Spankey

Though we really don’t know each other, I’ve been thinking about you all along because I do know that you guys were in the heart of all of it. I hope some of what I did see was not you. Hang in there.

I’ve boycotted Wally World for some time now. The ones close to me are a sad state of affairs in outdoors dept. but it seems they are not all created equal. Some of you guys have well stocked with decent name brand stuff. I’m glad you guys can pull of some good deals there. Take that place for everything they have and resell it if you can. I don’t support DICKS either. Place is a sham and their sales are never a sale.

This year has been a crazy year and my baits patterns have been just as crazy as to what has been productive. Crankbait fishing has been pretty much a natural season so far. Shads, bleached out bluegill colors, some perch and bream patterns. When water clarity was stained or heavy stained where generally black, dark olive, fire tiger, chartreuse, purples will work. No so much this year. Natural/Shad has been more productive. I’ve fished a Shad pattern more this year than anytime in the past 40 years. Gonna just stick with it until the fish tell me differently. I believe the science and assumptions of colors but it always doesn’t not hold true. This winter I’m going to experiment with one of my favorite patterns. Rapalas original bluegill. (Not real image version). I’m gonna buy a new DT-10 and remove hooks and split rings, put a dab of caulk on hanger eyes and tie eye to prevent rust, tape of the bill. And hang it off of one of my tree branches. Fading that original bluegill color some, I think is gonna be a killer. Been wanting to do that for a few seasons but never got around to doing it. Hanging it off a branch for a month or so may fade that pattern some.

I'll bet the discontinued and special runs is larger then the current South American one being made. Things change, if its not a fishing lure it would be it a lawn mower it would be a car. A lot of choices out there.

The quality and pattern options is not there today as the 80's and early 90's. Heck there were full line Bandit dealers if you could find one. Carried them all. They were sold a time or two. Maybe Lurenet now. They own Bomber also. That said Bomber is not what I use to be. Bandit price is high, you are correct about that. Back at one time they were at $5.00. They are a good lure. But there is alot of others more superior. But I'm not going to dis them, I had good time with them on the river for smallies. I have some nice vintage patterns of 100 and 200's not own them all but have my share of them. I'll post a pic sometime.

It’s a shame we live so far apart. I’d like to go on one of these crawdad expeditions.

Tackle Shop out my way, the kid who owns it is pushing the War Eagle Baits.

Thread is getting real good. Certainly makes for a good read. What happens to all the leftover live bait?

Nice river Smallie color. Runs 6-8 feet deep?

Those older baits will get you (me) out of a jam on tough days. I’m just getting low on some old Berkley stuff. I went through my one soft bag the other day and came across two new bags of the old Mr. Twister Bandit Ribbon Tail Worms. Fresh unopened. It was like Christmas Day.

Check out the Strike King line of top waters. Pretty sure the Sexy Dawg and Slpash comes in bluegill. I use Strike Kings version on Bluegill. They have a traditional version that work very well in my parts. Good representation of our summer bluegills. They put out a Neon Bluegill. I have it but can’t say I’ve fished it alot. I believe in it. Just need to throw it more.

Many moons ago I jumped on the Bandit bandwagon. Long before they were ever in my area. (Still never made it well I my area). But anyway I got into them as a comparison to Rapalas. They were my no.1 crank on the river for alot of years. I have many Bandits and have caught at least one smallie on even their most far out Weirdest patterns. Bluegills were fed on heavily on the river, countless times tails were in their mouths. Only to hit a lure. They use to put out some great bluegill patterns. The standard bluegill, punkinseed and bream are good patterns. But they use to have special runs that had many baitfish hues that are/were awesome killer baits. Something happened to Bandit (?) colors are nothing these days. Bought out (?). Who knows. I think they were made in LA. Now probably South America. Any review of them today is nothing compared to 15-20 year ago.

Yes, it was a 4” crawler type with a flat bit of a tail. I could kill for some of those. Just don’t see how they discontinued it. Had to be popular. Marketing I guess.

Big rains that are causing silting. State wants you to believe it’s flat head catfish. I don’t buy it. An idiot know how the food cycle works with fish. Minnows, crawdads, sunfish don’t live is silted environments. One species thrives off another but a continuous life cycle of this forage and game fish. Not like there are that many catties there anymore either. I’m not totally screwed, been doing ok on the lake the last few seasons, have to figure the river back out again. It where I want to be so I’ll have to put my time back into it. And as Tox said sure spawn years have been bad.

In hard baits there are so many options. A real bluegill has so many color variations. It is endless. I won’t fish the live image types (Rapala). Back some years ago I was all amped up over that live image. Had to have some in Shad Raps and DT’s. They just never amounted to anything. I’m all about Rapala, Rapala freak I guess but I can’t boast for what is a true picture slapped on a lure. If you find the original old school Rapala Bluegill buy it in a DT or Shad Rap. Still a production color. Very productive.

