FishTank

Not going there. Nope

I kind of do the same thing. I have downsized some of the stuff I bring with me when I am a co-angler or if I am on a fun fishing, kayak trip. I take two Plano 3700's and about 15+ bags of soft plastic. I keep one Plano box filled with BFS stuff and the other I keep empty until the night before. I then fill it with baits I intend to use before my trip. When I get back the baits go back into there appropriate boxes. It can be a pain but after a while, it's sort of fun.

Yap. Good stuff. 👍

He offers a fine cut rubber/silicone mix but not in a swimjig. It would need to be custom ordered.

I have been liking Johnny C's California Reservoir Lures as of late. Sieberts also has a great variety of swimjigs. Johnny will make you whatever you want with in reason. I like pretty much any of colors he offers. The top one was great last year.

For the most part, I change it once a year. I've had Tatsu last 3 to 4 years though. On the other hand, I've had some Sniper only last half a season but that setup gets abused with jig fishing.

Several different baits that have been game changers right out of the box in the past two years for me.... Bassday Mononofu 50S - An ordinary trout bait but in brings in fish like no other Evergreen PC-5 - In the small crankbait game this one is king Bass Puzzle Grasspiece - I fish it more than a bladed jig or a spinnerbait 6th Sense Whale - It's like a mini Magdraft Deps Sakamata Shad 5in - I don't get why it works so well but it does 6th Sense Congo Craw - One the best jig trailers I have used. Its tails are fragile though Megabass 3in Spark Shad on a Keitech Ball Head - In spring it's a fish catching magnet Megabass Baby Pop-X - Another I can't figure out but it catches more fish than any popper I have OSP Blitz EX DR- Changed my deep diving crank routine OSP Dolive Stick - Very versatile stick soft plastic. I can present it in several different ways OSP Dolive Beaver - Always catches something on a free rig. Also a good trailer OSP Dice dropshot - I use it when I want to show my friends that bass will bite anything (when they are getting skunked). CA Reservoir Jigs - They made me a custom one that changed how I fish jigs There are more but these go in and out of my rotation throughout the year.

I know we do a good job of keeping Sieberts Jigs in business but I'm curious how many jigs do you go through in a year? I know I loose one every now and then but I see guys getting hung up all day and just breaking them off. I saw a guy last weekend go through 5 or 6 in a span of 30min while fishing a rocky section of riprap. I know this isn't normal but do people really loose that many? I think I go through about 15-20 or less a year.

So I fished a mixed silicone/rubber jig 11 times this year and got skunked each time on various sizes and colors but I caught 4 on a green pumpkin one this past Sunday. I think my problem is moving it too quickly. The fish I caught hit either as soon as it hit bottom or just sitting still. I rarely can fish a jig on the rocky and wood infested bottoms on my lakes. If you let it sit, a rock will eat for sure. This guy hammered the mixed silicone/rubber jig I was using.

I have Almight on a BFS setup and no issues so far but have seen the mentioned issues on other people's reels. It seems, in general, something is going on at Sunline. I also had a spool of Sniper that didn't seem to last as long as it usually does.

My favorite thing to use the CCR for..... Free Rig. I've tried different rods of all kinds and this just gets it done for me. Its also great for dragging a 3/8oz football jig. 1/2oz feels a little softer but not bad. I prefer to throw them on the MBR 904C or JWR 894C.

I have the Legend Glass 7'2'' M and really like it. It is a little heavier than your normal graphite rod but loads well and cast a mile. The best thing about it is that keeps fish pinned. I have thrown crankbaits from 3/8oz up to 3/4. I have it paired with an old 2012 Anteras. It will bomb a 1/2oz square bill.

What are your thoughts on the two? Does one have an advantage over the other? When do you use Living Rubber Jigs instead of something else? Personally, I can't get a bite on living rubber or the ones that are mixed with both. I have tried for years and no real luck. A regular silicone skirt will out catch rubber every time. I have also tried it in cold water. Also, no luck. I'm just confused as to why fish in my lakes will bite one and not the other.

I have several pairs of gloves for cold water fishing. For whatever reason my family thinks that getting gloves every other year is a great Christmas gift. I have a pair of battery powered heated gloves that can save the day if its really cold but I usually wear a pair of mittens that flip open. They are basically fingerless gloves underneath. They also have a zipper pocket for a pocket sized hand warmer pack. The best thing for arthritis and cold hands is increased circulation, which means exercise. It needs to be both physical and cardiovascular in nature. Walking and hand strengthening gear, like a sponge ball or grippers is a good place to start. I can't squeeze this as many times as I use to but it keeps my bear hand grip strong.

