primetime

I used to change trebles like a freak, now I find I leave em as is and 90% of time I am happy except with lipless cranks which I simply upsize to VMC Inline #3 and #5..I like those 2 sizes since they do not alter action much.

On Walking baits, I find that the short trebles do not help my hook up percentage but I do have a few with short shank for working over weeds, and fish seem to stay buttoned better if Upgrade the split ring, but the Sammy Hooks I leave as is, I only change up hooks on spooks and other walkers...The more weight you add to the tail the better a bait usually walks, but test em out at the ramp and you know if you like the action or not...A dressed treble can add too much drag at times for some lures, The Sammy has good hooks but can't hurt if you have more confidence in another type or kind.

In all seriousness, if I knew what Bass were thinking and I could understand them day in and day out, I would kill for that power just for a few years because that is all it would take to clean up.... I do use red split rings or trebles at times, once used Red hooks on worms, not sure if it helped, helps, or if in my head at times, but I like buying Red Trebles for some reason.

Pink makes them angry, Red....Just annoyed....Swirls in Pink, Hold on tight to your rod.....

I used to care more about where lures were made but at the end of the day Pure Fishing Owns a huge portion of the industry, and Jardon Owns Pure fishing, and almost every small company sells to a larger company and many Japanese companies that are considered JDM are not, and many that claim to be made in the USA are not, and I am not referring to any specific companies since I am a fan of almost all mentioned. I buy from Retailers that I feel offer the best value & service and from companies that standby their products and I have been lucky in that way I guess. I am not going to Boycott Strike King if they make lures in Costa Rica and one day need to have soft baits poured overseas in order to keep up with other companies (Not that I see that happening) but I know that Strike King Designs their lures and Test them, catch me fish, and are a good value for sure, and if they can save me some money to buy a few more lures than it's a win win for me, Strike King, The OEM, and the Retailer and any employees at that retailer. I also like to support local tackle shops and alway's buy a few things when I stop in to do my part as I know it is tough in that world these days and I miss the vibe of local shops, etc...I want to help the local bait shop stay alive more than anything, I could care less if he uses mostly Imports from China in Japanese packaging etc.... Globalization is a done deal, no point fighting wars that are Long Over, Walmart is not going anywhere, so let's support the Tackle Warehouse, Megastrike, Seibert, Power Team and all sponsers on this site and buy from them because they have good products and I am sure I have forgotten some. I think all specialty companies are the way to go for your favorite technique. I import plenty of lures from the Orient and from other areas of the globe, but I try to support niche and smaller companies since they provide innovation & better service imo....

I find if you are dealing with algae and weeds like duck weed or pond weed, scum etc....The best bet as mentioned before is too find out where the weeds are, if they are on the bottom, then the dropshot or Jig rig helps, but I find the best way to keep my worm clean is to use Tungsten for feel, so I can feel when it is hitting weeds, branches etc...smaller and denser so a 3/16 oz bullet weight is tiny and not really expensive compared to the benefits. I also believe adding some Megastrike or any scent that is oily, I will mix some vegi oil with Megastrike in a bottle before hitting ponds that have lots of floating weeds and weeds and scum off the bottom...I also don't think bass mind if your bait as a few strands of weeds on it if you are popping it free or hopping it etc...If you feel weeds, rip it and hold on....use the weeds as a way to get a reaction strike. The Dropshot set up and rig AJ suggests is a great option, but I am personally to impatient and like to keep my rod moving which causes too much line twist so I don't alway's peg the weight either.....I never leave a swivel even if using a c-rig set up since the swivel will collect weeds, the slip shot rig or MOjo rig works great, leave a 3' leader and figure out how long it takes for your bait to sink a foot with just the hook, and then every 6-10 seconds lift the rig to keep it from settling on bottom unless you see a fish following, then kill it if it starts to turn away.

I kind of just like to collect swimbaits, I don't have the patience to throw them all day long, but I do throw them when I know big fish are in the area and I just wish I had the confidence to throw a huge bait all day long but I don't...I feel a 7" Jointed Red Fin or F-18 Rapala Minnow will get me more fish since they are thinner and lures I understand, but most people look at me like I am nuts when I pull up to a small public park with a Jointed Red Fin or Super Spook, but a big bass is not wasting energy on a small bait most of the time and I would agree that a bass colored swimbait makes the most sense or a smokey Joe color if you have gizzard shad or threadfin.

