MrPeanut

It was great to see a guy like Ott pull it out. I'm also curious to see if anybody goes back to the BASS format. Mostly because many of the field has fished under the 5 biggest bites format their whole career. If they're struggling with the MLF format so far going back might be more intriguing to them than if they're excelling in the MLF.

The scaled down baby d-bomb is pretty great on a shakey head, it's a bit smaller profile than the actual d-bomb though

Will these be a lot different than the bomb shot? They seem almost like I could bite off the head of the bomb shot and have both baits with only buying one of them?

I'm rooting for an inaccurate forecast. We may be a little earlier ice out than northern MI, but we still have a bit of waiting to do too.

Is anybody else with me on the struggle bus for how to even start picking a roster for the classic?

I like them. I imitate small bluegills and perch a lot in the weeds, so the hidden hook is a nice touch compared to a small swimbait/jighead.

Yikes Hope everybody stays safe

Lol at least 90% of the time I make last minute changes I bomb

Glad I made a last min switch to mueller and zaldain haha The classic will be interesting for sure. You have the guys who left with extra motivation because it very well may be their last classic. On the other hand, you have a lot of guys trying to prove a point they think their tour is still strong... aka I have no idea how to pick this one as usual lol

I actually just found this book on amazon and picked it up. I'm pretty stoked to read it while waiting for the lakes to thaw.

Just put my picks in as well I think this year, at least the first couple tourneys, will be interesting with a lot of lesser known anglers being showcased. Will make it fun

If you're looking for one place to go for specific info, take a look at bassuniversity.com as well. They charge a monthly subscription, but they also have their entire library broken down by either specific topics (baits / seasonal pattern /etc) or by specific anglers if there's one person you want to get information from.

I really like the menace on swim jigs when I want something more subtle The cheaper boot tails work well for me for swim jigs when I want the thump - typically I'm moving them fast enough to the point where the benefits of the soft Keitechs aren't really noticeable. They'll all kick on a heavy swim jig moving quickly through the water. IMO the Keitechs shine when your trying to still get that kick at super slow sleeps. Also I can't stop staring at the selection in A-Jay's pic... anybody else stare at jig combos all winter and daydream? lol

A lot of great points already made. For myself, the toughest part is not getting immediate feedback. Loose comparison - when you're on the golf course and leave the club face open on a swing, you know within a few seconds of watching the ball flight what went wrong. In contrast, the majority of your casts even on a great day will come back without a fish hooked. It's the nature of the beast. Deciding when to change and what to change becomes a bit of a puzzle, and everyone has different ways of putting it together. To me, that's the enjoyment of fishing - even on a bad day I still enjoy the outdoors. The challenge brings me back.

I'd be in It'll be hard with a lot of people on tour nobody is familiar with, but it'll make it fun

It could work if you want it to.. like most things in fishing it's up to you on what your personal preference is. If you want to stick to one brand, many large brands out there have at least a couple options in any type of soft plastic shape you want.(aka strike king, zoom etc) To me, there's subtle differences in all of them, and more importantly there's sales on different brands at different times, so I use a hodge podge of brands.

If I remember right the discontinued color is lime purple passion

lol, perfect. Gotta love the little fish smaller than the senko who think they're the Meg

Little Giants

Golf was a great analogy. I can't think of many other sports / hobbies where there is a pro circuit with tons of marketing etc geared towards the idea "this equipment will make all the difference for you". When in reality, it will but only to a certain degree. Technique and location matter so much more than having top end gear. That being said it's important to remember, especially for those just starting out, there's a lot of guys/gals who get the higher end gear and swear by it - but it's also because at their stage of life it's in their budget and it's worth it to them. It doesn't necessarily mean that level of gear is needed in order to catch fish.

I keep cranks 0-10 ft in a 3700 deep plano box, and then 10+ in a separate 3700 deep plano. The 3700 deep holds a ton of cranks, divided by running depth and color.

I'm not brand loyal at all, both my rods and reels are a hodgepodge. I tend to use whatever the best deal I can at the time to get the most bang for my buck, but mostly there's so many good brands out there I like trying different things. Otherwise how would I ever know if I like it better. To me a lot of the fun of fishing is trying new baits / techniques, and also new equipment. Rods - mix of loomis, dobyns, st croix and alpha angler Reels - mix of Abu, shimano, lews and a ***

I'm interested in this thread and hope it keeps going. I recently picked up a fly combo after spending a half hour with a friend who fly fishes a lot more than conventional rigs. I got a basic 5 WT rod and went to the local fly shop, they hooked me up with a handful of flies to start with. I have no idea what I'm doing yet, but it's exciting to find new ways to catch 'em.

The hudd perch is pretty great for the perch lakes we have, at least in my area. I don't think you can really go wrong with either. I have the trout pattern as well, and even though there's no trout I still throw it. It's really a green pumpkin back, with a hint of purple on the side, which although the shape isn't quite right the color mimics a bluegill in the area pretty well. To be honest I don't think bass are smart enough to pick a part the shape, they just see something life like they're able to munch on. Long story short, either would be a solid choice - if I was to go with only 1 I'd probably go with the perch.

I only bring a couple of rules with me, wherever I go: 1) You can't control the fish / weather / conditions; only how you react to them 2) Have fun and enjoy the moment