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When in doubt, Throw green pumpkin, firetiger is basically just a chartreuse bait with some orange, so having a color with some chart or orange in it is good in stained water or around bluegills. I used to buy tons of colors, now I stick to a few colors and I have caught fish on Junebug or purple worms in every color water, same with black, same with firetiger (I rarely use it, it seems to bright for my taste, I hate all the orange.)

For Hollow body swimbaits I use a Kahle Style Hook with a weedguard like the Banjo Minnow system....I hook more fish that way, but I really like to use the Swimbait hooks with keepers, or just an EWG with a light bullet weight in front. Nose hooking swimbaits gives them that swing Jig movement and I miss less fish, especially with hollow belly swimbaits since they can be tricky. Rod Position is key so fish do not feel tension when they grab it, Kind of like fishing a Frog without being able to see which is hard to get good at, I still miss good strikes all the time which is frustrating, so if you can use a jighead exposed, that is my go to method if possible. The Nose hook system is kind of a self hooking deal when reeling. https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRfZBdDfdtNYBziHFjg9Rlq5zYS8aRjiyosuJSyjetRc6ir2HDK

Consolidating tackle causes me anxiety. So hard to do, the "What If" factor starts to enter my mind, and I have a hard time condensing, but I am forcing myself to sell lures that are still shiny and have been in a box for several years. I doubt I will pull out that Strike Pro Crankbait I purchased 3 years ago if I have not used it now, but it is not an easy task....

Zoom? I always liked their tubes but I think the BPS tubes are very popular because of the different types, color selection, and price...Not sure which are most durable, maybe the Z-man Tubes which I have never tried but they look great.

Good luck with your Surgery. You can find a ton of great articles on how to get started out fishing without spending a ton of money and I say that because you really do not need a ton of tackle to get started. I would suggest sticking to the simple lures since you really only need a few lures to do well in the fall and colors do not need to be crazy. Good Luck, I would just type in fall bass fishing lures on Google and you will find articles of the top 10 lures etc...Then just pick out what looks best to you. Topwater is a must since some days they will kill a topwater lure all day in the fall which makes for a great day. Good Luck...If you have ever fished for Trout, Stripers, or any gamefish, the transition should be easy, same principles....You will always find Bass around structure, and structure can be bait, so finding them is the key...Local bait shops can really help you out and save you time, most guys at local shops are very helpful and will steer you in the right direction, and if not, just look for the concentration of boats and do some copying.....

I always forget to use spoons, but when I remember to use them, they work best when fish are chasing bait and have them balled up and picking them off....a 1/4-1/2 ounce casting spoon or flutter spoon often works well as it falls. A simple Kastmaster can do the trick, or weedless silver Minnow, Luhr-Jensen Pet Spoon if weeds are present. If you let it sink to the bottom several times you should know if that will work, otherwise try fishing much faster than usual, Sometimes as I am changing baits like a lunatic around schooling fish I get bit while reeling fast to change baits....Then I start tossing a Small Crankbait and burning it and I get bit but usually they are smaller fish... Fall is tricky because the fish are often moving and hard to pin down, even if you find large schools of bait, the Bass may not be feeding, but I like to approach fall with a moving bait before slowing down...Water is clear at times in the fall so color and size becomes more important, slow falling baits may not work as well in fall since they see it better when not in cover.... Sometimes nothing works, and it can be frustrating. I often feel that if too much bait is present than catching them may be harder since the lure is going to look out of place, that is why I like a lure like a spoon that flashes as it falls so they don't get a good look, but it is hit or miss. Spoons are the most under fished lure and I am guilty of not using them enough, but Some days you can catch a ton of fish throwing a cheap spoon and just reeling.