Perch are not a favorite food source as they are spiny, but a Bass will eat a spiny bluegill or perch if it looks WOUNDED...keey is to make your bait look like an easy meal, A bass would much rather feed on Shiners, Killifish, Shads, Crawfish, Leeches, Hellgramites etc....A tiny perch is one thing, but 6" yellow perch is not something a Bass is going to expend energy chasing if you are just chucking and winding without making it appear wounded. I am not an expert with swimbaits by any stretch of the imagination, but I have found that I do much better if I really focus on slowing down and letting it flutter and appear exactly like a dying baitfish....You don't need a $20 bait to look injured.

Brown, Black and blue, black and red, watermelon green/orange for flipping Jigs, also carry some white & black and chart, but I use a brown jig with green pumpkin trailer & black/blue gp trailer 75-90% of time and it always seems to work fine...I carry about 20 colors, but I always have a punch skirt in black and blue and a brown jig....Brown usually gets the nod, may go different colors on trailers and styles of trailer.... But my main Casting Jigs and flipping jigs are 90% brown skirts, 4-5" Green Pumpkin Red Flake or Gp Black flake Chomper's twin tail grubs or GYB Grubs...Simple and effective, an Arkie Style jig is all I really need if I could only have one, good for swimming, grass and everything else....You can alter color with trailers big time, so if you want flash on a brown jig to mimic shad just add a white ice grub.

I use a 6'6" Medium action Okuma EVX cranking rod, or the S-Glass blue medium action rod that I found a deal on for 2 for $29....Whippy, but I really like to use Triple Fish Camo Nylon Mono which is Armor tough, similar to XT but has the 3 colors which seems to get me more bites and that line in 10lb test is super strong, if I am fishing heavy weeds I go 16lb or 20lb Trilene Big Game, or Suffix Siege...I will use braid but adjust rod and hooks accordingly, for instance I buy saltwater Wake baits for baitcasting rods for braid, and the Offshore ANgler BPS version of the Egg and Express Saltwater wakes are very good and cheap... No matter how good you are and even with all the right equipment, you are still going to lose fish, just part of the game, it just always seems to happen at the worst times....I try my best to always check for abrasions, I have lost fish for being lazy and when it is your fault it hurts more....Barbless trebles help with hook sets on thicker treble hooks.

So many good options that are not expensive, the soft baits have the best overall action, the soft magic swimmers are great, Savage soft baits, and I like the Large Yum Money Minnows as well....For hardbaits, Spro BBZ, Egret kick a mullet is perfect imitation of shiners in ponds and works great as a wake bait or glide bait, it doesn't move all that far when you pull it, but it just catches fish better than most, plus it looks awesome in the water with color. Great hooks, can throw on Braid and not worry about bending anything even if an alligator grabs it.

If using Fluorocarbon leader I use a Invisiswivel as I trust the improved clinch knot better than tying direct to braid. I use snaps but when I do I only use the best quality, Spro and Worth are my favs...

same as in the lakes, if a pond has shiners, then throw a bait in the same size and color, I usually start out with a shallow square bill or casting jig, or a split shot rig with a 4" grub, 6" curly tail worm, or Fluke....I love the caffeine shad when it comes to flukes, they are super heavy and flat out catch fish all the time for me when I need a soft bait that I can work fast or slow....Any Rage bait in a pond is money.

Bomber Long A Floater, LIpless Crankbait, Weedless spoon, actually spinnerbaits, cranks, everything works on the edge, If only all the fish stayed on the edge fishing would be so much easier....

I like a Fast action rod for ripping it out of weeds like a trap....If they don't want the chatterbait then the swim jig usually works well, sharpies fix any issues with blade color, black and chart are my two favorites....I like custom versions but booyah makes a great little bait, forget the name but it is good for the money and I like a trailer that is basic like a grub or Cajun style spinnerbait trailer, if I put a boot tail swimbait on the back then I find I miss more fish at times, but it is great for locating fish to then toss a tube or worm at ....

Fish it like you have a crankbait, spinnerbait, Jig, Swimbait....Fish it with different trailers, blades, models, bladed jigs are the real deal....Love em, especially at night.