This is where I settled my swimbait lines. I use 20lb Invizx for baits between 1oz and 2oz. For 2oz+ baits and up to (around) 4oz, I use 25lb Sunline Armilo. I too am ticked they discontinued Armilo. I don't get it. They had a good thing going with this line. I have yet to find its equal. I used Big Game for years and finally gave up on it. It would wear out quick and it only took a few lost baits to convince me it wasn't worth it. As far as FC goes, I have no issues with Invizx or even Tatsu in 20lb. I have not lost a single bait on them. I have mixed feelings on the invisibility factors of FC. I am more worried about getting a fish to commit to the bait. If line has anything to do with a fish not striking, the extra cost of FC is nothing compared to the cost of the baits I am using. With Armilo being discontinued, I did see that Sunline came out with Big Bait Fluorocarbon. It's supposed to be specifically made for big swimbaits. I don't need it just yet but I will be trying it in the future.

I like to use a ball head with an open hook and I hate to say it but the Deps Sakamata Shad just works better for me than a Fluke. No clue why but it seems to glide through the water better.

I've seen it but haven't done it.... weighted tungsten stickers on a Megabass Dog-X Jr. Depending on the weight, it will make it go subsurface. It might take some experimenting.

My drop shot setup for OSP dice...... I use spinning gear, braid (pe 1.2) to a 10lb FC leader, an Owner centering pin size small, Decoy or Gamakatsu rigged drop shot hook size 3 or 2 (sometimes bigger), and a 1/8 to 1/4 oz tungsten weight. I put the pin in top of the bait, the hook through the centering pin and then screw the hook secure to the bait. I fish it sort of like a jerkbait. Rod pointed down, I tap the slack, and let it sit. The idea is to get the bait to flex and then relax. I have no clue what the fish think it is but it works. Its not my go to but its fun to fish. For whatever reason, I don't like throwing a drop shot on casting gear. I'm in Indiana by the way.

I use a 4in line to the weight all the time when I fish one particular pond and a few spots on a local lake when I'm kayak fishing. Both spots have shallow sandy flats. I just toss it and slowly drag it in or hold it in place if possible. My favorite drop shot baits to use are the Berkley Flat Worm and a 3in Megabass Hazedong shad. I also like fishing the OSP Dice with the same technique.

I would use a lighter weight, 1/8oz, for that shallow of water. I only use a 1/4oz for 10-20 feet. 3/16 is generally my go between. I would side arm cast and thumb the spool to slow it down or feather your cast if you're using spinning gear. I would also use a shorter line, like 4in, for your weight. It still keeps the weight off the bottom and it help with the weight yo-yoing.

3/4oz is what I would use for dragging as well. 1/2oz would work too but I would use a stop and start retrieve or pop it off the bottom like a spoon. The only downside to these techniques is if are you fishing them in a stirred up muddy bottom. If that's the case, a heavy drop shot is a better choice.

A high end trolling motor..... I believe this is one of the most over looked things in fishing. I have seen more fish caught and more tournaments won, not by having the best high end gear but by having good boat positioning. If you can find the fish and hold that spot, it is the best advantage you can give yourself on the water. Having the best trolling motor you can afford is the key.

@Eric 26 The Vanquish is awesome but I would throw the Twin Power in the same mix. The Vanquish is lighter and has a slower start up on the drag. The Twin Power on the other hand is as smooth as the Stella, has immediate power and in general is a pleasure to fish. For high end stuff that's worth it, sometimes you're splitting hairs to get the best of the best. So you may be paying for minor improvements over the model below it, like the Stella and Twin Power. High end stuff I have that I think is worth it and I'm calling out specific models....... Rods and Reels G.Loomis NRX+ - 894C and 872S Megabass - P5 Kasumi Six Eleven Shimano - Twin Power and Vanquish 2500 Shimano - Calcutta Conquest All Models Shimano - Metanium 100 Daiwa - Steez SV TW Limited Shallow Spool Baits OSP DoLive Beaver - Pricey but always works Megabass Vision 110jr +1 and 110 Line Seaguar Tatsu Varivas Seabass X9 Sunline Sniper Invisible Seaguar Grand Max FX leader YGK OLLTOLOS WX Kayak Hobie PA 14 - Has never failed me but man I still feel the pain of the price tag There is plenty more I could add but these things are luxury items that get the job done and are essential to my every day fishing.

Who said a bladed jig is good in weeds? It might be good at collecting them, depending on the weeds. Is it good over and around weeds? Yes, absolutely. You can't exactly rip one through like a swimjig but if its thick, every bait collects weeds. The only bladed jig I have pulled through weeds, with a little bit of success, is one from OSP. It has a weed guard but its still questionable.

It was just an accident that I threw some topwater on it. I put a Pop Max on it after I broke off a jig and because so many fish around me were smacking the top of the water, I thought why not. Another rod that was like this was the 883C BJR NRX+. I was at local pond and broke off. I had a frog with me and put it on. It worked great. Granted I was throwing a smaller frog on it but no issues. I went down a rabbit hole with this rod as well for topwater.