primetime

I catch more fish on lipless cranks at all depths than crankbaits for the most part. Some days they may not want something loud, but in the few places on fish that has deep water, I like to basically fish a heavy lipless crank the same way you would a spoon. Let it hit bottom, then lift it up and let it flutter, or hop on bottom etc... In water over 10-15' I almost always fish the Bigger Spro Aruku Shad since it is 7/8 I believe, the 3/4 Red Eye Shad, Sebile 77 Sinking, and I have a bunch of 1 oz Reaction Strike Lipless cranks that are perfect size for ounce, stand on bottom and fall nicely, and are basically silent but have a slight sound that is different as if there was sand in the bait...I think Viscous maybe makes it now....I have a lipless crank tied on all year no matter if on a big lake, or off bank or in Kayak. Great for covering water and finding fish. I don't get nearly as many Fish on Square bills or deep divers. I catch more bass on C-Rigs deep than I do on cranks, usually just not the same quality though.

I like to start slow, then adjust from there for almost everything. Sometimes they will hit a Senko moving fast, but I find it works best when falling, or sitting on bottom after it first hits the water. If Carolina Rigging, I try to sweep the rod to get it to fall as often as possible.....Sometimes you will find out they want a bait fast when reeling it in to make another cast....Fishing fast is fun when you are catching them, but more times than not with plastics, Slow or erratic seems to be the best way to figure it out, trying diffferent cadences and paying attention to when you get a strike. I have had some trips recently when they would only grab a fluke or senko when it would hit bottom and sit for a good 5-10 seconds. I figured it out accidently, as I usually would just lift it a second or two after it hits bottom or soaks where I made my initial cast, but now I experiment with letting it soak longer after twitching it a few times....

Ive been working on my deep cranking skills the past few years, and because there are so many brands out there and I am sure most are good, I have tried to minimize by box to the ones I have done well with and have confidence in, and also the ones that have been around the longest, cause they still make em and sell em for a reason. People buy them. I use the Strike King XD series both silent and rattling as my go to because Its what most people use and they flat out work. I like one bright color, and one in a white color but not sure color matters all that much. Bomber #7A is an awesome crankbait. Has a tighter action, the bill dance citrus shad and firetiger both seem to work well and the brown craw color. The Norman DD 22, and my favorite lately is the Rapala DT 16 which you can get down deeper if you need it by either long lining, or using 8lb test fluoro. Something about the Finesse action seems to make it work well when sometimes they won't hit the others. I know the Berkley cranks are popular as mentioned, and the Spro as well. They are all good options. Then the bigger shad raps are also good baits not just for the cold.....I like throwin them on spinning gear and light line, here in florida it gives them a different look I think.

It does look like the Mann's Pogo shad and very well may be, thats the same end. The Pogo shad I remember didn't have a lip, but they probably made one. I was thinking Cotton Cordell because of the black dot near the head which they often put on alot of there lures. I am sure a few companies made baits similar to the Mann's. I think Norman also made one..... Its an old school Rapala Rip stop....

I am not sure there is a "Right" answer as lots of people have success using a loop knot, tying direct without a split ring, adding a split ring, or using a small but strong snap if you are the type to often change out lures and colors, size etc. I tie direct to my Pop'rs. and rarely tie a loop knot. I have never noticed a difference personally. for spooks, I usually add an oval split ring to them or will use a snap. I was always against using extra hardware like snaps for lures, but I am not sure it matters since usually they are always moving and fish do not get a detailed look where I fish. I never tie a snap to a split ring though, although some people do it to create sound with silent spooks-the older ones were silent. End of the day, just make sure you have good line, good knot, and if a split ring or snap, spend the extra money to buy the better quality ones. There is huge difference in quality between the .99 pack of 10, and brands premium brands. The saltwater versions and brands like Tsunami and others we never see in the bass world are actually good because they make small version rated high.

1- Zoom Ultravibe Speed Worm in both sizes for topwater buzz bait presentation, cover water, and great for pitching, subsurface....texas, c-rig etc.... Gambler Burner worm is a bigger profile but also really good for bigger bites and more commotion as its a thick 7" senko with the cut curl tail. 2- 6" & 7.5" Culprit Ribbon Tails, and for pitching and fishing grass so the tails don't hang up as much, I like the Culprit Fat Max which is a thicker profile and something about culprit colors seems to make them shine especially in stained water.... I would then say for sure my next option is a zoom Trick Worm, 6" and 4" for finesse, and in Summer, if throwing a big worm.....I like any Junebug or Green Pumpkin Red 10-12" Ribbon tail. Rage Anaconda, Power worms, BPS curly tails in 12" black blue tail is a killer worm.....

