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I find that a Smithwick Rogue suspending model and even a Rapala Husky Jerk will Suspend right out of the package without changing hook size, adding wire to treble shanks, or suspend dots..As mentioned, some will sink or float a bit based on water temp etc, but if you deadstick the lure, it will stay still for the most part..The floating rogues look exactly the same so you may have a floater, which is also a great bait, and I have had success with floaters in cold water in afternoons when the water has warmed twtiched super slow..... If you have confidence in a soft fluke, then go for it....Despite what magazine articles say about cold water, cold fronts etc....THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTES IN FISHING... I have caught bass when suspending jerkbaits, and every other cold water bait would not work by walking a Super Spook aggressively on the surface, and have also caught plenty of bass using buzz baits and other prop baits "burned" when the water is very cold.... My point is this....I typically use Suspending Hard Jerkbaits like the Rogue, Pointer, and a few other brands when cold, and it took me a few trips of using nothing but a jerkbait to finally figure them out. They are great lures which stay in the strike zone a long time when fish are barely moving, so the key is often pausing the bait in areas where you feel a fish should be holding for longer durations many times. I like to fish them near cover and cast as close to the strike zone as possible and then in deeper water nothing beats a suspending Super Rogue which has a long diving lip, and when pinned nose down on the bottom, it is deadly if fished slowly, and at times erratically as I often think they hit it out of reaction thinking its a craw. I think the key to cold water bassin is confidence, casting accuracy, light line, stealth, patience, and making sure you are in an area holding fish as you may have to work it awhile to figure out a pattern or if they are relating to bottom, or suspending etc...I rarely modify lures, excepts I will change certain models which have small trebles up a size, or maybe add a larger treble in front for a nose down action which often is key.... Sorry if that was a ramble, but you can catch fish on your "favorite technique or lure all year round" and I truly believe that. You may have to alter your speed, casting angles etc. based on weather and water levels, but if you love topwater lures, you can fish them year round, soft baits are the same...Jigs- Maybe hair works well in winter, but a football jig rigged with anything dragged slowly is awfully hard to beat....often a carolina rigged fluke, or one on a split shot rig or light unpegged texas rig, or weightless fished fast is the ticket, but you will catch them in the cold....I find subtle colors and presentations of a fluke or SLuggo to work best in clear water, and I will go with 6-8lb test if Possible. translucent colors, smokes, motor oil, and maybe something with flash for reaction strikes..and you have to dip watermelon flukes in chartreuse.....That is an absolute!

I feel like too many Bass Fisherman tend to forget about some other simple High Percentage baits, especially from the bank....I would suggest fishing stick worms unweighted whenever possible for a slower sink since most strikes will come on the intitial drop if you are casting to the right targets and getting your bait to land without much of a splash, or if skipped under and deep into shoreline cover or offshore stucture and pads.... I would certainly add a Fluke to any soft plastic selection and the zoom Flukes will always catch fish at any depth and nothing seems to beat watermelon and red flake and pearl with some silver flake. I used to love the 4-5" dingers and sticks, but moved to the 6" and now am back to Sluggos and Trick worms both texas and wacky and weightless or carolina rigged in deeper water....4" finesse worms are a must, and so are a 3-4" Kalins or Mr. Twister curly tail grub as it is so versatile....here are some High Percentage lures that will also draw reaction strikes from inactive fish if they are not looking for a slow presentaion of a worm.... -1. Use the Grub or Ribbon Tail and swim it on the surface over cover, open water like a buzz bait, or subsurface, or rig grub on a darter head on the bottom. 2- Johnsons silver minnow 1/2 oz. gold spoon with a 3-4" trailer like any type of grub, but a twin tail grub is great. 3-some type of topwater lure if fish are schooling, and I find it necessary to carry a popping plug like the Rebel pop r and a prop bait like the torpedo and a buzzbait. 4- using a split shot rig is a great way too put up numbers as it is essentially a drop shot and easy to use from the bank...I will often match the hatch with a green, firetiger, and shad colored berkley twitch minnow, or any small finesse bait that is buoyant. a Gitzit tube is great used any way you choose, beetle spins, inline spinners, small craws behind a smaller jig like a bitsy bug, and my first choice... when in a pond or on a bank, cast a 2-4" balsa minnow like the rapala J5-j9 in silver black, firetiger, or chrome. However, all baits will work and use what you have confidence in, but if you start adding a few new tools, you will be surprised how many more consitent days you have....the rapala is a great search bait as is a mepps or rooster tail spinner since you can cover water to find groups of fish.

Great Info, I appreciate all the above advice and now that I have it visualized it makes perfect sense. I need to think of this as Surfcasting with a 12' rod & big Sluggo for Stripers which I used to do in the Bay on Long Island growing up. I remember having issues with missing strikes when we had to rig weedless in the bay during the summer months when the weeds would be all over the place being pushed by the tide. I think the braid was causing me to feel the vibrations much longer before the strike & that caused me to slow down and go on auto pilot assuming it was as if the fish just grabbed my fluke or senko. I should have made the connection to a carolina rig sweep where tons of line is out and the strike is different. I was thinking texas rigged Fluke or smaller swimmbait on a light set up & I can see why I was barely getting any power. I was not realizing this is a power technique & the fish is commited & not looking to let go unless I hesitate & only get off a weak hookset. Trebles and exposed hooks are much easier when cranking and throwing spinnerbaits/swim jigs etc. as your mind is programmed from years of doing it. You truly never stop learning and this would have been embarrassing if it happened when it counted. I Love fishing heavy weeds, and I think this could be my new go to method for fishing horizontal in weeds and submerged structure. Time to order some bladed jigs, bladerunners, and new hollow bellies as I just saw some awesome looking colors and custom hand pours and some nice bluegill and perch shaped swimbaits with a hammer tail.....I will check out the Keel hook, and I have been using some owner twistlocks, and very similar hooks by owner and Daichi. I think the Roboworm texture may be good as it is durable and super soft, and I need to get some more Pro-cure and mix it with some shad oil to make sure they are Inhaling and I am getting every edge. I will leave and update after completing some Lunker hunting the next few days after and before work since full moon is Thurs, and a few of these days should be epic.

