Brian_Reeves

Congrats Sam! Your humor mixed with your knowledge always makes for a good read. Well deserved!!

Approaching a local mom and pop shop is probably best done with a warm smile, firm handshake, and a friendly relationship. Small companies that don't have a big distribution have the most to gain from advertising, but the least amount of funds to do it with. The internet has greatly spread businesses, but still they are sometimes slow to start off. I didn't even think when I posted earlier. Definitely include what you can do for a company. Even testing prototype lures is something worth mentioning. Some people are lacking a field staff and only rely on themselves and a few close friends to test product. Getting the stuff out to a tournament angler makes sense, as long as it doesn't break the bank. If you're wanting to start small, I'd talk to local resteraunts, sports stores, and mechanic shops as well. Some of those companies would love the extra advertising and could help with other costs, such as fuel or entry fees. Non-endimic sponsorship is just as important as tackle sponsors. Something to consider. Even if they pay 100 a month towards tournament entry fees for a bumper sticker or patch, it'd be worthwhile. Never despise meager beginnings. I still think that, when dealing with tackle companies, showing product experience and understanding is important and should be included. Perhaps that might be better left out of the resume, but included in conversation or writing after the resume is recieved. I've never posted up a fishing resume, but I've written a few for jobs. It's totally different, but I think that the resume format is really easy to read and follow, as well as shows a very professional first impression. I think that's all I got

Honestly, I've never tried the single tail versions, but I probably should. I use the doube tailed versions for swimming and crawling, both with an exposed hook a ton of the time. Like you said, life expectancy is short in a lot of cases, but if I can get away with it, hook-up ratios are VERY high. When I want to swim it, I rig it with the legs vertical to mimic a baitfish profile a little better, but I probably should try the single tail versions to help simplify that process. I keep boomerang-ing back to the Title-Shot jighead for weedless jighead applications, but always fall short of placing a new order. I only have one left, but one pack of these things has lasted me a few years. They really are an exceptional jighead for a variety of soft plastics, but I sometimes have trouble getting a good rigging with them. It has to be a pretty decent sized bait to get it tex-posed like I like. RW, when you t-rig your hula grubs, what hook style do you use and what size? Also, do you peg your weight?

Only thing that I would consider if I were writing a resume is to put it in a resume format. The format you have is good and broad, but an actual functional resume in a more business-like format is much easier to read through. Of course, spelling will be top knotch, but the word "I" is rarely, if ever used in a functional resume. If you have access to a resume-building workshop then try to use it. Parents, friends, or relatives might have experience in building a corporate level resume that will help set you apart from others. Also, try to mention any affiliations that you have with organizations like ABA, BASS, FLW, CAST for Kids, etc. You might have included them, but I miss things. If I did, sorry : The opening paragraph should be a sort of summary for the entire resume, which it is. Working on those first few sentences will either grab the interest or smite your chances before the body is even looked at, in many cases. Look at it from time to time and re-read it. See if you can word things a little differently to make them more interesting and powerful. On the body of the resume itself, be sure to really focus on your strengths and accomplishments. Don't lie or tell tales, but don't be afraid to really boost yourself up with what you've managed to do. Also make sure that a resume is fitted for a specific company. Earthworm77 has a good company with a bit of diversity, so I'll use Micromunchtackle as an example, because he can help with feedback if he wants. I wouldn't say that "I use Strike King Crankbaits for 90% of my fishing" if I were applying to Micromunch. I'd focus on my soft plastic and jig abilities. More like : "I use Tubes and oversized soft plastic stick baits with success in such and such situations..." or something along those lines. If you have used Micromunch's tackle to win or help win any tournaments, now is not the time to keep it secret. This is just an example, but hopefully it helps.

Hey flechero...also try watermelon/chartruse colored 1/2oz oldham's jig in belton. I would say in the Leon near the big submerged trees up river across from the flats. No particular reason . GMAN, I've thought about that jig color and instantly though FALL SWIMMING JIG!!! Might have to PM you later this year.

I've been using different varieties of the double tailed skirted grubs for a few years now, but I'm wondering if there is more that I can do to increase the effectiveness of these lures. Currently, I fish them with an exposed hook jighead about 60% of the time. Around vegitation, I'll use a fiberguard bullet jighead or a pegged bullet weight. I'm not going to get into the technicalities of hook sizes and weights, because of the variations in bait sizes and water conditions, but I'm wondering about alternative presentations with these soft plastic phenoms. I know that I can't cast them weightless and I don't have much of a desire to do so, though I may try some sort of keel weighted hook for a less-weight presentation. Flipping and pitching these lures to structure and cover is a staple for me. I also use them as a skirted jig trailer to add bulk, color, size, and flash to my jigs. What are some of the presentations, tackle preferences, and rigging methods that you all use to get the most out of these baits?

Yeah I had to ask because I'm colorblind. ;D

Usually, when looking at structure (visable or submerged) I try to identify two or more things that would attract bass. Once I really define the structure as best as I can, I begin to work it accordingly. My favorites are ledges, creek channels, and points. The most consistant bigger bass producer for me is main lake points leading sharply into deep water, close to timber, boulders, and grass in mid to late summertime. Anytime I can find two or three things in an area, I think it's worth fishing. Grass with a composition change, timber with a depth change, rocks on a muddy bottem, etc. Those areas provide cover for bass, forage, current breaks, and depth changes. Structure is the first thing to look for when looking for bass, even if you aren't doing it intentionally.

