primetime

If I need weight to make a long cast in order to hit a target, I have no problem tossing any bait on a jighead or with weight....Getting the bait in the right spot is what matters, cause if you miss the mark, it will never happen. I use jigheads with flukes, senko's, and for every rig you think may not work, is for sure a go to technique in someone else's box of tricks....FIsh see so many flukes, I feel a red jighead often helps for many reasons, so just remember, there are no rules and as soon as you think swirls are a waste of time, a 7 year old at a pond will tear you apart.

Just peg a worm weight up your line 18" and if you want noise you can get a pack of cheap beads for .49....Brass weights are cheap as well. Great article on this site about using brass, glass, and straight worm hooks.

I say GYB grubs since they have the best colors and I just have more confidece with a GYB soft bait every time I make a cast....I know other sticks are very good, but a few colors on the GYB chart are winners. Also, how come the Ocho is not ever mentioned as a top bait? I know it is a "knock off" but the OCHO is the most innovative stick bait of the bunch. I just wish they made a Strike King Swim Ocho......I lose a dozen willow blades from MJ rigs every trip I use the Ocho for the flat sides. Plus the smell of starbucks in a bag of plastics was marketing gold. I flipped Rodents all day and my neighbor asked me if I spilled coffee in my car. Not sure if the Bass like it any more than other scents, but I sure do, and I still can't go bug when I feel the Rodent produces larger fish, even though everyone is buying the Rage Bugs instead.....Too many baits, choices, yet the options in Grass are limited unless you want to carry a suitcase of plastics. I wish I could be like my buddy, he brings 2 bags of power worms, 1 bag of 6" stick-0's, pack of brush hogs, and a bag of frogs and hooks....He does fine, although I need to stop supplying leader,hooks,jigs, I digress.... So Burner Worm, GYB, or Speed Worm????

3.14 squared x 1.0 for a 5" worm then simply divide the total by the total acres in the lake you are fishing and a senko fished on a proper hook, line etc should sink at roughly .75 feet per second...For real, if using a standard 3/0-4/0 offset worm hook texas rigged with a 5" senko, I find it starts slowly, then will cover 4-8' quickly after the initial few seconds. I hit bottom in 10' in about 15 seconds, but I love to add nails in middle and more on end, so it falls slower and about 10 feet off to one side... I used to practice in a pool in my backyard so I knew how to hit a stump without making a splash from as far away as possible. Now I like the loud splash and use larger senkos to create some action and work them as if they were walking topwaters...I will kill the 7" once in a while, but when I go to the 5" slim pro senko fished wacky and slow it drives em nuts at times... I also favor a senko or Ocho for punching and flipping so I find a stick bait under weights from 1/4-1.5 oz, and a Senko can work anywhere anytime.

EWG only if big bait and need the wide gap otherwise they pick up weeds and worms easily twist and hooksets are not always as solid imo... I use EWG more for big swimbaits like hollow bellies in 5/0 and larger sizes, anything an offset or straight shank worm hook fits then I use smallest possible for situation. I carry an insane amount of terminal tackle but light wire vs. heavy, ewg vs offset, silver vs. gold, 1/8 vs 3/16....Tournaments are often won with little changes like a nail weight to imitate a dying baitfish falling backwards etc...Terminal tackle is something I love to ask about, listen, and try, but for flipping, no EWG never....

I decided that I am only fishing 6 Rods max this year, but I like 7 and is usually what I bring for most Florida lakes, especially the Orlando lakes which can drive you nuts and make you question your tackle..... 5 Baitcasting rods flipping stick with Rodent black and blue, gp/red weightless or nail weighted Caffeine Shad style fluke, gp,water red,bluegill or shad patterns. Large 6-7" Senko for walking near surface-Junebug or Houdini with UV glow on 7" 1/2 ounce chrome black red eye shad or gold sebile flatt shad su 77 if over grass Bomber long a or Red Fin usually #15 floating long a.....maybe frog 2 spinning rods I am using more and more lately and going lighter... 1/4 Brewer slider weedless jighead and 6" gp finesse worm 5" or 6" pro senko nail weighted wacky. Starting to like the OCHO lately...Why is this not a bait guys talk about? Offers alot of innovation compared to a Senko-Flat sides add flash, and this worm is killer on a punch rig or walking in a baby bass color...Loving me some Caffeine Shads and Ochos lately...Still grab the Rodent before the Bug, and GYB gets nod for most sticks due to color, bps as well.....I would adjust color based on the time on water before and forrage.