Funny, I actually have never tried a lipless crank for Reds or Snook. I used to throw them for Stripers up North all the time from the surf. Although, the one's that say "SALTWATER" on them are hard to find, and are expensive. Surely, the other 982 brands of lipless cranks can't work. Does it say for Redfish on the box? Otherwise I will politely tell you that you must be a novice and are simply silly...... I once told someone where I work part-time that he should by the yellow Samurai Braid while it was on sale for $29.99 since it would be back to $59after the sale. He told me Yellow was no good. I then explained how the die comes off all braid after a few trips, and it is best to color your line with Sharpies to match the water color, so only color the last few feet, and get the much better line instead of settling for an inferior product....... I was told...A-I hope you are joking, and B- not sure what Braid you are using, I have never had the color come off of my line. I then asked him if he only uses green because fish can't see it and he answered yes....I then simply asked why he was purchasing green pumpkin and watermelon seed plastics? I wanted to tell him the reason his line never loses color is because he probably get's it all tangled in a few hours and has none left but I have to be professional..... Some people are so closed minded, where I will try anything you tell me even if I think it may be a joke....For instance, try Freezing your plastics in the Hot Summer and make sure you set as soon as you see your line move......You need bright floating braid, longer leader, but Hold on....

It feels like one of those S-glass rods that Skeete Reese Sells, the blue one's which are all labled a certain technique. I think you are dead on. I love the weight, but I have alway's favored fast tip rods for almost all types of fishing, and I will try the hook points....Thanks, going to throw them on one of my Fast Action Bass Pro Rods. Thanks for the tips.

whenever it is windy, throw a double bladed topwater wooden lure like the luhr jensen woodchopper. lucky craft has a version, but I feel not enough people throw these baits & they flat out catch bigger bass on average without a doubt. I like using a devils horse,torpedo, and other single prop baits when fish are schooling but the double is big, heavy, and flat out is loud...also...try it on a carolina rig in deeper water if not around weeds, but make sure you have a good quality balsa wood lure. even Newer Rapala double props do not float like the creek chubs, luhr Jenson, and Heddon models etc... also...go grab some Berkley havoc Beat Shad & Subwoofers for light action finesse tactecs like a darter head, or for split shot rigs etc...For a 10" worm the Federale is a great choice for dragging and Havoc has awesome colors and are always on sale at Dick's for $1.99 or $2.49 for bags of 10 in many cases.. For the Money, I alwasy's thought Zoom had the best prices and overall selection of baits that worked, but Berkley has created some great new baits priced awesome. Smash Tubes,Craws,some crazy looking new shakey bait/stick worm..... lastly, I would be lost without mentioning to throw Big Super Spooks and if the water is clear,use clear colored topwaters and Hold on....and 9" bass will hit a super spook at night in dead of winter, as it happened often last week here in Tampa.

Ok, I just fell in love with fishing soft swimbaits as my "search" bait and I also just love the ability to throw them a mile and fish them at any depth, speed, and they no doubt catch bigger fish regardless of size, although the 6.5" yum money minnows have caused me to almost Lose my rod due to such violent strikes.... I have been fishing some smaller ponds and lakes getting ready for tournaments this year, and I wanted to find another weedless presentation that allows me to cover water while also working all depths. I have a 7' swimbait rod that is matched up perfectly with a baitcasting reel that I have been using 40lb braid without a leader, tried 2' fluoro in 20-30lb as leader,co-polymer, and Mono...I am not having any line breaks except for a few times when I was lazy and did not re-tie after getting knicked up. I have always used this rod for fishing spinnerbaits, Big Flukes & Harbaits, topwater at times, and I have used plastic worms and landed 8/10 strikes on average compared to a 3/10 ratio. I have tried all the swimbait hooks from the yum hook, vmc swimbait hooks, and several styles from almost every major company and hook size is not the issue as I have gone as large as 7/0 and 2/0 for smaller 4" sizes. I get Many strikes as soon as I start my Retrieve, and you can throw these baits a mile, so I know that is part of the problem, but I have started casting shorter distances & still not doing much better. I wait until I feel the weight of the fish before setting the hook, and I have been focusing on keeping my elbows in, and getting a nice snappy upward or slightly angled set as they happen fast and hard. I have not tried lip hooking with a weedguard, but maybe that is better? Should I be setting like a Carolina rig with a sweep? I have tried to keep this simple and today went out for an hour or so and was throwing 14lb Fluoro and still was missinig most. I am losing my mind as I am not coming up empty after the set, I am getting 5-20 seconds of playing the fish & then the line goes slack.... and lately some of these pre-stage Females have no doubt been in the double digit range as they are racing back and forth in a corner of the lake from the dropoff to shallows, or in some cases they are just feeding like crazy as I love to just slow roll a money minnow or shadalicious under the surface. I use the 3.5 & 5" die dappers,lil suzie,bk swimmer,gamblers,skinny dippers & whatever else I find a deal on. For hollow belslies I use the Money Minnow in all sizes, strike kings, and the culprit versions. How is this done weedless? what piece am I missing? my buddy thinks my problem is that many of the fish are swimming immediately toward me after setting since they are in competitive mode, but I think that is a decent suggestion and I think Bigger fish just know to swim really fast toward you to get slack for some reason. Even still, I feel I get a hard set, have sharp hooks, but maybe I need to start setting the Hook so if a fish is under a pound it will fly out of the water and land on the beach. I know that is going to create more problems. Any help would be appreciated...maybe my rod is not a good setup? 7' 3" Med Heavy with some fiberglass, backbone, and a little give at the tip and it is a very well built rod and I have used it with success throwing senkos at times and even weightless flukes/tubes. It is a custom rod my brother made me for Spinnerbaits,bigger hardbaits like 6-10" versions, and topwater if needed..... ANY TIPS APPRECIATED WHETHER LINE, ROD, SIZE SWIMBAIT, HOOK SIZE OR STYLE, RIGGING, HOOKSET TECHNIQUE..I AM WILLING TO TRY WHATEVER..EVEN WITH SCENT ADDED, MANY TIMES YOU ONLY HAVE A FEW SECONDS TO STICK THEM SINCE THEY WILL LET GO, AND THAT INCLUDES SOME OF THE SMALLER 3.5" SINCE I THOUGHT THEY WERE STUNNING THE BIG ONES.... THE FULL MOON IS THURSDAY HERE IN FLORIDA AND THIS IS THE WEEK WHERE I CAN HOPEFULLY BREAK 10LBS...I KNOW SOME OF THESE PONDS AND LAKES HAVE 12'S AND I HAVE HEARD FROM GUYS I RESPECT THAT A 15+ WAS CAUGHT A FEW WEEKS BACK USING THE RAPALA MEASUREMENTS IN A LAKE LESS THAN 10 ACRES. THE FISH ARE STRIKING SWIMBAITS 5/1 COMPARED TO OTHER LURES OR BAITS. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR READING MY BOOK.