Looks good. You put it in the water yet? What color skirt is that?

I'm doing the same thing. This is my tacklebox goal: Crankbait colors: Firetiger, Chrome/Black, Chrome/Blue, Craw, Baby Bass Spinnerbait Colors: White, Chartruse, White/Chartruse, Black Soft Plastic Colors: Green Pumpkin, Red Shad, Watermelonseed, Black/blue, Watermelon Red, White

I'm game. Where we goin for this one Big-O? ;D

Might wanna try a 4 or 5 inch finesse worm, french fry, or centipede on a carolina rig. I also really like shakey head jigs and *** in clear water. If you're fishing from a kayak, you can get a depthfinder for it for under a hundred bucks. There is also one called a fishing buddy made by humminbird. I think I saw them at Bass Pro shops a few weeks ago. I'm probably going to put one on my canoe for backwater fishing.

It's a shame...I gave them all to my brother already. He felt like he got the short end of the stick ;D

Having the hook pointed down can increase snags (depending on rigging) and decrease good hooksets. Follow Big-O's advice and his link and check out the rigging. That should help out tons. Or try keel weighted hooks. Those will pull it upright more times than not. I've had problems with most toad-style baits running upside down from time to time and specialized hooks or keel weighted swimbait hooks seem to do the trick for me when I can actually bring myself to put down the rage tail shad.

I use the Rage Tail frogs with a keel weighted hook. That seems to really help with that. I use the hook so I can kill it in pockets and get it to sink a bit faster. Thats where I get a lot of my strikes from.

I'm with Big-O. I use Curl-tail worms on keel-weighted hooks as a go-to right now. I also like rage tail craws on the same rigging. I really only use senko style lures on carolina rigs these days. For weightless applications, I like flukes and fat ikas...neither of which is a worm but they work really well. Really anything can be fished weightless, so long as you can cast it. Experiment with it, and be on the look out for Big-O's video.

Flipping/pitching jigs and soft plastics Crankbaits/Spinnerbaits Weightless fluke/fat ika/senko fishing Carolina Rigging Topwaters

During tournaments, I like to get a limit fast, even if they all weigh one or two pounds each. To do that, I rely on a rage tail shad, a fluke, a popper, and a shallow diving crankbait. After I get those first 5 fish, which I can usually pull off during the am bite, I will switch to carolina rigs, deeper crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and jigs to start going after bigger fish. If the bite is tough or I miss out on a limit during the first morning strike, I'll keep with my game plan, which usually means points, vertical structure, or matted grass. If the bite is tough, I'll scale down those aforementioned baits. But I usually stick to my guns and go down swinging for the fences. Out of the two baits you mentioned, I'd say keep both jigs. Try both and figure out which they would prefer. For the grass, a 3/4oz tungston flordia rig weight with a rage tail craw would be my go-to. If the bass were bigger, I'd go with a 10 inch worm or strike king iguana.

That's a bit extreme ;D

I've seen some similiar reviews in the past. I posted the same thing that you did. Around heavy, nasty cover, there are better jigs. Head design and fiber density on some other jigs are just better for the nasty stuff. I do like the heavier evo jigs for deeper water structure fishing though. They work out pretty good on gin clear lakes. I have a few tucked away in a specialty box for tournaments. The Evolution jig is a great jig with an outstanding design. It just needs to be used for its strengths, like any other jig.

I don't mind people keeping fish, as long as they're legal and not inside of the slot limit for the lake (if there is one) Selective harvest is actually pretty good for waterbodies because it eliminates overpopulation issues. If you want to be an active part of conservation, then join B.A.S.S., participate in river/lake cleanup projects for volunteers, and really understand what impacts catch and release vs. catch and filet have on the environment. Until it is illegal to harvest fish, then no one has any business telling someone what to do with their catch, so long as it is of legal size and bag limit. If you really want to push the issue, talk to WLF or DNR and try to get a slot limit on the lake for better management. But for the most part, it's a losing battle and if you take it too far, then you're on the wrong side of the law over a fish. That's like...PETA stuff man.

I'm trying to join the Baton Rouge Fire Department and I'll be looking for a second job. A BPS just opened up near Baton Rouge and I might go there. I could use the discount and I don't mind working retail. It doesn't even have to be the fishing section. Guns, camo, kayaks...doesn't matter to me. From what I understand, they pay pretty decent for retail work.

Right now, I only have two usable rods and I keep one tied on at all times. I've only been bass fishing seriously for about 4 years. (All saltwater marshes before that) I wanted to learn the jig my 1st year of bass fishing. So I've had one tied on at all times for about 3 years. Small, grass choked Ft. Hood ponds don't count. I've got other flipping tools for them Once I get my boat in the next few months and once I pick up a few more rods, I will have one, maybe two, dedicated to jigs...depending on where I'm fishing and what I need to do.

This is just what I do, but I replace all the 'double' spinnerbaits (with two different blades on them) with a single willow.

Edit: you already have it covered. Good call about adding head style in.