primetime

Don't forget about the Floater's either...Floating Minnow baits or jerkbaits are still the best selling fishing lure on the market, or at least the Original Rapala Minnow still is....You can make them suspend and stay super shallow which has it's place, then Bagleys Makes the Bang O lure prop and double Prop, bomber Long A, Lucky Craft Flash Minnow, and many more...Also lures like the Max Rap are great for fishing over grass if you want a suspender that only dives a foot...Red Fin has one that does the same, only wake that I am aware of that suspends... I Rarely fish the suspenders early in the year, I don't have alot of confidence in them unless I am with someone who does. It is a no feel technique that can be frustrating, like all fishing early in the year, but if you can become confident with it, it is a great technique for big fish early in the year...I just wait for the floaters to come into play which is all year in Florida and all year in NY if water was not frozen...We would catch Smallmouth with a Jointed rapala on a Carolina rig in Rivers in the winter....Jerkbaits are versatile lures, and I believe a Hardbait over grass will catch bigger fish than a fluke...And you can get them through 6" of water with emerging weeds along with large waves. Ripbaits are so much fun since they can be fished so many ways, for me, I like to stay moving when fishing, so in winter I am a Road runner, Jig, Small bait guy...But I will try the Rogue or Husky Jerk or Timmy Horton Suspending Long A in winter if I know fish are suspended....Or shad are dying...

It looks like the Terminator frog..But that would make sense since storm and Terminator are all under the same brand..Storm makes a frog called the Banshu Frog that is supposed to be really good as well and is a hollow body but has swimming legs and is popular in Japan apparently, but I was not aware they were also making a Frog that seems to be similar or exact to the Terminator Frog...Not an issue, I picked up some Terminator frogs since I like the big size, colors, and just like to buy frogs if I am honest...I do wonder about all the extra frog behind the hooks...I like the hooks to be right on the ass end...But I am looking forward to throwing it, it is the second biggest frog I have and bigger than the Live Target 65T which is big....Spro King Daddy is my biggest Frog, I am glad I saw the Mann's Pancake Frog in person that comes with baby hooks that are not even close to the body..Not to get off topic, but that could be the worst desinged frog I have ever seen, the Super Frog was good, but that Mann's Giant Frog looks ridiculous and I passed on them at $3.99 and I love me some Frogs...But that looked like a joke to see if anyone would buy it after the fancy commercial..I wonder if anyone likes that frog? I guess it could work,but I don't see how.... Thats a cool Frog...Rapala, Storm, Terminator, Blue Fox, Suffix, Lindy...All good stuff to name a few...They test their lures so I like the weight etc...For the price the colors are really nice and the hooks being VMC are nice and sharp, and at 6/0 they keep them tight which is rare....Good luck with it...I am curious to see if it is smaller than the Terminator frog...

Blemished color maybe...Mr. Twister will often keep mistakes or they end up on Ebay....or other sites...That could also be an Exude Grub, same company, only marketed toward Saltwater....I am not sure if they make that color anymore, but it looks like a pearl white with black flake and some Motor Oil color on the outside..I am sure you can find that or have it custom made...Or just dip a salt and pepper grub in watermelon colored Spike it worm dye..It comes out that color actually.

If you find the staging Females and figure out what depth they are holding at.....Then pick any lure, add a split shot if needed, but they usually are not picky if you get them on the right day...but usually look toward areas bass will spawn...Sunny, Sand bottom or hard bottom, and focus on the deeper water nearby that has cover available..If a cold front comes in, they will almost always go deep in the weeds, so pitching a jig is hard to beat, swim it out, let it sink...Smaller is often better, but Spring is the time of year when you can fish any lure you have confidence in and have fun...Topwater can work but I find it rare and only later in the day... I have been throwing finesse worms on light jigheads and counting them down and figuring out what depth they are holding, and then I try to run a trap through that area...I like the Spro Aruku shad this time of year since it can stand up on the bottom and often hopping it like a jig can work well..90% of Bass are in 10% of the water this time of year....So I like smaller lakes and breaking down bigger lakes into 1-2 smaller chunks...It feels good when you figure out where they are holding, then getting them to strike, it can be tough depending on where the spawn is, it changes week by week, day by day at times...