If you were on the bank, good chance it caught a glimpse of your shadow and turned away. Can be a bunch of reasons, Lures of all types get followed often, if you see one follow it all the way in and almost enagage, you are doing something right, I would throw the frog one more time and work it slow with long pauses...Or simply toss out a worm until it strikes, or the other fish in area strike. At least you know a decent Bass is in the area and not likely there alone. Sometimes when I see the same thing happen, can't get bit in next few casts, If its a good fish, Ill move away for a good 10-15 minutes then throw back in the area with something that I have most confidence in like a worm. A fast moving rattle trap can often catch followers as well or get a fish to commit that is just curious. Its almost always the bigger Bass that seem to turn away last second.....

Its a good frog..If it takes on some water, just squeeze it out. If the legs fall off of the original frog, you can always just add a skirt and put any color you want instead of the action legs which seem to come off after a good strike or 2. They also tend to tangle on the hooks etc. but body is super soft and hook up ratio is good....I actually like the tiny frog with action legs, good little frog. I have a huge collection of Frogs as I just like buying them and using different models. I love the Jackall Iobee Frog for $13 but it also takes on a ton of water, but has a different action than other frogs with more of an S type movement. Many of my spro frogs take on Water, Megabass Frogs sink quicker than any other at $15 per frog, but when it floats it seems to get smashed when sitting still, but I have a hard time hooking up on that Pony Gabot Frog.... Pound for Pound..The Pad Crushers are possibly the best soft body hollow frog for the money. Next IMO would be the Live Target Frogs, I like the Strike King Frogs which are only $7, Terminator Frogs are also really good and have a harder body which is a plus at times. Snagproof also makes some great frogs and not all that expensive. The Bobby's Perfect frog is one of my favorites, The Ish Poppin Frog has a pointed nose and is best popping frog for getting through cover and for walking.... Snagproof, Booyah, Strike King, Old River 2 sea Bully Wa, Terminator, and the $5 Lunker Hunt frog seems ok, but I would buy the Booyah for extra $1. You can also fix any frog that sinks, just put some glue on the bottom, but make sure you leave a spot for air to exit when it gets crushed so you get hooks exposed. My best Frog Fish last year came from a Jawbone Frog that would sink every 3rd cast, but you can fix them and they will work well for about a dozen fish and then be shot. Its a carbon copy of a semi popular frog that costs 3x price.

The Slim Shad is more of a shad body, I have some 6" and they are a bigger bait, longer than a sassy shad, streamlined....I would recommend the Big Hammer swimbaits as a great alternative as they come in 3,4",5",6",6.5", 7 and I think bigger as well. They have awesome colors, durable with a different feeling plastic, and a large square boot tail which gives it a killer action on the drop when rigged on a jig head like the Big Hammer Heads, J-Will, really any. I use them as swim jig trailers, 3" for light rigs, and its a fantastic swimbait since they are not well known. You can order them from Dicks Sporting goods online, Tackle Warehouse, just watch out when buying on Ebay or Direct etc. as they often sell them as bulk instead of the clam pack which means they are blemishes, and if they are not rigged straight etc. they do not work as good. Mister Twister makes a 6" Sassy shad but it is super heavy and thick, probably weighs close to 2 oz.... If you google shad body style soft swimbait you will find a decent amount of them. If I am thinking of the right Berkley Swimbaits, the 6" come 2" in a pack, are bigger than you would expect for 6" when first seeing them, with ribs as opposed to the other one they sell that has less kick and not as streamlined. Last year Berkley had alot of powerbait on sale and havoc models for .99 on website. Go Big Hammer. You will like them. They flat out work for Bass, Saltwater, Fantastic Striper Bait.....They have the best action when stroking them, they wobble nicely on the fall and for stained water the extra kick they provide and slim profile, flash colors and triple laminates work awesome. You can texas rig them but difficult, need a jighead to get them right. Hope that helps.