I actually love using D.O.A. Shrimp for Bass, Especially during the winter and pre-spawn when the Lunkers crave Craws...I believe there is no such thing as a lure or bait that is only effective in either Salt or Fresh. If a lure works for Redfish or Snook, it will work for Bass. Here in Florida we are catching more Snook in freshwater than any year I can remember and I have people showing me pics of Snook in Golf Course Ponds & have had days where I have caught Redfish & Tarpon as well in 100% Freshwater, and it is more common than people realize, especially in the colder months. Some of my favorite Bass Baits are labled as "Saltwater". I understand Yo-zuri & Saltwater Lures have Stainless & heavier components than Most Freshwater Lures. Here are a few Lures I would NEVER leave home on a Bass fishing trip & several are my top choice. Topwater-Yo-zuri Banana Boats in reg size & Jr. in Clown,Silver,Gold. Also, the SS Minnow is my favorite wake bait without question. The action is 2x than what a Mann's wakebait or Bandit Footloose,crankster etc. Although yo-zuri is not making those lures anymore, you can still find them and I have some I could send you at a super low price as the liquidator I work for has tons of banana boats,SS minnows,Pins Minnows in Sinking,floating, suspenindg, and my secret silent lipless crank that will rip through any hydrilla, cast a Mile, and has the best Flash/falling action created....The Crystal Vibe in 7/8 & 3/8. I actually don't like the live bait series of lures however, but who knows. Crankbaits-Jerkbaits-Swimbaits- Bomber Long A-Floating and Suspening. Cordell Red-Fin in large size. Mirror Lure 17mr Mirrodine twitchbait with chartruese. D.o.A-Flukes in clear/Black back with gold flake-5-7", xrap 9 Subwalk, Sebile Stick Shadds in sinking,suspending,floating....Also Team Daiwa makes some awesome Subsurface lures. lastly...If you throw Rattle traps, then you need to Throw some Flatt Shads in Sinking, and in Suspending with the glitter filled cavities in amber and silver. You can find them for under $5 each online. also, Snook, Reds, Stripers and Trout love Live Target Crawfish cranks and traps, and the old River Runts made by Heddon, rebel craw cranks are great as well.... If you have never tried these, I am certain you will find the above lures and baits to be fantastic, and work great on pressured lakes many times.

I have always used so called "saltwater" plastics like Exude Fan Tail Shrimp, CIgar Minnows, and even crabs and shrimp to catch bass here in Florida. I find crabs work if they are bedding as it mimics a turtle, but anyway, that is not my first choice. D.O.A. makes some really nice soft baits and I have always done well using there flukes and shads, plastic popping heads for swimbaits, and Bass love the weighted shrimp, especially big pre Spawn Females hunting for some Iodine that the Crawfish Provide. I recently purchased a few bags of this cool looking 5.5" thich air head bait that looks like the gambler flappin shad, only the body is much thicker and hollow, and the tail is much thicker and the bait looks to be the size of a big shad, decent panfish.....The Tail Floats and bait falls great, and then stands on its head and looks awesome. I can't figure out how to fish this bait but I don't want to give up as it looks way to good and has a new action and look that is like nothing else I have seen out. My buddy said he saw a guy flipping it in grass and working it slow on a football jig last week and was catching good numbers. Maybe it is a forrage base thing for certain lakes? has anyone tried this weightless, or as a buzz bait? shakey rig etc... Any info would help. This seems like it has potential to be a big fish bait that most guys will never see since they skip the saltwater section. Bass love a new look, and if anyone really believes that Exude/Mister twister makes different batches of flukes and worms they are silly. Gulp, Bass assassin/saltwater assassin, trigger x, charlies, they are all doing this saltwater scent etc/phermones of fear(check the science on phermones and you wouldn't want them on your baits for sure, but the good news is you would need approx 5 gallons to impact a fish within a 3 foot radius. I love trigger X baits because they are biodegradeble and made from real fish so they are almost like cheating in a way. However, people would be surprised how well some of those saltwater lures work for Bass, especially the Mirrolures, Red Fins, big Bomber Long A's, and Hair Jigs/Bucktails are better than silicone jigs most times in my opinion....Intersted to see if you guys fish all baits as one, and recognize that only difference is hook quality and guage of components used for most part. The Exude Fan Tail Shrimp has a mouth that holds a big rattle, and it is identical to the Berkley Havoc Slop Craw, so it is perfect for slipping through heavy cover, small profile, and has a slimy feel and good taste so Hook sets are great. I love that bait and it is truly a go to for me when I want a soft craw as a trailer or need one to swim or drag. I actually get bit on glow colors at times which I used to hate