Sebile makes one for Trout and Crappie I think that was like 42mm or something Tiny....Bill Lewis make the Tiny Trap which is 1/8 but that is very small...I have not looked at the Rapal ultralight rippin rap, but I would imagine the Rippin rap is probably 3/16, but if you google small 1/8 lipless crankbaits, then go to images on google, you should have a bunch pop up...I would look up Rattle baits or lipless cranks for Walleye, Panfish etc...I think Matzuo makes a Nano series, but anything that weighs under a 1/4 ounce is small....The Sebile lures are hard to find since they stopped making them once Pure Fishing took them over, but Academy makes a lipless bait as does BPS that is just as small and pretty good quality and colors...Academy has some small lipless baits, and to me, the perfect size for Bass are the XCalibur XR25....I don't think you need anything smaller, but if so, look at the Tiny Trap by Bill Lewis...I am sure Strike King has a line but you are getting into panfish territory but that is Ok if the hooks are good...

I have old ones that smell like Sour Milk...They probably work, but they no doubt smell different than they should...I have a bag that has to be 20 years old...

right now in FLorida the Spawn is on in many lakes and ponds...So you will find that many strikes are just fish grabbing the bait to move it off a nest or away from an area....When I am fishing this time of year on a flat, and getting short strikes, I soak my baits with megastrike hoping to get a few extra seconds, and I downsize to a smaller bait since they don't grab it head first when trying to move it which is why you often swing and come up empty... I find compact baits and smaller offerings are often better on areas I know bass are in spawning mode or moving up etc...If you can fish a trap or bait with a treble hook you will do better usually, but a small 3" creature or Grub could be a better option, 4" trick worm instead o 6 should help...I always do well with offset round bends, but that could be the issue you are encountering. Short Strikers are tough and not always small fish... I have watched big bass rip the tails of a lizard and if I didn't watch it happen I would of assumed "Pecker Fish" On the shorlines this time of year in Jacksonville, my guess is they are protecting a nest, here in Central Florida the spawn was starting to really take off last week, the cold front we just had pushed the Females back out to to the nearest Drop off or nearest Structure....I noticed you are in Florida and I was getting tons of short strikes on shorelines last weekend...

I buy most of my baits from the major brands and it usually comes down to a color I like....If Strike King is on sale, I grab a bunch of bags since I always do well with many of their baits...same with all brands...I think color and profile, weight, casting accuracy all matter more. If I am on a boat and I am finding a pattern of fish holding on isolated clumps of weeds, I could pitch any bait from any brand imo....But generally all the baits you see on a Tackle Warehouse are all good, The difference is as stated above...If you have confidence in a certain style fluke, than fish that brand you will do better...I like the Caffiene shad flukes since they are very soft with lots of salt, so I start with them, but I also use Zoom since they have a ton of colors, and also Yum Houdini shads since they have a unique action...It is good to have 2-3 versions of a beaver etc...sometimes a small difference matters, the Rage baits are great, but at times they may want a more subtle action, the Flange on their baits makes a difference for sure....Sometimes however a simple bait in cold water may be a better choice, but who knows...That is what makes buying and trying new lures and baits so much fun...If you only fished Yum or Zoom out of confidence, you would be fine imo...I just like certain colors or shapes certain companies make...GYB baits are expensive but give me confidence when I am fishing a grub or senko, but the Ocho is a great stick bait if you want a different look, I would not consider an OCHO inferior to a Senko, just different.

If you fish in Florida, especially in the Orlando Region, Black and blue worms and flipping baits are by far the most popular, in fact I have met people who only fish that color on lakes like Toho etc..The reason or theory behind why it works is from what has been explained to me and from reading is this... Lakes in Florida are usually a Tanic color or darker tone, and when fishing under and through thick weeds, their is barely any light penetration, so using that logic, it is almost like Night fishing...Black is considered the most effective at night (by many people) and I heard Timmy Horton explain black and blue since they are the 2 last colors on the spectrum(Purple is also very popular) and in water without light and stained, the black and blue give it a bit of flash, and 2 tone or flake give it 2 tones that help the fish find it... Junebug, Black and blue, Green pumpkin Blue or purple are very popular and seem to work well, but I find Red Shad is also really good, often dark 2 tone colors all seem to work...Confidence matters, and I love a green pumpkin gold, but that is just me..I like to use something different than everyone else, but when Pitching heavy weights, I think any mix of a green pumpkin/Black blue is hard to beat....Fish can't see all the colors when light is not present...Everything turns to greyscale for most part so I just make sure I have some flash in the bait, or maybe some fluorescent like chart dipped etc..But I have been told they can't see chartreuse either, not sure, but in tanic water....Black and blue is very good, Junebug...all dark two tones...Red Shad etc...I use lots of variations and I find casting accuracy to be more important, fall rate, and profile...If Sun is out and water is clear, not in heavy weeds, I then go translucents like a watermelon tone... When in doubt, in stained water...Green Pumpkin Jig, Black and blue trailer or vise versa...Or Green Pumpkin Gold, Black and blue with silver....That is my confidence range, and Red shad is a color that I love which rarely gets used alot for some reason... It has to do with them seeing it....Craws are usually Orange and REd in the spring which is why Rayburn red traps, and other colors in that range work is because they are geared toward orange and red tones...I am not sure when Craws turn Blue, but it does happen, I never assume unless I see one in a fishes throat, but in the spring I do find orange spinnerbaits and traps work well....Color will get a million reasons but no wrong answer imo...I have seen Pink senko's work when I would never use one....

