primetime

I have been fishinig a bunch of ponds and small lakes which seem to all have large populations of tiny 1-2" fry roaming the shallows with bass of all sizes actively coming up to bust on them right on the surface. I have started to catch fish finally, but nothing in the size range I want. My guess is the fry are either newly hatched Shiners (All Ponds have shiners that average 8-12", and Tilapia which spawn all year long) They are ambushing the bait in the shallow structure and weeds, but to get the biggest fish which I am after, would you fish a bigger bait and just be patient? I figured out how to get the smaller fish up to 4lbs. My goal in these ponds was to land some bigger fish this fall over 7lbs. Bass this size and bigger are no doubt Feeding on these pods of bait, several have ambushed them right in front of my feet while Wading and they won't hit minnow baits of any size, color, small plastics, maybe I should just fish with bigger baits in the same way I am catching the smaller fish? Maybe it is a patience thing? I am 100% positive that if I caught a few shiners and live lined them I would be able to catch them but I don't want to cheat just yet. How would you target these fish since they are feeding, but just very picky. I wonder if I am being too loud in the water while trying not to be, I trip every so often? Usually in these ponds you can catch a few really nice fish pretty easy, but this fall they are really hard to catch, I thought Bass Fishing Was Easy? Maybe I should return my Mighty Bite Kit for a full refund? Even the free kit? Any suggestions appreciated if you have encountered this after a hatch. Thanks.

I finally had a great few hours and it turned out a Spinnerbait was the right tool for the Job, I just had to make multiple casts/pitches to get it to pass by cover at several angles, bump it and run, and they wanted a smaller profile, I used a gold bladed Strike King single Hammered "Mini King with a black/chart skirt. Good call, I started realizing that the fish were all tight to cover since I went early in the morning, and I then decided to take a Junebug Stick bait, bite it down to 4", make an MJ rig with a small Gold Colorodo blade? Jig Spinner blade and pitch it to cover with a 3/16 oz weight, fish it almost like a shaky rig, then reel it super slow...Caught some bigger fish up to 4lbs. Heading back tonight and I will get a picture of the green water, It is truly gatorade green not sure how else to describe it. I am working on getting a picture, I tried to match the water color the way you first mentioned as soon as I saw the color. I usually always try to match the water color/Bottom color etc. but I can't get a trap through the water since it is full of slime, not the kind of weeds you can really snap a trap from unless you have a really strong work ethic. I did try to throw a Floating Bill Lewis Trap since others suggested the trap and I never use them in the ponds thinking they are too much, but I still have not had success with floating traps. The hooks foul all the time and they are hard to run into stumps and bushes since they lack any balance. They won't touch the suspending traps either, but they were killing the MJ rig which is basically the same priniciple as a spinnerbait only a senko with a blade attached, I started doing better pitching it with a bullet weight pegged, 4" piece of a Junebug worm, and small blade on the back. Half the strikes came on the fall, rest came as I started reeling. The bigger Fish seem to be tight to cover since the water turned at all times, but I am hoping I can catch something much bigger than 4lbs, I may just try pitching some plastics to good cover and hit every inch. Talk about frustrating, I had 2 fish break the water right at my feet while Wading that were easy 5lb plus but I still have not managed to figure the biggest fish out. I know these ponds have double digit fish, Just not going to give in and use a Shiner but it's getting tempting. That MJ rig is really good when it works. Thanks again for the suggestions, The green water must be an algae bloom which has caused the bottom and even mid level water to have a slime in it, which makes fishing lures almost impossible and they won't hit topwater which I just don't understand if they are breaking the surface?

Netbait makes a bait called the Salt Lick which is really good, not sure if they still make it but I had purchased a few bags years ago and they worked really well, they have more salt than a senko, and also pork cooked in so really dense, soft, and work well. Mr. Twister Comida is another good worm, but I seem to do well on all stick baits, never really used one I hated, I use the big Bite, Yum, SK, GYB, any brand depending on color. I like Stick-O's if I can buy them in the store to make sure the consistency is good, the Strike King model sold in walmart for $3 has worked for me in that camo color swirl...SHimmy Stick? I think the line, Hook, and how you fish it matters more than the brand. Just my take. Also where you cast it, and how fast it falls or sits. It is not like companies can't copy the exact recipe of the Senko, the Technology is out there. Also Kinami is GYB's Son't line which I believe they stopped making but they are the same as a Senko only in different colors....They work great if you can find them for $2 on overstock still...