I would wait till January Sales and into March when all the new products arrive...Gander sells their GSX series baitcasters for crazy prices when they close em out and I have seen them from $99 to $29 in past, and they are now made by quantum and are super smooth and nice. I have several of there older reels in spinning as well and it used to be Pfueger I believe, and I like them better than my President, and I was able to get the Tournament reels for 30 bucks and I am on year 2 of year round heavy fishing wihtout any problems..... I have seen good deals if you look around for the abu orra sx casting reel, and the bass pro extremes are great and they also have good combos IMO where you will get a nice matched Rod for almost nothing. Just be careful with combos from wallmart etc. without researching. I have purchased some dogs in the past d that I thought were great deals in the store with only 1 left on the rack. I have to agree with someone else about the Berkley Lighting rods which are in the $30 range & I just used one last week for the first time and it felt like a high end $100 rod to me. I grabbbed the S-Glass WRight and Mcgill BLue rods and picked up 4 as they had 2 for 50 and they used to be $100 last year when I almost grabbed one. I am happy with all 4 although they are ugly when paired with random Green Okuma's etc..But they are all over now on Ebay etc. for great deals. I buy alot of refurbished reels from a local liquidator and also have scored sick deals at pawn shops and craigs list. However, for FLipping, You want to get a Reel that fits in your hand and a rod that is confortable for quick hook sets so piecing them seperately is hard unless you buy both in same store. I would advive to not go below $79 for normal price of a baitcaster as the Silver Max is nice, but get a 8lb Bass with Hydrilla all over it and it will not have the power you want... Perfect world....I would get a Revo and love it. That is a sick reel with low gear ratio, power handles, light, versatile, and one last thing about flipping that is important imo....stick with 4 strand "sharp" and tight braids like power pro, Tuff line xp, or any brand you like but 8 strands like plus, Samurai, even Suffix 832 is too soft and will not help cut weeds like the louder power pro. You can cut through stalks of grass with power pro 40-65 & I go no leader and do great. Berkley Havoc all day.Devils SPear,Smash Tube,multiple Craws,and the Missle craw tubes are killer as they are slim and never get hung up. Try flipping the D.o.A. Air head as it stands on its head and looks like big wounded shad or panfish.

I actuallly just purchase that same reel only mine was a reconditoned model. I have fished it 3 days now, and I can't believe how smooth it handles, and the drag is great. I find that I reach for the Orra S first in my spinning outfits lately, and I was expecting this to be a spare rod that would only be used rarely so Ira expected a good reel, but so far it is Awesome and I may grab another. I rigged mine up with Tuff Line XP 25lb 6lb dia at first, but I then decided it was too heavy and switched it with some Tuff Line XP 10-2. Tuff Line is a 4 strand Spectra Weave which is exactly what Power Pro is. I like the extra 5lbs of strength, and like that it is also made in Colorodo...It may actually be a 6 strand now that I am thinking about it. so many new lines out now...8 strand, Hollow Core, Gore and Teflon.... Enjoy the reel, all comments I could find say the reel is durable and reliable so it is just a great Reel period, especially for the price. I am not sure mine is a refurb actually as I am looking at it. Maybe they took it off a combo somewhere as I purchase tackle from a Liquidator and reel was priced super low with about 15 of them, and I have never had issues with refurb reels going on 3 years...... I would suggest trying the new 8 strand Daiwa Samurai Braid as I have seen it on sale. They have a 15lb 2.5 that is softer than power pro slick & you get 300 yds. Just watch out for fakes on ebay as the package is not Black as far as I know and I have seen Fake Samurai & Power Pro on the Yahoo China site for super cheap, so it is no doubt a fake. Just an FYI, but Tuff Line is priced well, and if you are a power pro guy, you will not skip a beat since it is the same line essentially.