It will always be my contention that the blanks sold overseas that are under a buck then repainted and sold for a higher amount..Sometimes over $20 on Ebay, are either fakes, but I still think many are blemished baits that did not make it past the first line of Quality Control. Obviously they would realize at the factory that the bearings are stuck, maybe the walls are to thin, the taper is a bit off, etc. all of this would be picked up before the painting, and also before placing the hook hangers etc...That is why I believe some had one sink, others have had good ones, and some like myself, have had an issue of the line tie pulling out... When an OEM who makes thousands of these lures finds a batch that is damaged, they take the entire batch and throw them in a spot and then who knows where they end up....I just get annoyed when people online claim to have custom repainted Megabass lures for $20 etc..If you don't have a Megabass Box, they are not legit, or if stamped Megabass on the lure...If I was painting legit Vision 110's, I would save every box and never paint over the markings... You can buy quality blanks in bulk, however even overseas, unless you buy 1000, you are still paying the same price as Barlows and other US sellers offer with quality lures... Many of these guys are simply using WL Lure....which I believe is now based in the states but they sell lures that are inexpensive, and are honest people in the sense they never claim to have a certain brand. Any company would be crazy to say "Megabass" in the description unless they are not Megabass as they have no contract to lose....

Wide bite style circle hooks are my favorite but I also use a wacky jighead at times if the water is deeper than 10' just to speed things up a bit...A Split shot crimped above a circle hook works well also and is much cheaper...

I fished that river when younger since it was not that far from Long Island and we would catch good numbers of Smallmouth but I think we always had our trips later in the season, never dangerous or cold conditions...I remember those trips as some of my favorite weekends, that River was awesome as far as action, never caught any huge fish, but if muddy and moving water, cold...Sounds like a good time to wait for a warming trend...Muddy water will be good if the Sun is out for a few days as it heats up faster than clear water, I would think a Floating Rattling Rogue would be a great bait anytime of year on the river. Really Muddy water is just tough, Sound is helpful, but so is finding water that is not muddy or stressful...Takes the fun away from fishing...River's are tough, that much I remember from my Upstate NY days...Not similar to lake fishing at all....

Full day...Full Duffle bag of plastics in bags...then pockets stuffed with more bags....and I have a binder that I carry on my belt that holds a dozen bags, and I always have a few bags of baits jammed in a pocket or a few flukes rigged up in my shirt pocket etc... I rarely go into the duffle bag, but my partners love it...They go shopping....I now find I can fish with only 3-4 colors, and half dozen types of baits...Actually, Green Pumpkin, Junebug or black and blue can do it all for me in any bait...Maybe a few watermelon reds...But I have to always have a ton of jig trailers and colors for grubs, creatures, craws, and Ribbon Tails in all sizes..Senkos are easy for me..One bag of Junebug in 4-7" mixed, pack of zinkers in Purple Haze is my favorite in 5" lately, Since moving to ZMAN, I don't need as many baits....3 packs in 5 baits they make is actually all I really need, but Elaztach is annoying for certain types of fishing....So I still need all the SK, Zoom, Culprit, Berkley, Zoom, Etc...

Big Bite..Been on clearance on the Big Bite site for years...I have never used that bait but I rig most hollow belly swimbaits with a weighted swimbait hook, or a worm weight pegged in front in heavy weeds, more weight, more thump, and vice versa...I would say the most popular hook is the Owner beast lock weighted hooks in 5/0 EWG but sizes vary from hook manufacturer..Open Jigheads are my preference but rarely can use them where I fish but I try since the Hook acts as a keel and you get better hook ups... I rig hollow Bellies Flat which is something I learned from watching In Fisherman when going weedless, but if it has an open belly you can rig it standard and just cut a belly slot, I have never held the Big Bite version but it looks good. I use the Sk Version, or Berkley, but do not use them much any more....Not sure why, but I seem to grab the Fat Keitech Style, Skinny dipper style instead, but that bait looks good. I like the taper it has, I bet it would be great fished weightless as well...You can always crimp a split shot or belly weight to the hook, or put a nail in the bait etc... Good deal for that bait....Big BIte prices are really good...Good Luck.