Many of the models that I see on TW seem to be the same Jigs that Brand sells in the swim Jig or Casting Jig section-Flat Eye Arkie is popular since it only needs 1 split ring, but I would agree that ordering the parts yourself and making your own is not only more cost effective, but you can also experiment with them to get the action you want. I like the Z-Man Original chatterbaits with the blade attached directly but the hooks are just not sharp. You can get them sharp but they do not hold up well from my experience. I actually think the Strike King Poison? is a good option since it is inexpensive, and comes in different sizes like 3/16 and has a thinner blade and a split ring inside the jig head which seems to give it a unique action, but I like to make my own and put them on either a ball head jig or swim jig bullet head with a flat eye. I like one split ring better than 2 for some reason. I also like to play around with blade sizes and also use mostly colored blades, black and gold 90% of the time. The Trailer you pick can give the bait completely different actions. A Fluke will make it move completely different than a Grub etc...I like the Project Z, I have not used it much but it looks and feels quality to me. I have issues with hook up ratios on swinging hooks when texas rigged, I like a swinging hook for leverage but I just rig the trailer open, Chatterbaits are good in weeds and many strikes come when ripping them out like a swim jig/Trap etc...I guess it depends on how you fish them. I use 1/16 Z-Man Minnow versions and then regular jigs in 1/8-1/2. I like a 1/4 oz with a heavy trailer since I can fish it really shallow, but 3/8 is what I use most of the time since I use the Rage Menace most of the time. I love that bait as a trailer, Swim Senko is my other choice, and then a Trick worm.

You can find inexpensive fishing tackle and equipment that is quality if you do your research online, read reviews etc. the Key is buying a good value.

I like to sell my stuff in groups of 4's that compliment each other and I usually sell new stuff out of the box at 60%-70% so it cover's shipping, but if you have a brand new out of box Spro BBZ for example, you can get $15 if it is in perfect shape. The key is making sure you are 100% accurate about condition, pics are hard to examine depending on the quality and shiny lures are tough to get good pics with. I try to list any scratch they may have even if really slight since some people who buy something that says " Perfect shape" for example, really expect it to be a lure without any blemishes at all, even though you may believe it is perfect, so just cover yourself and give the lures a close look over. I also have found that if you have inexpensive new lures that are easy to find like say a dozen Cordell Spots which are only $3 new, it is better to mix them in with other brands and colors to call it a "Set" that will cover all water colors, conditions etc... People are willing to pay money for a lot of lures if they are new to fishing to not only save money, but to feel confident they are buying good lures, good colors, which makes sense. I would advise checking ebay to see what lures are selling for both new and used, you may have some older lures that are worth more than you think, and vise versa, just to make sure you list them fairly for both parties. Good luck. I find seperating the lures by topwater, crankbaits, jigs, helps, then maybe make a few "Tournament lots" that have a few of each. Hope that helps. I always toss in a few freebies that I have as well even if just a pack of hooks, or treble hooks etc. I don't use, people love extra stuff even if inexpensive. Who doesn't?

All Good ideas. Thanks. I plan on adding more chartruese to some soft baits for contrast as suggested, I lost my spike it pen, need to go buy another one. I like the idea of a Rattle trap and spinnerbait, I will give them both a shot in different sizes. I think it is an algae bloom since we had so much rain a few weeks ago with run off, the 2 ponds are each only maybe 20 acres so hopefully with this new cold weather coming in the fish will become more cooperative. Overall this fall has been warm, the last few nights have been the first few I have noticed a big difference in temps so the green color surprised me, usually that happens in the summer but maybe the fish just need a few days to adjust to the change in color?

