Primus

Watermelon/ Green Pumpkin laminate works well for me.

I have a few that have done well for me, some of these are available through vendors like Russ ***, Bass Pro, Tackle Whse etc. Lucky Craft RC series through Bass Pro- I personally like the square bill silent 1.5 version the best if you are just getting started with this series though other models/sizes are effective as well including the DD models. They usually are on sale a couple of times each year for under 10$, that's when I place my order. The 1.5 has been my most productive shallow crank the last 3-4 years. I'm also sentimental to this bait as I had a series of e-mails to a rep at BPS where I begged for them to offer it in a Ghost color which they did app 2 years back. Some other shallow runners that I like would include the Jackall Cherry Zero footer, OSP HPF crank, Megabass Griffon and IMA Roumba. Jackall Musle Deep 15 Plus has become one of my favorite Deep Diving cranks, very productive bait with a smaller profile than most deep divers and cast like a rocket. I've been throwing the Ima Flit shortly after it was made available and this is a very underated jerkbait that no one seems to talk about. Other Jerkbaits that are excellent producers are the Megabass Trick Darter, Jackall Squad Minnow and the classic Lucky Craft baits like the Pointer, Staycee etc. I like the Jackall TN Lipless baits, very well balanced and the Tungsten weight helps it run in a chin down posture. They are also some well regarded baits by companies like Evergreen & Imakatsu but I haven't tried them yet. What you will find is that some of the Japanese companies like Jackall, Lucky Craft etc. make some of the best tackle available but they also have a few models that are average or even below average as well.

I tend to use higher end rods from companies like Loomis for most applications, that said I've been very satisfied with my BPS Crankin' sticks. The new models are supposed to be 20% lighter than their previous version. I literally caught hundreds of fish on these rods last year because crankbaits are my go to bait. I would recomend if your budget allows to pick up 2, one would be 7'6" or 7'11" MH to launch deep diver cranks and a 6'6" M or 7' M to throw the smaller shallow running cranks around boat docks or skimming baits accross grass flats. I prefer Shimano reels, the Citica would be a nice reel with a 6.1 ratio for the shallow cranks and a Curado with a 5.1 ratio would be well suited for the deep divers.

I agree with Roadwarrior that a Med power rod is a better all around, that said a ML is a nice rod to have for fishing light worms, grubs & tubes on an exposed jighead with light line. I would consider going to at least 7' rod if you are lake fishing from a boat to get longer cast and a little more leverage when fighting fish.

In a previous inquiry you reccommended this rod, I have one on order and am looking forward to trying it this spring along with a Shimano 3000 size Stradic that I will have mounted on it with 8 lb Trilene Floro. In the past I've done well with R.I. Flirt worm, Zoom Shakey tail and the Roborm Fat Straight tail worms.

I just picked up a Dobyn's DX742SF Chamion Extreme rod which is 7'4" to primarily use to throw open hook baits like jighead tube & grub combo's, flickshake worms and wacky rig Senko's on 6lb florocarbon. The last couple of years prior to that I was using a 6'9" Loomis bronzeback that performed well for this application, the reason I got the 7'4" Dobyn's is I wanted a longer rod to increase casting distance and Loomis didn't offer a 7'4" ML rod. No matter the brand you choose a ML rod is a terrific choice for finnesse fishing.

I'm intriqued by the Strike King Smokin' Rooster, bought a couple of bags to try this spring. Also, looking forward to trying some new cranks such as the Spro Little John Deep Diver, Strike King Series 6XD. I also picked up 1 Black Dog Mini Shellcracker that I'm looking forward to showing the fish in my area. Lucky Craft came out with a couple of new baits that are going to be on the end of line this spring the 3 Joint Pointer 125 swim/jerkbait hybrid and the Silent Pointer 95. I also have some custom painted cranks and some new colors of my old standby LuckyCraft RC baits that will surely get fished. I also picked up 2 new spinning rods a Loomis SHR 822S/ GLX Shakeyhead rod along with a Dobyn's DX 742 SF Chamion Extreme 7'4" ML for finnesse fishing. I just have to wait app 6 weeks for the ice to go away :-/

G Loomis if I had to pick one.

I could see where this might be effective during a night bite, even if most fish/prey don't glow at night it doesn't mean that Bass wouldn't hit it out of curiousity or because it's being presented with an easy meal. If they have a Senko type of bait I might try it.

Shimano.

The crankbait is my go to lure in most situations, that said I wouldn't be caught on the lake without a few spinnerbaits especially if there is a lot of weedcover. If I'm night fishing it's tough to beat a Black Rattlehead spinnerbait with a Colorado blade.

I have a couple, very good rod for the price range.

I use the Reaction Innovations Beaver Bait and for me they have been one of my most productive soft plastics the past few years. I find them effective both pitching into heavy cover and have also done well casting them using anywhere from 1/8 -1/4 oz. sinkers though at times I've done well using them weightless. This bait seems to catch a better grade of bass than most plastics that I've used.

6 for 36$, you got a steal. Excellent purchase, count me as jealous.

I've tried the money minnow, shadalicious, BasstrIx, Berkely and the best I've used is made by a small company called Pro Swimbaits which are also made in the U.S.A.