I like a skirt if I am fishing it higher in the water or just under the surface or over weeds, but I have found that trimming the skirt helps, and for trailers I like to use standard single tail grubs in 5" or a 4-5" double tail grub, I really like using a spider grub under a bladed swim jig since it gives the skirt more flare, slows the fall, and casts a mile. I like to fish at night during the Spawn and Spring, and I like the Rage Blade and I have a bunch of custom made bladed jigs from a member on this site who makes a killer jig and he uses a stout hook, and I color the blade black for the most part, or half black, leave the rest silver....I like a trimmed black or chart skirt, and I Find that any soft bait can work well, but at times I find that many trailers give a bait too much action at night and fish miss it, but all above posts have great options...Lake Fork Boot tail swimbaits are great as are the originals depending on mood... I feel the trailer matters most to me and the Rage Menace rigged sideways or flat is never a bad choice, one of the best soft baits on the market for all techniques. I rarely use the Cut'R worms as trailers but love them solo on a texas rig, I need to try that, but Swim Senko is great, Rage Craws, 4" Ribbon tail worm cut down, Z-man and Strike King Zero Elaztach baits are great near the surface...4" Diezel Minnow, Grubz, Turbo craw, and I have not tried the new Razor shads designed for a blade, but the Strike King Caffiene Fluke and swimbait are my favorites to rig without a skirt. I find the Strike King Flukes to be the best with the single tail, Bass Assassin makes a fluke I also like as the single tail waves and moves nicely... I have replaced the spinnerbait for the most part with the bladed Jig, and I find you can fish them anyway you have confidence in....Places where a trap works, wake it, hug bottom, or rip it and let fall....I like the lighter ones at times and I go 1/8 at times, small GYB 3'' Grub is always a winner...Great lure, fun to fish as well, I was told to try it at night on this site about 2 years ago, and I think that was the best advice I was ever given....Next to the Jointed Floating Rapala, I find this to be just as much fun....I want to try adding a willow blade to the hook which was just suggested to me....

If fishing Ponds, The key is often finding where the water enters the pond, and where it exits since that is where the current will be, and that also creates a creek channel or ditch that runs through the pond, and fish will use that as a travel lane, ambush point all year long as well...A small 12" depression is a big deal in some ponds if there is not much structure, but current creates the chance to find them fast. If cold, rain is often warmer, so the fish will be higher in the water column many times, I usually throw lizards, small Poppers, frogs, or a unweighted senko since they feed on all the stuff that washes into the ponds..Small creatures work well since Crawfish will gravitate toward those areas..You can never go wrong with a 4-5" Senko unweighted, Zoom Trick Worm, or 7" Berkley power worm, keep colors simple..Black, Watermelons, GP, or any color you really like. Rain also caused the shorelines to flood so bass will use the new and the old water lines, but often a weedless soft bait like a worm or grub can be fished any depth or with any style, Rain will change the activity level of fish in ponds quickly depending on size, and if it is less than 5 acres, you will quickly figure it out, the Fish gather up and the theory of 90% of the fish are in 10% of the pond is usually about right, especially after it rains...If rain drops are falling from trees that are overhanging, I will often try to lob a senko or lizard so the splash is loud, or a toad, and it will often work as they are waiting for lizards and insects etc. falling out of a tree...Don't be afraid to use a small 2" Grub, small Rooster tail.....Bass are opportunistic, but if insects are entering the water, the shiners and bluegill follow as well, so fishing a big soft swimbait that matches the bait size or topwater can be effective for bigger fish..I love fishing before and after the rain, during as well, If the water gets dirty then add sound with a bead or use a rattle, but you could fish with just a 5" Senko and be good for most part, add in a 6-7" Ribbon tail and that is all you need for ponds, maybe a split shot....Hope that helps...