This***I like fishing them over weeds as well, texas rigged weightless until the salt soaks out and then I use a bigger hook or add some weight....They have a different action, they work, Elaztech can be frustrating at times without glue or the right hooks. Takes some creativity to get them to stay on the hook when working them at times. I like some of the colors the strike King Zero has since BPS didn't have the Zinkers. Both are made by same Manufacturer, same bait. Yes, They work. Not sure if any better but they are durable. You can also turn them into a walking bait without the salt.

I have been struggling while fishing in one of my favorite spots which somehow has turned Green almost like a pool without chlorine. You can still see a good 2' into the water, and the fish seem to be active since they are breaking the surface. I have been trying to do all the things you would do in stained/muddy water and normal techniques but I am not doing well with any baits, lures, and I am wondering if I am off on color? What colors would you use. I use mostly soft baits due to weeds,but you can run a chatterbait but I am not getting bit on bladed jigs or swim jigs for some reason..What color would you use if you saw green water and you know fish are there. Thanks. I am getting annoyed since fish will smash newly hatched fry on the shoreline right in front of me and I can't figure it out. I know they are keyed on newly hatched shiners/Tilapia but they are not touching 1-2" baits either...

At least you could return them. Thanks for the review. I ordered ex heavy of the snagless ones as well by accident in the past and I like the idea, longer casts etc. but I have yet to really use them except a few casts. I like the smaller sebile flatt shads for clearer water since they are quiet and kind of finesse, 66mm is kind of a normal 1/2 size trap... I think the x-heavy was meant for deeper water and jigging or yo yo maybe, the one time I tried them, they did sink right through the weeds wiithout getting stuck, but they sink really fast...Never tried them again but I think one day I may need them, but I guess deep water maybe they could be good. If I want something plowing through weeds, I don't want it to be a lure with a tiny hook, I would rather go with a texas rig/Jig. I noticed Ebay has a guy selling lots of 3 for auction right now of older flatt shads no reserve. I used to buy mine from Fisherman's Heaven in NJ on Ebay, he is either aution but has them $10 buy it now, probably still has some left..Good guy. thx

I Picked up 2 dozen 1 oz and 1.5 silver tungsten weights really cheap since they had some scuff marks, and I actually prefer silver when using over 1/2 oz. for flash, but I did turn about half dozen of each black using this method. I learned that a lighter will not work, at least for me, I used a torch like in that video (which is the one I watched) and they came out black only if they became really Red and hot, Then drop them in Ice water. Even if not perfect they come out better than a sharpie. I also tried boiling water which turned them into a cool swirl looking color since they didn't get too hot, kind of like a nickel color or wierd dark grey.... I only use Tungsten with Inserts so if you do this you will burn out the inserts in the weight. I just made my own new inserts, made sure they did not have sharp edges, and now I am good with weights. 48 Tungsten weights which I now don't mind losing, love blemishes especially for tungsten..they were not even scratched, just has scuff marks. I would never pay more for colored weights,I go silver for heavy, black, and I get the rainbow ones I like in China with the screw locks for 1/4 the price, 3 min up to 1/2 oz for $6 free shipping. Love that they are now getting Tungsten available in small mins, same with lure making stuff,much better chatterbait blades, hammered, shapes, colors, sizes, .11 each....Love the overseas sites for expensive terminal tackle, I just avoid most lures except Frogs.

1000? How could I get by with only my Top water lures. you need to fish all water levels. I agree, 1000 lures is over the top for normal people, but as I mentioned above, what if the government comes to not only take your guns, but also your fishing tackle and you do not have any stashed away.....500 is borderline insanity, but in reality, I have been trying to get my Hollow frog box down to 50, now I have way to many and when the government bans hollow body frogs, You will understand....Hey, Lead is banned? What Next? I agree 100% that you only need maybe 30 lures, 20 bags of plastics, box of terminal tackle and good equipment....But I just have no idea how to get their unless someone forces me to do it and just starts dumping stuff in my trunk before we head out on the water. I no doubt catch more fish when I am not thinking about changing lures. I really only use a small amount, "The what if tomoto seed chart worms are hot" thinking causes me "Paralysis". Plus, I love the way all my lures look in my storage room, The closet jammed full to the ceiling with soft bait cases is an issue. I would guess I have every color for the most part of every american made soft bait, every design, brand, and many are customs which are an issue, or blemishes which are customs...Solid Chart Beavers are not made, so how do you sell them? Especially when they are $7 a pack? The saying "Start a business in something you enjoy" is horrible business advice for Bass fisherman, not saltwater or live bait guys...Bass angler's buy the most tackle, willing to spend $30 on a crankbait that is 2" long, Will buy 30 zara spooks, I saw it when I worked at a tackle shop, so I know I am not alone in my buying habits.

