smalljaw67

I like Danville 210 denier flat waxed nylon thread for all my tying needs. If I'm tying a smaller hook like a size 8 treble or a size 6 jig hook, I'll go down to 140 denier which is also good. The reason I use flat waxed nylon instead of upholstery thread is two fold, the first is the waxed thread grips the material which makes it very hard to pull the material out. The second reason is it acts as a lubricant for the thread which allows you to get it a little tighter when you cinch it down and you don't suffer "friction breaks" which happens with non-waxed threads.

The plain old straight tail worm, it works in warm water and cold water, when the fish are active and inactive. I can Texas rig it, C-Rig it, fish it on a drop shot, shaky head or on a jig head with exposed hook, it can be used in every way.

I like using the 3" on a 1/16oz jig head the same way a ned rig is fished, then the 4" is for split shot or wacky rigs and then 5" for T-rigging. I don't use the larger ones anymore as the 5" just catches fish and it gets all sizes, the 6" seemed to get better fish but it also didn't draw as many strikes.

I like using the chunk in extremes but I use it in different ways at each extreme. In cold water, less than 60 degrees, I'm using a chunk, and I'll thread the chunk on my jig to give it a more compact profile along with the more subtle action. When the water gets really warm, over 80 degrees, I'll go to a chunk again due to the more subtle action but instead of threading it on like I do in cold water, I'll instead just hand it on the hook which will give it a larger profile. The reason for that is in the warm water the fish may be lethargic due to reduced oxygen content but the metabolism is still high so the larger profile will appeal to the fish more, at least it makes sense like that to me and gives me confidence. Any other times I'm using a craw with flapping claws or some other action type trailer.

This^^^^^ !!! That statement, this is why I made this post, and that is because I'm not really an old crank type of angler, I don't go looking for them. I like to use newer baits, some end up as keepers while others end up never being used again. This past season I did well on cranks and I lost a few of my mid depth and it forced me to look at my arsenal in more detail. I'll be trying some of the new Berkley stuff this season but I'll still be chucking out old classics as well, thanks for the responses guys, I just need to realize that while I pay attention to the newest trends, I'm still an old school angler at heart.

I posted a thread asking for some information on a bait I plan to get and A-Jay was very helpful but he was the only one and it got me thinking about this. The bait I was needing help with was a Bomber Fat Free Shad Deep Diving Square Bill, I have the regular Fat Free Shad but never got the square bill. Anyway, I'm looking at holes in my medium diving crankbait arsenal and it seems most of my medium divers are made up of older classics that are still sold. Bomber Model 7A, Deep Flat A, Fat Free Shad as I had mentioned along with the Storm Wiggle Warts and Rapala DT Flat 7, DT-6, DT-10 and other baits like this. Even my newer ones seem old like the Bagley Sunny B and the Balsa Shad, when I actually compared my medium diving boxes to my shallow diving ones, it was like being in a time warp, but then looking at the newer stuff, there aren't many medium divers that were put out that seem good to try other than the Yo-Zuri baits which are my newest medium divers. Am I alone in this or are there some of you who are also caught in a time warp of medium diving baits?

I'm sold on the Yo-Zuri 3DB square bills, those are high end with a normal price tag. Your normal crankbaits, what depth range are you referring to? There are shallow divers without square bills like the Mann's Baby 1 minus, and the Rapala DT-4, then you mid-level divers like the Storm Wiggle Wart and Bagley Diving Kill'R B, and your semi-deep divers like the Bomber Fat Free Shad or the Rapala DT-14, and finally deep divers like the Strike King 10XD and the like.

Thanks A-Jay, I'm looking at the BDSL6F but based on what the range is on the larger one and it was running 8' on 20lb mono, I think I'm safe to assume that I should get at least 8' on 12lb mono. The regular Fat Free Shads are excellent, I'm not sure why they don't get much attention but that is another discussion, thanks for the help.

I have them in both the 3 and the 5, they work really well. I have a good selection but any time they are on sale I'll buy 3 or 4 more, and that reminds me, I should get a few rattling versions as I have none, well no Arashi rattling baits.

I'm hoping somebody could help me here. I want to grab a few of these, I'm looking to add some more medium divers to my arsenal this season and I'm hoping I can get an idea of how deep the 6 runs. I already have the BD5 and BD6 in the regular Fat Free Shad and I really like them as they are fish catchers plain and simple. For as good as these baits have been to me you'd think I'd have the square bill but I never grabbed them as I tend to focus more on shallow cranking so I'm looking for someone who can tell me approximately how deep these go and which line they use with them. The regular Fat Free Shad cranks are consistent runners as the BD5 or fingerling model has a range of 8' to 10' and on 10lb Big Game I get to 9' easily and the same holds true for the BD6 or shad Jr. model, the range says 8' to 14' and with the same 10lb Big Game I hit 12'. The reason I want to know about the depth on the square bill is that the size 6 square bill is the same size as the 6 in the regular model but the lower end of the depth is 2' lower yet it still has the maximum depth. It doesn't sound like a big deal but I intend to throw these on 12lb or 14lb spider wire ultimate mono and if I'm only going to get 6' then it isn't worth for me to pick them up as I have enough DT-6 , DT-Flat 7 baits to cover that area, I was hoping it would hit at least 8' or 9', now that would be awesome. So any help would be greatly appreciated.

I like to have 3 or 4 color patterns depending on the type of crank. I like to have a natural pattern, a visibly loud color, a bone/white/pearl color and a dark color. In the waters I fish the visibility is normally 2' to 4' on average so I tend to run more colors with my shallow cranks than I do with mid or deep divers.

