Todd2

Well, I was supposed to go to the bank this morning, and work on my daughters car, but it's pouring cold rain and these videos are gold! There is always the afternoon..lol

Yeah, it's more like a journey than a destination. Like someone said on here the other day... Two top 5 finishers often give completely oppposite answers for their success. It's like chess, it's easy to get better, but hard to master.

If you truly have not changed anything, that would be strange. I think the wires have been crossed by someone. A long time ago I replaced the rack and pinion steering assembly in my old boat. I put it in wrong and got to the lake and my steering wheel was backwards...that was a strange trip.

Braid will cast farther but I usually never cast any farther than I do with 6 to 8lb mono anyway. All things being equal I still prefer mono, but it's hard to argue against braid.

My normal lake is 30 mins away. I do have another smaller one about 5 mins that I hit sometimes. Several other better lakes are all about an hour and half and I try to hit those too a few times a year.

Before I change any lure or color, I change up the retrieve. Just last weekend I was out and started steady slow rolling a Cut-R worm...fished it for a good 30 mins with one hit. Switched up to a stop and go and the bites picked way up and I was able to have a decent day. Did the bite just pick up or was it the change? I guess I could've gone back to steady retrieve to make sure but I was catching some fish (although small) with the stop and go. I hate the answer "let the fish tell you" that I see on this forum all of the time...but it is true.

Rough guess.. 20% - Walmart 60% - Academy 20% - Online

You can drag it "like a c-rig", but it also works great slow rolling it along the bottom. I saw my older brother catch many nice bass doing that back in the day.

Yup, and.you could go back today and wacky could be the ticket...Finicky these fish are.

Manuals are mostly used for kayaking and canoeing as I understand it. Not even sure I understand it then. A recharge kit is around $30...what's your life worth?

A/M Auto/Manual is the only kind I'd ever buy. It's hard to pull a cord if you're knocked out.

I remember the day I started fishing jigs..around 15 years ago. I was with a buddy and we were both going to "learn jigs that day". We stuck with them all day until I'm guessing around 2 or 3. He had a few in the boat, maybe a keeper or two, but nothing big. I was skunked and had enough. I put it down and picked up my crankbait and caught one very quickly. With the skunk off my back, I picked up the jig and on that same rip rap bank, I caught one about 4.5 lbs, our biggest of the day. Just one fish on it that first day but I was still hooked...lol Drag it, hop it, slow roll it, pitch it...very versatile but like said above, some days other lures will work better. The more contact it makes with stuff (bottom, brush piles, rocks, lay downs, standing timber) the better.

Good stuff, I'll be looking for it.

The lake I normally fish has an over abundance of shad...it's one of the reasons I think fishing can be tough for most. A few years back, I pulled up to fish one day in the fall and the lake was turning over (brown look to the water, rotten egg smell). Along the banks everywhere, I saw thousands of crawdads alive floating at the waters edge. So with so much to chow down on, I wonder what's on the menu more..shad or crawdads?

A lot of variables here, but do you think on average you get more bites on steady retrieves or erratic (stop/go, speed changes, shaking, etc.). I know many will say depends on the day, temps, lure, etc. and I get that. Even a steady retrieve on a crankbait, for example, can be erratic with the wobble and defection off cover. I usually keep changing until something works, but where have you had more success for larger fish?

Good thread...do you guys have better luck with orange/red in the Late Winter/Spring? I usually do but thats because that's what I'm throwing. At some point I switch to Green Pumpkin/Black n Blue, but more out of what I read than true experience.

Reading this has really confused me...lol.. I read Dr. Jones book several years ago and remember reading about the frequency limitations but one of my main take aways was that lure speed changes, stop/go, rhythms ....got more strikes than a steady retrieve in his testing. So the question is ....are they hearing the rattles or is it a lateral line pickup? On a side note, Brewer's book that I just read focuses on steady retrieves.....which has been working for me in a few ponds I've hit but not yet tested on the big water due to ice and now muddy conditions. Interesting thread...

For what its worth, when I started this thread a couple years ago I tried a couple of superlines. I've settled, for now..lol, with Diamond Illusion Spectra on several reels. Been using it since last fall and don't have any complaints other than its hard to find. I like it better than the 3 I asked about in the title thread. Of course, I've got good ol mono on several too.

That could probably be a discussion on its own. I don't know who coined the phrase as it applies to fishing. Charlie Brewer referred to his method..not his jigs, as a "method of finesse" back in the 70's, maybe earlier. Others may have used the term before, not sure. As far as a definition, I guess some would say smaller lures, some (like Brewer) would say slow methodical fishing. I'll stick with Brewer's definition.

Welcome.. I just got back from Lexington a few minutes ago (UK/Bama game). Where do you fish?

We'll just have to agree to disagree on the terminology issue..but enough of that. Thanks for the responses, the 1/8 is quickly becoming my favorite with several different heads (especially Brewer's Snagless Slider). I've tried the 1/16, but not happy with the distance and feel, especially in some wind.

You better tell BPS, searching 'Finesse Jigs' will yield you over 80 jigs..including at least some of the ones I mentioned.

Geez Tom...I think it was very clear what I was asking. Why get hung up on the semantics?

I think I half way agree with this....if that's possible. I don't throw it as much..targeting more specific spots...brush piles on drops, etc. with jigs/t-rigs and a drop shot.......but I love the feeling of that big heavy C Rig plowing through mud and then finally hitting rock and then...well you know what often happens next.

Why the weight cut on the Ned?