Joedodge

My son lives in lake lure and worked in chimney rock. It was realy bad there. Thanks for what yall did.

Thank you! I’ll Give that a shot in spring. I love throwing them. Just not overly successful lol.

That’s aweosme! Flipping rattle traps. Never have gotten good with them. Always get tired of cleaning muck off the hooks and switch lures lol. I’ve had some days like that last year on jigs tho.

We talked about it once a while back. He liked to set a mh rod to about 4-5 pounds if I recall. He used water bottles in a bag if I remember correctly.

I hope so! I know it’s been snowy and cold In the Midwest.

I can’t flipping wait lol. If we get water that isn’t frozen but it’s still cold. I’m still gonna go try haha

I had a really great 2025 season on the 4 ponds I fish. I caught a ton of fish and a few big ones. Learned what techniques work what spots were good. But I’m really excited to fish the Same ponds this spring. Same techniques. But I’ll have to find the fish again. Watch the vegetation and slop come on. Even gonna learn a new pond that is river fed right by my work! Anyone else get excited for the chase?

Man that’s a great video thank you!

Thanks everyone! I’ve set them all the ways I’ve mentioned over my years of fishing salt and freshwater. This year it’s gonna be 15 pound big game. 15 invizx flouro ( since I have some left). And braid. So I think I’ll be locking the drag down lol

Do you guys go by feel? Do you hang a weight from the line? Do you use a scale?

Thanks everyone for the advice and help. It’s appreciated. Got some stuff to try and work on when the water isn’t hard lol.

So I have tried all kinds of line this year. Fishing top water, and bottom contact baits mostly. Fished braid,mono, and flourocarbon. My question is do you adjust your hook set for the line? I’ve always kinda been a swing for the fence hook set kinda guy. But do you soften up when using braid? Swing harder for mono or flourocarbon? Thought this would be. Funnier topic and I may learn some stuff.

I’m gonna say weightless caffeine shad. I did great on them in the spring. Literally caught me a ton of fish and easy bites on the fall. Now mine that I’m trying new this year will be the bellows gill. I bought on pack just to see what all the hubbub is about. We shall see.

Man that sucks. I loved the price point of the low riders.

Thank you everyone!!! @Pat Brown holy cow thank you for the detailed info!!!

So I read an article on the new Berkley glide bait. ( not sure if I can say the name im always confused what will get me in trouble here). They say it’s slow sinking and make a 6 inch version. Anyone ever try fishing glide baits in smaller ponds and such? I considered maybe trying the 6 inch this year.

Very nice! If it’s like last year about mid march I’ll start catching. But it’s a slow game. April will get good tho

Thanks for all the great advice everyone!!

This has always been my exact worry. And what I noticed last season. 15 pound big game I had to pay attention for the bites but I could drive a jig home or T rig. A whopper plopper whatever. But when I dropped to 12 pound big game I just didn’t have the hook set ability I felt. Maybe it was me

I enjoy spooling my own reels so that’s no issue. I fished leaders for years in salt water. Braid to flouro. But I just don’t care for it in freshwater applications. Looking like I’m gonna be running a reel with braid and some with mono and just keep it simple this year

I have a spool of 12 pound also. Maybe I need to revisit it. I agree I don’t wana over complicate anything

That is probably the route I will go. I have a spool of 12 pound big game also actually. It just feels so spongy to me? Is the best way to put it. The only thing I tried it on though as some top water poppers.

Thanks for the advice so far everyone!!!

I use them when throwing jerk baits. I don’t do it a ton but that’s what I use.

My biggest wasn’t weighed but measured. It was 22 inches in a local pond on a black and chartreuse finesse jig I tied with a black zoom super chunk trailer.