Cordell makes a suspending super spot and Bill Lewis has a suspending model which will be neutrally buoyant but if you take of the split ring it will slowly float up.. My favorite is the Suspending Flatt Shadd 77mm Suspending model from Sebile since it is the shape and size of a bluegill, has great color, owner trebles, and you can find them for about $7-10 on Ebay and they come through weeds great. They also make sinking models..... Lastly, The Bill Lewis Floating Rattle Trap is a unique bait with the same shape as the 1/2 ounce trap, lighter without the weight, and only dives about 2' and needs to be slow rolled or it will roll since it does not have good balance, but is good for waking...You can add weight to the lure to get it to slowly sink. I would think those are the best models to look at, or take a look at the lipless soft swimbaits like the Creme mad Dad Minnow which comes with a double hook you can change out and sinks slowly. For $2 it is a good deal and works much better than you would think. They have 3 sizes, I seem to do best with the smaller size which is about the size of an Xcalibur Xr25.... The Sebile Flatt Shadd 77 SU is just an awesome lure, I would highly recommend the versions with the glitter filled cavities, it gives the impression of scales falling off like after a Bass will stun a shiner, and I actually like to pitch this lure with trebles into holes in hydrilla, near cover, and just let it sit after spash down. It will get smashed often on landing, first twitch, or on the pause after barely moving it... I have not caught much on the floating Rat-L-Traps but I have no doubt they probably work well. They are not expensive so worth a shot. The Cordell versions are only $3 and suspend perfectly so you can fish it 1' to 4'. Hope that helps. This is a great color.....black/chart...Its 77mm and will sit on top or dive 3-4', one suspend strip and it will sink 1' in about 4 seconds, does not have rattles but vibrates hard and hooks make plenty of noise. It hunts head down and the 77 size is the size of a normal 3/4-1 oz bait, but it is very thin....Clear water or stained it works well.

I bet the best spots have hard bottom areas near by. I find in ponds that moving water and hard bottom areas with cover are usually best. However, I also tend to fish the easiest water more than the "Deeper water". I would imagine the biggest bass are in spots that never get fished since I always get my bigger fish in ponds when I can get to a spot never fished before. Although I notice Muck Bottom is usually not as good as hard bottoms.

I learned to not take people to good spots that are hidden....Fishing alone gets boring so even if someone promises they will never go back with anyone, they can't help it, they will tell someone the same thing you did, and eventually you will notice changes in your "Spot" like Logs stacked up so they can reach new areas, start finding baits in the trees, and big fish learn, if you find a spot that is awesome and the bass have never seen lures before, be very careful. Even if everyone is releasing fish, they become lure shy, I have messed up many spots being generous, but the good thing is for every spot you think is great, a better one is right around the corner. With Google Earth, it is impossible to keep spots hidden now unless you find Sloughs that are near rivers that flood, if you have a river that floods, those are the woods you want to explore, big bass will head into the wooded areas and then hold up in small pools, if they have shade and cover, they can live and grow large. Here is a quick tip...Some of the best spots are Public parks that you assume are garbage. Sure, people fish them often, but the people fishing them are not targeting Bass, plus the local DEC stocks these ponds to make them good for fishing. Some of my best spots are Public lakes that if you google online people say "Don't bother"...lakes can change in 1 season, that lake with all dinks that are stunted, could be money 2 years later..... Most people who visit public lakes or ponds fish with nightcrawlers or shiners on the bottom and weeds are a bad thing. I also never take fish out of the water for pictures, all it takes is for one car to pass by like say me and I am at that place the next morning b4 work.