I just got home from doing some Evening Fishing, and I was showed a new technique for a soft Jerkbait that worked really good as a topwater lure that is 100% weedless. The bait is called the Airhead by D.O.A. and I never realized how versatile this bait could be. By filling the hollow cavity with foam, the bait has a nice glide or walk & it floats in place with a 5/0 hook, casts a mile, and has a unique profile. I cut the Tail & had a floating ultravibe speed worm with a fat body, it looked great, but the fish wanted it slowly walked on top. Most strikes came on the pause, and they have some awesome colors. Not sure what they cost but I have heard of this bait being popular on the Big O in all the shallow grass. Here is a link to a video that shows how to make it float and then it shows a bunch of other ways to fish it which has given me a ton of ideas for this bait and others, but I just put a weight on one and it stands 90% off the bottom which looks promising....Not sure what they cost, but I plan on getting a pack to use again..... He shows what I learned tonight early in the video....I wish TW carried some DOA baits now that they have a freshwater line going, they have an accessory that holds Elaztach in place and gives the Zinker eyes called the hot Head...Just hard to find at times....

That is what I say...I wish he would just pay for the Tatula which I think is easy to learn on and will last forever....I may just wait till after the sale and see what happens as Bass Pro is just more expensive than everyone else, I want my buddy to get into flipping since he loves fishing but spinning gear is hard to make work...Thanks Thanks I agree, My issue is that my buddy who I fish with lives on some awesome private lakes, and you need to be able to flip and punch to get big fish most days, and he only uses spinning tackle but finally is willing to learn..I tried to hand him an old Revo S with a RH Retrieve that I have had for about 6 years, works great, but he couldn't use RH...So for Lefty, I told him we have to buy one, and he is on a budget of $50...Makes things tough...I will have him look on the flea market for a used reel since Ebay scares me....I don't trust used reels from random people, and many times they have more than 1 to sell which makes me think they were from a Pawn shop or something.. I always thought Ceramic was not good since that is what seems to be in the inexpensive reels? Maybe I am getting it confused, I usually just buy good brand name reels with repuations on sale and take care of them....Lefty reels are tricky to find in stock for some reason around here as Gander Had a Kinetic from Quantum for $50 but out of stock...I thought that would be good to learn with and "light enough"...what is a few ounces anyhow? I wanted to split the Carbonlight rod and PQ reel for $75 after trade in so I could have the rod for $40 and give him one of my other rods...thanks for the help...Much appreciated..BPS only seems to carry and push Browning and BPS brand, I like how browing feels but can't find anyone who has used one...

Ok, I was hoping a few people could help me understand the main differences between casting reels. I know that the quality of bearings, type, and placement in reels matters more than count, and usually I simply buy name brand reels with good reviews and make sure they have Double Shielded bearings, and from there I like to look at reel weight etc. but I know that many of the inexpensive light weight reels are not machined as one piece in Aluminum or another quality material which causes internal parts to shift under heavy loads. I see so many new reels that have 11 double shielded Stainless Bearings, Carbon or graphite sideplates, brass gears, titanium line insert or some other coating better than Ceramic which I have had issues with using braid...What is most important. Abec 5 Bearings, One piece aluminum or metal frame even though it may be heavier..I notice almost every reel I saw at the BPS Classic was small and light, many companies now have reels that seem amazing as far as specs and weight for prices in the $50 Range? I need to teach a friend how to use a baitcaster and he can't use my RH reels or I would just let him have a few of my older reels but he needs a lefty and is all about light weight and I am trying to steer him to the Pro Qualifier sale which today is the last day so I can get the Carbonlight rod, but he would rather have a Midas or Bionic blade since they are much lighter. They seem to have the same specs as all the other light reels on the market? What matters most for a reel for heavy work with 1 ounce weights etc...I like a Silver Max but if I were to only have one reel I would not trust that as the only reel I had..Any help as to what matters most is appreciated..Sorry for the ramble, I didn't realize how many awesome looking reels were out there for under $50 at every retailer from every brand these days, how are they selling these new models so cheap? Thx

I used to work at a fishing shop that would sell alot of refurbished reels and many were Black Max reels and other Abu Garcia and Pfueger Reels for the most part... I have gone with the Silver Max since they are the same price, and I have been amazed at how much I like them and can't believe how much abuse they can take...I will also say that we rarely had a Black Max come back with issues, they get the job done...It is one of the best reels in the price range for sure.... Some of the best fisherman I have been paired up with or Met, have fished inexpensive gear, they didn't know much about what reels were new or popular, but they could flat out catch fish....Best guy I fished with had Shakespeare Baitcasters and used Triple Fish Silicone Line and he was a Winner.....Its not the gear you fish, it is how you fish it....If you take care of your stuff, you can make a reel last a long time. I still have a Pinnacle Inertia that is 10 years old and a few Gander Mountain Cheap Reals that work fine and I am rough on my tackle. I do own high end reels, but I often reach for the Silver Max, and lately a Daiwa Laguna I found for $30....