I have been trying to condense my tackle for years and it has been a tougher than most decisions I have made in my life. I am joking, but kind of not, You accumulate so much over the years, you kind of get attached to them in a strange way. Maybe I am just a hoarder but I covered my tracks for my own sanity and to rationalize to others that I have a part Time Business as a cover for my Hoarding issues. I have purchased roughly 12000 LBS of bulk soft baits in the last 5 years tons of tackle to sell, and as an example of how hard it is with the "What If" mindset,I have stashed maybe 3k lbs for personal use over the years, have only dipped into my stock 2x since I bring a tackle shop fishing with me, and it is important in my mind to have 500 Brush hogs, Flukes, Stick worms, and stupid baits like leeches, Reepers, Panfish grubs, stuff I barely use, but I can't sell it for some reason..Add in the fact I only really fish with bagged baits I buy anyway, and I realize I only get 90% of my tackle wet. I try a new bait/Color, make 3 casts, then go back to what I like. I will have a good day with a new lure, order 5 more, try them again and not get bit on 3rd cast, then never use them again but can't elimate 5 colors down to 2. I have issues but I just think buying lures is fun, I also enjoy sharing it with friends anyway, plus when you buy in bulk to sell lures, it is the dumbest business decision you can make if you are a fishing addict....You make horrible buying decisions so your entire inventory is in the colors you like, and overall, I guess my "Tackle Business" Pays a few bills each month, Allows me to cover all my fishing costs, so at least I am not losing money otherwise I would need a legit intervention.... Never start a part time or full time tackle business if you love to fish. Trust me, it will never work if you have a compulsive or just like to try new stuff, kind of collect lures. In My defense, or at least what I tell myself, is what I do is not an issue since I was always a collector even as a kid. I loved Baseball cards, but I ended up selling them all in college to get some money, and at that time I was not buying anything tangible, nothing that was a positive in my life, so Having too much tackle is not a bad thing. Some say I am in denial, Hoarder, I say I like to fish and buy fishing tackle and I do sell enough to cover my clear mental issues, but I could be making alot more money if I sold just 50 of the 300 or so frogs I have. I would include a picture but then I will have a harder time convincing myself I am not insane.....Just Rationalize it, don't let it effect your budget, And try to not bring way too much because then you don't know what to use, You just spend the day tying knots and being confused. I am glad I have friends who give me a 1 bag rule on their boats or 1 back pack when we fish together, and when they condense it, they do a great job.....So you don't have to condense, Stuff does not go bad, it get's more valuable....some times...Sorry for my rant, This actually feels like therapy. I have a Bait Gorilla problem, I killed the monkey 20 years ago, bait monkey is for the weak, What if the government not only comes for our guns, but also our fishing tackle? Then who is crazy?

I suffer from the same issues you do and for some reason losing big Frog fish hurts more than losing other big fish because you always get to see the blowup or just the "Flush" so all the one's that get away were "Giants". I miss a good amount of fish every year because I get distracted easy and am always looking for the next cast, especially when you hear them and expect a fish every cast. I am convinced that there is a good amount of luck involved in frog fishing since I have watched big bass take the frog and then spin it around so if you swing when the hooks are not in the right spot you will miss, or if the legs are covering the hooks, they can go into the plastic. I watched Ish Monroe on TV and he missed every strike for a good 4 hours and he only needed one more to move on,he finally got his 2lber with a nice skip cast that went perfectly under an overturned boat. He does it for a living so it was interesting to watch since it was a Florida lake, and the strikes looked solid, and he is known as one of the better guys with a frog. You Tube has a few really good videos of how to get fish out of cover with frogs and punch rigs, I forget who did them, maybe Aaron Martins? I learn alot from videos especialy just watching how people play the fish and get them to the boat, Punching is easier since you can do the lean since you are in close and have leverage right away, long casts are just tough. Good Luck. You know what your doing, you are obviously putting the frog in the right spot and getting the strikes, that is the hardest and most important part. Missing fish is a good problem to have, at least you are on fish, it can always be worse.