Berkley no doubt puts out a good product. I fish some older obsoleted finesse worms and still have days where I kick butt with them. Their product some how stays fresh and soft. They have a few soft plastics I with they would reintroduce.

You are probably right bub. It ripped my heart though. I think of all my good times there. I hope you are right. If I get a couple of more years on it and if it’s time For me to check out. I’ll go in peace that’s where I want my ashes thrown anyway. Than I can be on the river all day, every day.

I’ve been a River Rat my whole life for the most part. Maybe you die as a River Rat. There is no problem with that I guess. I’ve taken smallie fishing on the river seriously since ‘80. Mother Nature and man took my home waters away, and wrecked it. I’m sore at her, have the red butt and all about that situation. I saw the ecosystem turn. It was not good. Not sewer issues just silting, grass loss and other things that effect small baitfish and disruption of the balance the river had. I have to believe it will come back. Probably after I’m dead. But nice smallies need the right conditions. When I seen this drop off I switched to local lake fishing. I have to fish productively. It’s a bad thing the river has taken a beating but I can’t fish a dead horse of a situation. There was a bit of live and learn to the lake but I must say it has been all good and over that last handful of years I’ve caught some nice Greenies. I’m having a calling to go back. Maybe get on my home sections and thoroughly feel them out. If it doesn’t pan out, move to different sections. MN may not have wrecked the whole thing. Here in Penna. we are having some river bass issues in general. I think I should run with the calling if we only get moderate rains. The hunt For them may be ok. Big rains are always a setback on the river. Over the years the nice smallies come in the fall. At least for me. If any of you guys have ever had your waters wrecked I can feel for you. I hope you turned it around by moving forward. I never lost a step bass fishing. Just a different type of bass.

Real nice.

I keep an eye out time to time for another. The rebuild was pretty easy. The one I use every once in a while is on a Billy Westmoreland Rod. I should not say I’d never buy a new version but it would be buying site unseen. No way I’d find it here. Great reel.

Mine has dropped of significantly over the last two weeks. Not skunked but fish are not worth talking about. I have to change tactics I believe. I suspect nice fish have regressed to deeper water. This weekend I’ll use my finder over deeper water and if I come up with anything I’ll mark them, maybe switch to some Carolina Rigging. Deep water fishing is a real weak spot for me. My comfort zone is from 0’ to about 20’. 20’ - 60’ sort of lost. We are supposed to get slammed with some rains on Saturday. Might not be a bad thing. Higher water may put some bass up on the bank. Last hurricane it did that. May not be fishable here till Sunday. All part of fishing. No Complaints, been there many times. Just a cycle they go through I guess.

You could be right. I’m not interested in experimenting with it. Fish don’t like dirt and debris in their gills. Don’t know. Doesn’t sound logical to me.

Dude you know I’m all about the efforts you put into live bait. And it looks like you are on your way to being a crustacean expert. But, did you ever try going out with 3 or 4 bags of various manufacturers plastic craws. And try them. A craw is pretty easy to mimic. Easy to fish. I would leave everything at home except your rod, jig heads, light Trig bullet weights, #7 & #5 split shot and 2/0 and 3/0 worm hooks. Fish them hard, sort of really get into it. I bet you will be rewarded. You have to leave all your other stuff home. Because you’ll stray and start fishing that other stuff. Leave that at home. I'm not trying to Force any of my ideals on you but when I first started fishing rubber worms, and wanted to perfect the fishing of them (I’m still no expert), I left my other gear at home. Sort of fish what you brought or go home. I was not going home. I caught smallies and stayed. Same with grubs Many years ago. That’s another bait you should do well with in your conditions. But good luck, you know how you want to fish, I’m not telling anyone what to do. Only trying to serve up something different to you. The rewards will be there if you try it.

Give them a shot of Chompers or Kick-in Bass spray garlic scent and you’re ready to go.

Good numbers man. I have no idea how many I’ve caught. I don’t do as much logging as I done when I was younger guy. But quality fish I’ve gotten some nice one this season. Oldest grandson has a nice PB from this season. Youngest has some nice chunks to his name. I’ve made a plan to switch tactics and river fish this fall. Go back to my home waters. I may fall flat on my face. Mother Nature has been hard on my home waters and my bass fishing roots. She has played major effects on its ecosystem. Don’t get me wrong I’m enjoying the green fish of the lake for the past few seasons. But the Brown bass are in my blood. Big rains will mess up my plans. I’ll feel the waters out after the holiday. Was my hope to finish the season up on it.