Okuma has fantastic customer service...Make sure you register the Rod with them online or over the phone, they will replace it even if you brake it from having it stepped on, only charged me $25 to replace a $100 Rod that I told them was left on the ground and stepped on, same with a Casting reel I once Fell and broke..They sent me a new Reel without asking any questions and again I told them it was my fault as I fell into a fire ant nest and had to jump in the water....Some how the reel broke, but that is a story my 2 friends love to tell, I never realized how dangerous those things can be....I tried to fish through it, but not possible as I started to swell up, really was bad timing, we had a group of acitve Post Spawn Females smashing Rattle Traps in the grass, and I ruined the day for everyone...They were gone 2 days later. But I love Okuma Rods and Reels, you will like any of their upper end stuff. The Guide Series rods have a lifetime warranty and I have seen them online at times for $39 instead of the $100 Plus, if you see one they are nice, but the Helios is super light...

I have a buddy who fishes a Senko on the back of his jigs and he figures it makes them look like they have a punch skirt in front, and he does well fishing them that way. You can use anything as a trailer, often you will get lucky and find an awesome combo... Sometimes a Finesse worm on a stand up style jig works really well. I use the Megastrike Evolution Jigs with Skirts more than I use the Shaky head jigs lately, I like the added Flare, but I save all my beat up Paddle tail worms, Ribbons, and use them on jigs. I have heard tubes work well, Sometimes Trimming a jig makes it look better, and also adding a spider Grub which can be considered a worm in the 4-5" size addes flare, allows it to "Float" and is great for a bigger profile when you want one... I don't think their is a wrong answer here, I am sure many guys use worms that are not standard and have success, A jig is just a Weighted Hook to present a soft bait....

An Arkie Style head is rarely a bad option, but when I have ordered from Siebert, I emailed the owner who is a very knowledgeable guy when it comes to jigs and colors etc...I just asked him to put together a few of his "Package deals in colors he thought were best for Florida" and he sent some colors that have been dynamite. I often use just a Texas rig with a punch skirt over them, and he has the best deals on Tungsten and I would pay for the Wire attachment on everything, it is only about .35 I think and the skirt never comes off...The Brush Jigs and Casting jigs he has are great, I would highly suggest picking up a bluegill colored swim jig in 1/4 oz as well. He makes a really nice looking jig head that is hard to beat for the price. There are so many jigs on the Market that I never know which one's are good etc. since I fish mainly Grass, but I have never purchased a better jig for the same price he sells them for online for the same price or anywhere...The Other Jigs I really like are the Megastrike Line up, but you will be happy with any of the Jigs Seibert Makes. Some have heavier guards, wide gap hooks etc...He can put you on the best track, I would tell him your goals and let him go to work....Just my 2 scents...Honest Seller 100%.

I would rather be ordering lures when it is that cold, but one lure that I have used since a kid and still do here in Florida, is the Crappie Sized Blakemore Roadrunner in 1/16,1/8,1/4, or 1/32...BPS has a cheap model called the stump jumper which comes with some cool looking soft baits on the back that only BPS sells, and I often buy just the pack of 10 heads and blades, and then add a small 1-2" soft bait. I would imagine the Ned Rig would be my first choice now or a Slider Worm or a Gitzit Tube on a Slider Head as it glides to the bottom like a dead shad....Small Jigs like the BItsy Bug, little craws like the small Zoom Critter craw.....I have been with guys who also kill them on a suspending Jerkbait on light line 6-8lb test clear line, and will let the lure soak for long pauses...I am still learning that technique, but it seems to produce bigger fish, the Rogue & Suspending Bomber Long A are popular, as are the Megabass 110's, but I think they are only worth the money if you have a passion for Jerkbait fishing.I am not good enough to know the difference from the Knock offs, but I have been outfished by them before.... This may sound crazy, as this brand is not very popular, but a Creme Mad Dad Minnow is like the Shad Rap of lipless baits, and it comes in a small version that casts easily, falls slowly, and it is soft so it can go through cover or any weed growth left, and only cost $2 each. Its a good bait, but I would also try waking them up if you have a hard bottom and they are hugging it in a neutral move with a Spro Aruku shad hopped on the bottom like a jig...I have had it work after cold fronts in places I am familar with where I know hold fish, you just need to be ready to lose a few....