Rage Menace....Culprit Punch Craw. and the Rage Menace....Love that bait. I want Strike King to make a Menace worm to go with the Cut'r, maybe add that tail to the brush hog solid bait they have which is really good....I love that tail, I used to use the Havoc Devil Spear but now the Menace has taken over and I fish it from top to bottom on jigs, weightless, like a frog, punch bait, trailer.... Also found that the Ocho is really good as well, I forgot about it but now am back to using it....Something about the flash or fall from the shape make it better than a Senko some days, or a fluke. Started using light line finesse Slider worms and slider grubs again on the slider heads and I like it better than the Ned Rig now,but I go back and forth....Slider worms 4-5" are just good any way you fish them.

You will do well with worms, few topwater lures, and make sure to get a floating Rapala Minnow or Rebel minnow which imo is the easiest and one of the best lures to fish since people seem to forget about simple Minnow baits..Rapala F-9 on 8lb test Berlkley XL Mono is how I would go...I would watch some videos on how to fish a weightless senko, then learn to fish a fluke, and some type of weedless soft bait you can buzz on top to cover water like a paddle tail swimbait...Havoc Grass Pig is a good start. Zoom baits are great, hard to beat a trick worm in a purple or green pumpkin color... Actually Zoom Trick worm and Ultra vibe speed worm and a U-Tail Ribbon Tail is a good start and you can do everything with those 3 worms. One will always work some of the time Good Luck. Tons of good articles on the main page, also google any question and just click videos and you will see people demo the technique which helps big time. Good Luck.

Fish miss them often in Lily pads and in that smaller spatter weed patches so I really watch the top of my Frog to make sure it goes under, I like a bright top so I can see the frog since if you wait to feel them in pads, once a big fish gets it's head turned, you will have a hard time getting them out, best option is to keep tension and go in after the fish once they wrap. braid is a must since it cuts through weeds I use 50lb Power Pro Plus, Med heavy rod 7'-6" or 7' stiff tip so you can drive the hooks home, fast gear ratio to pick up line. A rattle can help them find it better is what I am told but I am not sure if a rattle helps or not, Some days maybe, but I like it without and I have learned that I do much better fishing much slower and in a steady cadence. Most strikes will come when it first lands, while it sits, or on a pause or start up. Let it sit on the pads, shake it, then work it off and kill it in holes. I watch the frog, pretend it is a bobber and once it is gone, it is hard to do since the splash is often hard to see through, but you can also just keep the rod high, hope the fish has it, and reel up slack and swing away. Some days you get 20 strikes and hook 4 fish, some days you get 10 and hook 9, but often times if the fish misses it, leave it since fish often stun it and then come back to suck it under. I let it sit for about 10 seconds and then barely twitch it like it is wounded and if nothing, chuck a soft bait back to the same spot....Key is horsing the head up above the pads as quickly as possible and keeping tension. You will know you are doing it right when small fish come flying back at you a good 10 feet. You need to drive the hooks home and get momentum. Make sure you have a good frog that is known for good hook set ratios, some are tough, but if you get 10 fish to take it under, you will always miss a few since they grab it by the legs or who knows...Just part of fishing. Most popular are booyah,LT,Snagproof, Scum Frogs, Sk, and just read reviews because several brands that look good are horrible for design reasons.... If the fish take it they will get the hooks. Small fish or big fish, most guys will wait to feel the fish but I feel that is only good in open water, think of a hollow body like any other soft bait, because it is a soft bait, fish will hold it and run with it for a long time if you let them. I have messed around with smaller bass and if they want it they will take it and hold it, so 2 seconds is all you need but make sure it is down. That is the tricky part, I still miss good strikes because I get excited/Nervous but I find if top color gone, swing, or just count to 2 Mississippi. Bobby's Perfect seems to always end up in the roof of the mouth more than any other frog I have used and not sure why. Small and big fish I would say I get the best hook up with that frog. Not expensive either. I am a frog addict, I try to force feed a frog all year long, You usually know if it is a good frog day within the first 1/2 hour. If they are smacking it but not taking, then try a soft plastic toad so you can go subsurface or throw a different soft bait in the weeds, or pitch. Hope that helps. It is not an easy technique, but it is worth the time and missing fish is just part of frog fishing from what I have seen. If you are hooking 50% overall that is good imo, but if you think about it, topwater lures with treble hooks are only 8/10 anyway. Frog fish are usually bigger. Except this one which I caught yesterday but I was impressed with my hook set, so I took a picture to show off.

