Joedodge

I’ve really taken a liking to a caffeine shad and a 4/0 ewg. I fished them a few hours sat morning. Had great hook ups. And enjoyed the sink rate of the crew one shad a lot better than a zoom fluke. Bothe have a place and time for sure. But the caffeine shad was a lot easier to fish I felt.

They paid off in Florida and I guess now in Iowa lol. Just how I fish I guess. But I enjoy the methodical approach and picking apart a piece of cover or something I just ordered a bag of those! I’m excited to Texas rig them and burn them and drop them into holes in the grass and such

lol!! I’ve always been good with really slow methodical baits. Honestly power fishing style lures I’ve always been terrible with. I can barely cast and retrieve a spinner bait with out pausing and bouncing it lol. Buddies back in Florida would burn them. I’d be over there taking forever. We both caught fish just in our won way lol. @Pat Brown truly is. An amazing teacher. Lots of knowledge and attention to detail. And honestly just great to chat bass with. Well said!!! I’ll take a 1 pounder cast after cast though rather than getting skunked lol.

Thank you!! I can’t thank you enough!! The great advice and conversation has helped so much. Now I just gotta find them this big consistently.

Thank you!!! Those were caught on a weightless 5 inch yum dinger stick bait. Watermelon red. And a brown swim jig with green pumpkin trailer. . Literally had to dead stick them pauses were 30 seconds between movement. And then they hit so soft. It was all line watching. Honestly right spot right time I caught them with in 40 minutes of each other according to my pics on my phone.

My three biggest for the years far since march. I didn’t have a scale. But they are my PB fish for sure. Jigs and Texas rigs were the go to for these fish. Learning new waters in a totally new part of the country for me has been a blast and frustrating. Slightly frustrated resizing the pics mad them grainy. Grrrrr

I love my siebert snipers. I use the 3/16 version finesse cut. Compared to a bitsy bug great I think. I hop and drag them in cooler water and swim them when warm. They are excellent quality. And great to deal with. Wire tie is really nice. Won’t rot and break like the rubber band. And as said any color your heart desires. If you just wana go to the store and grab something get a missle baits mini swim jig in 3/16 or 5/16. Those aren’t a bad jig at all. But the sitter is better and cheaper.

Idk never bothered me. I’m usually wet from digging slime and. Moss off my lutes from the algae blooms lol. Dang Midwest

I generally always wear sunscreen and long sleeves. When I kayaked in Florida a lot it was always pants, long sleeves a hat and gloves. The sun is absolutely brutal. And I gotta make one statement here. If you are on antibiotics read the papers that come with them!!!!! I didn’t one time and was on one that makes you light sensitive. We went out fishing all day ( before I started really covering up) I got sun burned so bad I ended up in the ER that night and in bed for 4 days. The suns no joke at all. And protect your eyes too. Get a decent pair of sun glasses

20 years of being a diesel mechanic starting at 17. For almost 37 my hands are like leather. Even after applying lotion. That said though. The sun still destroys your skin. When I kayak fished a lot in Florida I always wore sun gloves. You gotta protect yourself!!

Can’t say I’ve ever caught a trophy bass. My bigggest is about 4 pounds. That said out of what you listed I’d say jig. You can up or downsize the presentation. Make it as bulky as ya want.change its ROF. It’s in general a versatile lure for all size bass. my biggest fish have come off a lightness rig or weightless 5” stick bait worked slow though honestly. They always get bit. Flip into any cover easy. And can be worked multiple ways.

I generally fish whatever I feel like. On the up trip and back lol. Sometimes I will switch. If I do it’ll be a slower lure. Say a stick bait worked slow. I generally commit a trip to a bait though. Or try hard to. So I may just change presentation. Lately it’s been a swim jig. So I may swim aggressive the way down and slow it down on the way back. But generally a stick bait would be my switch.

I currently use a Lews speed spool LFS 7.1 its a workhorse and I hit it on sale for $59. But if I ever do it again I’d like a Shimano slx. I have a slx70 on my Texas rig/swim jig finesse rod. And I think Shimano 150 size reel is more comfortable than the Lews. Maybe I’ll be a big boy and get the curado lol

We could see them on the beds in Florida. Whether it was a pond or a lake. You could always see the distinct sand bottom circle cleaned out in the vegetation. A lot of times near structure. We may toss a black trick worm in there at them. But after a few casts if they didn’t wana play just moved on. Canals were always easy to spot beds because you were up higher. I never found it to be unsporting really. Everyone I caught the second back in the water. Swam straight back to the bed. im in the Midwest now. The ponds I fish are basically ground level I don’t have an elevated look down. So I’m blind casting to any vegetation or edge of it I can see. Visibility to about 4 feet? I’m probably casting on beds or where potential beds are. Our water temps are rising and weather has stabilized warm. But I can see the beds so who knows. Maybe I am? Besides that some fish live shallow they’re whole lives some stay deep not every single fish makes the transitions. Maybe they’ve always there and that’s there home they are guarding

I could not agree more with @Pat Brown I fish some ponds that get a lot of pressure. Publicly stocked ponds. You see people at them all weekend. If ya talk to them they will tell ya they haven’t had any bites. I got a small one over there. You find plastic worms on the ground. Bobbers near the shore. I can go during the week I the morning and throw a swim jig around and catch fish all morning. 1 pond in the chain is loaded with 1 pound fish. Another isn’t as hot of a bite but has much bigger fish. I believe they get used to people. And noise and stomping around. I believe they get conditioned to lures also. Or the size or flash or noise of a lure.

I picked up a 3500 at Bps. I’m using it for terminal tackle. The latch closes tight. The dividers fit nice and snug. And alot more customizable. I’m pretty happy with it.

That’s pretty dang much where I am at lol

Thanks everyone! I’m just trying hard to simplify what I carry on the bank. And make it easier. I don’t wana bring the kitchen sink. I wana focus on catching fish. Not dealing with tons of tackle. That’s for at home when I’m not fishing lol

Pretty much like it says. So you? They take up a ton of pack room in my bank bag. So I was considering not using them.

I’ll give that a try. I’ve never really tried then swimming works actually.

That’s an issue lol. These are round ponds. No shade only downs or anything. I gotta find some with some structure. I’m trying!!! Yea.black or black blue works very well for me. Ohh I’ll check that color out!!!

Thanks pat!!! Excellent points! I’ve figured out these ponds don’t do well in blue bird sky’s, obviously. Morning seems great. During the week. Weekends are to pressured. Even tho water clarity is 3-4 feet darker jugs and worms do better than browns and greens. But those do work too!! Right now it’s starting to be some a grass fields. And the surface is rapidly choking in slop and filament algae

As spring comes alive in the Midwest. The ponds are scumming. The grass is growing in the ponds. I noticed today since it was blue bird sky’s ( fishing wasn’t great) there is a ton of frogs and a ton of crappie in the large pond. Does that affect your lure selection? Do you go darker like black and blues to imitate a crappie? Or just stick with the panfish look as usual.

I will be ordering some swamp monsters!!!

What color do you call that!? I gotta order some