Great Question, I always struggled with this down here in Florida since ripping traps, Swim Jigs, Cranks etc. was something everyone talked about. I watched all the videos as well, tried to practice and the only way it made sense to me was after fishing with someone who ran the boat and showed me how to do it... You need to have the right rod, Right line, and strong Wrists and patience. I did learn one thing on my own that has helped me shake the weeds off after the first snap which is push down the barbs on the treble hooks.Fish will strike a trap with weeds on it after the first snap which makes sense if you think about it. If a bluegill is being chased through a Hydrilla field (It can't be matted weeds) and it has to blast through some weeds, it will come out with a strand of weeds on its fins, maybe some more, but if you can get the weeds off the lure and get it going again you can cover more water... I honestly hate fishing this way, Even with a Snagless Sebile, I prefer ripping a Swim Jig or one hook, or just using a soft swimbait and making contact then ripping it yourself. The key that I learned was the right areas to do it, I used to just pull up to grass fields and start chucking and I would get lucky every so often if It deflected just right, but push the barbs down and try that if the weeds are sticking but you need harder weeds, not soft weeds from my experience. Alot of the ripping is hitting the edge and just touching the weeds, not trying to burn it through them all although the Sebile Trap can do that but it is really heavy and sinks like a rock...No perfect lure except a Swim Jig imo....Much Easier and effectvive, you can add rattles as well. If you are pulling up mushy soft "Gunk" that is probably not the best area, green weeds are usually easier to do this and everyone likes to call weeds "Hydrilla" but their are about 10 grass types that look like Hydrilla and some just don't hold fish, some do....It is a horizontal/Vertical presentation and it can help to count down the sink rate of your lure so you know that the weeds are 3' down, and lure sinks 1 foot per second, this way you don't let it bury too deep, but some guys like heavier traps and really let them dig deep, but the key is rod type and action, I like fast, Braid, no cranking sticks, and the weird thing is when you catch your first few fish you start to get a feeling of what a good "Snap" feels like and you almost will feel if you are in the right stuff....I don't know the names of weeds, I just know the one's that grow on hard bottom are the best.

A friend of mine just showed me how to make an awesome looking brown jig or black jig.... You take some brown and mix it with brown smoke to give it to shades, and for swim jigs take the black barbwire with dark black, then some black smoke.....You can do the same with brown....Having 3 different shades makes it look natural. With that said, I am sure a brown jig will work just fine. Maybe mix in some green pumpkin or a strand of an accent for the belly....Brown/Purple is really good. Not sure why but down here I love purple/blue in all my jigs with brown or black base

Megabait....90% sure.90% unsure. It looks to be a quality lure, it could be any number of brands since so many lures are starting to look similar...If the lip is not bent than it looks like the original megabait Cranks. Ebay should have pics of some.

If it has the Excalibur TX3 Treble Hooks those are good hooks, I know that Pradco has changed hooks many times, but I think the reason many people think the hooks "Suck" is because they are made based on the line that gives the lure the best action. My favorite example is a Rebel Pop'r. Yes, the hooks are thin and will bend, but the lure is designed for lighter line, but if the hooks have the bends where they look twisted, those are good hooks. I am not sure about the Hula Popper. I sharpen hooks and just keep my drag set properly, I have never had issues with Pop'r hooks but mine are usually older versions from 10-20 years ago...The one's made in China do come with some really cheap hooks that I have seen at Walmart, all Pradco lures except Saltwater versions.

I learned how to fish with a weightless 6" Culprit and Mister Twister phenom tail in Ponds growing up, I still try to use weightless plastics as much as possible, that is still a "Texas Rig" Right? I find using a bullet weight is a harder skill to learn, kind of like learning how to fish a Jig which is the hardest skill to learn imo, I still would rather use a Soft bait since fish seem to hold it longer and it comes through weeds better imo. I use Casting gear for 5 out of my 7 rods I usually carry, but if I have an open rod, and it is a spinning rod, I have no issue tying on a Chatterbait or spinnerbait even if I know it is not the right tool. I do prefer spinning rods for fishing Jerkbaits and smaller finesse techniques, but I always use a spinning rod when fishing in tight spots where I have to skip, I just use braid and a good quality rod but I have to agree that a casting rod even with a weightless worm feels more natural to me. Down here you need heavy line in many places, and anything thicker than 10lb test diameter on a spinning rod is tough, I don't want to ruin my nice spinning reels with 40lb braid burning out the gears. My saltwater spinning set up is heavy enough to bass fish with but I rarely use it unless I know it may be super windy on a lake.

I already have about 50 Topwater Baits that I never use but I will probably buy one anyway. It reminds me of the Mann's Pogo Shad from Pictures.

