jomatty

i also will c-rig a 3x lizard in the prespawn.

in similar conditions ive been catching most of my pond bass on a jig/chunk or a fat ika. more numbers ont he ika but the larger fish have been on a jig. matt

aaron martins

i get what i call an "impending feeling of doom" regularly. usually dosent pan out and may just mean im a basket case. anyhow thats too bad about your car, but as far as the sort of things you were considering its pretty good, at least all the people in your life are safe and secure. i think craws right that these feelings can be a self fullfilling prophecy. i also think that we can tap into our subconcious for clues that all is not well and that can be where the feeling comes from.

yep i hit doug hannon up with this in the ask the proffessor and im hoping he gives some hints because i think about it a lot.

sounds like a great time. i love bank fishing too. about the only time i use ring bodied worms are on a c-rig. i especially like them at night, on a crig. matt

id definitely have a jig tied on at all times. if the water is reasonably clear i would also have a jerkbait tied on as well. you may be able to catch some shallow but i would definitely stay on areas that are at least near deep water. matt

how many of you guys use painted blades on your spinnerbaits? I know anumber of people like a red kicker blade but am curious how many like the all white or chartreuse blades offered by a number of companies. ive never used them simply because it seems to me that they wouldnt have the flash that nickel or gold would have and ive always thought of that as a key component to spinnerbaiting. i know that JT Bagwell uses colored blades from a previous post though and am curiuos when you guys are doing so. matt

as far as you guys that say you pick baits first by weight, is that because you will change the blades regardless? when im picking a spinnerbait to use what blade configuration is usually my first order of business and everything else is second. just curious? im not a real spinnerbait guy so i usually just by terminators because ive had success with them and they seem to me to require less tuning. matt

jigs, jigs, and oh yeah jigs. oh yeah also hair jigs sometimes. when it gets really bitter cold then ill go to pork but if i can at all avoid it i stick with plastic chunks or craws. matt

finesse fishing of all types is really productive for me but ever since i started using baitcasters i have rarely put them down to go light. its on my to do list.

RW is right on the money. senkos and fat ika are my number one baits for fish that i can see whether on beds or not. i prefer the senko for cruising fish and the ika for bedding fish. i think the slower fall gives them more time to turn on them. matt

either t riged (owner straight shank or wide gap plus hook) or wacky rigged (owner mosquitto or gammy finesse wide gap) i fish them almost always the same. i toss em out and let em fall on a slack line paying close attention to the line as the lure falls. i deadstick it from anywhere between 5 seconds and a full minute or more and then with a slow sweeping motion i sweep the senko of the bottom and again let it fall on a semi slack line. i repeat this through whatever area i am targeting. i never fish the senko like a jerkbait as i prefer other plastics for this presentation. i will occasionally use a screw in bullet weight if i am fishing a senko in cover and i will also c-rig them occasionally. matt

stamina is a good choice and i would just buy the individual components rather than a kit. that way you get exactly what you want and it will be cheaper overall.

i was just curious how much mono line you guys are using these days. i have almost completely stopped using it and am not sure if it is good or not. the last hold out was my cranking rod but even that is now spooled with floro. im wondering how many of you guys are using mono with jigs as well. i use either braid or a hybrid type line but when i read of guys like denny brauer using mono it makes me wonder. so what are you guys using mono for and what do you like better about it compared to some of the hybrids, floros, and braids. matt

in the recent thread about what we planned on working on in the coming year i was stumped. believe me i have no shortage of weaknesses but couldnt really think of one that needed more attention. now i remember. i used to fish spinning gear almost exclusively but became so obsessed with learning to us bc equipment and learning to pitch that i stopped using it very much at all. even when i know i should downsize i use baitcasting gear anyways. about the only thing i fish on spinning gear anymore is shaky heads and drop shots and i dont fish them much at all. this year im going to start using the lighter gear more for sure. i may start fishing senkos on spinning gear, although im not totally sold on that yet. more likely it will depend on what size line i can get away with. anyways great read and now ive got my new years resolution (or one of them anyways). matt

yamomoto makes far and away the best grubs in my opinion... deadly and often overlooked bait for largemouth and a smallie staple. matt

im a little surprised at the disdane for c rigs just because of how effective they can be. sure its not as much fun as other techniques but i cant dislike something that can be that effective. for me it would probally have to be spooning. i keep trying to get into it but am having a hard time.

if it cant be put into the micro i would think it could be added just before pouring. gonna have to pour cool and work quickly but it could be a good idea. let us know how it comes out.

i could be wrong but i think like an ika you have to attach the skirt seperately. so you would just use a double tailed grub mold and buy the skirts from yamamoto or elsewhere. this makes them somewhat expensive to make. matt

although i rarely miss fish with the ewg hooks i have an even better hook up % with straight shank hooks. when i use an ewg hook i like the wide gap plus owner hooks. i like a heavy hook with senkos and think it gives them even more wiggle and shimmy. matt

i like to run and gun when i can. however i think you need to know when to slow down. for me when its really hot or really cold then i fish painfully slow and really milk my areas trying to bonk one on the head. if there is a cold front i milk the areas. if its springtime then im gonna run and gun and stick with the high % areas to cast to as im moving by. matt

my wife caught a big bull frog on a ribbit this year in our pond. i look over and she is hollerin and yellin and dosent know what to do lol. it came off pretty easy though. matt

my favorite fishing memory is the time that my son, wife and i went out to a small local lake for some fishing. My son who had just turned 3 pitched a little fit and said he only wanted to fish with "the kind of stuff daddy uses". im kinda bummed since i wanted him to catch fish and he always has a blast catching em on worms but whatever... i tie on a jig and grub. first cast and i hear him hollerin. i think hes prob snagged but walk over. his line is going back and forth and he catches about a 2.5 lber. ive never seen someone so proud to have caught a fish on a lure (except maybe me watching it). he went on to catch 3 bass that day, the same amount that i did lol. then a few day later we went to the river. he had seen me catch bass on a topwater and again wanted to use what i was using. i was really not happy about the treble hooks but thought what the heck and tied on a floating rapala. first cast and whammo. a 2 lb smallie jumped all over it. it was tough and jacob had his hands full but he got it in. his face when the fish hit that lure was priceless. exhileration and such surprise that it bordered on terrified for a second. anyways those are my two favorite fishing moments. they arent 100 fish days and the largest bass was around 2.5 lbs but when i think of fond memories they top the list. matt

every day i wish i was going to fork a little more now all this talk of good food...oh man. matt