Decided to hit some ponds in the Tampa-Polk county area this afternoon once the Sun came out & I was fishing the usual baits....Senkos,Trick worms, Flukes, Rattle Trap,Square Bill, Jerkbaits, Spinnerbaits etc. without much luck. I decided to approach my last stop with a new outlook and as I was arriving a buddy of mine was leaving since fish had "Lockjaw". He had a Watermelon Fluke with a chart tail rigged on one rod, and a Bagleys Bang O Minnow on the other...... I decided to start throwing curve balls and it turned out to be a great 2 hours with 2 fish easily meauring 23" & were Solid. I decided to Swim a Hair Jig (Brown/Chart) 1/8 oz. with 4" GP FInesse Worm as a trailer. I started getting strikes as soon as I would let it drop a foot or two after swimming it subsurface since this pond/Lake has a terrible Bottom with Mud etc. I only had 2 jigs with me and after losing both in trees, I reached down deep & there was my answer.....THE MISTER TWISTER 2.5 & 4" SASSY SHADS IN ORANGE/BROWN & SOME WITH SPOTS WHICH WERE A GIFT THAT CAME IN A KITi Rigged them on a small darter head & fished them as if I was fishing a Rattle Trap or Hollow Belly. I was amazed at the shimmy they have on the drop, and how natural they appear while tracking true. The Bass Agreed, only they were just bumping the larger shad to move it since some were probably on beds, so I figured I would add some Chartreuse since They hate Bluegills this time of year, and I landed a good half dozen fish in the same areas where they would not touch my "Expensive Lures & other Brands... I then decided to take my rod with me while walking my dog this evening and decided to bring a $1.25 Creme Jointed Swimbait in 4" length, pearl/blue shad shape, jointed with extra body & nice Jig head with 2 line ties. I have had packs sitting around of creme swimbaits but I have to say that I was getting strikes on almost every 3rd cast in a pond that can be hit or miss. I did poorly two nights ago swimming a small Spro BBZ to test out the action, and the Creme Litle Fishie actually looks more realistic & alive. I can't wait to bust out the new sassy shads, Creme Lil Fishie swimbaits which can be fished like a swimbait, or deep/ledges like a football jig. I also have the panfish version and some smaller models. I may try the old Midget Crawlers as well. I spend too much money buying Strike King swimbaits, Yum, and hollow bellies which tear easily, fall of shank of jig, & the sassy shad has a thin profile that is perfect this time of year for imitating panfish, and Shad of course. Am I the only one who forgot about Mister Twister? I used to kill bass on their G-Grubs which have a rattle chamber and are a grub/leech hybrid that were dynamite as a trailer or on a darter head. Their Grubs are great & looking at there product line up is actually quite impressive. They have a nice senko on clearance called the "comida" which is a bit stiff for my liking, but they have some awesome colors for all their baits you can't usually find. Creme is a name I never hear, and the same is true for Gitzit Tubes, Zoom Tubes, Twister Tail worms in 4" & 6", and if all those baits worked as a kid, think how much better you will be with them now? I am going to pull out the Inline Spinners, Motor Oil Ribbon Tails by Charlie's, Strawberry Manns Jelly Worm, Heddon Crazy Crawler, and order some of the rattle grubs as they remind me of the Rage Tail Anaconda Worms but only in 2",3",4".... If anyone has any lures or baits they used to fish with but stopped as they started throwing "current" gear would be interested to hear what they are as I feel the key to tournaments this year is fishing "Outside the Box". Sassy Shads are never talked about right? They have always produced Fish & they are easy to fish at any depth and cost nothing if you can find them. They just look and feel better than throwing the same DT 10, Fat Free Shad, Strike King etc.....Lake Fork Magic Minnows are essentially the Banjo Minnow only they are expensive when you can find the Storm Kickin Sticks on clearance for under $3 right now.

This is a great idea and a great program as Fishing is such a great Hobby to have for thousands of reasons, and I often compare it to golf, only much more exciting & difficult. I will put some $ in the pot when I have some extra money as it is a worthy cause.

Too bad that 27" was not caught Pre Spawn as you may have had a 10-11lb fish on your hands....looks like that fish lost extra weight for some reason...Still a Giant. I always measure to fork of tail and scales have been within a few ounces 85% of the time, and the other times I simply add a half inch somewhere so I get a better weight to tell others. It is all about girth and Genetics.

Camera Angles make it so tough to figure out how big a Fish actually is. I always use the Rapala formula which used length and girth to estimate the weight. I have seen some crazy weights both Light and Heavy for Long and Short Fish....I know an Angler landed a 33" largemouth at lake Toho in a Bassmaster event that weighed 9.3 or something else super light. The Fish was a schoolie who chased bait around all day instead of hiding out and ambushing prey which makes those bass much fatter since they burn less calories & Eat bigger Panfish etc..... Overall, your Fish looks awfully skinny in the first photo, but looks like a Good 7.5-8lb Healthy Fish in the other. That is a BIG Fish for sure. I used to catch tons of 4-5lb fish in Ny growing up, and since moving to Florida, I now realize how big a True 10lb Fish really is. When you see one, you realize that it is HUGE & they just look different than all smaller Bass. General rule of thumb....19"-4lbs 21" 5-6lb if a Chunk 22-23" 5-12...I believe I have actually viewed recordings in Texas that were crazy & the Fish looks like a Pillow. I find that I catch alot of 21-23" Bass here in Florida, and They are Stocky in some of the private ponds which receive little pressure and are full of bait. I have had all my measurements calculated & only 2x did any of those fish break 8, and it was barely over. I actually landed a 24.25" which looked like a 9 to me and was 7.15...Not sure how accurate the measurements are, but I have been lucky to have seen several ten's landed, and was on a golf course when a 14yr old pulled out a decent 13.9 which was officially weighed...It looked like an alien from outer space and it was not long and quite sure it was under 28". Either way, Huge Fish and a trophy in any body of water, especially out of a Kayak which is tough with leverage etc. I will keep using the Rapala % 12 formula and so far it likes to keep me in the 7.3-9.9 & hopefully it comes this year as I am on a mission to get a teener after witnessing a Monster coming out of a Golf Course Pond. I have seen Bass over 10lbs in small retention ponds loaded with bait, but they are tough to catch on artificialls many times as most good ponds are clear & have alot of cover/Weed growth.