I know Lake Magdalene holds good fish, at least I have heard....If you have access, I would focus on Magdalene and if creative you can often find a way to Fish Lake Platt which is a fun lake. Lake Thonnassa is tough to figure out but is getting much better, been learning it this year and its certainly not Orlando, but has potential for big fish and decent numbers. I use google earth and have attempted a ton of spots over the years in Tampa, the best ponds and lakes are private, and you really can't get on them unless you know someone on the lake. They are much more strict than it was 10 years ago. If you look at Google earth, the amount of good water on Pasco to Tampa border area is ridiculous, and safest bet to get quality time in and catch fish is start with ponds or lakes that are behind a public parking lot, behind Home Depot, Supermarket etc...That gives you a bunch of options, also a few of the wilderness preserves in Pasco are public, people don't realize it. Bypass canal can be good for stripers and Bass from the bank, can be tough buy that puts you in the area to figure out where to target and what connects to what. One last trick is to also look for lakes that have non gated rental apartments where anyone can park, there are several in area mentioned that you can launch a Kayak and be in prime real estate, nobody will bother you either....I work outside sales, so I am always hitting several new areas each week that I scope out based on how old or new the area is, Those lakes and Ponds that were created during the real estate boom in 2000-2008 are good as they were stocked and now fish are over 10 years old, at least the ones you hope to catch.

Check out the park area off Dale Mabry....has a few good size lakes, also you can fish alot of the lakes and ponds off Dale Mabry, and then look at Land O Lakes, plenty of good fishing but alot of it is private. Don't discount the small Oxbows you see, streams, and venturing into Brandon area is not a bad idea...I don't know names, but you can literally hit a few dozen small lakes and ponds with access in a few hours, usually 1/3 you can fish. Half Moon Lake is actually pretty good fishing for numbers and it apparently holds bigger fish. I have only gone maybe 5 times since being in Florida, but its pretty reliable for a few fish per hour, guys have caught Double Digit, its public, in a bad area so gets ignored, but Its one of the better lakes in the area compared to the other options of big lakes. Gadsen Park, Bobby Hicks park...Both good spots as well for Tampa but Van Dyke/Dale Mabry area is the ticket and then head north on 41 to venture into pasco.

Just buy some DOA pinch weights and use any hook you prefer, can crimp them on and off easily....In a Jam, you could always crush a split shot as well. I have a tough time finding the right size at times as well with right weight on weighted hooks, I like some of them like Gamakatsu etc...But I can never seem to get certain brands to fit or have right weight like VMC and few others. Mustad has a good weighted hook but the keeper tears the baits, you can switch them out with hitchikers or simple mister twister pins, the weight slides and you can get a 3/0-4/0 that fits 3.8" size swimbaits for most part in 1/16-1/8.. Hope that helps. The DOA long Shank EWG lazer sharp hooks are really good for adding the pinch weights, plenty of gap and I like that hook since its saltwater strong, not too thick, plenty of gap, and long neck is great for bigger baits as well like Magnum Flukes. The 5/0 looks much bigger but they come in a bunch of sizes...

I just use a straight shank BPS makes and the VMC Neko Hooks, also will just use an EWG at times....I never go smaller than 2/0, 3/0-4/0 my preferance for 5-6" worms. I seem to get more strikes with bigger hook, better action, better hook sets. I used to always use smaller Finesse hooks #1,1/0, but now love 3/0 as main size....Especially if Neko Rigging, then I go 4/0. I don't like weedguards but thats just personal preference. I base the guage of my hooks on the lb test I am using, cover I am fishing and how big of a fish is realistic.......I don't necessarily use a finesse hook for finesse worms etc...

Inline spinners like Rooster Tails, Mepps Aglia etc. are always a good choice since lots of colors, sizes, and just cast and reel and are perfect for spinning gear. Most knock off brands are good as well, I grabbed a bunch of cheap rooster tail knock off's at a flea market a few years back for .50 each and they work plenty good. They are just not as durable, but a card of 12 for $6 is a good deal and BPS has a .99 model that is actually good. You can get assortments of plastics at most places, I feel like Worm hooks, split shots, soft baits are not too difficult for any age...As someone mentioned, grub on a jig head kind of sets itself, but they can learn to fish a weightless plastic once they can cast it.....You can actually use an open hook on alot of soft baits where we always think to Texas rig, I guess that is why the wacky rig is a can't miss option..... Spinners and worms....Then maybe a $1 smaller Buzz bait from Walmart, I loved throwing buzz baits as a kid. The smaller ones get more attention imo.

