Spankey

I won’t put Bandits in the expensive category. Overall a good half decent crankbait. When they were built here in the US the quality and good color patterns were available. They were sold off to Pradco? some El Salvatore place and their baits took a big nose dive. Many moon ago when I jumped on the Bandit bandwagon the US factory would send me colors I wanted. (Paid for them of course) I did have a rep that we sort of got to know each other. Could not buy them local. Their Special Run colors have always been best producers. I have a big Bandit Collection and I believe I’ve caught a smallie on everyone. This is the truth. Majority I guess are vintage now. When they cut out of the country and stopped producing basic all around bass catching patterns I stopped buying anything branded Bandit. They were bought out, moved, some third world, and prices went up for lesser all around quality.

If I had to do it all over again I’d been a Veterinarian. Been told my whole life I have a better way with animals than I do with people.

I’ve been using it a long long time. Since Fish Formula came out or a least when I first found out about fish formula. I use craw and garlic scent. Does it work? I don’t know. Does not seem to hurt. I don’t apply it to baits that come scented (PowerWorm). Would I recommend it. Probably not. No one recommended it to me I just tried it and have stuck with it. Buy one and try it. If you don’t think it’s worth it you are not out much money. One of those thing where you have to form your own opinion.

I fish a variety of hard baits. Probably could be called a middle grounder when it comes to price. But do fish a few pricier baits. But I could probably do all my hardbait fishing with only Rapala if I chose to. Their products cover the full line. And they have colors that are time proven. Rapala products flat out work.

I hope you are right A-Jay. We are too smart of a country to not get this past us. Our people in medicine can handle this. No outside interference is needed. Let them do their job. I hope for next summer a visible progress is made. If it takes a year or one and a half years with steady good results we will be going in the right direction. Currently going/went backwards. I don’t want to get political. I think we’ll start to pull out of this.

That kept me off a lake that I would have been on earlier. They had the state park system shut down and the ramp was closed. Pre true bass season but I fish them early. C&R all year for me.

Thanks for the heads up. This is my plan, take for example. The Rapala Original Blue Gill pattern is one of my top producing patterns. I don’t have that Sureset on any of them. I’d like to get it on at least one of them. The original silver, top producer, I don’t have a Sureset on any of them and like to get one on them also. They were a stock hook on the DT’s back a few years ago. I thought they were a good rear treble addition. Not sure why they dropped them. They clearly work. I’ve caught many short striking fish on DT’s that have them. I saw the pic you posted last week and seen a few of the original Rapala DT Bluegills in there. Was envious. First thing that caught my eye among all those lures. Good luck getting them hooked up.

I just pulled the plug on the 2020 season yesterday. I’m happy with my results for the most part. Extremely happy that I got my two grandsons to catch some nice bass. Now they should have that taste for catching bigger bass. Or at least what the potential is each time out. I have no big plans to really do anything differently in 2021. I am gonna go back to my roots and get on the river and see if Mother Nature is bringing that back around some. But there is nothing new to getting back to being a river rat. I feel that I didn’t fish a few lures that I’d put up there as pretty productive for the most part. I didn’t fish a rat-l-trap anywhere near the amount that I normally would, fishing a weightless Zoom Fluke, chromed crankbaits and jerkbaits, the basic pop-r’s and 3/8 oz. jigs. Sort of got hung up throwing lighter 1/8 oz. and 3/16 oz. jigs, throwing more creatures and craws, and crankbaits that were more on the matte side. These produced but I should have somehow mixed those others in more. I caught one bass this season on a firetiger craw pattern this year. I’m at a total loss with that. Clearly had the time to do it but didn’t. Sort of handicapped myself. Sort of fished in tunnel vision. But no big plans for upcoming other than get those back in the mix. Fish top water more. I have to find some VMC Sureset treble hooks. They are a hard find locally. Dried up and they (local shops don’t know what I’m talking about). Have a few different hard and soft bait patterns I’d like to pick up through the winter. Mostly colors that fall between colors that have been working. Hopefully you northern guys get through the winter. I’m looking for an early spring.

Ending my 2020 season on a small high note. Got out yesterday morning, weather conditions not great, solid overcast and continuous breeze with no gusts or let offs. Pre storm conditions. Prior day perfect in every way but could not make getting out happen. Fished as hard as I could for a 6+ pounder. Wanted to end my season that way. Did not happen. Did pull off one 13” fish on a Bitsy Jig w/ baby Rage Craw trailer. Combination similar to how I started off the season on earlier bass. To me he was equal to a 6 pounder. The bite has not been good lately and will consider it a godsend. I think I’ll stop on that gift. Fished rock rip rap that drops off quickly to deep water and plain rock points. Fished a split tail grub and jig. Felt hits but no real takers. Did nothing with Husky Jerks or suspending cranks. Just don’t think I could get them deep enough. This season has not been a season of numbers. (I’m not sure why the bite from smaller bass was not there. That bothers me to some degree. Has to be a reasonable explanation to it.) But I did pull off a nice handful of quality bass. Helped my grandsons catch some nice bass, that means more to me than anything I may have done. Lost that bass that went 6+ pounds that would have been a new personal best. It’s etched into my head. Can’t seem to shake that loss off. Next season just have to go at it. Harder. No plans to do anything different. Good luck to you guys who still have time left. Souther guys hope you have a good winter. Good fishing.