I Would normally say the same thing, although a buddy of mine who used to guide told me that 1 of only 3 Bass he ever landed in the Teens was on a white Football jig with a 5" white ice grub...his answer to me was this....They were tearing up shad the entire week, so white shad patterns were killer for spinnerbaits, jigs, swimbaits etc.....The Bass are still feeding on the same school of bait so if you were catching fish on a white fluke at 6pm, and hit the water at midnight and your electronics show that the Bass are still feeding on that same school, if I am not getting a strike on my darker color (Which I still would use out of habit) I would go to white real quick since black really only helps with the silhoute on the surface. I tried out a white 4" tube the other night while walking the dog in a pond loaded with smaller bass and they hit it but once I added some sound with brass and glass I did much better on anything I threw....I am open to alot of suggestions but I truly feel line color, diameter, and bait size matters most at night and not using snaps, swivels etc...I will never use braid at night in open water, especially topwater, I actually use Fluoro even though mono is supposed to be better as I am convinced I get more strikes in #8 if I can go that light.

The Rods you purchased will work just fine as long as you are using the right techniques and fishing in the right spot....Some of the best Angler's I know fish what most would consider "Entry Level Gear" but they flat out know how to use that gear, more importantly, they know how to find fish and how to get them to strike when traditional methods are not working. A $300 Rod is not going to help you if you are fishing in a bad area...I consider quality fishing line the most important link, and then drag setting as well as learning how to tie good knots and using the correct knots for each situation. I see that advantage to using a high end rod, I can feel the differences when I borrow a super high end rod as they are so light, but for me, $100 is my max, and I prefer to pay closer to $50, and I spend more money on the reel so it lasts. I find many House Brand rods are the best deals as they are made from same OEM's that make more expensive rods, so many are actually really nice and Berkley is under Pure Fishing, so I have alway's felt the Berkley rods felt much better than the price tag says.

I have never fished one, but I was on a boat with someone working it super fast and it was getting killed, and we didnt have any other frogs or mice in that size or style and nothing else would work as well. I always ignored the mice topwater lures, figured a white frog is all I need, but it definately has it's time and I personally think it is the size and way it walks that makes it such a good lure. I have downsized alot of my frogs since and actually prefer the smaller sizes now instead of the bigger 5.5" versions except for heavy slop. I know for certain that the mouse was not modified, and he fishes all lures as they come. It did take on some water at times but it also was destroyed after half dozen fish.

Regardless, it is a quality lipless crankbait and if it is any of the above stated brands I would be happy, since every version stated is a quality lure including xcalibur. When it comes to calling a lipless crakbait a "Knock off" I don't think Lucky Craft would be the company that comes to my mind first for a lipless crank. I know I was throwing them in the 80's and I don't remember any lucky craft cranks being on my wish list. No douby Lucky Craft makes a great lure, but it is tough to beat the price and quality of a Red Eye Shad, Xcal baits with their paint and one knocker series, and the Yo-zuri vibe is one of the best imo. When I think of lipless cranks, I think of Bill Lewis and the Rattle-trap, or cordell spots although I know many other versions were also available. I believe Bill Lewis was the first brand to really market them successfully as I don't remember buying any other brands when I used to order from Bass pro when I was a kid. the Heddon Sonic may have been earlier, I actually want to look this up..... When it comes to lures, almost all the newest lures are a knock off of some sort. I had this debate regarding the Jackall Boil Trigger as my friend said it was an original and would not listen at all...I pulled out a Heddon Knuckle head which essentially is the same design, although I am not saying the Jackall version is not better and an improved version.....Unless another company has a patent and a company disregards it, then that is a knock off. The Zman Chatterbait was a new invention and I know they sued Berkley for their version which was not really all that similar, and I wonder how Renozky or Zman did against Pure fishing..Probably will not win that won.

Good job to the winners, you can never have enough quality jigs especially with cold weather coming.