I almost forgot my new favorite swimbait Next to the SPRO BBZ, actually I would put them equal, but the Egret Kick a Mullet wake bait/Glide bait, Heavy Thump for $10...It puts the S Waver, Savage, Gyron, and other's to shame, I would throw the Egret kick a Mullet over any swimbait except the Spro BBZ on some days, but in heavy cover nothing is better in my opinion....I like the super slow sink/Suspend....Hooks are Money, casts a mile, calls in big fish from long distance, Every time someone sees me use it they order a bunch.....I think Stanley is behind Egret Baits....I just grabbed the VUDO swimbait for $6.99 which seems Identical to the Bass Pro swimbaits in texure and action but have not used it enough to say if it is great... Kick A Mullet...Saltwater companies don't mess around and nobody pays silly money for cheaper lures that have a nice paint job until you get a few fish....The paint never comes off as well, I think they can be found for $6.99, but one, trust me on this one....

Sluggo 6" twister tail worm Triple Ripple 9" ribbon tails Original Crème Midgit crawler rig and worms... Rebel Jumpin Minnow T10 and T20 Reaction Strike Lipless Crankbaits-lV-65 & LV 75 -Tungsten in head caused them to sit like a Spro etc, plus they have a flat body, unique shape, and sounds different like it is filled with sand. I have day's when I do better with this $6 lure than any other lipless crank and buy a large margin....I love the Pumpinseed color, Royal Shad, White red eyes. Yo-zuri Floating Trembler Edge Minnow as it barely dives and flashes bright colors and casts easily for it's size. Rebel Jointed Original Minnow, Exude Fan Tail Shrimp with rattle in mouth, identical bait in shape and profile to the Havoc Slop craw....I love the saltwater glow colors and pinks etc..Fill it with a rattle or megastrike and it is a great bait.... But my favorite...D.O.A. Chug Heads and Hot Heads for soft baits, Long Neck hooks for their grubs which Gene Larew copied this year with the Rally grub...

I learned how to become better at skipping by watching a video by Denny Brauer I think it was....He uses a really short rod, and I find if I have a 6' and maybe even shorter if from the bank, allows you way more control until you get more confident and you don't need an expensive rod, spinning rods make it much easier.....The old school short handle casting rods used to be like 5'6" for skipping baits. I now use a 6'6" at largest if skipping baits, put my tension knob tighter than I ever would, up the magnets, and as you probably know already, accuracy is key and after a while you can put a bait 4 feet back behind an overhang and skip the bait like a stone so it attracts fish from much further away, many times skipping the bait makes a Bass think that a baitfish is being chased so even though you are trying to get under a dock, you may be getting bit from a Bass that swam from 10 feet away in open water where the bait first hit...Tubes skip best imo, glue really really helps as I like keeper style hooks.

I like to skip any soft bait as long as it is on the hook well. I often use super glue on keeper style hooks and that keeps them from moving and causing frustration....If the tube is catching fish, I would stick with the tube, I find Tubes and Stick baits are the easiest to skip and I always glue anything from ZMAN.... The Rage Bug and Rodent skip well for me, so do most craws, but I like to skip tubes, flukes, swimbaits, and baits that imitate a baitfish being chased since that is what fires them up, with that said, skipping a creature is necessary to get to the fish on shorelines but I would think the tube is still the best bet imo. Check out the Power Team Food Chain Tubes, they are designed for using on a weighted hook, and if they are not, then they should market them as such since I catch more fish on those tubes with a worm hook than I do with any other brand tube...Hooksets are tough with many tubes and they slide, one thing that helps is those rattles with the opening on top that you can lock your hook through. I have no affiliation with Power Team baits but I am a big fan as they flat out work and give fish a new look....Good luck, Skipping baits is a skill that pays off and a short rod also helps...I like to skip with a 6' spinning rod or 6'3" casting rod that has some bend at the tip so it loads well even with lighter baits... I prefer Rage baits like the Caffiene Shad or Beavers since they are heavy without any added weight, I like a nice compact profile when skipping, I don't even like my weight to be sliding at all, but a bead in between a worm weight often triggers more strikes because of the noise....