I like your answer and I truly want to use leaders as I am a line watcher as well especially during the Spring when Bass will Pick up a worm and spit it out in just a few seconds to either move it or simply check it out....I am working on the knots that you suggessted and have been practicing doing a better job and taking my time.... If you are using 20lb braid for example.....what lb test Fluoro would you recommend? 10lb...15lb? 20lb? I would love to hear what you would suggest. I am finding that using 20lb test braid with an 8lb leader is almost silly as I should just go 8lb fluro the entire way at that point since Fluoro will fail at 8lbs....Do you match diameters? Thanks for your detailed response

Thanks foor all the tips and answers to my question (Confusion). I also have a confidence thing with having a leader on the business end of my braid & I have to use braid because I love the small Diameter for longer casts as well as the non stretch and sheer Power. I can't bring myself to using swivels unless I am casting a weightless fluke for line twist in the summer in some stained water full of weeds. My big Take away is......I need to work on my knots and practice the Alberto and uni and maybe abandon the "10ft Fluoro Leaders with bright Braid & even the Darker stuff." I agree that making a comparison after only a few trips is silly when drawing conclusions as we have all had days when Fish want "Odd" Presentations...... I think I am going to work on the knots suggested, keep going directly to Braid on Flipping applications in stained water, but I agree that the Benefits of Mono and Fluoro vs. Properties of Braid are necessary in getting the best action out of your presentation. I work a few days at a tackle shop in Tampa Florida and I was discussing this question with a good customer who is one of the best Snook and Redfish Anglerr's I have ever met. He introduced me to a version of the Bimini twist that is super thin yet long, and protects the fluoro from breaking off. I have been working on knots while watching tv at night and I am starting to see the little mistake I am making.... and when the knot fails on a nice Bass.....I don't consider it a small thing since it is "user erro" and My Error..... Thanks for all the advice...Alot of great responses and I will keep trying to figure out a system that works for me.

Happy Holidays, I have had a week off from work and have spent ALOT of time on the water Bass fishing here in Florida and I have always been a guy who only fishes braids with a diameter under 6lb test on Spining reels and typically 50lb or 65lb on Baitcasters for flipping. Here is a question I have....Do you guys ever use your spinning gear with thin braid and skip the leader, even in clear water? I have tried the Braid as Backing for clear water with 10-20ft of FLuoro and also Mono for Topwaters, carolina rigs etc. since it floats. Other than the fact that Fluoro sinks, I am finding that it really does not help me out except causes more breakoffs due to extra knots. I did an experiment with my buddy where I used 25lb Tuff Line xp with a 6lb diam in a bright green color and I had the other rod with 10lb Power pro in green and no leader at all while fishing slow with Light Texas rigged Worms, tubes, and soft craws...I actually used a drop shot rig with some small 3" drop shot baits with the 2lb diameter line vs. his straight 8lb fluorocarbon setup and had more success.....My thinking is this.....Bass can Feel heavier line in the water, and even in clear water, they can still see "invisible Fluorcarbon" as no water is clear with the same tint etc..I have used the slim beauty knot for the extra fluoro but even using that set up I had breakoffs due to knot failure as it is impossible to avoid unless you re-tie every ten minutes... I am now thinking any braid is better going right to the hook without a leader unless a heavy Shock Leader is Necessary and if I want Fluorocarbon for Confidence, I spool up a reel with all FLuoro and skip the leader. I also rig up a baitcaster with 12lb Trilene xl Just like I did as a Kid and use that for My topwaters, and then one with 20lb for Carolina rigs, and Spinnerbaits since Mono casts so nice and I only need one improved Clinch Knot. I love braid for the small Diameter and floating properties as I am a line watcher, and I have even used the Yellow Samurai 8 strand Spectra in 15lb 2.5 diameter and had plenty of action. I did notice that I was not getting bit in a clear water Phosphate pit with the yellow, and when I switched to the green power pro in 2lb dia, 10lb test, I started doing as good as my buddy who is now more confused than I am since I have alway's preached Long fluoro/mono Leaders with Braid and used it as backing for the past year (10-20ft) since it saves money and the knot gets less stress and you can still cast just as far..(stole that idea from an Aaron Martins video) sorry for the ramble, but I would love some thoughts and experiences. I also think that Green Line should be most visable since we have all heard the phrase "when in doubt, throw green pumpkin". If they can see the green soft bait, then they see the green line for sure? I know for a fact many pro's flip heavy jigs in cover with 65 & 80lb braid without a leader since 10-12lb dia is better than adding a 30lb leader.......Are we just wasting money with more leaders? is anyone successful with swivels? I am now confused & hoping others can share some advice or ideas of what you do when using braid as mainline. Thanks.

as far as reels go...I have not had much luck with Okuma but They make some awesome low profile and light reels...My issue is with Durability and the Helios is a beauty, but for that price, I think I would look at the Quantum Smokes, or maybe a Pflueger President which at $50.00 could be the best valued spinning reel on the market in my opinion as I have several Pflueger Spinning reels and they all have been great and can take a beating.

