Spankey

Not you man, I mean me complaining as to how they went out of tune so easy. But at $5.00 they are easy to replace. I’m not gonna dis SK. Do too well with their stuff. Should have me deeper ones on Thursday.

Just a note sort of. And this is something I’m just finding out. This is not a dis toward Strike King because I fish too many of their bait to get twisted over this, but I’m having some of my baits starting to go out of tune. Can’t do really anything to them. I guess you just trash them. Hard to believe. They are ones I fish hard.

I prefer fishing a rocky point of some type that has a deep water drop off to a channel. Or find structure along the bank, rock, wood or combination of that where it drops off to deeper water. Been a river rat my whole life, caught them in inches of water and in 15 feet of water but I find they relate to where shallow water drops off deeper rather quickly. But if I were a betting guy, there are Smallies all over that river relating to all structures and current breaks. All rivers are different but they must share some common traits.

Have some 5 & 6 XD coming before the end of the week for this coming weekend. Was surprised this weekend to find both Bass and Bluegill pulled back from the bank and cover. I realize we are in fall and a seasonal change but we are still summer like temps here in the NE/Mid Atlantic. Air Temps still in the 80’s water surf temps 71-75 deg. Not sure if fish pick up on shorter day lights and sun angles. Got my bites very early at sun up. Very short window on both days.

Sorry for not having an answer but nice pattern. I’m sure the dudes on here that make jigs and spinnerbaits could make that up for you exactly. Like the gold with purple blade on it.

I know I’m not using all 145 yards of 8# on my Symetre.

We are fishing about the same then. Will wear you down. Just gonna pick up a few gizzard Shad and bluegill patterns to put in front of them. Looking for that reaction strike. Most likely just gonna pick up deeper versions of my most productive now. Not gonna try to reinvent the wheel or have a ton of baits for those depths. I’d like to think if the 12 foot version of yomama bluegill works decent, fishing the 20 foot version of yomama bluegill should trigger a strike at that depth. My water depths go from 13 feet to 20+ real quick. Just trying to get something to pass through it. No real intention to fish all day like that. Too dang old. Just another go to. Its all just something in my hunt for monster bass.

I still have some weeks to my season yet but can’t help to look forward to next season and what I want to achieve in a positive way. Cranking is a big part of my fishing. The river is a shallow cranking game. Pretty easy game there. Endless options of baits. Lake fishing I sort of have myself limited to achieving a true 15 foot depth. Sort of maxing out there. Hooking up Bass cranking there. Next season I want to work on getting 3-5 feet more depth. Fish are there. But only hooking up with soft plastics. Will only need to do bait searches. Deeper and a larger profile. My sticks should handle any lure weight changes. But most likely will have to try to keep them under 1 oz. Cranking is tuff, can give you a bit of a workout at times.

I have no real reason to abandon its use. Using good mono I feel has not cost or gained me any fish. In the world of every rod out there being X-Fast, mono seems the right choice. Something has to give and the mono line seems to be the answer. I sort of recall not all that long ago that there was more breakage of these xfast rods than you hear more recently. To each his own.

Grocery Store chain.

I can sort of remember him also driving around in this old service type truck with the ice box in the back but his cab was small and had no roof, just a wind shield. I think it had a soft top that was rolled up. Rolled back. Heck all I know is when we were kids, and someone asked us where an egg comes from, we knew it was a chicken. Today 75% of kids would most likely say Food Lion.

I don't remenber the lowest I can recall seeing it. But when I first started driving it was 42 cents. 48 cents something like that. I'll have to ask my buddy.

Did you Good Humor guy drive around in a three wheeled trike service car type?

I use to love the army navy store and the hardware store. Fishing stuff was at the hardward.

Born in '59. There is nothing going on these days that I would trade my growing up for. Didn't have a real lot growing up. Had what I needed I guess. We participated in many sports. Always a baseball game going on, us against us or us against them. Pond hockey all winter, was more Ice back in those days. If I remember correctly we were always doing something. Many days life was a lot like the movie "Stand By Me". Very similar in ways. On the fishing side I was exposed to trout fishing pretty early on. A farmer I worked for. trout fishing was a passion he had, he truly taught me how to fish. The passion for trout has stayed with me. Folks use to take me fishing when I was younger than that but they had no real interest in it. I've always been sort of the black sheep. I never missed a beat over the years when it comes to trout fishing. I can fish stocked, wild and native trout locally for the most part. My smallie river has wild trout in it. I got hooked on Smallmout bass on a local trout fish adventure with guys I grew up with. They would trout fish but were not into it like I was. I showed them another creek that had good trout fishing in it and that day i stumbled across a stretch with some nice smallies in it. Spring of '76 hooked me on smallies. That was the game changer. Shortly after that I found out bigger smallies were in the river. A river rat I became.

Thanks for sharing. Odd for sure.

Sounds like you were at DICK’S or a big box looking at rods. If you are not in a big rush for it take the winter and go to some shops that carry some quality rods and find one that feels just right for the application you have in mind. Which is what? You got some good advise but it’s only brand names. Each of them have 100 rods a piece. Find a shop that’s catered to bass guys. Go when they have a good selection. I’d never buy a rod untouched unless it was the same or very similar to one you have experience with. Go to an expo in the off-season. I think it will be worth it. Manufacturer’s reps will be there. Whether you are spending $100 or $400 dollars on the rod make it a good choice for yourself.

I’m fishing two Revo Winches and love them. I’d love to do an Ike setup, at regular price it’s turning me off but would not have any hesitation to buy one. Hard to find an Ike reel local. Maybe at TW sale if it is honored. If the price is good take the chance and buy it.

I never totally respool. I take it back to a knot that is plenty far back enough. A few rods I use the hardest I respool after 2 or 3 times out. Pretty anal about my line. Crankbait fishing is not easy on your line. Buy it in a large spool for the cost savings and store it in a cool space out of sunlight.

Just try to tie a loop knot and see how you make out before you put a split ring or snap on. Rapala knot, a bit of twisting but works well. Also with original floater divers.

I have never approached the bigger profile jigs. To be honest they scare my by their size and that in itself is not going to boost my confidence level in them. I truly shy away from them. But Cabin Creek Spider Jigs and Missile Micro Jigs I can handle them. Heck I think I’ve been fishing the Cabin Creeks for 20 years plus. Good luck fishing and hope you find the combination you are looking for.

I generally don’t swap out my factory hooks but don’t assume they are sharp. I check them. I lost a couple of nice fish recently while crankbait fishing. Yeah I’m butt hurt and butt chapped over it real bad but no sense crying or making a lost fish thread over it. I had them as close to grabbing them as almost possible. Both fish were hooked by a single hook of the rear treble hook. In my mind I tried to think it out, use a net, no I’m an idiot. But what I did was switch both of those crankbaits to next size up treble hook size on the tail end of the bait. Identical baits slightly different pattern. Gave myself a headache dwelling on it, obsessed about the losses. Changed the rear hooks and will be right back in there fishing for them.

My soft plastic rods are rigged but will put on plastics when I’m on the water. I’ll have a Topwater rig setup and ready to throw along with a crankbait rig. Not screwing around with knots in the dark. My plastics are easy to find I keep them sorted and divided by type.

I believe the softness of their plastics is what makes them effective. I have a lot of colors that produce well on the river for Smallies. In my fishing I believe color means something but not everything.

Both color patterns seem great to fish. But options of both are countless, don’t see where the exact manufacturer is gonna play into it. Or make anything better. Patterns are pretty basic and who knows how effective they really are there. Try it but you may already have stuff that will work better. I would not build any confidence in something you found. Go with something you already have fish confidence in.