Josh Smith

I generally use dual locking snaps. Swivels get attached to the dual locking snaps if they are needed. I use different size snaps to control jerkbait action and/or adapt to water temp. Spinnerbaits (not inline) get tied directly. Josh

It's controlled insanity. We repeat the same action until we get a different result. Insanity is genetic. Josh

Dad used to practice by casting to the neighbor's small dog. I used to practice by casting to my German Shepherd. Broke the monotony! Josh

Hi folks, I found a lot of NOS on an auction site. Many are brands recommended here, so I'll try 'em and see what I like. Thank you! Josh

Hello, Which are the most rugged spinnerbaits these days? Best value? Most vibration? I have a bunch of Dad's old ones that are very well made. I don't really want to fish them, though, because where I fish I tend to lose lures. I lost my high vibration Mann's I bought a while back, and need a replacement. That thing shook the rod at very low speeds -- are there others out there like this, or should I get some more Mann's spinnerbaits? How about best value, ones that I could potentially lose without being out a fortune? Thank you, Josh

Yes, Sir, that's why I do it! ? Josh

This is why I consider a jig to be a lure I move with the reel and not the rod. Dragging looks like a foraging crawdad, while popping it looks like a crawdad trying to get away. Josh

Thank you, all! What, in your views, are the pros and cons of braid vs mono or fluoro when fishing spinnerbaits? I like braid for most things but do still use mono when it's called for. Thanks again! Josh

Look, man, here's what you do. You have 1/8oz 1/4oz 3/8oz 1/2oz 3/4oz 1oz Multiply the top and bottom numbers by a number to get be the same as the largest bottom number (denominator). In this case it's 8. So: 1/8 no change 1/4 x 2/2 = 2/8 3/8 no change 1/2 x 4/4 = 4/8 3/4 x 2/2 = 6/8 1/1 x 8/8 = 8/8 So you're now looking at 1/8oz 2/8oz 3/8oz 4/8oz 6/8oz 8/8oz Of course there are weights like 5/8oz and 7/8oz that I personally don't see much any longer, but if you do you can throw 'em in their slots as well. Regards, Josh

My wife is gifted in crocheting, and my brother's wife's mom (does that make her a mother-in-law?) loves it, especially for her granddaughter (my niece). I'll have the wife suck up. Now, to finish fixing the boat... Josh

I just learned that my sister-in-law's parents live "very close" to Okeechobee. That makes me a happy panda!

Illegal in Indiana, anyway. The Indiana blade was originally intended to let one change spinnerbait weight to comply with the weight laws printed on the sides of bass rod blanks. Josh

Klebs, I think this is what I will be doing, though a mono leader will probably be more appropriate for me. Josh

I've been using my jig rod, which is a different setup than most like for jigs. It's a MH/F, but the tip is relatively soft compared to others. I do have a 7' Daiwa MH/F rod laying around. I've used it mostly for frogs, but I'd like to get a H/XF for that this year. I think I might just make that rod into a spinnerbait setup. My old pistol grip rod I used for most of my teenage years was a MH/F, and designated a spinnerbait rod. It's been retired. These days, I like rods to match my techniques, and I'm exploring the current mode of thought regarding spinnerbaits. Thank you, Lake Anna. Josh

Hello, I'm gaining confidence in spinnerbaits again and am considering building a dedicated combo. What rod action and rating do you prefer? Or do you just use the same rod for spinnerbaits that you do for another moving lure? Regards, Josh

Yessir; I generally try to cast onto the bank, or onto a log, and sometimes, when using strong braid, I cast over a low branch and let it drop quietly into the water. A year or two back I was looking for jigs that had floating trailers that I could tailor to a very slow rate of fall because I figured they should be hit on the drop. I found these jigs and trailers, but haven't really used them. The trailers are very hook resistant and hard to put on. You know, I have a lot of violent strikes on with topwater on that lake, just before or just after the first twitch. I agree with you that I should have strikes on falling jigs. This is why I believe that the underwater foliage is just too thick. The 2007 lake report states that the bass have trouble growing because they can't effectively hunt baitfish in this grass in this particular lake. I will do as you suggest, however, and try this again for a while. Conditions may have changed. Regards, Josh

I'm probably not, but only because I tend to start jigs off where the probability of there being a fish is low. For example, if there's a tree in the water, I cast over that tree, drag the jig onto the tree, and let it fall into the water. Then, I set the hook because I figure a fish will be on that second drop. If there's no fish on, then it's just a hop. I guess this could be considered the first drop, though, and if so, then I generally do not miss them because I assume a fish is on. The lake where I largemouth fish is so danged overgrown, though, that when I do cast to a target where the bass are, it's unlikely a fish would see it during the first drop. I have no doubt that you're correct on the majority of non-overgrown lakes, though. This lake is not typical and I sometimes forget that. It's thick salad. Josh

Caught this lil' lady before the front Sunday. She practically choked on a Mann's spinnerbait. 1lb, 3oz. Not huge, but nice, and she did aerial acrobatics for me. She was full of eggs. I'm sorry for the poor pic. A new phone is in the works. I sometimes think about taking a real camera with me, but just don't want to bother with it.

I do have dark amber lenses. I've seen lighter amber lenses I should probably try, but was hoping for clear first. Regards, Josh

Hello, I have different tints, but am wondering if there's a no-tint pair of sunglasses with 100% UV filtration. I got to thinking about this last cloudy day -- the sunglasses I had with me still allowed me to see underwater some, but the visible spectrum was too dark. Thanks! Josh

Pull the spool. Line still there?

I very rarely experience this. Generally, I must work for the strike, meaning, I have to make the thing behave like a crawdad to get the bass to hit. It's really fun to watch when sight fishing. Josh

Depends on the location. Jigs, worms, crankbaits... Where I'm at it's generally thick cover unless I'm fishing the Wabash, so I rig appropriately. Josh

Ambassadeur 4600c3 or c4, Ambassadeur 5500c3, Ambassadeur 5600c4. Josh

The British are a seriously disturbed people.