The Deep or Mid Bomber Flat A will hit 9 feet. Rapala Has the Flat DT series and shad raps which have many that can hit that depth. The Flat A is an awesome crankbait, it kind of suspends after deflecting, rises slowly but they have been a favorite of mine for years. Not sure Rapala Makes the DT-7 Flat which can get to 9 feet, but shad raps in most sizes can hit that range. The glass Shad rap is a true suspender and I use the little one #5 I think and it gets pretty deep, over 10' for sure and stays there. Hope that helps. The Bomber Flat A may say 7' or 9' on package, but It tends to work best on lighter line 8-10lb and I feel as though I get 10-12' out of it on a good cast.

I would probably start out fishing a texas rig or carolina rigged soft bait like a senko, tube, fluke or chuck a lipless crank like a red eye shad until finding the fish. Looks like a nice spot, nice weedlines, probably a bit cold for topwater but if the sun comes out, mid day, a soft bait over those weeds weightless and slowly falling might work, or swimbait slowly crawled on top/subsurface. If all else fails, just use smaller baits like a grub which catches fish all year long. I am sure many of the soft bait you use for saltwater, lures etc. would also work....Gamefish typically act similar, they like cover which is more than just weeds etc. any current, drop offs, those docks. Some bass are shallow all year in my opinion, just depends on the definition of "Shallow". If you find ambush points, you will find fish, and if you find one, it was not an accident. You can assume they are always down to eat anything that mimics a baitfish, smaller fish, crawfish....If you like using a casting spoon for saltwater, try using it for bass....Spoons, hair jigs, bucktails all work well in colder water, even warm water....Finding them is most of the puzzle. When I was up north some of the biggest bass we would catch were through the Ice. It may be tough to get to the deeper water from shore, but you will have access to catchable fish somewhere for sure. Just start fishing it and you will do better and better as you figure out what works for you.

I try not to go lighter than 8-10lb test with Fluoro, and for a moving bait like a lipless crank, I would typically throw it on 12-20lb test Mono or Fluoro, braid if ripping off weeds, but 6 is kind of light but shouldn't be snapping. I would say maybe it was a bad batch of line, I have had that happen with fluoro in the past, I also never use a palomar knot with Fluorocarbon. I tie an Improved Clinch knot, and pull the knot down carefully not to create any kinks. I have had knots fail too many times with Fluoro in past and Clinch Knot works better for me. Try 6lb mono like Trilene XL or Stren, improved clinch knot and see if it breaks. If it does than it is maybe a chipped guide or equipment issue. 6lb test can handle a 1/4 oz lure for sure. if fishing open water, shouldn't be an issue with 6lb, just don't try to bomb a cast as hard as you can. That could be part of issue. The "bad" fluoro I have purchased in the past were usually clearance sales and older line. I believe Fluoro now compared to 5 years ago is much better, but maybe that is just me.

I understand your challenge, and trying to keep your soft plastics to a minimum is a challenge since I tend to use softbaits most of the time, either weightless, texas rig, c-rig, trailer on jigs etc.... My biggest issue was always bringing too many colors, so now I try to keep it to maybe 3 for each style bait. Green Pumpkin, Junebug, Black blue, and then I guess I am lying cause I would always have watermelon Red and red shad as well....So 5....For worms... For worms, I think you are good with most stick baits, for action, a curly tail worm vs. Ribbon tail etc. should not matter much, and then for finesse, you can pretty much get by with some zoom trick worms and be good in worm category..Then a Speed worm for topwater. One way to help keep it "Simple" is maybe just pick a brand like Zoom or Strike King, BPS and just look at the total lineup and just bring a few packs of the 3-4 categories you like to fish. Swimbaits, Flukes, Worms, Finesse and small stuff, Craws/Creatures...That kind of covers it. And Tubes, Small Grubs..Yea, I can't help with this one, I have same problem and its never gotten better in 20 years.