I used the VMC Barbarian Outbarb hook on some jerkbaits for two seasons and I don't care for them too much. WRB is spot on with the assessment and to me the biggest thing is nicking line. I remember thinking that Megabass was on to something with the outbarbs so I got them and the one good thing is they seem to grab fish that just swiped at your bait, it was almost caught if it got close but I began only using them for the back hook as my line did end up nicked and they scratch the finish worse than regular hooks. In he end the benefit didn't outweigh the negative so I stopped using out barb hooks.

I like to fan my weed guards out when fishing deadfalls with a lot of thin limbs, for heavy cover I fan it a little bit. For me it is a confidence thing, in my mind I feel the weed guard will protect a larger area fanned out so that is why I do it, but there are times when I was in a hurry and tied on a new jig and left the weed guard alone and I was fine with it.

They are actually made decent as most Northland stuff is and they are priced fair.

Pick one that works with your tackle. If you are using braid or heavy line over 12lb, you'll want a football head with stout hook, if you use mono or fluorocarbon around 10lb and 12lb line over rocks in deep water, you may want one with a lighter wire hook and light weed guard.

No, it wasn't because you let them sit, what happened is you had too much paint or the oven was too hot. If you use a toaster oven go to the department store and buy a $4.00 oven thermometer and see what your oven gets to when set for 350. If it is like most toaster ovens I used, it probably is like 375 or higher and that will actually take the paint right off if you leave it in too long. An easy way to tell is do everything the same way and knock 5 minutes off, if the paint still sags it means you are getting to heavy of a coat, if it doesn't sag then you know your oven is too hot.

What rod and which reel? A friend of mine had his reel constantly come loose so he switched reels and the same problem and he switched rods and the same problem. He got a new rod and it worked great so when we looked at the reel seats of the rods his reels would come loose from, they were all rear locking reel seats. BTW, these were all spinning rods and reels so it may not apply but he found he can't use rear locking reel seats because the way he holds the rod he ends up loosening the nut in back, it sounds crazy but that is how it is, he now only buys rods with front locking reel seats.

The truth be told, with your budget I wouldn't switch to fluorocarbon line, stay with mono and save for a complete jig set up. A medium power spinning rod is going to be light finesse type jig, I wouldn't go more than 5/16oz with a trailer and with the rod and reel you have your casts aren't going to be long enough for the line stretch to make a lot of difference. If you want a low stretch mono, go with Spider Wire Ultimate Mono, it is very thin, the 10lb diameter is equivalent to the 8lb diameter of the Ironsilk you are currently using, and it has great abrasion resistance with the lowest stretch I ever experienced with any mono. The only problem is that on a spinning reel it has a little more memory, the same type you get with fluorocarbon by not quite as bad, so you would need something like KVD Line and Lure to help and all it takes is 2 spritzes and you are good for the day. The types of jigs that would work for you are a Strike king Bitsy Bug in 3/16oz and the Booyah pro Boo Bug in 3/16oz and 5/16oz. For trailers I like the Netbait Paca chunk in the "Tiny" size, it has enough action and bulk that it won't get lost on a 5/16oz jig yet still won't be overbearing on the 3/16oz.

The only jointed ones I have experience with is the Lucky Craft wake crank and the Koppers Live Target Bluegill wake bait and both are good baits. TW has the Jackall Aragon SSR but only in brown craw as it is discontinued but you might want to check that out as well.

Wow!!!! I learned to fish in the 70s and that was the reel to have!!!!!!

BPS doesn't carry any of them, at least they didn't.

A jig is the easiest lure to fish but the hardest to learn. The reason is due to the fact it is not a numbers bait, you may be able to catch 20 fish on a soft plastic in a day but only 8 to 12 on a jig but most of the time it appeals to larger fish. The best thing to do is to start with something like a Bitsy Bug jig, something in the 3/16oz to 1/4oz that will get bit more as it appeals to a wider range of fish sizes. Good luck on getting better with a jig.

You are really limiting yourself like that and with that statement I imagine you don't throw a lot of jerkbaits. I will have at least 5 or 6 outings that that the fish will follow a Ghost Minnow Pointer 100, and I'll get 2 follows and then switch to a different color like Shrimp Brown or Aurora Black and they hammer it. I've also had days when it seems like there isn't a jerkbait bite and so before giving up I'll switch to different types only to find out the Pointers were the deal but the Rogue was a total killer or something else. It happens a lot with that bait and different patterns are essential, especially if there are smallmouth present. I will start with a bait based on conditions and I will try different cadences and if I get no action I first switch color, then size, then I go to a different one. It sounds like a lesson in futility but it has paid off about 90% of the time, you just have to know your baits and their triggering properties, but you have to spend a good amount of time fishing them. I have anywhere from 3 to 6 months of throwing suspending jerkbaits depending on the weather, a mikld winter will see me throwing one from February to April and sometimes into May and then from October or November through December and sometimes into January so I do throw them a good bit.

I have 4 Aetos rods and have not had any problems with guides or the handle but, I like the SK 2 reel seat. If the guides were bad then why put a lifetime warranty on the rod? Just as every Chevy, Ford, and Ram has bad truck, so does every manufacturer have bad rods, they get parts from supplier and sometimes you get ones that aren't up to grade and they end up on a rod but that is why you have the warranty.

For the Storm Twitch Stick I'd get either the black chrome orange or rainbow smelt for your baitfish pattern, chrome clown as your bright color, pearl shad for a white bait and finish it off with ghost herring or ghost pro blue.