I Just picked up this lipless crank which I have never seen so I am guessing it is old or maybe I just never noticed it if it was short lived. It has a one knocking sound, kind of quiet, curious if anyone knows about this lure? I had to buy it since it was $3 and it looks good, plus I am hoping maybe it is some type of classic lure. Can't find any info on it or a date on back. Stanley Jigs Crankbait???

I spent my first 10-15 years fishing Culprit worms 90% of the time, and I rigged a 6" or 7.5" on a Mister Twister Keeper Hook 3/0-4/0 and we would fish them weightless in shallow water less than 4-5', or simply add a split shot 18" up and most strikes would come on the fall. We would cast to structure, let them sink, twitch it slowly, pause, then lift and let it fall again...Then make another cast....Now I rig them with a 4/0 Offset Round bend use mostly the 7.5" 10"-Summer then 5/0 hook for more weight, but now I like to use a light 1/8-3/16 or 1/4 sliding bullet weight but I try to make sure my casts land softly. I still use split shots 18" up more than I do a bullet weight with ribbon tails and I will fish it like a Mojo Rig, meaning let it fall, slowly drag or sweep like a carolina rig, and lift it at times, slow and slower has always been key, accurate casting to isolated cover, I don't like them in weeds since the tails get hung up. Colors I use the same I always used to but I also fish the Berkley Power worms which often work better, or a Zoom U Tail 6" which is thinner and more finesse with a light wire worm hook, and I prefer the lightest line I can get away with. Red Shad, Moccasin is really good in spring and fall, Grey Shad, Junebug, Tequilla shad, Grape, pumpkinseed, and they have a new color that is gold/brown which I now use and I like. At the end of the day you probably only need Green Pumpkin, Junebug, Red Shad, Junebug or if in clear water the grey shad is good so is their Pumpkinseed. They have the best pumpkinseed color which is translucent, I still use that color the most even though it is not popular and it works well for me. Sorry for so much detail, The first time I ever went bass fishing as a little Kid was with a culprit worm and I used the Keeper Hooks, 6" Culprits, 7.5" once I was good with a casting reel, and never fished anything else but a Spinnerbait & Buzzbait/Few topwaters. I used to catch fish in college and take weekend trips and only bring a bag of lead weights(Small shots, Bullet weights, pack of hooks, and 3-4 packs of Culprit worms. Spinning gear was 8lb Trilene XT or XL, Casting was 12lb mono back then and I pretty much do the same although now I use braid or braid to leader, but mono is fine and I still fish them in a finesse style and the 6" will work year round. (Keep hooks are hard to find but I still use them for weightless worms and lighter line, they are easy to use and super weedless) Hope my thesis helps. Keep at it, I would watch some videos and read some articles on this site on how to fish weightless worms, texas rigs, and don't hesitate to try different colors. I used to do well on strange colors if I had them, and to be honest I would use black and purple the most, now Green Pumpkin is popular the key is finding fish and getting the bait to the depth they are at. I used to struggle when I moved Upstate for College since the lakes were deeper and clear which is how I started using a split shot since the water was deeper, If you are patient you can catch bass deep without a weight it just takes a long time unless they are suspended near the surface.....Good Luck, Culprit worms are as good as they get. The Fat max is a great worm for flipping grass since the tail will not get caught, it is fatter body, less tail action but is a good worm if you want to pictch or flip heavier cover, regular culprits in grass/weeds will not get to the fish as the tail will catch and you will just be waiting and nothing will happen.

