MIbassyaker

We have a bunch of chain sporting goods stores in my area with "adequate", but not extraordinary fishing selections -- a smaller-sized cabelas, a gander, a couple of DSG, MC Sports, Dunham's; the Gander is probably has the most stuff of all of those, cabela's is decent for some things....however, they still can't beat the local independent tackle store that's been here since the 50's for most of what I'm looking for. I always try to check those guys first, and then if they don't have what I need, I'll stop at one of the chains provided it's on the way to something. I rarely find that the chains have it while the indie store doesn't. Otherwise, I'll do a TW order, or order direct from a company. The two closest BPS to me are both 2 hours away. They are magnificent, but four hours of my life round-trip travel time plus gas is not worth it.

See, this is why you guys are the best. Here's another presentation that seem obvious once you say it, but I hadn't thought of for some reason.

It seems especially odd to have good populations of sizeable smallmouth and largemouth in a lake that size. In my experience, one species tends to clearly dominate over the other in both numbers and size unless the the body of water is large enough to support decently-sized zones of the slightly-different habitats preferred by each one. The smallest lakes near me that have both SMB and LMB in good sizes and numbers are 100 acres or more.

Well, what are you looking for, specifically? Do you want a Ghost spinning rod just to have one, or because it fits a need you have? If the latter, what is that need?

With 15% off from the sale, a ghost should be under $100, no?

Isn't that stuff in everyone's tackle bag? It should be.

Woo-hoo!! 15% off and -$5 from a coupon code......leaves me at $72. Not too shabby. And I get a sticker. Too bad I didn't need more expensive stuff this time (just lures), but there will come other sales...

So, uhhh....need someone to fish that for ya?

Ah. I read the title too fast: "Z-man turd slingers..." I have been fishing plastic bodies of all kinds on small jigheads for years, and never realized it was a "thing" until I started reading about the ned rig. But, man, z-man has really perfected this sort of thing with the elaztech baits...I think I've had the same TRD rigged for three months, I don't know how many fish, and it doesn't seem worn out yet (not like I've been fishing every day, constantly, but still, I can't say that about anything else).

Wow!! Noted!

2/0 or 3/0 ewg. Weightless for buzzing on top, bullet weight for hopping or dragging on bottom. I also put them sometimes on a 1/8 or 1/16 owner ultrahead finesse ball head 2/0 hook.

Sounds like you're talking about, not wikipedia, but a community wiki that would serve as a repository of detailed, searchable, cross-referenced information about fishing equipment and such. The simple answer is, it doesn't exist because nobody has taken it upon themselves to make one.Given how many lures, rods, reels, and other equipment there has been, that would be an enormous undertaking. Bass resource is probably the next best thing.

most of the other suggestions are consistent with what I like: Popper: Rebel Pop-R, Chug bug, Hula Popper Buzzbait; Megastrike Cavitron Propbait: Heddon Torpedo (I actually prefer the smaller Tiny Torpedo, 1/4oz) Walking bait: Zara Spook

buzz it = rig it weedless and move it fast enough to keep it on top with any legs/arms/tails/appendages wiggling. You can buzz just about any plastic bait as a topwater. Some, like the Stanley Ribbit, the Rage Toad and Rage shad are made specifically for this.

Love that PowerBait. The reason I picked up some chigger craws initially was because I like the Power Worms so much. I am never going to get tired of those worms in 4", 7" and 10".

Consider my arm twisted. Next TW sale I see, I'm picking up some Crazy Legs Chiggers and the Zoom Super speed craws. I haven't used either of those, although I do use -- and like a lot-- the normal chigger craws and the Zoom ultra vibes.

one of my all-time favorite crankbaits is the Model A in firetiger or chrome

True anecdote from this morning: I was catching nothing buzzing plastics over the tops of emergent weeds in a little bay of a small lake. So I decided to try out a new spinnerbait -- double willow, silver, white skirt....second cast along the edge.... pike, a little over 2 feet, probably around 5lbs. Maybe that's why I'm not catching any bass here, I thought. So I moved across the lake and went back to the plastics....sure enough, the bass were over there instead.

Poppers are a good place to start. Easy to learn, hard to get wrong. I have a particular fondness for propbaits, though -- you can work them steady and fast like a buzzbait, or slow like a popper, or something in between..rip, rip, pause....., rip, rip pause...

morning, evening, cloudy, night Popper Buzzbait Buzz toad (Stanley Ribbit, Rage toad) Propbaits (Heddon torpedo) Jitterbug Spook Any weightless, texas rigged plastic bait -- senko, trick worm, fluke, craw, creature, etc. (EDIT: Did I forgot anything? Anyway, they all work!)

Yeah, OK, sounds good. But from their perspective, the question is, what is the purpose and how did you determine it? The answer is, you have knowledge about behavior and location and presentation that beginners don't have. The only way to get that knowledge is to learn it form someone, or learn it yourself through trial and error, observation, and inference. The realization that bass are not randomly hanging out just anywhere under the water, but relate to specific locations and strike particular presentations under particular conditions is actually pretty momentous.

Crankbait bite here has been totally nonexistent since early June. I love finesse fishing, but dang it, I bought all those shallow cranks for a reason, and I want to use them again!

If it's the medium-heavy Ugly stik, then yes, that may be the problem. I'm guessing it is if you have a 4000 size reel on it.

Follow the Five Step Plan: 1. Do whatever gets you to college. 2. Finish college and get a degree. 3. Use the degree to start a successful career. 4. Make enough money to support yourself and your family, with enough left over to fund your hobbies. 5. For the rest of your life, spend however much of your disposable income and leisure time as you wish on golfing AND fishing.

20lb braid has diameter equivalent to about 6lb mono; that should be OK for casting a weightless worm, although 15lb braid may be better. I'm guessing the problem is your rod. Do you know what power rod you are using? I use weightless t-rigged worms on medium, and even medium light spinning gear with braid quite often. You could also just downsize your weight to 1/8 or 1/16 rather than get rid of it completely, or use a heavier worm like a senko, as scaleface suggests.