scaleface

Deep diving cranks work better from a boat than bank because they float and dive . From a boat they follow the contour down so they stay near the bottom for a long period. From bank the opposite is true . A lipless bait or other sinking lure when allowed to sink will follow the contour from deep to shallow staying near the bottom on the entire cast . I like to fish the dams with sinking lures . Good candidates would be jig and grub , soft plastic swimbaits , crappie jigs , beetle spins , roadrunners , lipless cranks , blade baits and others.

Patience and confidence is needed . That is all . They all work . I like to go small in cold water just to get bites . One of the largest bass I ever caught was in cold ice-out water while dragging a crappie jig , just trying to catch something .

I use a 3/4 ounce egg weight . To me the main reason to use a Carolina rig is it is a quick way to cover water quickly in deep water. I use the swivel and tie three knots with 15 lb big Game for both the main line and leader .Scott Martin just posted a video on Youtube where he uses up to three three bobber stops to keep the weight from slipping . I'll have to try that . I tried one stop before and it didnt work with that heavy of sinker , hopefully three will hold.

Colors matter, there is always a best one . I have a couple of old school chuggers and the chrome one out-fishes the black ones most days

I dont know how much she weighed but she was a big'un . Caught on a popper ..

I dont have drop shot weights . I simply slide a bullet weight onto the line , add a bobber stop then tie a simple overhand knot on the end . The weight pulls off if it gets snagged .

Maybe so .

It was on one of his Youtube videos a year ago . He stated that he didnt get invited .

AJay, what are your favorite blade lures and have you tried the Cordell Gay Blade ? I'm going to purchase some more and like the feel of the Cordell but if there are better options I may go that route , I wont go high dollar though .

I buy bulk spools and change line often . This year I had a problem with 15 lb Big Game breaking on the hook-set . I've never experienced that before with Big Game , it has a history of good shock resistance .The spool was several years old and kept in a cool dark place. I tossed the spool and bought some fresh and no more breaking . So now I'm not going to allow the spools get over two years old . I'll change line even more frequently.

Boat is winterized and I'm probably done for the season .

A few weeks back while tossing a chartreuse patterned spinnerbait , bass were not committing to it . I had two bass follow it to the boat and just nip at the tail .After changing the skirt to a toned down baitfish pattern the bass wolfed it down . I often switch colors first when bass are almost biting .

I have caught fish 15 to 20 foot with 1 too 2 foot visibility but not much deeper .

Fingers crossed that every thing turns out all right .

I went yesterday for what is most likely the final trip of the year . Water temp was 42 degrees . I checked out deep water with the sonar first thing but didnt fish it because there was almost nothing showing up on the sonar . After four hours of fishing shallow and catching just 1 bass in a brush-pile with a jig I went back out on a point . I only had 1 blade bait , a Cordell Gay Blade , tied it on and salvaged the outing by nailing nine largemouths in 25 foot of water . There still wasnt much showing up on the sonar . Get this , the bass were not on the point . The point goes out to about sixteen feet then drops abruptly to 25 foot . I was positioned close to the drop and making long cast out on a featureless flat .

You havent described the water you are fishing .

I dont ignore the forage but if there are gazillion shad and the bass are not schooling up on them , then I found its best to fish like they are not there .Double down on cover and structure with lures that ares suitable for the cover and structure you encounter .

I like dark colors . Black jig brown trailer or vice versa has been good. Alo Black blue in clearer waters , black chartreuse in dingier water . Temperature makes no difference to me . 1/2 ounce is a good weight .

Martin , Thrift and others really got the shaft . BASS invited top FLW pros last year , so they can change how they do things .For select Pros who have earned their way to fish in the Big Leagues , there could be some exemption,s made .

I speculate that there are hundreds if not thousands of Bass anglers skilled enough to compete at the highest level. Its just not easy committing to an endeavor that expensive when one doesnt have the funds , a family that comes first... I'm glad Scott chose BASS . Ott Defoe won the classic last time I dont even know who won the MLF year end championship or if they even have one . The Classic is the biggest deal in bass angling .

I pour my own too and know the cost of making one . My most productive baits have come when I took the components off broken manufacturers lures . I love my hand poured 1/2 ounce with Excaliber blades .

The price of spinnerbaits has sky rocketed . Look for less expensive ones that have a ball bearing swivel . A lot of bass will be caught when the lure is paused and those with cheap swivels the blades wont turn .

Get lures that will fish thick cover well and a rod and reel combo that will handle them . Bass like cover of all kinds .

Last time I went fishing there was some braided line sticking out of a basses anus . I pulled on it and it was stuck pretty good . I finally managed to work out the end of a hook , turned it and the hook popped out .I dont believe I hurt the fish any but who knows .

I found bass will hit topwaters late fall /earl winter at times . Late winter/ early spring I havent had any luck .