I rig them weed less and try to punch them into grass and Lilly pads, I lite t-rig them weedless on a sliding bullet weight, sometimes just peg the weight, or just use them on a 1/16, 1/8 or1/16 oz. jig head. A lot of good creature baits out there.

Here in PA it’s a bit gray area. Or to me it’s a bit gray. Yes there is a true open date. Roughly 15th of June. Catching a bass prior is to be immediately released. But I start mine on the opening of walleye season the beginning of May. I fish for Walleye the same as I fish bass and I bass fish the same as for walleyes. Harvesting fish out of season is a different story. I’m not an outlaw. I C&R all my bass and walleye, “so, that’s all I’m got to say about that”.

Well I guess you are one of the lucky one if you can go at it 365. Up here in the North East eventually you have to pull the plug at a certain point. And restarting is dependent on ice out. Some springs start earlier than others. This year spring did start on the early side but COVID had some ramps and state parks closed. In my case I just switch gear. I enjoy stream trout fishing with a fly rod and UL spinning outfits. I’ll trout fish up until the bass start calling my name. I deer, duck and turkey hunt. I have people ask me for squirrels once and awhile and I love shooting them late season with a .22. But in all honesty there ain’t enough days in a year for me. I have to work and I have things I have to do at home also. Believe me everyday is not an outdoor adventure. Maybe when I retire. If I live that long. I have that obstacle to deal with also.

I’m envious of your wife’s dog business. I’m better with animals than I am with people. So I’m told.

I agree 100% And you can add getting hung up in a passing shower. Love it, and the fish love it.

I’m essential. Do repair work related to energy. I’m glad I had to work. And I DO NOT know how it feels to be effected. Life altering it effects me I can’t imagine it is good. I have to be great full for that. But I would have liked to have been off from mid-August to mid-September. That the envious part of me coming out. But I hope everyone comes out of this ok. I realize the workplace may not be the same for everybody. Life will be different.

When I bought that I bought it untouched. But I was fishing other Avids and sort of knew what to expect. It was as I expected. Just shorter. Works great great fishing tighter to shore lines and less casting distances. Nice smallie!

I fish Avid rods and am 100% completely satisfied with my experience with them. I can only vouch for the spinning rods. I’m using 5’9” to 7’ Med. Lt. and Med. rod versions. You already fish with Avids you like. Sort of answered part of your question. You sort of know what to expect. I would sort of be reluctant to buy anything I didn’t touch or feel first. Unless I am already fishing a few rods that were that series and you can pretty much know what to expect.

I fish a few lengths of ML rods. Primarily St. Croix Rods. My 6’3” ML X-fast Avid. I believe that will handle smallmouths anywhere in the country.

Well you know that’s not gonna happen overnight because things have gone from bad to worse. Just be as safe as you can, try not to let your guard down, try to be conscious to where you are and who you are around. Things will get better. I wish EVERY guy on this site the best in regards to this pandemic. I don’t want any of us to get it. I hope the moderators will let me say that. I truly mean that. Thank you. I will not get scientific or political because I am neither. Good Fishing.

I’m not gonna kick too much about my season. Caught a nice handful of really nice greenies. Caught a nice bronze 3 weeks ago in the lake (my first in this lake) for me they have been a tough catch to find there. I have two grandsons that I try to get out with me as much as possible. Both catching bass on artificials. My oldest set the bar with his personal best this season. 18” and 3+ pounds. My youngest lost a nice one this season and It broke my heart. Bothered me more than him actually. We done everything right. It happened. Fish on. He’s catching bass that’s the main thing. Spending time with them means more than anything. Good day or bad day of fishing. I’m going to try to get out on Sunday. I’m pulling the plug on my season for the year after that. Been a very tough bite the last few weeks. If my season ends with that nice bronze back. So be it. It won’t be end in a negative way.

All you can do is hope. Hope for the best. Hope is the only thing out there that can keep you going.

$110.00 ???? Pretty wild. Can buy a lot of Zoom Flukes with that. And maybe they’ll throw in a hat for you also. But I’m glad they work for you, really. Hope you can stumble upon more for yourself.

6’9” - 7’ ML Fast or X-Fast for all variety’s of soft plastics. Have a 6’6” - 7’ Medium /w a Moderate tip (spinning or bait casting) for crankbaits, spinnerbaits and some top water baits. Just ease your way into it. Try not to absorb too much too fast. Try to keep it fun. You don’t mention the type of water you are fishing. I also have an Eyecon rod. 7’ Medium with a Moderate tip. Meant for crankbaits. Just the way I use it. I don’t like a fast or x-fast tip for those baits. But to each his own. Not a lot of Moderate tips out there. Over the years I’ve found a few. Good Luck.

Maybe I can make that happen. I have a short list of a few guys on here I’d like to fish with if time ever presented itself. You are one of the short listers. I should muster up the guts and reach out to the handful I have in mind and just go on tour. Take a leave from work for a month or 5 weeks and go with it.

Maybe not. Could be metabolism slowing down. You have to figure your tossing them a minnow. There are a bunch of native minnow in that area. They don’t need you to feed them. Please don’t take that wrong way. I’m referring to what the fish will react to. A lot of time I think the fish are there and the bite just totally drops off. Especially if it’s a place that is deep enough for the wintering.