MIbassyaker

a. Drew Benton b. Jamie Hartman c. Paul Mueller d. Koby Kreiger e. Kyle Monti

12 or 15 lb Big Game for me too.

Well, OK, maybe I'll give it another shot.

I love music, and enjoy listening to almost anything, especially live. But i can listen to music everywhere else: in the car, at home, at work, walking around the neighborhood, at social or community events. What I don't get do to much-- other than when I'm on the water-- is unplug, check out, and surround myself with the sounds of the outdoors. As far as I'm concerned, the sound of a natural environment is it's own sort of music...and it's live.

I have a few of these. I like the action, and they definitely attract blowups, but I had a terrible time hooking up, so I gave up on them. I can't see really any situation where a buzzbait or plastic toad, or hollow bodied frog wouldn't be better.

There is no inherent benefit to either hand over the other, other than what is most comfortable. However, many people feel there is a benefit to learning how to cast with both hands.

What you're describing would most likely be a left-hander using a left-handed reel, as most people cast with their dominant hand (at least for most casts). So Ott would indeed be an example of what you're thinking of, unless he casts with his non-dominant hand, which I don't think he does. Edit: Actually, the clips in this video from the Classic show him using right-handed reels, but casting with either his right or left hand situationally:

Right vs. left handed is about which hand will do the reeling. Switching hands is only necessary if you want to cast and reel with the same hand. That's the traditional way to use a baitcaster, and most people do it that way. So most advice you hear will be based on an assumption that you're doing it the traditional way too. But it's not a "rule". You can cast and reel with different hands. This avoids the switch, although one is not "better" than the other, aside from preference. I'm right handed and use left handed reels. Cast right, reel left, no switching. Denny Brauer is a lefty and does this too. Chris Zaldain and David Walker are righties and do it the same way I do.

A. Chris Johnston B. Garrett Paquette C. David Mullins D. Chad Morgenthaler E. Jay Yelas

The Husky Jerk and Shadow Rap are pretty "normal" as far as suspending jerkbaits go. For floaters, there's the basic Original Floating Minnow, which you can still get everywhere. Hard to get more normal than that.

What exactly is the problem so many people have with modern 2-piece rods? I don't get it. The majority of my rods are 1-piece, but I have a few 2-pieces. They do not come apart on me unless I want them to, and they are not noticeably heavier or less-sensitive than my 1-pieces.

I've been using 3/0 EWG gammies too. I ignored this worm for far too long. Picked some up a year ago or so for the first time, and they quickly became a favorite choice for late-summer vegetation.

Why not just get a few of your old stand-by colors that you have had success with already, and also get a few new ones to try? Jig skirt color is a pretty low-stakes decision -- pretty much any color you try will get bit anywhere you throw it. any of the colors you mention above can imitate craws or bluegill well depending on how and where you fish them. If you want to know if one specific pattern is better than another for your specific waters, that's something nobody can answer unless they also know your waters....it will require some trial-and-error on your part. So just get a few to try that look good....

I learned they used anise the moment I opened a bag and breathed in.... Other than that, I'm sure @j bab is not going to reveal company secrets!

Yup, Pad Crasher all the way -- Enough weight for long casts, walkable on the retrieve, and soft so they collapse easily. Also easy on the wallet.

Looks like your smallie could be a serial Break-Off Artist and wacky worm thief. And it still got your jackhammer in it's mouth well enough to hook up?

Breaking in my new FeelFree Lure 11.5 this morning...

Nice!!

Think of it this way: You're just playing at a higher difficultly level now...

Any 1/4oz or less popper or propbait fits the bill. Most of the usual suspects have been mentioned already. Don't overlook the Rapala Floating Minnow in the smaller sizes-- work them with twiches/jerks/pulls with pauses in-between.

Wowza!!

In fact, it is the perfect time to be fishing a river. Rivers often fish much better than lakes in mid-late summer, as the current and churn ensures rivers stay cooler and better-oxygenated in the heat than lakes tend to be. Lower water levels in late summer also tend to concentrate fish into fewer areas, which can make them easier to find. There's no magic bullet, and every river is different, but location tends to matter more than the lure. The trick is to locate productive water, avoid unproductive water, and when you find productive spots, choose your casts carefully. Some general things to try: 1) An afternoon trip. The food chain in rivers really kicks into gear in the sun and heat, especially insect activity near the surface, and other invertebrate activity in the shallower, rockier riffle areas. As a result, it's common for smallies in rivers to be very active mid-day. 2) smallies like to position themselves on the edges of slackwater areas behind objects, nose in the current, waiting for goodies to drift past. look for places where the current is broken up by rocks or trees, and cast to the seams between faster and slower-moving water. 3) Look for pools, where water is deeper, smallies may hunker down and watch for the current to carry a meal over and down into the pool. Cast to the front of a pool and let the bait fall down to them with the current. 4) Cast topwaters to shade (especially edges of shade) wherever you find it. 5) don't ignore skinny water, and don't be afraid to cast right to the shoreline -- even large bass may be very shallow, or right up near the shore.

Yours! South of you.

Haven't fished much recently but got out to do a river float today. Not quite the fastest action (or the biggest fish) I've had on this river, but very satisfactory--20 smallies and a couple largemouth in 5 hours. A handful of 14"ers showed up, like this one: And here's a somewhat beaten-up and abnormally skinny 18.5" -- couldn't have weighed more than 2lbs. A shame -- this would have been quite a nice river fish if it was healthy: look at the head compared to the body. I wonder if it unfortunately has a taste for discarded plastics... A much healthier one on the next cast, 2 inches shorter, but seemed heavier.

Black, White, Pumpkin, or anything in the general vicinity of those colors. Kalins & Yamamoto in 4" and 5"......and the original, Mister Twister 4"