Spankey

I don’t have 2 weeks worth but I do love the L/S tee’s. Wear them year round. I do have a few places around to deal with if I have to or want to but I prefer TW. No frustration involved when dealing with them.

Brown/amber polarized.

Back some years ago, I wouldn’t say I had a big go-around with Cabelas but they tried to screw me on my Remington Special Purpose 12ga. They had some ad depicting one thing, talked to a guy on the phone before leaving the house to go up to verify, had him set it aside, drove the hour plus to get there only to to have them change their tune and try to bilk me. I wasn’t gonna have it. We were on the phone to two different guys from North Dakota/South Dakota ? some where like that. Bottom line I got my Special Purpose for a ridiculous good price. Not my problem if they don’t know what they are trying to sell and have uneducated people working in areas that more critical type of goods. All I can say is that Special Purpose is death on ducks ? and squirrels ?. Love it in inclement weather for sure.

REAL NICE!

I don’t hate it. It’s just a necessary way to draw that bite. I like fishing soft plastics, that might be a help. I’m always questioning myself if I fished slow enough. Most time I feel I didn’t fish slow enough. I find that when I’m in that hard bait/crankbait/jerkbait mode it’s hard to slow down and fish slow enough as soon as I pick up that soft bait stick. For me it takes a bit of a transition time to get slow enough. Put I sure it is mind over matter in my case. I’m sure in early spring it will be one of two ways I’ll catch my first bass. Rat-L-Trap around a piling or structure or fishing a 3” Curley Tail Grub jig as slow as possible. Much like your NED Rig. Good luck, hang in there, have fun, at least you are able to get out.

I was just looking at some drop shot weights. I’m real light compared to you guys. I’m using #2 split shot for the most part. I would bet it to be at 1/8 oz. If I had to go heavier your way would work excellent.

After some serious thought about the weights of some drop shot weights you guy use, there might be something to it. The use of heavier specific weights in rough large bodies of water (Great Lakes) may dictate that. Something I don’t know anything about. On a small time scale how I use pinch on to me makes the most sense. What are some of the d/s weights y’all are fishing. I believe you tie an overhand knot in your line and clip it in, no? I have some on the lighter side D/S weights. Just find the shot easier. But y’all are fishing heavier than me.

I only for the most part have only ever used pinched on round (non removable ears) shots. Come off easily when hung. No rig damage. Shot is relatively cheap. If specific d/s weights have any true advantage please let me know how they work out better. Not all pinch on is round. There are various shapes. I just don’t like the ear type. In the river it seems to make a difference. The clam type works well also. Only thing similar to today’s drop shot weights back in the day (not that far back) was the old style bass cast weights.

I’ve been using the Rapala version without any problems. Was bought mainly for getting hooks out of toothy critter mouths or the occasional mouthful of crankbait hook from the soft mouth catty. Could be wrong but I believe years ago I heard that musky don’t fair up well when you touch their bodies. So I try not to ever do that. Never hurt anything on a bass yet. Have only held a fish vertical to remove hooks or trebles. Makes weighing it easier. Grandkids like holding them that way for a few pics. Back in the water in quick time. The smaller version has handled some pretty big catfish. I have the bigger version but has barely been used. In hindsight I wouldn’t have bought it, but only $10.00 and a spare.

I have that reel on a St. Croix Avid ML-XF (Plastics). I Love it. How I’m using it may not be as an all-a-rounder but as you said with the correct rod it could be.

Love the Fat Albert. The weedless Slider setups should work well in his situation. There is a good selection of various Slider Jigs. And the Brewer selections of soft plastics is endless. The Fat Albert could be rigged with a wide gap hook and pegging the worm weight. I’m thinking a double tail grip also.

Go home to the river and see if Mother Nature has turned some things around or me with the Smallies. Fish more tidal water. Take a few more of those road trips this season. Usually have successful trips in tidal. (Only place I can get reddish color patterns to work) Catch a nice size SnakeHead while bass fishing tidal. ( have never caught one ) Reach out to a few guys on this site to fish together with. Try to do a couple of those road trips to the south and catch a spotted bass.

I hear what you are saying. I like to pick up pro info on tidal Delaware for bass when I can. It not like I idolize anyone. But to get that edge (which really doesn’t exist) on the fish always helps.

I don’t want to bad mouth any of the mom and pops close to me because they are trying and they are an outlet for many others. I like taking my grandsons there, they like it. I loved going to the old bait shop as a kid and those shops are long gone. I blow into BPS or Cabelas on occasion when I’m shooting clays near them. I like dealing with TW. I get exactly what I need and my order never gets messed up. I think some guys on here have top notch Walmart’s, ones near me suck and don’t go there. The guys with ones with great fishing I’m happy for them. Ones in my area will never get to that point.

