Triton21

I have been doing it for years. Caught my personal best SM (6 1/2) on a 1/16 oz black/blue jig I made. It is a lot of satisfaction to catch fish on your own bait. I would start out with a Hot Pot and Do-it molds. Janns Netcraft is a good place to start. Barlows is also a good source. If you are just going to tie a few at a time a inexpejsive fly vice will do. I recomend Owner light wire Jig hooks as they are super sharp and penatrate extremely well on Hookset. If you can't find Owners Gamagatsu will work. There are a lot of little tricks you will learn as you go along. Always heat your mold, Blacken the inside of your mold to make your jigs release easier, ect. ect. ect. If you have any problems I have seen a lot of guys on here pour their own stuff and someone will answer any question you have. Kelley

You got it. The handles up.

Practice, Practice, Practice, and Practice some more till comfortable wit hte cast.

Gosh, I really need help I've been addicted over 50 years :o Welcome Russ

Pegging a sinker is to fix it on the line so it don't move. I think most people use a toothpick pushed in the sinker then break it off. My favorite way is to use a piece of monofiliment (sp). put the tag ends together, run it through the sinker forming a loop on one end, place a piece of rubber band through the loop, pull the tag ends of the mono pulling the rubber band through the sinker. Leave just enough rubber band on the end of the sinker so as to be able to get hold of it with your fingernails and be able to pull it out to be able to reuse the sinker. This will peg the sinker without any chanch of damageing the line.

Original bags and, like ikeslayer, the plastic Wal-Mart "shoebox". You can get 15-20 bags in them. I have seven of them completely full. Thinking about opening my own bait shop next week. ; Dink, I have a 1 car garage full (have to kick stuff out of the way to get through) so if we go together we can compete with Bass Pro. ;D ;D ;D

Any color plastic as long as it is JUNEBUG.

Bass Hunter, TN aslo stocks Dale Hollow.

CJ, the Meanmouth is in Paintsville Lake in the Eastern part of Ky. No reason why there souldn.t be some in KY and Barkley with all the nice Spots and Smallies there.

Welcome Ron

I have found from my own personal experence that they will back off to the first break wheather it is a 6 inch break or a 10 ft break.

Billy Westmoreland said that he had the record fish hooked on Dale on Christmas day in the early 80's (he told me the year but I don't remember). He hooked it on a Pedico Spinnright and had it to the boat 3 times. He did not have a net in the onboard and the fish finally came unhooked. In all the years I knew him he never told me a lie and I never saw him lie to anyone else. I think there is a record Smallmouth swimming in Dale right now. I also think it will be caught in the Winter.

I would have said 'I will be accepting advice and donations". ;D ;D ;D

Just took delivery on a 2004 TR21XPD that was used by Heartland Outdoors TV show. Has 10 hrs on 225 Optimax. Boat had never been registered so got all new warranty on it and all accesories. Also got 2 yrs extended warranty on Opti (boat show special). Lorwance 19C with GPS in console and Lowrance 87 in bow. 109 motor guide. Bass Masteer Classic package. I was looking to buy a 19X but the good thing was that I bought this boat for $3000.00 les than I coud get a single console 19.

I like Watermelon/black flake alao Green Pumpkin.

RIGHT ON Rolo!!!!!!!!!!

Great information. Thanks Matt

A few years ago I had my own bait co. Yes you can make a profit if you are willing to work hard at it. If you are lucky enough to come up with a bait that nobody else has and it will be a killer when it comes to catching bass you can get rich. It will require lots of work also being on the road a lot selling untill it gets off the ground. You need to start selling at the 'Mom & Pop' bait shops and work up from there. If you can get your baits in Bass Pro, Cabelas, and Gander Mountain it will keep you and several others so busy that you won't have time to fish. I was lucky enough to be friends with the late great Billy Westmoreland and he endorsed my baits. Having his name on my baits really made them sell well in the Tenn. valey area. One of my baits made Bassmaster Mag in Feb. 2000 (Marabou Spinn) and sells really went up for a while. If you can get endorsements and National publicity you can make it fly. I sold my co and the guy that bought it was not willing to do the leg work it as hard as I did so it went under. I still copies have all the molds and make them for myself and friends but am not going to get it into it big time again. I am enjoing my retirement too much.

That's great LBH, This sounds like a great chance to get a partically paid fishing vacation. Hope you can work it out.

I know Dave also. Never fished with him but has given me may tips and locations over the years. Has a Kentucky Lake fishing report @ kentuckylake.com . Kelley

Fish all of the above locations. I have my best luck using either a Silver Buddy or a Tail Spinner when they are still in Winter pattern. Cast either bait, let sink to the bottom. With the Silver Buddy, snap it off the bottom about 3 feet and let it fall back on a semi-slack line. Using the Tail Spinner, snap it off the bottom and slow roll it back to the boat. Both of these baits get hung up some using this method but most of the time if you position your boat directly over the bait and jiggle it most of the time it will come loose. I caught my PB, 6 1/2 lb, using this method with a Silver Buddy. Kelley

I have straightened them by using rags to cushion the shaft and placing the shaft in the dovetail of a boat trailer. Kelley

Did you get the modification done? Kelley

I just signed up Kelley

3/8 oz Roostertail/white. The smaler bass are chasing the shad on top and the larger ones are under the pod waiting on the stunned easy pickin's to fall out of the pod. I have caught 4 & 5 lbers deep while the ones on top were 1 to 1 1/2 lbers. Cast past the pod of bait and let the inline spinner sink before you reel it back under the baitfish. Kelley