That Ugly stick Light is probably too soft and light imo if you are already changing out the hooks, I would leave the hooks on the KVD lures, Strike King does a good job with hooks, and if you are like me, I used to put the KVD trebles on many cranks but those are 2x strong I believe, so you need some backbone to get those hooks in, you also need to feel the fish before swinging.... But as guys said, sometimes they just get off, but I find with the right rod and line, even one treble in the fish, especially from shore, is all on me and my rod and line choice...I use spinning gear as much as possible from shore, a good 6'6" rod allows you to cast all over the place and skip baits etc..plus a medium action rod meant for cranking with some backbone really helps, but tip needs to be slow.... I would make sure you are using fluoro or Mono and try to wait for the fish to take it and I know that is tough to do, I am not even sure how long I wait since with the right rod and stretch, even if I set to quickly, the hook set turns out to be fine where if I had braid it would pull the lure away....I used to lose a lot of fish and it was not just fish getting off, it was 100% my fault on how I was landing them and if it was a big fish I would get excited and force them in too quickly. That is a good rod you have, I feel the ugly sticks are great for crankbaits, but you don't need a 2x strong hook if that is what is on them, and some 1x strong are also too thick, regular VMC Inlines work fine for me and I focus on the front hook, if they are grabbing the rear hook, then I would downsize the lure, slow down maybe, try changing lures for a slower floater if they are taking it after deflection, all that stuff that seems trivial matters and I have seen videos that Glenn has done on this site that instantly sent me to the store to get a different rod and I don't use expensive rods for the most part, but I always use good line and have my drag set properly, Strike king lures and a 1.5...Tie it on from the box and make sure you are getting a good set since most ugly sticks have a whippy action which is good once they are buttoned usually..Hope that helps, everyone fishes differently and sometimes you just learn through trial and error, or ask someone you know or visit a tackle shop and tell them your problem and show them your set up.....Most Local tackle shops want to give you the right info to help you catch fish so you come back, and most owner's of small tackle shop's know how to fish from my experiences and almost alway's help me out...

Here is my theory on losing fish on crankbaits like squarebills, topwater's etc... I believe too many people swap out stock hooks thinking that will help and for lipless crankbaits I would agree that often you can go larger and it will help you and also having a larger split ring gives the fish less chances of losing fish. I used to have a terrible landing percentage with any type of crankbait and I actually had a good landing rate when it came to hard jerkbaits/ripbaits but I fished with a very good angler a few years ago who watched me bend out a treble on a Pop R', lose 50% of my fish on a crankbait, and after I lost a good fish that really upset me, before I dug into my box to change out trebles and sharpen them, he simply told me I had the wrong rods for the job and to swap out all my braid for fluorocarbon for Mono when it comes to trebles....I thought about it and at first was resistant because I thought braid was the best for horsing in fish out of the grass, but I watched him skillfully land almost all of his fish with the same amount of effort because he had the right rods and line.... For crankbaits, I feel that is the most important rod as it needs to be a crankin rod which is whippy and has a slow tip (especially if you are throwing braid) Obviously there are things you can do to fix this and plenty of great articles and videos on this site to explain this, and I realized that on my floating jerkbaits with trebles, I never had a hook bend, fish would slap at it and miss is like they just do, but once I hooked them rarely did they get off.....That is because I alway's used a Hand me down rod from my Brother which was a short Spinning Rod that had a soft tip and decent backbone so I could still walk the dog or cast light floaters easily, but I was not losing fish because I had a soft rod and it was Medium action, and most importantly I had a Mono that floated in 12lb test which caused me to give fish some drag and not horse them, but at the same time not smack the water every time I twitched the bait, in short it was my favorite rod for topwaters and jerkbaits because I could feel the fish, make accurate casts, and it was the right tool for the job.... For a cranking rod, I have a fiberglass whippy rod and one that has a slow tip but heavy action and backbone which get's loaded up with 17-20lb mono or fluoro, and I have yet to bend a stock hook ever since. Most lures, especially Strike King come with good hooks, and I don't like dropping tons of money so I would replace lures with VMC trebles anyhow and that is pretty much the least expensive hook all companies use and they are plenty good imo. When I read that Rebel Stock hooks are terrible, I could not disagree more since Pradco puts those hooks on most of their lures and the Rebel Pop'R for example in the normal size which is small comes with light wire #6 trebles, and yes those are smaller and you could put a #4, but if the hook is too thick, you have to set way too hard and will get less penetrations with the right rod....When a fish takes a crankbait, if he only has one treble than the key is not having braid and horsing the fish in, if you are in weeds, and I mean heavy weeds, maybe the Rebel pop'r is not the right lure for heavy weeds, if you want a fast action rod with a heavy action, let's say a flipping stick, then I would throw a Sebile Splasher instead since it comes with Owner ST-41 trebles and I know they are not bending or I use a saltwater grade topwater (Bass are not aware of the difference between the saltwater wakes vs. Freshwater wakes, only difference is the guage of hooks and size of split rings....You can horse a Bass with 3x strong trebles, and a heavy rod with heavy split rings without worry if you have the right tools. I only bend hooks on lures when I use a lure designed for 6-10lb test on 20lb braid and I play the fish wrong...I have been fishing for 30 years but in the last 7 years or so in Florida I have learned why it is important to have at least 5-6 rods and different lines for applications....If I am fishing Lake Toho for a day, then I will upgrad a treble to a 2x strong or 1x strong if using heavy braid or rods, and if I want to throw a Rapala Floating minnow, I know those hooks and the lure are designed for light line, so I will use 20lb braid, maybe a leader for stretch but I find that doesn't help me, I just use a rod that is softer and I put better hooks on the 3-5 squarebills I am using for the day and test them in the water before going, changing hooks on crankbaits can mess up action, or make it better...Hope that helps.....If I am throwing the Red Fin I use a heavy action and fast tip short casting rod with braid since they are tough to cast as they are light but come with 4x strong trebles, so you will land almost every fish if you swing harder than usual, since thicker hooks need to penetrate more skin....

