scaleface

In the cold water I seek out deep , calm water ideally near fast shallow water . Trees and rocks will add to the fish holding potential .

Bagleys Honey B is good for shallow bodies of water .

I fish the salt river in missouri . When its low and clear its a little like the Gasconade . The smallmouths will stay in deeper holes close to ripples . I have caught them on various jigs and spinners . Ive had good luck with those tiny Strike King mini spins fished slowly along the bottom . I will only fish on sunny afternoons there this time of year .

There doesnt have to be shad there for a shad colored lure to be effective . A shad will be close enough to a creek chub or some other forage .

You fishing the Gasconade , ponds , a lake or what ?

Sometimes I let it sit motionless . Other times I use soft twitches and sometimes twitch as fast as I can and still remain in contact with the surface . I won a club tourney burning a Floating Long A Minnow next too stumps around spawning time . Just play around with it , you may come up with something different .

I have a nice little radioshack light in the sheath of a Leatherman . I would like to find a clip for it to attach to the bill of a ball hat .

Post spawn on points leading to deep water . Hit it right and you might have the day of a lifetime .

I have that one also .

Bomber Model A . Its a lunker catcher .

I have a hundred knives and usually carry more than one . When fishing I carry a Leatherman Multi Tool . Mine has a diamond file that is an excellent hook sharpener . I can even sharpen trebles with it . I EDC a Swiss army Knife and often throw something else in my pocket . Whatever floats my boat . Sometimes I wear a fixed blade like Catts Sharpfinger . Catfishing from bank I take an Ontario SP5 with a 10 inch heavy blade , I got that knife in a trade with Maximus Redneckus . Its a beast .I use it to clear a fishing spot . The Mora Clipper can be had for less than fifteen dollars The plastic sheath is cheap but can be clipped on your , belt , waistband , pocket... Its a nice utility fishing knife . Sweet . I have one too . picked up these two at a knife and gun show last winter USA .

I have wore out a dozen or so original Lunker Lures . Use them until the blade wears through . They are at their best right before the end .

My cousin and I were prefishing Table Rock for the organization championship we were a part of . We were fishing Salt craws about 20 foot deep .His lure seemed a little heavy so he retrieved it super slow . there was a brown crawdad with bright orange pincer tips holding onto his lure . We switched to brown and orange jigs and pork and caught two keepers . It was the only thing we had going so thats what we did during the tourney . The weather cahnged and we got skunked . I did lose two keepers pitching to standing timber and letting the lure to sink twenty foot down .

Lunker Lure .

I would take the 5 I use the most . 1 plastic worm Manns Jelly Worm black grape 2 Long Lip crankbait Norman deep Little N Sunfish 3 short lip crankbait Rogers big Jim bluegill 4 buzzbait Lunker lure black 5 spinnerbait single willowleaf baitfish color ..Most any brand will do .

Only once in a tournament , I caught my limit and then started culling . I went from a t rigged lizard to a jig and pig to increase the weight , fishing 18 to 22 foot deep . Several tourneys I worked hard for that limit getting it late in the day .

I think your right on there .

I live where it freezes . After ice out and several days of warm weather , my best lure is the old Arbogast .Mudbug. Id throw it in the afternoons , parallel , on sunny rocky banks . Put the rod tip in the water and retrieve agonizingly slow . Its a hawg technique .

I havent fished for them for a many years and am not an expert by any means . I use to go to LOZ once or twice a year and would catch bunches of them on bluff ends with 6 inch Jelly Worms . They were not big but they were plentiful . The largest I ever caught , probably approaching 4 lbs, was caught by barely retrieving a Pico Pop { similar too a PopR } just under the surface next to a tree . It pushes a big bulge in front of it and gently swaggers back and forth .

Everybody dumps on the flying lure but any decent worm / jig fisherman will catch fish with them . They work as advertised . You need try them on a bluff , pull them out and they glide right back into the rock wall .

I'm going with square bills but there was a time the Pico Perch was my go to standing timber lure . White with blue eyes .

Another thought is to fish small panfish size jigs and see what will bite . I catch multiple species including bass below a dam in winter with grubs on a 1/16 or 1/8 jighead . I fish the current breaks . I would think the warm water springs would be good but have not encountered that scenario myself .

Theres no set way to progress for me . I'll often have my rods rigged and ready to fish before I arrive and change them before ever firing a cast . There are just to many variables .

I finally thought of a lure I have never caught a fish on . The jointed mirro lures .

First fishing lures I ever used that belonged to my dad were marabou jigs . First bass lure I ever purchased was a jointed mirro Lure . It looked like a catfish . Never caught one fish on it .