a bit more moderate in the tip. I have not lost many fish with either. Loosing fish will happen. But action vary a lot between mfgs. Actions are gonna feel different between individuals. Good luck.

Rat-L-Trap Chrome w/ blk back Chrome w/ blue back Gold w/ blk back

Hope you make out great with it. I’ve been eying that also. Maybe a Christmas suggestion. I like that slower action for CB’s. Good luck.