SpinLight

Agree with all above who use just a few tried and true colors in soft plastics (and with those who throw an occasional bubblegum colored trick worms). And sometimes when your are not catching them on one color, you change colors and locations and start catching them. A change in locations usually trumps the lure color change you made if you start catching them on the new color, after you move to a different spot. Changing colors at the same location may make a difference occasionally, but not as frequently as some people think, IMO.

Good year for numbers of small spotted bass on Lake Martin in east AL, all fish under 3 lbs. Rarely ever caught fewer than 10 fish. But not as good as the last two years. Since I use light and ultralight spinning gear, I don't mind the small bite. Have been a successful fisherman for over 50 years in various species, but had never targeted spotted bass before. I have learned a lot on this forum, especially from Tom Young.

They are fairly easy to catch in Lake Martin from late February through most of May, but then disappear for a while. How and where do you fish for spots in late spring through summer?

Thanks, Tom. I have not seen these before, and like the size. Just ordered three. Steve

We all live in different places, fish different bodies of water and fish for different kinds of fish from time to time. Nowadays, I fish mostly for spotted bass, and want to throw more topwater. So what type and brand of topwater lures do you like for spots, including length and color? Thanks for your help. Steve

I use 6# and 8# for regular shakyheads. Thinking about throwing more 5# and 4#. What lb. test do you throw for for smaller shakyheads?

Thanks for your comments, Tom. I enjoy reading about the history and evolution of fishing lures. The Thompson's Doll Fly was made somewhere around Knoxville, TN, as I recall. And the Pedigo company also made one of the best tailspinners called the Spinrite. It caught a lot of large smallmouth in Dale Hollow Lake and the TN river lakes.

x2.

What kind of pork trailer do you use on a hair jig?

I color my Ned heads yellow for 1/16, blue for 3/32 and red for 1/8. With such small differences in head size, it is easier to pick out the weight I want with color coding.

What he said. I throw them for spotted bass. In the winter, I will put my boat in about 60 feet of water on steep rocky banks and throw 1/8th oz. heads on 3 lb. test line at the bank at an angle and kinda lift and drop, not much retrieving.

Custom built Fenwick graphite spinning rod, very stiff, but noticeably more sensitive than fiberglass, the first year that Fenwick sold graphite blanks. Custom made at Bill Clay's Sporting Goods in Nashville, TN.

Yep, just like that. I have caught thousands like that below Pickwick Dam. What dam is that in the background?

I have been a fisherman for various species of fish for over 60 years, and just recently started fishing a Senko (I know, I know-what took you so long?). Most of my bass fishing now is confined to chasing spotted bass in one lake, Lake Martin in east-central Alabama, a rocky, highland lake. These fish are smaller and a different strain from the spotted bass in Smith Lake, which were stocked in some California lakes several years ago. I usually use medium light spinning tackle and 6 or 8 lb finesse type approaches for swimbait or floating worm or fluke lures for spots. What type of senko-regular, slim or thin- and what length senko have you found to be most effective for catching spots?

What he said. Kind of a repetitive stress injury from fishing. Also, lipping and unhooking about 20 or 30 large white bass can chew up a thumb. Bigger fish have bigger teeth and the extra weight they have causes more damage when they struggle to get off your thumb, especially when tossing them back in the water. As we age, our skin also gets thinner (not calling anybody around here old!).

What is your favorite jig head weight for the TRD Ned rig, thrown in 15-25 ft. of water? I am throwing it on 6 lb. test mono this time of year. Rocky, deep, upland southern lake for spotted bass. Thanks for sharing. (I also fish shallow this time of year, but have that covered.)

Two other factors not specifically mentioned much in the thread above which might cause some of us in the over-60 crowd to not fish for big fish as much: the aging process and being a former club tournament fisherman. And if you are over 70, you don't feel like putting in a lot of full 12-14 hour days on the water, which would make it more likely for you to get a big bite that day. As I have aged, just getting bit has become more enjoyable than fishing for hours for that big bite. The big bite was more important during my tournament days. I got skunked bass fishing only one day last year. I have always used just spinning tackle, mostly L and ML tackle and 4-8 lb. line, except in some tournaments. And I also enjoy catching crappie, white bass and stripers on a few occasions during the year. Going big or going after anything that bites? As we used to say in the '60's, whatever floats your boat....?

What jighead weight and hook size are you using for 2" and 2 1/2" Keitech Swing Impacts? Any particular brand favorite?

I have been fishing light and ultralight rods, reels, line and lures for panfish for fifty years now, and agree with this quote and most of what has been said. I would add to Haggard's post that the 6'6 Avid L/F (AVS66LF) is an excellent choice. It also works well with 4 lb. I prefer a 2000 size reel for increased casting distance.

I use soft plastics mostly, and am a Trick worm fan, too. T-rigged weighted, weightless or shaky head. BTW, some of the other old timers will remember the Original Crème worm, which the Trick worm greatly resembles, from the early 60's. The C worm and Zoom's Finesse worm are similar in size and shape. The C worm's plastic was a little more firm, too. You can still get the Crème worm today. The Crème worm was one of the first "purple worms". I caught a bunch of stream smallmouth back then with a weightless purple Crème worm, strung on an exposed straight shank No. 1 Aberdeen light-wire gold hook.

P-line premium CX for light and ultralight spinning reels, 4 lb to 10 lb. I have tried almost all mono/copoly, including some JDM lines. Small diameter, good abrasion resistance.

Most of my 55 years of fishing has been for other species of fish. Fishing for spotted bass mostly now in Lake Martin, a deep rocky lake, and don't have much experience with a jerkbait. What size and model for a couple of jerkbaiit lures to start out with for winter spotted bass now? Thanks for your help.

Under or around $200, what he said above.

I use the 2.8 and 3.3. Fat Impacts. My other two favorites are the 3" and 3.5" Easy Shiner. Just bought a pack of the MegaBass 3" Sparks. I fish Lake Martin for spotted bass, a highland reservoir in Alabama, that is deep and has a lot of rocks, especially on the lower end, with the upper end being a little more shallow closer to where the Tallapoosa River comes in. Spots are smaller here on average than in Smith Lake, but still put up a great fight on light tackle!

What is everybody's favorite small swimbait (if you throw them) for spotted bass on light line?