iceintheveins

I would throw a rage tail shad in shad colors, along with a buzzbait or propbait. Spinnerbaits are great in a light drizzle if the topwaters aren't working.

Gotta stand up for pike! They are fantastic fighters and grow very big. Here in Colorado we have some of the best pike fishing in the union, lots of 15 - 25 pound fish and occasionally bigger. They grow fat on stocked trout and help thin out the perch in our lakes.

I use them in stained water or murky water and it's a pretty consistent color. Also will use them in clear water in choppy conditions where the visibility is less than usual.

Love them, especially the popper and bigfoot frog. The 5/16 ounce will cast fine on baitcast reels.

The website has no contact info. Do you know if you can still buy them from the website? Do they even manufacture them anymore?

5.25 pounder on a chartreuse/green pumpkin rage shad.

Use parasite weights instead, they work WAY better.

The more weedgrowth and shade you can find, the more likely topwaters will work during the middle of the day. My dad and I once threw nothing but buzzbaits during 95 degree weather in the middle of the summer, calm, sunny conditions, and nearly every cast got a bass. Never have duplicated that since.

I rarely use topwaters below 60 degrees but have caught them. My dad once insisted on throwing a buzzbait all day when the water temp was 55 degrees. I caught more way bass than he did on jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs, and plastics, but he caught two, his only strikes of the day, and both were 5 pounders. My biggest fish of 14 of the day was about 3.5, most of the rest 1 - 2.5 pounds.

Even small bass will hit bigger baits sometimes. I live in Colorado and here, a 6 pound fish is a really good one, even a 5 is respectable. I generally use 4" - 8" plastics, but have caught 12 inchers on Old Monster Worms. So don't be afraid to try bigger baits from time to time, ESPECIALLY if the water is off colored. Also don't be afraid to go smaller if needed. Versatility is the key to success.

Depends on size of the bait. For smaller ones I like 12 pound stren, while 17 or 20 pound stren for the biggest. Fluoro is probably a bit better for swimbaits, in which case I would go with P - Line 100% fluoro in 14 - 17 pound. I just like mono for it's versatility, in case I want to throw a big topwater on my swimbait rod.

Curado 5.5:1, Revo Winch 5.4:1, or Bass Pro Pro Qualifer 5.2:1. I really don't think the first two are much better than the PQ, which IMO is the best baitcaster out there besides MAYBE the Curado.

Big black jigs and spinnerbaits are your only hope imo. If the water was warmer, big buzzbaits.

Dynamic lures outkast swimbait is the best midsize hard swimbait I have used. At 6" long it will catch 3 - 4 pound bass all day. My favorite soft swimmers are the money minnow and shadalicious.

I use mostly the trilene knot and palomar knot for plastics and jigs. Topwaters, buzzbaits, and spinnerbaits get a trilene knot and crankbaits/jerkbaits a rapala knot.

I think they make a small difference most of the time, turning a few sniffers into biters. Megastrike is the one I use most, and smelly jelly second. I think the best thing about them is they mask scents like sunscreen, gasoline, and bug spray.

Super spots are the best lipless cranks around, especially when you need the slower fall and wider wiggle.

I use the chunk on smaller jigs with clear water, all the way to the lobster on 1/2 and 3/4 ounce jigs in dingy water. Bigger trailers slow your fall a bit too.

Quarter Ounce Jigs are big in my arsenal, especially in shallow water or anytime a slow fall is needed. I pitch or cast them on 14 pound mono and use a fluoro leader in really clear water.

I would use #8 X - raps, pointer 78s, silent pointers and slender pointers. Natural baitfish or ghost colors.

I like the rage shad a LOT better than the horny toad, draws more strikes and the hookup rate for me is much better.

I use the 3/8 ounce more than any other weight. Better for a slow retrieve in shallower water than a 1/2 ounce. For clear water, depths under 8 feet with emerging weeds, and colder conditions, nothing works better than a 1/4 ounce though. But you can't go wrong with 3/8.

I prefer the Fat Free Shads, luhr jensen hot lips, and Fat Free Shad juniors for really deep running cranks. I use 10 pound mono because I also use my crank rod for lighter topwaters. Fluoro would get a little extra depth though. In that case, I would go with P - Line 100% fluoro.

Rage tail chunks, zoom creepy crawlers, paca chunks, bps tripple ripple craw, mr. twister split double tail, and pepperjigs trailer when you want a bigger trailer. Get those in two colors each (green pumpkin and black/blue), and you will be set.

I might have to try those out sometime.