Jar11591

This sums up the Rapala experience. Durability sucks but catchability is through the roof. Fair trade off for middle of the road priced baits.

I have had fish strike topwaters boat-side, but it doesn’t happen frequently enough for me to think it’s more important to retrieve it all the way to the boat than it is to just reel up and fire another cast.

Something I ponder quite a bit, that is related to the topic, is that some people go their entire lives without ever witnessing a sun rise over a lake. For most fishermen, it’s a common occurrence, and one that’s beauty can be taken for granted after hundreds of times witnessing it. But for some folks, it’s something that they’ve only seen pictures of. I pity those folks.

If I could only have one rod for these 3 applications, I would go with a 7’ MH/F. I don’t love these exact specs for any of the individual applications. But if I could only have one rod for all 3, that’s what it’d be.

Love this. You nailed it.

Tennessee Shad is my number one when chasing smallmouth. Ive also done well with Metallic Silver Blue.

Aside from having an interest in taxonomy, I started doing this a couple years ago to help cut down on confusion.

d**n. I was wondering if I would see this thread soon and really wished I wouldn’t. When I think about how much I’ve learned about bass fishing over my decade+ on BassResource, Catt is one of the members who played a big role in my learning. Lots of his words stick out and have directly translated into me being a better bass fisherman. “Rate of Fall, baby! Rate of Fall!” Every single time I tie on a jig or Texas rig, I hear Catt’s words. Every single time, no joke. Makes me really ponder what weight I’m throwing before just tying it on. Just one of the many things I’ve been taught by Catt. RIP Catt.

Gotta be the prettiest of all the micropterus.

Rage bugs, Siebert Brush jigs, Pop Max & X, Skitterwalk Only surprise is the spinnerbait not being on my list, but I’ve also purposely been trying to throw other things. When I get on a roll with a the spinnerbait, it can become hard to put it down. I’m with you. I love the catching power the wacky rig has, but man I hate throwing the thing. I don’t know why. There is no denying it catches fish, and I love to catch fish. But somehow that equates to me hating it. But it takes dozens of fish for me every year, especially when the fishing is tough. My domestic PB was even caught on one. I have no excuse to hate it, but I do!

If there was a Mt. Rushmore of Metal, Ozzy’s face would be on it. RIP to a legend.

Aint no doubt about it.

Blue, are you a wizard or something?! The crawfish around here are as fast as lightning. You’ll flip a rock and the only evidence there was a craw there is a mud cloud. Too fast to even see.

Post it online. There is a flea market section here but if you want to keep it local, post it on marketplace or Craig’s list. I had a garage sale last year and had a bunch of fishing equipment for sale. If you want it gone in one shot, offer it for dirt cheap. I priced everything for $30 (hundreds of dollars worth). Guy offered me $25 and just like that I was rid of all my excess. If you aren’t looking to recoup any costs or fund something else specific, just price it to sell quick and it will.

Depends on the hook for me. EWG hooks always get the Texsposed, because the hook point is perfectly aligned with the shoulder to make it perfectly straight. With offset straight-shank worm hooks, I keep the point buried because Texsposing it will cause the bait to not sit right, due to the fact the hook point is not lined up with the eye or shoulder of the hook.

Don’t forget to sign up for the email list! Nothing like an inbox full of spam 😎

I agree with @Team9nine, definitely a type of pondweed. I would guess either American or broad leaf pondweed. I like pondweed because it stays greener later into the season than the milfoil and hydrilla. In mid or so August, the hydrilla and milfoil die back and don’t hold as many fish, and that’s when the pondweed patches immediately become more productive!

Most of my lakes are very clear water. When I’m fishing these lakes it’s usually Bama Craw or PB&J. For stained or murky water, black & blue.

Chatterbaits. I love a jig and I love a spinnerbait. Combine the two into chatterbaits and I’m useless.

I think this reel is one of if not the best values you can get. I think the MSRP is $100? Even at that price it’s a good deal. But always on sale somewhere it seems. I have a few of these in my arsenal and they’re joys to fish with. They’ll cast a mile when dialed in. Good reels for a good price. When I need a reel and a Daiwa isn’t in the budget, the LFS SS is the reel I look to first.

Love my DeWalt sawzall. I beat the hell out of that thing and it just keeps going. Get Diablo blades for it though.

I’ll play! My lake: My lake is an ultra clear natural lake in the Adirondack mountains, about 700 acres, and has a deep hole that gets down to 60’. It has lots of structure in the form of drops offs, points, flats, humps, and ledges. The banks are all steep and the contour lines are close together but irregular. For cover, it has dozens of timber laydowns and logs, as well as expansive beds of milfoil, hydrilla, broad and curly-leafed pondweed, lily pads, and elodea. Fish species are largemouth bass, northern pike, chain pickerel, bluegill, pumpkinseed, rock bass, black crappie, yellow perch, rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout, common carp, and golden shiners. Rating: I will give it 4.5/5 stars. The only reason I won’t rate it 5 stars is because the lack of smallmouth. This lake is the best fishing lake I’ve fished in NY and it sets the standard of how I rate other lakes. The average size of the largemouth is exceptional most years. I’ve caught bass up to 23.5”, and over 6lbs. I’ve also seen fish swimming in early spring that would easily be in the 7lb class. Fish that will make your heart stop when you realize it wasn’t a carp. Numbers are also great in this lake. It’s easy to catch a couple dozen fish or more in a few hours, and the chances are large ones being mixed in is high. And it has beautiful Adirondack scenery for the very rare cases that the fishing isn’t on.

At least get good with the things that cover the whole water column: bottom, middle, and topwater. I recommend a jig, spinnerbait, and popper.