I saw a TV show where they were using the Menace on a shaky head and catching fish. I think of the shakey head as another version of the Jigworm, you can use any bait and fish it in different ways. I would think any stand up Jighead is kind of a shaky head, you can shake it, pop it, swim it, stroke it.....I would think any bait works if it lands in the right place right time, the Megastrike Shaky heads make any bait stand vertical,same with the Evolution Jig heads.

I like throwing them on a darter head open hook like you would a grub, and I get most strikes when the bait falls. I fish the RI skinny dippers and Charlies/Bass Assassin versions in mostly 3.5"-4". I also do well with the beat shad style swimbaits on some days, and I rarely use weighted hooks. I like to texas rig them with 3/16 bullet weight not pegged or give the weight 2 feet to slide. I only use the weighted bigger monster beast lock hooks on the speed shad 4.8" style, but I think the drop speed and depth is key. Some days they want a fluke/Sluggo, some days the swimbait, but in the fall I get more bites suspended when I use a darter head that is light 1/4 oz the most, and cast, swim it let it fall, then experiment to I figure it out...Some days it works, some days I end up throwing lipless cranks all day. I always prefer an exposed hook when possible for hook up ratio. swimbaits can be tricky to fish if not on the surface, at least for me....Not sure I am still 100% with them,but I still swim grubs all the time when most people use swiimbaits. 4" Grub on a darter head is hard to beat in the fall for numbers.

I lose the same amount of fish on EWG vs. Offset or straight...I lose probably 1/4 Bass I set the hook on for all kinds of reasons, some my fault, some the Fishes Fault. I find if you get a good hook set, sharp hook, good sized fish with the right reel and right line, If I play them properly, I still only get 80% of fish to boat? Y Losing fish is part of landing fish. Bass can be really tough to hook some days, or tough to get out of cover without losing a good portion of them. Some Days they all seem to swim right at you which makes it harder. Best you can ask for is constant tension with a good drag.

Bagleys bang O Lure rear Prop and the regular Bang O lure floating Minnow, Rapala F-9,F-11 worked on top or waked, but I use a Torpedo alot in the fall as a topwater, I seem to do better with prop baits in the fall then others but some days walkers are good,same with poppers. I love the bagley's with the rear prop since you can work it as a jerkbait on top, wake it, or buzz it...Good lure all year round. I throw most topwater lures in fall on 8-12lb test,15 if in big fish water. Med Spinning to med casting depending on what is tied to what. I like balsa or minnow baits, most topwater lures on lighter line since I feel heavy line laying on the water is a good way to spook fish. (I try to use lightest line, clear mono, since water is usually clear and less weeds, lure has much better action. I am convinced I catch fish 2/1 on 8lb test with a smaller/regular topwater/prop bait then if I am using heavy mono over 12lb diameter. I go 6lb if possible. All topwater lures can work so I would have a few walkers, poppers, prop baits and minnow baits in your arsenal. I like the jerkbait since you can work it fast or slow and cover water to find active fish feeding on top.

That looks like newer Rebel Packaging. What is the date on the back. My guess is 2003? or 1998? We have a shop that has a ton of older rebels,some in the very old packaging from the 70's, some in 80's, but that looks 90's-2000. Rebel still makes a decent amount of cranks not sure about the color, but lures are only worth money if someone is willing to pay for them and from my experience, Rebel Lures that are made after 1990 are all over the internet...... They work well, I would type in the lure name, model number, color and then hit advanced on Ebay for any listed in past year and see if they have sold. You may get lucky if the color is out of production. It is really hard to tell. I think they did stop making that color pattern, or patterns, but I see the older Wee'R cranks on Ebay often that are usually not in packages going for $5 each or so....Good cranks. Like the Rebel stuff. That color is good as well.

I only use the Sub Walk for Saltwater for some reason but I need to try that.....That is a great bait, kind of a glide bait really, I just keep it in my saltwater box but that is a good call.