I would venture to guess that the Knuckle Head is worth putting a few dollars into, plus you can always move your dressed trebles around to other lures since they usually come in a pack. Or simply replace the back hook with a regular treble hook. I used to own the same lure, I believe I sold it on Ebay when reducing tackle, not because it doesn't work, but because I have way too many topwater lures and just never got around to throwing it. I am sure it catches fish, its been in production for a really long time, that usually means something. I used to have an old Mirror Lure jointed popper that was similar looking with the big mouth, dressed rear treble in a bright orange color. I remember catching a few fish on it, but I never had alot of confidence in the color so only used it in private ponds that were kind of easy. I bet they work well on generating bigger strikes, its a big lure and creates a big commotion compared to say the bigger Rebel. Sometimes throwing something different can make all the difference.

As long as the structure is not too bad, weeds, abrasions etc..You can another site on light line, I never go as light as 2lb braid, but I believe you are correct with it being stronger than 2lb test. I use 4lb Mono as my lightest, and in open water, I have landed some 4-5lb fish, but I prefer 6lb test and feel I can land just about any fish if I am patient and trust my drag....Although, even in open water, I have found that bigger bass will often win the battle since they will find structure to break you off. Getting extra strikes with light tackle is addicting, however the landing ratio with quality fish can be difficult. I just really enjoy lighter tackle and sometimes get a bit greedy with it and use it in places I have no business attempting it. I have not tried a small spinner in years. I am going to bring one the next time I go pond fishing, I forget about how good a small spinner can work.

I pretty much skip Tubes instead of creature baits etc..They seem to skip the best and stay on the hook well. I feel with a tube, it can mimic a baitfish if you work it like a fluke, hop it like a craw, add rattles...I just texas rig them, but Tubes have become part of my arsenal again after forgetting about them for a few years. Tubes flat out catch fish..Plus you can buy about 8 different sizes for either a large profile, thinner profile etc...100's of colors...Bass Pro has some of the best tubes imo....Gitzit, Zoom, then the Gene Larew ringed tubes are also really good. I like the hollow tubes so I can add weight inside if needed, rattles, scent etc... The Biffle Bug would be a good skipping bait since it is part tube and can be modified several ways. This way you can adjust it for each situation regarding structure, depth etc... This may be generic, but at the end of the day.....I would probably grab a Senko for skipping as my first bait, not a creature, but kind of hard to beat a stick worm texas rigged skipped through bushes etc.. The Rage Menace would be my other choice as I can buzz it on top if needed at any time and it does not have too many appendages. If skipping open water to attract attention, really can skip everything, I try to skip Frogs on every cast.

The last few years I simply buy whatever braid is on clearance some place and I rarely have issues with any of the major brands. I still like Power Pro and Tuf Line braids, but I have purchased Sunline, Daiwa etc...It all seems good to me, I used to use 832 and it was a good line. Tuf Line is a good line and usually priced really competitive. Plus its made in the USA which is kind of nice.

I think some of the rods at Walmart bend because of how they are stored and because they get handled too much. I actually noticed the same thing when I went a few years ago to buy another lighting rod. They were all bent, I wouldn't be surprised if maybe they get some defective batches as well. The Berkley Lighting rod is one of my favorite rods for price and quality. Tough to beat for $40.

I believe I will try that. Good Tip. As someone mentioned above, the plastics that they use in Japan that are really expensive, are always super thin and tiny. From what I understand the lakes in Japan are highly pressured, so it makes sense what you are saying. I love fishing light line and starting to really enjoy the finesse side of Bassin, I imagine showing them a look of something really thin would be a good change up. So you are talking half the width of a 4" Zoom finesse worm?

The reason I find Bass Fishing so addictive is because there are no "Absolutes" right or wrong way for the most part. If you were to ask the 10 best Pro's on Tour to draw up a chart to help simplify color, lures, water color etc....You would end up with 10 different charts. The best way to learn in my opinion is to read a book or articles online to get an understanding of the basic habits of Bass, and then you just need to get on the water and practice. Having someone show you on the water is even better, and you quickly realize that it is impossible to know everything and what worked yesterday, may not work the next... I guess I didn't really help, they do have charts online, but the videos that Glenn puts up on this site are really good to learn from. He does a good job simplifying things, because yes, Lure companies have done a good job of making you think you need every lure and color etc...