Spankey

Just such a good simple general bait in enough (so many) colors you’ll easily find a few that work good.

Maybe some tubes. Overall maybe not as popular as years ago. Throw in some grubs also. Just ways I still fish. Even though not a lot of talk about it these days.

Will make a fantastic soft plastics rod also.

Good luck when you get out. Try it. I’ve been fishing Smallies for many many years in a river situation and I don’t have them figured out. One day they just show up and in the fall one day they are gone. Over here where I am I’m not expecting it. I’m itching like heck to get out for some. But it’s not time for me yet. I think I’m going to kick off my season on the 5th or 10th of April. But I’ll be fishing deeper water. Bridge pilings and log jams on or around them. History tells me to use that as my starting point. I’ll be fishing tubes and grubs, Rat-L-Traps/Rattlin Raps, jerkbaits. My first bass of the season has come off of a Rat-L-Trap or Rattlin Rap many times. Mother Nature took me off the river the last few years. Been lake fishing. I’m going home to it to see where things are. A month or two should tell me something. Hit it hard in different spots. I know you fish a lot of live bait. That might be an advantage. I would say that it will be. Good Luck.

No I was referring to you fishing a split shot rig vs. the Carolina rig to get a few bass under your belt. But the split shot thing is my bad. The Carolina rig is great. But I don’t feel that it is the easiest way to start bass fishing. My bad.

I want you to master the c-rig and any and all techniques you want to try. You will get as good as you want to with any of them. But I’d like to see you nail that first bass and get that over with. Certainly doing it easier and what I feel more effective at first. I truly believe you can do that by tying on a 1/0 or 2/0 worm hook, pinch on a #7 or a #5 round split shot 8-12” above the hook. Use a 4” PowerWorm or something like a GY 5” kit tail worm and pop and hop it on the bottom. I feel that strongly that this presentation will catch bass.

I had thoughts of using them on the river. But areas I fish the most have established grass and other areas have a lot of chopped floating grass. Figured I’d be fighting it wrapping or getting caught In propeller. I stayed away from them. Not to say I might not give it a try someday.

I’m pretty much a Shimano fanboy both spinning and casting. The Daiwas I own I like. Recently over the last few seasons I’ve gotten into the Abu Garcia “Winch” stuff. I’m more than 100% satisfied with the Revo series Reels. I paired them with Abu rods and happy with my decision.

But another thing that is most likely the situation also, we are not impulse buying either. I can see where that can happen and it might happen to some guys. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. We all have probably been through that to some degree or another. So at least you walked out with what you wanted to begin with. All is good. In my case, if I like a particular bait, example a SK 3xd. And that bait in Sexy Shad should work for dang near everybody everywhere. It does for me. But I’m alway read to try a spin off color pattern of that pattern. It’s sort of like Sexy Shad is in the center and these others sort of satellite around it. In my case I’ve found that these satellite patterns I’ve ventured into trying work better for me. Are they drastic difference not really but different enough. Do the bass know the difference? Probably not. So that’s a bit of my addiction. And there are only so many different colors and that amount won’t break the bank.

Academy is not near me. I have no idea where one is even at. You guys on here speak very highly of their Crankbaits, I think there is even a recent thread on them. I went on line to order a few to try and pretty much all sold out. I’ll revisit them toward summer to see if they replenish. My thoughts are if they are sold out and not a big name brand they might have a bigger following than I would have thought. I thought I’d try 4-5 of them in patterns that generally would work for me.

I just find all these places too frustrating to go to. At least in my area. If the truth be know they are probably ok. But when I want something fishing related I’m generally after something specific. And admittedly I’m anal. If I’m after a Red Eyed Shad that Gold w/ black back and one that’s DB Craw, that’s what I want. I’m not walking out with one that is Sexy Shad and one that’s Delta Craw. Same hold true with Rapala and Zoom products. It’s in my best interest to not depend on that place. BUT it’s not like there is nothing there that catches my eye or curiosity. Back some weeks ago I was through there while the wife was at underwear store and a pack of Googan Krackin Craws in Natural color caught my eye, feel real good about the results on it. So after milling around for 45 min. and all I’m doing is walking out with is a pack of Krackin Craws and a pack of green Carolina rig beads, something ain’t quite right.

I’m actually trying to help a member find some original Gator Tails in my travels. That tail reminds me of that. Maybe he’ll chime in.

Frogg Toggs are decent. Easy to stow away. I have a military poncho also.

Consider yourself lucky. In my area they are not that great. There are a few sort of close by. But if they closed them down and merged the fishing dept. down to just one it would be pretty decent. I think I mentioned in previous post, if you were going crankbait shopping and had a variety of the same bait you wanted. You would have to hit 4 stores to get them all. No two stores stock the same/all baits. I’m not about driving all over, seem like a waste of time. But yours looks decent.

Maybe don’t limit your self to that brand and those two worms. I’m all about what Zoom puts out. I love their products. Their finesse worm is a great product. But maybe look at a RoboWorm also. Slighter build to them. They will draw bites. It will give you another worm to compare them to. The 4 1/2” straight tail and the fat straight tail are two great finesse/drop shot. Fish them t/rig also. Reach out to the factory for a sample and if that doesn’t work I can send you some colors to try of the RoboWorm. The Zoom finesse is not a real bulky worm but the RoboWorm certainly is not. They have a bit different feel to them. Flat bottom worm also.

I think I’m gonna kick my bass season off on April 10th. I’ll start with some river Smallies. It’s gonna be a tough bite and a tough find for them. River Smallies can be a tough find. It seem like they just show up when they are ready to.

A bit more flash with the hammered willow.

All season bait for me. No real mods though.

She sounds like a keeper. Fishing, hunting and shooting clays are my bad habits. My wife has been a good gal for 40 years dealing with my bad habits.

Great post, I gave all likes. Don’t know of the Swindell video and trick worms but a weighted/weightless black cut tail is one of my favorite worms to fish.

Did not need a real lot for the upcoming season. Wanted some dubs and triples of my harder used crankbaits. They are here. Been waiting for my order of a new version of a Rapala. Get more and more disgusted with that delay everyday. I really don’t need them anyway. Prior to the holidays I got on board with some Xzone products. Looking forward to them. Got in some bulk spools of 6 & 8 lb. test. Wanted a spare spool for my Nasci 2500. Picked up on some Zoom Lizards to replenish stock. I scored on some TW gift cards at the holiday. No rush to use them yet. But I’m ready to go even without above mentioned items. But I think you are right about shortages of items again this year. Maybe worse than last season.

I could not resist buying a pack of krackin craws jr. in Natural. I feel that good about that color patter. I’m not playing all that pro/anti Googan stuff. That Natural color pattern is nice and I hope to catch a decent one one it. It will work.

Generally start with a pop-r type than move to the buzzbaits or buzzfrog. From there I just go with a gut feeling at the time.

4”/7” PowerWorm, not that it’s my favorite, not that it’s my all time confidence bait. I just believe they will work wherever bass are.

Thanks, I’ll look at them. I’m having a hard time finding plain jig heads in the lighter sizes I use. Never had a problem before. 1/16 & 1/8 oz. 1/0, 2/0 & 3/0 hooks.