Avid Angler FL

What about weightless texas? Do you cast out, jerk, and let sink? How deep? Or should I keep it concentrated near cover?

Wow hundreds? Must be pretty durable! I personally haven't had as much experience with the Jitterbug as I've had on the Hula Popper! The Hula Popper is one of my favorites by that brand. But to me the Jitterbug kind of falls under that frog style topwater. It has a very similar action to the Stanley Ribbit frog or the Zoom Horny Toad.

Thanks Primus! That really gave a LOT of good advice! Do you think the 4" Zoom Lizard would work on a shaky head?

I'll make that a 4th for the Strike King Bitsy Pond Minnow, and a 3rd for the Beetle Spin. You should have luck on both of those. If the bite gets slow though, just try live bait, or a piece of white bread kneaded into a little ball and placed on the hook. The bluegill where I fish LOVE bread.

If I'm gonna fish for crappie, or anything else that'll bite, I like to catch some live minnows out of the body of water I'm fishing (so the fish are accustomed to eating forage that it familiar to them) with a minnow trap made from 2 2-liter bottles. The minnows are mosquitofish, and they work really well. Does anyone have any advice on catching live bait in traps?

Also a good tip: when you bring home a stringer full of cats next time, save the livers while you clean them, and freeze em. Catfish livers are really great as well, and many people overlook them. If ya think about it, for every catfish caught and kept, you're getting free bait back!

Eater sized channels will usually eat anything, but the livers are the most effective to me. But for good quality fish or a few eaters, try dip bait as well. It draws in a lot of cats if you're in a good spot.

I'm a big fan of the Zoom Fluke just like many others here, but I'm also kind of new to it, and I haven't fished it nearly as long as some of you out there. I've got a few bags, and I would like to hone up my skills with them. Any tips or tactics? Besides a weightless T-Rig, could a split shot be added a few inches up from the bait to add some different motion? Thanks.

Oh alright. Well I do have some really tiny assorted hooks I could try tying with. What kind of materials or patterns would you reccomend?

What kind of retrieve would be effective for them? A reel reel reel, pause, or just a continuous slow retrieve for a steady wiggle?

I'm probably gonna have to buy some Rage Tail baits next time I'm at BPS or Academy. From what ya'll have told me, I've gotta try em out! Also, has anyone ever used the 4" Zoom Mini Lizard? And if so, how do ya rig it? Thanks!

I love Beetle Spins because they're a catch-anything type of bait. I have a few 1/8 and 1/16 oz ones and a handful of 1/32 oz Beetle Spins. From now on I'll probably just stick with buying 1/16 and 1/32 oz ones because they're the most effective for an Ultra Light. I just like them because they're so versatile and there are so many color choices, and they're only around a buck a piece. Can't beat that!

Ya know I have a bag of 7" Power Worms and a pack of Chigger Craws just waiting to be fished !

What kind of dip bait do you use? I like Premo, by Hog Wild, and Catfish Charlie's blood dip bait. Smalls absolutely awful but once you land a few good cats you learn to get used to it once that stringer starts to fill!

What about Rage Tail plastics? I've never used them before but if I were to get a few packs, what kind should I get? Colors??

Yeah that's always true.

Wow I guess in bass fishing you really CAN learn from your mistakes! I've had similar experiences happen like this one before. Or when I turned to talk to a friend and my line started to slowly move and then I noticed it and set the hook!

Does anyone on this forum fly fish much?

I wish we had a Dick's sporting goods where I live. All we have is an Academy. They're alright, but they don't have too many sales on their fishing gear. But they do have low prices so can't complain

How slow are you talkin? Like 5-6 feet per minute slow, or like 20-25 feet per minute?

I get what you mean, but if it's pitch black out there I think they're more focused on sound and movement of the bait rather than what it looks like. Bass are very brave. If I was in the dark, I know I wouldn't try to eat everything I heard making a noise. Their instincts are amazing!

Mine is a white with black back, black striped sides, red belly, and yellow around the eyes. Idk how well the color would work but then again against a night sky it might not matter too much.

How do ya'll work your T-Rigs? I'll usually cast right to cover, let sink, wait a few seconds, and twitch it and SLOWLY bounce it off of the bottom and basically work it slow.

I have a Jitterbug (normal size I think 1/4 oz) and I'm going late night fishing later tonight. Would this be something I should bring with?

What are the best soft plastics you've used or currently use, and how do you fish them? A few good ones for me currently are the Culprit worm, Zoom U-Tail, Zoom Fluke, and Luck-E-Strike 6" Twirl Tail worm.