I love lipless cranks, Floating Rattle Traps, Suspending versions, silent or flat, one knockers, loud hi pitch , low pitch, and I burn them sometimes in cold water, slow roll, hop on bottom like a jig, rip like a spoon, and to be honest.... I carry about 200 on every trip and I divide them into categories..Sound, Size, color, but most important, Nose down, Good in weeds for ripping (many are modified but I do my best ripping traps through Hydrilla and milfoil) but it is important to know how a bait falls...A Red Eye Shad has a perfect shimmy when you kill it and let it sink....If you try that with the Diamond Shad by Strike king, you will probably not get bit letting it fall as much, it falls like a rock and spirals all over the place, but that little bait deflects really nice and is good for certain applications like burning in open water, but some glide, some fall like a rock, and some like the Rippin Rap are designed to be heavy and yo-yo'd....My advice is to carry lots of treble hooks so you can up the size on some and also up the size of split rings...More fish are lost on lipless cranks for me than any other lure, if possible I would always rish cranks on either fluoro or mono for stretch, but if ripping grass, braid makes it much more effective for me, so I use a soft rod and super sharp hooks and still I expect 30% of fish to throw them after hook up...If you throw lipless cranks on a fast action rod with braid you can expect to land very few fish that day....I have learned the hard way, I am so glad they label rods "Crankin" rods these days as it helped me and I had been fishing for years, I never realized just how soft a cranking rod really needs to be to maximize landing percentage....I used to buy cheaper cranking rods but now I go cheaper on the flipping stick and spend the money on a good heavy action cranking rod that can handle braid and still have a fast enough tip that I can rip them out of weeds without losing them.....Read articles on this or pick up the rods that other's use since lipless cranks are often the best way to catch fish on many days and probably the best "Search lure" on the market for me.

My Favorite places to fish are called "Swamps" and Backwater flooded fields and most people avoid all the "choked out area's" and everyone fishes the same open water, but trust me, if you can get your bait under those weeds, the bigger fish will find your bait, just make sure you are prepared for this kind of fishing as I was not when I moved from NY to Florida...I alway's thought 20lb Mono was plenty, but now I use the heaviest braid I can, and if I use mono, I use copoly and go Hybrid #20 which is #31 pound test and I only use that if Gar or Mudfish are cutting through my braid or if the braid is too loud and spooking fish if fishing in stalks since braid rubs and no doubt causes fish to spook. I met a guide the other day at a boat Ramp who had all of his rods rigged up with 100lb braid, and for his shiner clients he does not let them on the boat without a minimum of 30lb test mono....and xtra heavy rods...It was like he was deep sea fishing for grouper, but then again, in Florida a 15lb bass is not a crazy thought.

Whenever I fish a tournament as a non boater, I bring 60% terminal tackle and I get more use out of my dressed trebles, suspend dots, split shots in all sizes, weights and colors in all sizes, treble hooks, keeper barbs, sandpaper, marker's, hook sharpener, fly fishing line floatation, walleye slip floats, floating worm weights, leader of every type and size, swivels, and I could go on for hours... I don't like to mess around with the balance of a lure on the boat by adding a willow blade to a lipless crank unless I tested it ahead of time because if the blade does not balance with the rest of the lure, then it will not perform. If you are fishing 20 feet of water and you need a crank that runs 20' but you don't have one, then just go ahead and Carolina rig and square bill and you will be just fine....