I kind of like what was said above as it makes alot of sense....Fish any pond or lake similiar to how you would fish it during the day. If you never fish jigs, or large plastic worms, then trying them for the first time at night may not be the best approach. However, A dark shade like black and blue, black, black/red flake in any style worm usually is effective any time, and a ribbon tail is a good choice for night fishing since they can be fished multiple ways and the swimming tail helps if they are having trouble finding your bait. I almost always use a red bead between my bullet weight to protect my knot when using lighter line and sliding weights in the 1/8-3/8 oz as I often get bit as the worm hits bottom due to the sound, and also while twitching the sound often helps. Bass Roam at night especially during the summer time,so I usually pick a few spots in a pond that would be good ambush points and I usually look for overhead trees or slopes on a bank to find a spot that I can work thouroughly and Bass will keep replenishing. I went fishing last night when the rain stopped for a few hours and I had a 6" Green Pumpkin/Blue flake Kut Tail worm rigged on a 1/4 oz. round jig head and 8lb test Fluoro, and I caught fish at a good clip, and my buddy who only had his baitcasting Med Heavy rod with 30lb green braid started out with a similar set up only a Trick worm which is a fav. of many of us, but he was not getting bit since his weight was heavier, fell faster, and even with a leader he was not doing as well. Once he grabbed a rod with 8lb trilene mono, he started doing better using a 6" trick worm which was a baby bass color so color can vary....My point is I have always believed 100% that a translucent line at night is most important and so is a lighter line which matters as they are using the lateral line more than just sight too feed at night. Dark Green Line is very easy for them to see imo.

As mentioned above, keep fishing them the way you have been, since a slow steady retrieve with little pauses to let the spoon flutter below usually is a good method all year round and I find if I use a steady retreive when the fish are not active I just get alot of followers. I would not pay the $ for the Bagley's as people ask crazy money for vintage tackle and you can find models by Northland as mentioned above that are every bit as good imo, and so are the many casting or s-curve spoons, flutter spoons in light wieghts in the "Live Forrage Imaging" which I believe is what Cabelas and Bass Pro call them. Lurh Jensen, Northland, Acme, Johnson all make good spoons that are only a few bucks and often cheaper if you hunt around on-line. I have a few light Bagley's spoons I basically use in shallow water or over submerged weeds right after the Bluegills spawn as I have firetiger patterns and they are light-1/4 oz, so I real steady and then kill the lure so it flutters slowly below and flashes which is when they get bit most of the time. I find if I use a steady retrieve I get alot of followers, but just like any lure, a quick change of direction, speed, or depth will usually get a following fish to strike. I have had times when I could fish a spoon as fast as I could retrieve it and Bass would crush it, but rarely are they that active..... If you like spoons, take a look at some of the larger 1/2 oz to 1 oz. flutter spoons that are manufactured toward Bass Fisherman like the Lake Fork FLutter spoons or Strike King versions, although I can't afford $7-$10 for a spoon when I can find a Quality version on a closeout somewhere or buy blanks in a 50 pack for a buck or two each. I usually throw a Johnson Sprite 1/2-3/4 silver or gold sprite most of the time, but the live image spoons on the market today are much better than they were 10 years ago imo, and I like some in baby bass, firetiger, shad, and a dark orange like the one you have and spoons are a great way to cover water or catch good numbers when fishing a small pond or lake....Check out overstock bait as they often have Luhr Jensen spoons for .99 and other name brands for under a $1. Casting-Scurve-Flutter or wobble spoons are all good, jigging spoons like a hopkins are only good if you fish deep water vertically imo...I stay in the 1/2-1 oz range and 1/8-1/4 for light spinning tackle....hope that helps...Making your own spoons is actually fun and rewarding and by far the easiest lure to make as all you need is a box of blanks, hooks, and split rings, and if you want to go crazy get some prism tape, feathered trebles, and just make your own that you can modify to fit the lake you are fishing.