I work at a Tackle Liquidater here in Florida on Weekends, and a batch of Okuma EVX Guide Series Rods came in about 2 months ago. I decided to purchase a 7' Light Action Spinning Rod because the Price was to good to pass up and each rod comes with a nice case and lifetime warranty. I have the EVX model that is meant for 4-8lb test and I was looking for a Finesse Rod for Dropshot fishing and also throwing light 1/16-1/8 darter head jigs with grubs, 2" tubes, and small 3-4" flukes and worms.... I have been happy with the rod and it is actually more versatile than I expected. It has a soft tip which is good for drop shot fishing so you don't have to set the hook as hard especially if using braid or fluoro as your main line. I actually have been using it the last few weeks since the water has become colder with small 2-3" suspending jerkbaits and Shakey Rigs and it is the perfect rod for throwing 6lb or 8lb test. I have it rigged up with a Pflueger Supreme which comes with 2 spools, so I have some suffix 832 on one spool in 8lb test, and 6lb fluorocarbon on the extra spool...I have had no problem turning 4-5lb bass when fishing near brush piles etc as it has more back bone than it would appear. The 7' length is great for long casts and I like throwing small topwaters like the Tiny Torpedo or Jr. size Yo-zuri Banana boats in open water as well...Very versatile rod that can handle all your "Finesse Presentations" and glad I purchased one. Another rod that I really like is the Al Linder spinning rods from Quantum...They also have an IM8 Graphite body and have a fast tip and more backbone if you want to use it for Carolina rigs & bigger worms as well but the tip is a bit stiff for using it with topwaters or Jerkbaits IMO. The Light Action Rods have good backbone and the rods sell at a great price that is hard to beat. Hope that helps.

GOOD QUESTION....I FISH LOCAL PONDS OUT IN THE OPEN OFTEN AND I RARELY DO AS WELL AS I SHOULD....I USED TO CATCH ALOT MORE FISH AT NIGHT AND I THINK THE KEY IS TO FISH SLOWLY REGARDLESS OF TECHNIQUE. I USED TO ONLY USE BLACK TOPWATER LURES AT NIGHT GROWING UP AND I REMEMBER LOSING MY LAST BLACK TOPWATER LURE WHICH WAS A HEDDON CRAZY CRAWLER. BASS CRUSH THAT LURE AT NIGHT AND THEY WILL FEED OUT IN OPEN WATER MANY NIGHTS DURING THE SUMMER SO MANY TIMES I WOULD HAVE SUCCESS FISHING OPEN WATER WITH ZARA SPOOKS IN DEEP WATER WITH SUCCESS. I HAVE LEARNED THAT BASS ACTUALLY HAVE A SIGHT ADVANTAGE OVER SHINERS, SHAD, AND OTHER FORRAGE IN LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS, WHERE THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE DURING THE DAY ACCORDING TO RECENT STUDIES FROM IOWA UNIVERSITY....I FISH WITH SWIMBAITS, JIGS, SPINNERBAITS, RATTLE TRAPS, AND I LOVE TO SWIM A SASSY SHAD SUBSURFACE OR BOUNCE IT ON THE SHORELINE AT NIGHT AND I WILL USE ANY DARKER SHADE THAT ALSO HAS SOME ELEMEMENT OF FLASH, SOUND, OR CHARTRUESE COLOR.... I NEED TO GET OUT MORE AT NIGHT AND SLOW DOWN BECAUSE BASS ALWAYS SOUND AND FEEL SO MUCH BIGGER AT NIGHT. I STILL LOVE THROWING TOPWATERS, BUT MY FAVORITE IS THE RAPALA J-11 IN BLACK AND SILVER FOR SURE WITH A SLOW WAKE. ALWAYS GETS A FEW,

I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST DOING SOME DIGGING AND FINDING OUT WHICH OEM MAKES SHIMANO AND ABU AND YOU MAY FIND OUT THAT THEY ARE ALMOST ALL IN THE SAME PLACE.....I WOULD SUGGEST NOT SPENDING MORE THAN $50 AND NOT GO LOWER THAN A SHIMANO IN THE AMERICAN $200 RANGE IF YOUWANT IT TO LAST...ALSO, GETTING PARTS IS A NIGHT MARE AS MY LAST FEW GARCIAS ARE COLLECTING DUST AND I WOULD SAY LOOK INTO A QUANTUM EXO AS THEY ARE DURABLE, HAVE A SLICK DRAG, LOOK TIGHT, AND ARE LEGIT.....THEY CAN DO IT ALL AND THEY ARE EASY TO FIND FACTORY DIRECT AS YOU CAN'T HIDE THAT ULTRALIGHT FRAME IN PICS AND I BELIEVE THEY ARE GOING FOR UNDER $35 LEGIT....$41 SORRY....1 YEAR WARRANTY STILL...SHIMANO STILL MAKES NICE REALS AND I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST AVOIDING OKUMA......JUST MY OPINION...AND FOR LINE, I STILL LOVE ME SOME BERKLEY TRILENE MONO REGARDLESS IF FLIPPING 65 LB BIG GAME FOR LARGEMOUTH.