F-18 Rapala 7" & 5" Red Fin and Jointed Red Fin Strike King Wake Shad not sure the size but it is big. BBZ 4" shad- Mostly for Eye candy in my box, I never use it anymore since I like soft swimbaits 100x better. Storm PVC swimbaits with paddle tail and interchangeable hooks Gambler Big EZ, 6" Yum Money Minnow hooked in the nose, and The Red Fin Smokey JOe. Bomber Herky Jerky, R2Sea S-Waver but for Striped bass & Tarpon mostly.

,I had the Rapala Lock N weigh Scale gripper which was on clearance 75% off when Sports Authority was going out a few years ago and it normally sells for close to $75 and is up to 40lbs, comes with a bracket, and it was too big to carry, it needs to be mounted on the boat. I also don't like putting fish on a scale, I know that probably sounds like a wimpy attitude, but I really think the best grippers are the cheap $10 floating Plastic one's that come in bright colors, and to weigh a fish, get a Rapala Decal or ruler that has the weight based on length, then if you want to get really accurate take a piece of mono and wrap it around the girth. If you plug it into the Formula's on this site and other's, I have found that the weights are always accurate, I have yet to find an inexpensive scale that was accurate imo. I just feel that big hook in the gills or mouth can't help the stress of the fish. I truly believe using the length and girth formula makes you better at estimating as well. I never trust those "10lbers" on a DIgital scale unless I get a length.....Pictures lie and it is not always the angler. 5lb bass are big in any part of the country, I have a pond where I live that has a few bigger fish in the 3-3.5 range and I have had several people tell me they caught 5lbers out of it, and they are using a scale & seem like good fisherman, and I have put every fish in this pond, so I just wonder about most big fish. The simple 19",21",23" rule usuallly is right.

I was lucky, I found some blemished inserted 1 oz and 1.5 ounce Tungsten sinkers online that were blemished silver weights with scratches, and a dozen of each was only $28. I then learned an awesome tip. If you want to color a silver Tungsten weight Black, Take a BBQ lighter and heat one up (It melts the inserts) but turns it solid black. I prefer silver anyhow if I go over 1/2 ounce, I think the flash helps when it falls so fast, but I never fish tungsten on braid without an Insert or coating my line. Cheap tungsten is often not as smooth, and I have had breakoffs that were.....Heartbreaking. It is hard to recover after fishing for 2 hours and then finally getting a solid bass on only to set the hook and have slack in your line 10 seconds later because the Tungsten was too rough inside. I don't think sensitivity matters when going over a 1/2 ounce for pitching, So I just leave them silver but the days of spending $10 for a weight are over. Smaller weights I only buy Name brand and I then coat the line. I never use lead anymore except for 1/16.

It all comes down to preference since some people can get a crankbait through and over some nasty stuff, but it takes alot of practice. Flukes are easier to fish imo because you can let them sink on slack line and still see and feel strikes, but I always try working a hardbait first if I can to pick off active fish since I seem to do better reeling a crankbait or waking a jerkbait faster than say working a fluke fast. I have used paddle tail swimbaits more this year than any year before since I can use them with a light weight, no weight, jighead (Snapping a paddle tail swimbait off of grass like a rattle trap can be very good and I find that I only use Crankbaits when they are easy to use (Which probably explains why I do not consider a crankbait one of my top tools). I prefer swim jigs, chatterbaits, instead of hardbaits but....... If I can fish a weedline or place a Floating Minnow bait like a Rapala or long a Right on the edge of structure, I will slow down and really try to fish it since I find hardbaits will often catch bigger fish for me. One of the things I have learned this year is you can take a fluke like the Havoc brand (Never used it but the Caffiene shad is similar in design) and I have been catching fish putting them on a scrounger head and fishing them on bottom. I almost gave up on the Scrounger but I forced myself to keep using it when I knew active Fish were in the area instead of going the same ways I always do, and I am glad I kept at it because I have finally gained confidence in the scrounger. It all comes down to preference, but I am noticing using different methods than other people like the scrounger with a fluke or sluggo is a big fish bait, just takes a long time to learn the ways to trigger strikes. I am still learning but I believe in the theory that you want to give fish a new look, most lakes and ponds I fish see the same baits over and over, I notice that Senko's are not effective in many places they were 2 years ago..Same with toads, I catch more fish running a paddle tail near the surface than I do on a horny toad....I guess my point is to try both. If you can get good at feeling weeds ticking a crankbait without getting snagged, that is a great skill to have. I have gotten crushed by other people who were really good with placing a crankbait in pefect spots and getting it back clean in areas I worked with other baits and I will try the same technique and not catch fish because I am simply not as good at doing it. I always give surface feeding fish the first chance but in my waters I am rarely fishing over 6' deep. To me that is texas rig/weightless plastic areas. Just easier and usually just as effective.