I also use the bobber stop above and below my weight so it doesnt touch my snell when flipping and leaving a bit of space really seems to help, as the bead never helped me out on heavy line, although I use it with lighter applications for mainly sound. When I go heavy braid in heavy cover, I just figure braid is going to break a few times when setting the hook no matter what brand, and I never have it break at the knot, it is usually from a weak spot that develops from all the casting and repetition. I am starting to believe that I get bit more with mono or fluoro in 20lb testscompared to braid in the 40-65lb range and I truly think it is because braid makes noise when pitching and casting, rubbing against cover or weeds, and is opaque, although at times it is necessary since 20lb test is just is not strong enough for the heaviest stuff. I always buy Suffix 832, Power Pro 8, and Daiwa Samurai, and I have also had bad batches of every line I have mentioned where it would just break at strange times for no apparent reason and I have met others who have had the same problem....I check dates on packages even though braid is supposed to last forever, I don't like buying any line that has been sitting for more than a year.

Braid is not a solution to line breaking as it is actually less abrasion resistant than fluoro or mono especially if you are slow rolling a spinnerbait over a hard bottom...Braid will weaken and fray easily and it doesnt matter what brand as all braids are either Spectra or Dyneema which are essentially the same material just made by 2 different companies. 832 contains a strand of Gore and is a multi weave so is more abrasion resistant than regular PPro which is a 4 strand. I like 832 or Power Pro Plus, or any 8 strand since they are quiet, thin, cast easier and I never have the problem of digging on my casting reels. I like Crystal for spinning if going with braid only because of the clear color, but I always use a leader and make sure I tie a good knot, and I check it often if fishiing a shell bed or after every strike or fish.... If I cast and hit a dock or my line rubs up against anything that can compromise my line, I quickly check it for damage and simply tie a new knot and cut off a few feet of line. I hate losing fish because I am lazy or excited to get another cast in the water and not re-tie so I am really careful when tying knots as well, always make sure I lock them down without doing any damage.

I consider 3' plenty for a Jerkbait and I would go with a Floating Rattling Rogue or Long A this time of year as it can be whatever you want it to be... A Topwater, wake bait, Shallow Crank(1-6') or just go with the can't miss twitch-twitch-Let it float technique which works most of the year. I experiment with color and sound, but the Floating Rogue is my favorite in Stained water and Clown is a great color. Rogues make plenty of noise for fish to find them and floater or suspender are good for all water types imo. I have caught fish in the fall on a floating Jerkbait in all water types in all temperatures but once it get's really cold then I like a slow sinking or suspending model. I rarely fish the Spoon bill or deep diving jerkbaits but that is only because I never do it, so I lack confidence in tying one on, but I will fish a suspending crankbait which dives deep which I guess is similar as mentioned above...If I have to fish deep, I like a drop shot or jig personally. If stained, I add rattles, and add a bulky trailer to move more water.

Tough to beat a Bandit 100-300 or even the Footloose wake bait for the Money, I get all mine at Dick's since they apparently do not sell all that well and are on the clearance rack a few times per year. I probably have more Bandits than any other crank in my box of square bills. They work as good as many (not all) of the much more Expensive lures. I doubt Pradco will modify anything, probably just stamp the package and sell them on lure net with all the other lures they make. The average angler doesn't know who pradco is, and I only say that because a local tackle shop had an add for 1/2 off all pradco lures, and they were upset when I started grabbing all the Bomber Long A's, Packs of Yum, and Booyah Spinnerbaits, Smithwick Rogues.....I wasn't allowed to touch the Heddon Zara Spooks or super spooks...They thought it was Cotton Cordell and Arbogast....

I want to say it is a older Team Daiwa Vibe based on the shape, but it is hard to say as so many companies have copied the shape of the Lucky's and lot's of good knock offs out there. Reaction Strike Would be stamped, and have 2 line ties and that was my first thought, but it is probably a re-painted shell of a Lucky or maybe it is a Lucky that was just not stamped and made it here in a different way than most buy them. With over 30 Japanese Companies and all the house brands, Xcal, Academy, Bass Pro etc...It is hard to keep track of lipless cranks, especially LC, as they have an American and Japanese line.

100% a Bagley's Prism Image spoon. I have a few in firetiger pattern which I love to use when fishing shallow as they are light. I own about half dozen of the old Rattling Hammered Brass Weedless Spoons they used to make in the older colored packaging before they went through all the changes, and I prefer it over the Silver Minnow from Johnson's at times. I don't think Bagley's is making the Prism image line of lures any more as they used to have a Jumpin Mullet and some Cranks and Jerkbaits with the prism image patterns, and I am sure if you look on ebay for vintage Bagley's lures you will find them. Most of the older Bagley's lures cost money, especially if in original packaging. I am always looking for the original Hellcats and Bang O lures along with a few other old Bagley lures that I still feel are superior to any balsa lures made today.