Great question and people get carried away with having too many colors and styles of baits....I find that the most expensive baits are not always the best and as many have said....Zoom and Havoc are very well priced and offer a great selection. Also, Big Bite Baits are great here in Florida and very cheap as well as Charlies worms which make floaters which you need at times.... Here is what I feel is necessary to carry. 1- some grubs in 3-4" and a large 6" swimmming grub in Black/Blue...For colors I try to use translucents for clearwater-SMoke, Motor Oil, Watermelons....Nothing beats a 4" Lunker grub in a color with silver or gold flake for flash for covering water 1- Some 5" senkos in Black, black w/blue, Smoke with silver and pearl laminate-Smokey shad it is usually called, and then Green Pumpkin with Red and Blue flake..Junebug of course and that is really all you need. I would also pick colors that match the forrage on your lakes. Orange and reds if crawfish are the pattern. Silver flake is good for flash, but Black, Junebug, and Green Pumpkin should make up the base of your colors. Pearl as well..... 2. Tubes, Tubes and tubes.....They are my go to bait all times of the year..One color for shad, one color for craws, and then one in Green Pumpkin....I also love to dip ends of baits in chartruese Spike it....Smoke with Blue or red works great as well..... 3- Zoom Trick worms and finesse worms are cheap, and I love a Motor Oil Red Flake Trick worm dipped in chart, or baby bass color, and Junebug....... 4- Berkley Powerbait chigger craws and havoc flipping baits....Black/Blue, Watermelon seed, Green Pumpkin 5- Last, grab some flukes from zoom in whatever color matches the forrage, some swimbaits that are on sale, the Skinny Dipper style is great and Hollow belly are too expensive and hook sets are tough......Big Bite baits makes cheap beavers and the squirel tail worm is all you need for shakey head fishing....I use that worm as my Go To worm now in all situations..... Look for sales on Ebay and closeouts at retailers......Do Not pay Top dollar for soft baits... You can find deals on all your baits if you look....Most importantly.....If you do not think these are good tips, then do not use them..use what you truly feel willl work...Confidence is key...If you don't believe me, the next time you take a kid fishing, tell him he can have any bait he wants, except for the Bubblegum worms as they are too good and you are running low. Explain that fish can't resist them and it is almost unfair.....Heck, Pick a bait that has never worked for you.....Do a good job on the sell, they will beg you to try just one....Guaranteed they tee up a nice fish fairly quickly as they will be fishing that bait with 100% focus. Yamamoto is just a brand that markets really well.....Way over priced in my opinion...Zoom, Big Bite and Yum as well as Bass Pro soft baits are all great and the Bass Pro Sicko worm is every bit as good as a Senko.

I like to "Mtatch the Hatch" as they say, and I have found that in clear water, spinnerbaits work well for the "Flash" effect which in turn causes reaction strikes as well as strikes from Active fish. I like to downsize my selection to a spinnerbait that is 1/8 or 3/16 and I prefer either a single colorodo blade or willow blade (Not hammered) in Silver/nickel. I use Black at night, but often the same set up that works in the daylight will work at night. Studies have shown that 90% of fish actually strike the Skirt as opposed to the Blades (Knowing Bass by Keith A Jones.) If bluegills are the Main Forrage I like to use a Skirt that has black and blue with a chartrueuse pepper translucent single tail twister grub. 3" trailers usually work fine and I like a trailer hook since clear water fish love to just bump faster moving baits. Keep in mind that "Clear water" is never really clear....Bass feed by sight first, so in clear water, I have had success avoiding rattles and sound, and also vibrations with colorodo hammered blades and Indiana deep cupped blades. Keep it simple. You can never go wrong with a Baby bass or green colored skirt and trailer, or silver flake if Shad or Shiners are the main Forrage. Good rule of thumb that works for me....In Winter and Pre Spawn...I fish crawfish pattern spinnnerbaits with orange blades and craw pattern trailers with a white trailer. In the spring, after the bluegills spawn, I go firetiger, black and blue, and chartruese heavy...Then, whenever in doubt...I go with a white trailer and translucent watermelon, motor oil, smoke, or white trailer/grub. Experiment with colors for blades as well....I have done great with black and white colored blades in clear water and I use this rule....If water is stained red, then I will use a trailer that is translucent with Red Flake and also go to a Red/Silver blade combo and if water is brown or green, I go with darker colors like green and Blue/Purple. It is important to have skirts to change out while fishing and also some extra blades that you can downsize...spinnerbaits with single blades and double willow work best for me, or willow and small colorodo....I don't like alot of thump in clear water..... One last suggestion...get a 3.5-4" skinny dipper style swimbait or Gambler Ez swimmber and rig it with a 3/0 hook and 1/8 oz bullet weight pegged, and then add a small willow blade attached to a swivel and split ring to the hook so it hangs off. Completely weedless, plenty of flash and fish a swimbait no bigger than 4.5" and no smaller than 3". If water is completely clear, Motoroil dipped with chartruese is killer, as well as smoke and silver flake, watermelon translucent, and black blue flake of course. Do not be afraid to throw a johnson silver minnow or any spoon for that matter in clear water and always use the lightest line possible. If not alot of structure, 6lb test is preffered in my opinion and if fish are over 10lbs, then 8-10lb fluorocarbon or mono in clear colors work best. Rig the spoon with whatever soft bait gives you the most confidence as long as it is black, white, or in a translucent color.

Also...Prado- which makes Booyah, Rebel, Smithwick and about another dozen tackle companies...Storma and Rapala....CHINA....Rapala is no longer tank tested..Start looking at your lures more carefully and you will be suprpised....My Lucky Craft Pointer is made in China just like all my Sebile Lures as Ilure makes them.....I met the nice Chinese Factory reps at Icast.....THey make new soft baits and companies like Berlkley just add them to the Havoc, Powerbait and Gulp Lines and so does Reaction Strike, Northland etc...I met the reps for each company and went through the Chinese catalogs 2 years ago and thought to myself....Who would ever want to make this terrbible soft bait part of their product line.....Now it is called the Sick Fish and in the havoc line. I grabbed samples of the beat Shad 2 years ago from the chinese. Skinny bear and Roboworm etc....Easy to get in China and MOQ is only 1000 pieces...Strike king is now Costa Rica. I could go on forever as I have had a blast buying spro Lures for $4.00 and getting the Jackall Giron for $6.