Ozark_Basser

Don't let them see you Try a lot of different baits Use a soft entry Use a color you can see well.

Do you have a combo to throw jigs? If so, use that one. It kind of sucks lugging around a big ole flipping stick with the rest of your gear.

Exactly what I was going to say. That and Bobby Lane's Grass Pig from Berkley.

Now that's funny!

Tube, jig, shallow crank.

Oh no he di'int lol.

Nice smallies and nice hoodie!

I know you're probably expecting someone to say this, but it's true. Backlashes are mainly up to the user. I can set a cheap baitcaster with virtually the same settings as an expensive one and still expect the same results when it comes to backlashes. That being said there are versions of some Shimano reels that are supposed to be really hard to backlash. Any Shimano reel that ends in DC is supposed to have some high tech cast control system. Is it necessary? No. But it answers your question, and yes they are very expensive.

If you post a pic, it will help.

Fish parallel to the banks. Burning single tailgrubs and beetle spins will get you bit.

I am a huge fan of all of these. Ron, Paul, Newt Gingrich, and the Game of Thrones ones are my favorites.

I never take the skirts off spinnerbaits. I have on buzzbaits and replaced it with a paddle tail swimbait, and it worked pretty good. It's worth a shot. I have the best success with spinnerbaits in wind or in stained water around shallow cover. Just the other day I was fishing around a sparse patch of lily pads. The water was pretty clear, but it was overcast conditions with a good steady 15 mph wind. Usually spinnerbaits don't produce where I was fishing too often due to the water clarity, but with overcast skies and wind, the water is not so clear to the bass. About every cast I threw at the patch of lily pads I would reel in a bass. Right whenever it deflect off a pad stem is when I would get bit. I've never done too well slow rolling them or fishing them deep, but fishing them through shallow cover with a medium speed retrieve while deflecting them off of cover has always produced for me in all four seasons.

I'd call the manufacturer unless you have a tip gauge laying around. They'll probably give the size in 64ths of an inch.

The biggest fish I've caught this year was on a high pressure day (30 in Hg) with bluebird skies. Fish weren't buried up in cover but were roaming like crazy. They were biting good also. It was the day after a new moon. I don't think prespawn fish care about high pressure systems.

I like a slow and steady retrieve, especially through grass.

Very normal. In theory, you should have better chances with brighter or darker colors like chartreuse, black and blue etc. I have total confidence in using the same colors in muddy water as in clear water. You just have to put it in front of their face.

Decided to try out my weedless Hudd 68 today. On my first cast one nailed it, but when I set the hook nothing was there. I thought for sure that the Hudd was going to be the ticket today, but it wasn't. The only fish on the Hudd was about two pounds, but he choked it for sure. Biggest fish of the day was the largemouth at the bottom of the screen that measured in at a smidge over 20" long with a 12" girth. Fish calculator has it at 4.8 lbs. Probably right on the money. Caught on a peanut butter and jelly arky jig with a Jackall iShad trailer. Looks a lot like the fish me and my nephew caught last weekend. It very well could be them same fish lol.

Lol Yeah you're right. My mistake. To the op, you must have disengaged the spool by hitting the thumb bar down while trying to get the snag loose. Either that or your spool got disengaged on its own without hitting the thumb bar.

MHX high mod gen 2 custom with alconite micro guides and Eva grips should run you under 200. I'm sure Mike from DVT could set you up.

Jig

The spool must have been engaged while you were trying to free the snag.

Mod fast

A traditional swim jig head would have a 30 degree line tie with a triangular head coming to a point at the line tie. There aren't too many different variations. The only thing that makes them different than some flipping or brush style heads is the degree of the line tie. Brush heads etc tend to have a 60 degree line tie. Also the hooks are sometimes thinner gauged on swim jig heads than flipping heads.

Kayak fishing and alligators? ....No thanks. It also seems like the biggest alligator in Florida would live in Okeechobee lol. Sorry I am of no help. I am just rather amazed by this. Hopefully someone has some good tips for you.

That 4-12 is a toad no matter where it was caught. We don't have gobies here, but we have sculpins. They sorta look like gobies.