Its the Go Pro. Leave it at home by accident and I bet that is the day when they want a frog. Always happens when I catch a big fish, I reach for my phone and realize I left it in the car.... I know what you are saying,I have ponds where I live full of 10-14" bass and I have never had them consistently take a hollow body, they nudge it and that is 99% of time. Even the 45T size. If you are getting bumps on top, and you do not see Bass breaking the surface, then you know the bass are in the area, but are not feeding on top, so it is just not going to be a good frog day most likely. Fish in shallows are usually feeding on craws, fry, panfish, or frogs etc....but if they will not hit either size, try a popping frog, chart or orange belly, or as mentioned a buzz toad....Some days you can't force feed topwater lures, I know because I always try, but I have walked areas with a frog and had bumps, swirls, and on way back to car I put on a texas rig or jig, spinnerbait and clean up...If you can get a Floating Jerkbait or minnow in any area, you can fish that topwater or down to 4'. If lots of weeds, you only need to slowly reel, usually they hit it b4 rings are gone, or on first shake.... But the few times I have had a go Pro for filming, I have never had good topwater fishing until one day it was not filming while we thought it was, but it was not on. We were so upset when realizing the mistake, but the Go pro can mess things up. Frogs to me are like wake baits, when they work they work, but when they don't they don't. Hope that helps. I would try horny toads, or 3-4" swimbait reeled on top for blowups...Paddle tail swimbaits will draw them in shallow water. It works all the time, 50% of the time.

I have found the best way to get a friend hooked on fishing, is to take him to a pond that holds a good amount of 2-4lb bass that are usually active, and I like to give him a topwater because even a 15" Bass blowing up on a topwater, is exciting. If that does not get you excited, then throwing a wacky rig will be tough. I find most friends I take fishing when they see the pond or even a lake and a weedless swimbait or toad, they are thinking bluegills I think. When they see a 17" 3lb bass slam a bait, then they wait, set the hook and it jumps, you will hear claims of 7-10lbs for guys who do a decent amount of saltwater fishing because Bass catch people off guard as to how big a 5lb fish really is. 5lb bass even here in Florida are impressive, I still get excited if I hook into a 4lb bass, and really there is no right or wrong answer, any lure will work if used in the right place and has hooks. I actually learn more from new anglers since they do not have pre-conceived notions on lures or colors, so when they grab a lure I have never caught fish on I just say "Awesome choice" Don't lose it, and more times than not they catch fish with it because at the end of the day.....If fish are feeding, they are feeding.

That is an awesome collection. I love the color on the bottom left, kind of a chartreuse baby bass....I forget the exact color but someone went start to finish at a Bass Master Classic not that long ago on a chart/black? shallow Bagley Vintage series like the one's you have. I notice a difference with the older Bagley's lures-the Bang O lure in true balsa is almost a different lure, and the same with the small fry series. I like the older one's they used to make a model called the Top gun which was a slender minnow style wake bait shaped like a Rapala but only dove 6-12". I still have 2 left I am afraid to lose, they are not expensive but hard to find. Bagley's used to make lure in Fort Myers Florida, then went out of business and changed ownership several times for odd reasons, but they have made some lures that were only on the market for a year or 2 that were really good but never had the advertising behind them..... Nice looking lures. I have a few friends that would kill to have that box of crankbaits. They love the old Bagley's cranks, and will pay $25 at times for rusty models from Ebay and then re-paint them....You pretty much have a box of Pre Rapala Wiggle warts from what I understand. That was the first one I commented on myself....Isn't that funny, my eyes went right to that pattern, I make skirts for swim jigs to match several Bagleys colors....That is one of them.