I use to be that lucky. On a local scale (close to home) I had a few guys who were pretty decent for all around freshwater. They are gone or not really the same anymore. I trout fish in the Allentown area and two GREAT shops closed up there (awhile back). Two full line dealers. One leaned toward trout more, the other toward bass. They closed up early when Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops got close. These were rooted shops. Never thought that would happen. Heart breaker really. Places like this will get you what if they don't have it. You buy a new fishing reel and the guy spool it up with what you want on it for free. You buy a St. Croix rod the guy gave you a tee shirt. Guy would give you a hardbait or softbait samples. This doesn't exist anymore. Walmart/K-mart/China-Mart was the start of this. Cabalas, DICKS and BPS was the hammer. I still have a good mom & pop shop left up by the lake. Their heart is in their business. Trout, bass, musky and a big fly section. Will get it if they don't have it. Grandsons love the live bait tanks there. I hope you can keep your tackle sources forever.

If a personal best is to be broken I expect it to be in September or October. The history (my history) for it has been there. I'll take any month because every time I'm out, I'm out to fish for a personal best. I really don't keep much in the way of statistics. It is just the way it works out for me. I'm fishing in the Northeast.

Sorry Mike I did not mean to insult you. Was really only trying to make fun of advertising, hype, Jersey wearing and weekend warriors who take it to the limit. Major League Fishing....... I sort of see MLF’ers might not sound real correct. My post isn’t or suppose to be about idolizing some pro fisherman(s) to the core and every sponsor behind any of them. Was about productive color patterns that have a pros name attached to it. In this stained river water I fish a couple DT baits are far more productive in Ike patterns (Rasta, Caribbean) than similar close standard DT patterns. But for the most part and in general the DT all work great. The Only point I’m trying to make. Same as with a Bottom Worm. In general I do well with these worms. But the Ike Morning Dawn is pretty darn productive for me. I’m certainly not trying to sell anyone on particulars and for the most part fish whatever works for y’all. Probably a coincidence I fell upon. Probably a slightly educated guess on a few colors. My only point. If a guy fills his boat with 6 KVD Spinning Combos and 6 KVD BC setup and the whole line of KVD 1.5’s, 2.5’s Square bills and divers and has a matching red hat to boot I don’t really care. It was not really where taking it. Bottom Hopper Worm, sorry.

Not sure if some of the older guys will jump in on this or not but that NED Style of fishing has been going on for years long before the term NED has come around. Guys have grub style fished broken pieces of worms, stick baits and straight tailed worms for years. Cut back bad sections and fished them successfully on lead jigs. It’s nothing more than grub fishing. The mushroom head of the jig may be more of a thing now days. This guy NED and his style of fishing has been around for a long time in river smallie fishing. Maybe was never popular in the Midwest. Out here on the mid Atlantic the older river rats were doing it before I’ve heard of it. A torn stick bait automatically becomes a Ned. The guy Ned has some good info out on it. But I really don’t think he is laying claim to anything. It’s something that evolved a few different way in a few different location. Now it’s everywhere and works. Which is a good thing.

I thought about when I retire I'll get into fly fishing a bit more seriously. I do fly fish, mostly for trout and creek Smallies. I know the basics and can handle myself, but I guess like anything else the more time you put into it and all the surrounding things that are needed to be know, the better you are or will be. I sort of put myself in a category of being a hack that needs to refine his skills. A work buddy and I stopped off at a local lake after work in the height of the summer for some bass fishing. It turned out to be an afternoon of some giant bluegills caught on woolybuggers. The lake has a size moratorium on its panfish. That was my last time out with the flyrod. Good luck.

I guess the jig is up now. Cat is out of the bag.

Just for the record I'm not pushing anything "Ike". Don't even know "Ike". Not getting any freebies, have to buy all my own stuff. Probably coincidence that some of his stuff falls into my way of fishing. As with some RoboWorm colors that work well for me with AARONS name attached. Rapala has a new flat sided 6 out or coming out. These fall in line with Rapala's I fish. They will work for me without a doubt. Ott DeFoe bait. It's marketing I guess. I'm just lucky things I try are not usually duds and get put in a junk pile. I generally don't fish a lot of brands.

This is what I'm trying to say but maybe was a poor post. I'm a long time Rapala fan boy, the same holds true for Berkley (soft plastics), Missile Micro Jigs over the last few years and others. I do real well with their products. Products of theirs that are "Ike" branded I seem to do ever better with. Probably just a coincidence because the products are time proven. Y'all find the same with some KVD, Brauer, Hackney.......... type stuff out there? Many Pro's put their twist on things. Just starting a BS thread. Not looking for real specifics. I know you know how to fish, so don't I. A lot of trolls hit this site and didn't know how specific anyone wanted to get. Didn't need anyone's secrets divulged I like to figure things out on my own anyway. Thanks.

Not sure why I’m even posting this but it more of an FYI. But I am serious about this. A lot of the Pro’s stand behind series of lures and lure colors/patterns. In all honesty I do quite well with some baits and bait patterns that “Ike” is attached to. What I’ve bought over the years has generally been very productive. I was more drawn to the specifics of the colors. These are baits that have previously worked great. Example the Rapala DT’s. His name is attached to time proven products. Maybe that is really telling me that color is not important. I don’t know. But may very well be. Please don’t get specific about a color or particular bait not really what I’m asking, but do you find this to be true in any cases for yourself.

Not my quote. Who cares. Most of this rod stuff comes from China ??.

I would say so.