I've got to disagree a little with Roadwarrior on color, there are times when chrome colors will work well in clear water but I've been a lot more consistent using transluscent or natural colors in the clear water lakes I fish and I think at times chrome colors have too much flash in some situations. I think the right mix of colors are going to get you bit, that said you don't need every color under the sun. What I would suggest are a few crawfish patterns which really shine during the spring and at other times in certain lakes. During the summer RW's Excalibur bait and similiar models by other good rattle bait makers like Strike King , Jackall, Yozuri and Spro will produce well. These brands also offer Sexy Shad & Ghost type of patterns, definetely put some of these into your tacklebox. Last fall they were absolutely choking on the Strike King Red Eye in the Japanese Shad color in one particular lake by my house. The last factor that should be considered is sound, with regular billed cranks I usually prefer silent baits, lipless baits I normally prefer rattling baits. That said there are times when the fish are skittish and especially when there are clear skies that silent models will fair better such as the Sebile Flatt Shad in the Hollow Mullet color. I also like to use it as a follow-up bait after I've picked off a few of the more aggressive fish with the rattling models. Some of the Japanese models from compaies like Daiwa & Evergreen are also offered in a silent version.

Here are few that have worked well for me, I'm going to focus on smaller swimbaits that will produce a lot of action... RivertoSea Live Eye Bottom Walker this is a underated bait in my opinion with smaller sizes easily thrown on regular gear,it's also reasonably priced and simple to use. RivertoSea V Joint Wake Minnow- another inexpensive but very effective bait. I like the 3/4 oz 95 size in the Chartreuse Shad color. The only thing is unlike the description of the name it's more a shallow runner than a true wake bait. The good thing about this one is will run true with a fast retrieve which can be an asset when fishing clear water. MattLures Baby Bass Swimbait- 5" long weighs 1.5 oz which will cast well on most flipping sticks. I like to crank this one in slow, very realistic bait for a lure that runs about 12$. Strike King/ King Shad-Very easy to cast on conventional equipment has produced a fair number of 5 lb plus bass and the occasional Northern Pike as a bonus fish (as long as they don't bite you off). This is another one that works well on either a fast retrieve or slower retrieves with the occasional twitch. My favorite colors thus far has been the Mojarra, Baby Bass and the Green Gizzard shad. I will often use this in situations where I would consider using a topwater like early mornings to give the fish a different look. Their are a lot of Paddletail tubes out there the best I've tried so far are the Pro Swimbaits brand. The original Basstrix and the Berkely Hollowbelly's are also good choices. These type of baits are effective with a keel weighted hook and fished through the weeds. There are some that will slow roll these with a jighead or jighead spinner combo though I haven't tried that myself. Last bit not least would be the Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper & Little Dipper. These can be fished in a similiar manner to the paddletails. They aren't quite as realistic looking but the fish don't seem to care. Good Luck.

Not a problem and I agree it shouldn't be the only factor in your decision and I don't buy U.S. made products every time however if you had a hard time picking between the 2 I fiquered it might be something to consider. Either way good luck and I hope it works out well for you.

If it matters to you Loomis is the rod to which other brands are compared and are made in the U.S.A., Dobyn's are made China.

S.O.B Mini Me PJ Special skirt 3/8 oz. tandem with # 4 Willow/# 2 Colorado" dusted" silver/gold blades to cut down on the flash this combo will slay 'em in shallow water around grass cover. Also was impressed with the 1/2 oz Black Rattlehead spinnerbaits with a single colorado that I tried last year for night fishing. I also do good at times with a 1/4 Nichols spinnerbait that I modified by shortening the wire and using 1 3.5 size willow blade, good finnese bait in the spring. There certainly is not a single spinnerbait that is appropiate for all situations but these are 3 combo's that have really produced for me.

App 15-18' I like ... Jackall Muscle Deep 15 Plus Norman DD22 Bandit 700 Series I haven't fished the DT 20 enough to evaluate it but it looks promising. I plan on trying the Spro Liittle John Deep Diver and the Strike King 6XD that's coming out. The Hot Lips has been out a while and is an effective bait for that zone. Also, the DD22 comes in a suspended version that will get you a little deeper.

They had a large supply of large plastics for 75% off and then on top of that after you but 5 bags you get 5 free. I picked up 10 bags yesterday for under 7$. I picked up some Zoom trick worms ( I hope they like Camo, Yellow & Key Lime pie), 4" Dead Ringers (this is a great bait on a Mojo rig), Strike King Coffee tubes & 3" Senko's (they only had Chartreuse). I swore to myself I would minimize soft plastic purchases this year but with that kind of price I couldn't resist. They also had some other good baits that I didn't pull the trigger on like 4" Zoom lizards etc.

Just picked up a couple of bags of the Smokin' Rooster to try next spring. I've done well on the 7" Anaconda.

I liked their Florocarbon line a lot, the main reason I switched to Trilene 100% was because of price. If I see a good clearance price on Gamma I wouldn't hesitate to but it.

I've done well on the 1/4 oz Outkast Pro Swim jig in the Purple Green color with a #214 color (Smoke with large black,blue & small gold flake) Yamamoto 5" grub as the trailer.