I am talking Flipping/Punching with heavier weights than I usually use. I have always used 3/8-3/4 without a problem getting through, but recently I have seen the benefit of having a bait fall through the mat faster with 1 oz plus, and I have always felt an ounce we too heavy and too fast in shallow water....However, I could not get bit a few weeks ago with my normal weights and my friend was getting bit on the drop with a 1 oz weight, and they would not hit the slower falling bait that was 1/2-3/4, and I guess I didn't realize that the water could be clearer than I would think, or they were just more active than I assumed. I also realized that I was avoiding some of the real heavy stuff in favor of open pockets and easier areas to land fish, but that is what most people do so it makes sense to get into the nasty stuff other people pass up.

Welcome to the site and I agree with all the above posts. I have never broken a graphite rod fishing, only during transport and when spooling line at home as the ceiling fans love to take off the tips. I have used some of the lower end Shimano Rods and really liked them and alll the rods mentioned will hold up for sure. I have seen all kinds of people break rods, and most of the time it is user error, or the rod breaks in a manner like has happened to me when you are not careful loading them in a truck and tying them down etc. The good think about buying brands like Shimano, Fenwick, and Bass Pro etc. is the warranty, so if you somehow get a defective rod, they will replace it for you. It's also cool that you are buying from a local tackle shop, I try to support the smaller guys as much as possible since the internet has made life tough for tackle shops, and you can read all you want about a lake, but nothing is better than a tip from a local shop.....

Thanks for all the responses, I think I am going to start practicing with a longer rod as I do see the benefits, I am just used to flipping with a shorter rod. I have been using a shorter rod for so long that an 8' rod just feels way too long for me to have any control over it. I just need to get a new rod that is long, heavy action, and light, since my 2 Bass Pro Extremes from the 90's are HEAVY compared to the 7'6" rods today and are not split grip, but they make good Saltwater Rods, as the new flipping/punching rods I have held are light and I am sure a few hours of practice and I will be good to go, but I will borrow one before making a purchase over$100.

Well said, that pretty much seals the deal on how to choose hook size.

I take a drive every month or so out to a Dicks in a rural area of Florida where they obviously get stuck with all their saltwater baits and lures. I have scored packs of Trigger X Flukes which eare saltwater but I use them in both and they work great. On the clearance rack a few months ago I scored Bogo on Luck E Strike Rc Sticks, Clunn Squarebills, Bandits, Strike King cranks, Tungsten, Nanofil, Fluoro from High-Seas, Spider Wire, and best find was a dozen Egret Swimbaits which sell for $12.99 but were $4 each after the bogo....I was lucky to get some of the Yo-zuri Sashimi changing color jerkbaits and topwaters which have worked great in both Fresh and salt as the Jerkbaits have legit trebles on them, suspend right out of the box or sink perfectly slow with a nice action. I love me some Yo-zuri and Nanofil on a spinning reel is Fantastic

I would for sure if I used a conventional c-rig. I will drag the bottom but I use either a Jig or modified c-rig which I guess some call a mojo rig or split shot rig, and I like tungsten better for reasons mentioned..1/2 oz is much smaller and streamlined, slides through cover, but most importantly if you have a heavy enough weight with braid and fluoro, even mono leader, you can feel the change in bottom better which is the key to success imo. If you feel a muddy bottom turn to hard shells, and you get a bit hung up, odds are you can get ready to set the hook. I only mentioned 1/2 oz since I am usually fishing in water under 10', but if I am deeper and dragging a bait along bottom, I do use the 1 oz barrel sinkers in tungsten and can feel what is happening much better, most importantly if the bait is ticking weeds, or if bottom is soft, and if it is, I know I want to find hard bottom to catch fish. You can use lead and still catch fish, but Tungsten is no doubt better for feel and size, sound I am not sold on, but I will give it the benefit of doubt. Plus, They just look better and more natural