Original Floating Rapala....split shots....assortment of plastic worms and of course.....a Popper and walking bait since they are fun, but I would have fun setting people up with a starter kit when I worked at a tackle shop. I would always ask what the budget was and then I would always figure since they usually were fishing ponds or small lakes I would also suggest the senko since it is easy to fish, but in pressured areas like many private lakes, everyone uses a senko, but we had a worm bar so for .10 each you could load someone up with enough plastics for the year for $10 bucks. I would always suggest inline spinners since they get bit, topwater, but I would encourage them to learn to get comfortable with weightless worms and I would suggest shallow running cranks to keep it simple, but the Rapala or Rebel Minnow was usually the first lure I would suggest because people love to have lures.... Best part of the Floating Minnow baits is you can fish em topwater, wake em, walk em, or crank them down to 3-4' like a crankbait, or add a split shot or put them on a carolina rig especially if fishing rivers....I would always try to give baits they could use in the brackish water as well so they could catch some Snook as well, but good list. I could always tell who was reading magazines or watching videos when they would come in new and want Glide baits or the BBZ....I had to do my job and sell them, but if they were on a budget I would have to be honest and tell them that the line was really the most important part because strikes are only fun if you land a few..... I found most new anglers would come back and always want more toads and boot tailed swimbaits because I would tell them to fish them on the surface, cover water, and count to 3 after the blow up....Everyone loves Topwater, it is hard to convince them that the best way to get started is to target shallow bass, and suggesting casting to the banks is often hard for people to comprehend. They assume if they can get that boat right in the middle, that is where the big fish are.... I use Medium Heavy spinning rods for Jigs, Cranks, any bait with 20lb braid or 10lb braid, sometimes 10lb mono on a 4000 Reel. Most MH spinning rods are rated up to 3/4 so you can't really fish big baits, but the saltwater inshore spinning rods can handle 1 ounce and are light. I never see saltwater guys using casting gear, and you catch fish much much larger than the world record largemouth with much bigger lures at times....A nice Stradic with a good quality MH or H spinning rod can get you through mats if needed imo. If you can land a huge Tarpon, a 5-8lb bass should be alright.

Thanks for the links. I will read it over but I need to get some chartruese Sluggo's. I have tons of Pinks for Striper fishing since that is the Saltwater color that is a can't miss, but I was planning on getting some more stuff from Lunker City....They have so many good baits, I am cool with everyone using Senkos and Flukes.... Don't ever Try the Lunker City Salad Spoon.....But if you do, tie a good knot and buy more than 1 bag because 4 baits can go fast, but it crawls through weeds like no other bait & is fantastic for covering water to find fish, and works good subsurface like a swimbait.

He Sells packs of "Best Selling Jigs"...I love the Hooks he uses, I think they are the Owner Deep Throat hooks and his prices are really good, he sells the swim Jig heads and Arkie Heads that you can have custom done with eyes etc...Then pick skirt colors.. I would simply ask him what he would use and let him know the types of water you fish, or what store brand jig you like and Since jigs are his specialty, He can make them with a better hook and balance. I have had some Jigs I purchased 2-3 years ago that are still razor sharp and those hooks are money, he also sends the weedguards full and long so you can customize it, I hate some in the store that are too thin or too stiff.... I would grab a few swim jigs, I catch more fish on that style Swim Jig, Hook, and detail and I simply change out skirts but the wire tie is key if you are buying any tungsten since he has good prices on punch weights and heavy flipping jigs, the wire tie is worth paying for, doing it yourself takes time to learn. I have ruined many skirts turning the wire to tight.