Fish'N Impossible

Trying to cover every situation is a tall order. The only respond I could possibly have for that request is a 5" and 7" worms, and Senko's all Texas rigged. Other than that most other things after situation specific and require more input. Sorry

I use a solid black skirt and a sapphire blue trailer all the time during the summer when flipping heavy vegetation or pads. The black gives that profile in the shadows, while the blue offers the contrast. This combo has landed me some big fish early more than once.

Way to go Hanover!!! Powerteam Lures(PTL) Craw D'oeuvres is the best trailer for 1/8 to 5/16 oz jigs it is perfect size and the action will not over power your jig. The PTL Conviction Craws make great trailers for those 3/8.to 1/2 oz jigs. With its wider profile when it's flip'd in grass or pads it mimics a Bluegill very effectively. If it's not one of those first choices I can use: Rage Craws (rocks) Reaction Innovations 3.8 Sweet Beaver (grass) Grande Bass Mega Claws (mud and wood)

It was coming down pretty good here too. About two hours south of Toledo. But nothing like that lake effect snow.

I only worry about changing them in tournament settings and I use Trokar 2x round bend trebles when fishing shallow to mid, and BassStar 2x rotating treble when fishing deep. The spinning treble reduced the amount of leverage a bass has to get off.

Have the best luck in the world on the Bomber Square A Oxbow color, we have nicknamed it the $100,000 color. The other color is the older Rapala Hot Mustard.

Welcome aboard Kyle, lots to be learned here

drag the hook tip across your fingernail it doesn't leave a scratch of grab your nail replace it.

Knowing the lakes and locations you are going to fish will help you with the colors a lot. Example here in Ohio you will not get bit on a red craw lipless crank. That said my starter kit would be: 1/2oz Lipless crank (Damiki, Live target) Shallow diver crankbaits (Bomber square A, Bandit 100, KVD 1.5) Mid Diver Crankbaits (Live Target, Bandit 200, Bomber, Rapala) Deep Diver Crank baits (Live Target, SK 5xd, Bandit 250) and keep the colors forage related...Red and Green Craw....Shad patterns...Firetiger and don't be scared of a solid white. (bombers killer color is Oxbow).

For the average fisherman the hooks out of the package work great. They only use the lure a few times a year and to the casual fisherman hooks aren't bad till they rust. Strike King, and companies like them, have to market to the masses and keep things affordable for the general public. A competition angler drops $20-$30 on a single crankbait and doesn't bat an eye. So if that same competition angler really likes the action of the Red-Eye Shad they will easily buy a $3 set of hooks and have a bait for $9 that they have confidence in. Very few "main stream" companies are going to rely on competitive anglers alone to make there millions because we are a fickle bunch.

Its not about the size and color, Its all about the wiggle. I think you will find that cheaper crankbaits shatter easily if they hit a rock on the cast, and you will spend 6 dollars replacing the hooks. There are some great baits that are inexpensive and decent quality Bomber, Bandit are the two most readily available, and some are actually made in America.

Bass have varied diets and are eaters of opportunity, but they do also have preferences depending on seasonal changes in my experience. As the water gets hotter the shell of the craw becomes very hard and difficult for the bass to bust with there crack plate so bass will prefer Gills, Crappie, and Shad to Craws. What's confusing is that just because the lure looks a craw on land doesn't mean its a craw in the water. ie. the rage craw when on the fall is imitating a fish and not a craw till it hits bottom.

When starting out personally I would focus on the baits that historically produce the biggest numbers of fish. 1) 5" and 7" worms Texas rigged weedless. (Include Senko's) basic technique is the same. 2) 3" to 4" tubes. These two baits will produce the most fish, making your trips more fun and increasing your confidence.

I spend alot of time doing research on diffrent techniques, looking back at things that went wrong, and possible remedies. Review fishing logs and using Google Earth try to locate other areas on the lake that share alot of similarities to increase the potential options of areas of success. I am always trying to find that backwater area that none else is using.

Got myself a Dobyns rod with the money, an received some football jigs, war eagle spinnerbaits, and a few live target crackbaits.

Here in Ohio where the typical lame is 8' deep in the center there is a lot of flipping. My personal favorites... 1) 1/4 oz swimjig with a Power Team Lures 3.6 JP Hammer shad trailer.you can stop the jig and the trailer stands on its nose and looks like a minnow foraging for eggs. 2) Venom Lures 5" double dipped tube Texas rigged in the road kill color. Especially in grass beds and pads.

Drop shot and finesse presentations to deeper cover oriented fish. If you find a shade covered cover then try some top water, but slow it down lots of dead sticking.

Try something that you just never see done on my 8' deep home lakes, throw an umbrella rig too staging prespawn bass on rocky points, on the lake that is actually shad forage heavy. Have to try it since no-one else is.

If fishing grass I use the "Mojo rig" , a lighter weight that slightly penetrates grass and helps keep the worm on top of the grass. Great video on this set up on Utube by our very own Glenn. Check out all his vids they're very informative.

Agreed. There is no such thing as too high of standards. If you set everything so low you can always attain them what keeps you driven as a human? No great person in history could have ever been great if they just continued doing what everyone else was doing.you have to push yourself to attain greatness. "Don't forget to be awesome" is a great motto to live by. Thanks John Green

the barometer has a small effect on bass but there are definately more important factors. I usually approach the water according to a preset attack plan, if that plan doesn't work then I think about pressure systems. During those low pressure times fish a generally very active So alot of moving lures and reaction baits. During those high pressures they tend to be lazier. During high pressures I slow war down jigs dragging the bottom, jerkbaits, and top water. For the most part during higher pressures LMB are deeper/ on bottom and looking up. More due to the bright blue sky's that go with that high pressure.

Depends on your technique/lure. If I'm flipping a wall it's pretty much straight at it, if casting crankbaits, or moving reaction baits then it's parallel.

In my opinion, cuz that's all it is. The Smithwick rogue is the most forgiving and a good starting point. They are also very affordable so when you hang a few 10' down in a Bush you don't know was there you don't go broke cutting it off.