JRammit

When someone says fishing show, Bill Dance is the first that comes to mind!.... Always been, always will be #1 My second favorite was City Limits Fishing with Ike It was a refreshing change of pace to see a pro angler out of his element... Actually "fishing" rather than just showcasing a new product on some private farm raised bass I havnt seen it on in a while, i heard they replaced Ike anyway so prob wouldn't be worth watching anymore

Im in North Texas too... But im north of Fort Worth Yea, fishing has gotten tough!... I blame all the rain... Everything around here is mud now! Usually when the fish slow down, i downsize... But that doesnt do much good in muddy water My solution: I tied some bucktail to a few old 1/8 oz roadrunner heads i had laying around.... Small profile and slow fall with enough flash and vibration to to pierce through the dark murky water.......... Havnt had a chance to get back out yet, ill let ya know results when i do

While you can catch bluegill on just about anything, i found the best bait ever is a grasshopper head..... Yea, just the head Im not hunting trophies when i fish bluegill, im just out to show my youngest boy that fishing IS fun...... So if you have young kids, give this a shot Hand them a jar with holes punched in the lid and turn them loose in the yard... Most kids love catching bugs, and it saves you a trip to the bait store Shouldn't take long the right time of year, they'll come back with a dozen or so hoppers... Size doesnt matter You can pinch the heads off ahead of time, but i just take the whole jar to the lake..... The heads are just the right size to cover a #8 hook, so the fish cant pick around the hook, and they are so bony that the kids can catch several without re-baiting... That also saves you alot of hassle!... My kid caught over 30 one day and we only went through about a half dozen hoppers

Have to be wary adding anything to plastics... Certain oils and household items can turn your baits rock hard over time Ive played around trying to make my own scent/flavoring for plastics.. In the long run i got tired of throwing baits away so i just buy premade scents now

Blade

2016.... New year, new house! Had to jump through ALOT of hoops to make this happen!... But it finally paid off and we should be moving in next week Along with the new house comes my new work shop!.... My goal for 2016 is to finish replacing ALL store bought lures in my tackle box with home made.... Im half way there already Also would like to convert my jon boat... Some day a real bass boat would be nice, but until then i wanna get the most out of my little 12' tin can As for fishing... 2015 was fine... I found a new spot and im getting to know it pretty well... But ive been so heavy into bass fishing this year that ive neglected the other species......... So i need to fry some crappie and catfish in 2016!

My thoughts exactly! The little lake i fish is teaming with baby bass and bluegill.. Ive tried matching those colors with little success.... The colors that work best there dont resemble a bass or bluegill in any way

That's exactly how i use to feel Lots of guys make their own jigs for that reason... I pretty much make everything else, i just havnt made any jigs or spinners yet.... I was considering it, so thought id post this thread to get a little more insight I got some answers i was looking for... Besides the obvious difference of skirt vs no skirt Unless i missed it, no one mentioned a difference in "feel"..... I would imagine a jig would give your hands a better feel of the lake bottom... But i can't say for sure, cause ive only used T-rigs

Color selection is a huge topic here... Everyone has their favorites, and conditions narrow down the choices..... But as a general rule for each angler, do you try and match the hatch? Or do you go for off the wall colors?? Its always a battle for me... I like my bait to stand out, i figure the bass see bluegill and shad all day every day, when my bait swims by i want it to get their attention........ But on the flip side, i know they chase and eat those bluegill and shad too.. For the confidence factor, its difficult not to throw those colors For this thread, we'll talk all types of baits....... Do you match the hatch? Or go off the wall?... Or both?

Im right there with ya on the worms!... I could easily take everything else out of my tackle box, fish nothing but worms all year and be happy! But it helps to build confidence in all other types of lures... This year i focused on crank baits.. I use to hate fishing cranks!.. They looked so good in my tackle box, but theyre expensive compared to a bag of soft plastics, so i was paranoid about losing them.... Then i started building my own... I cant say its cheaper, but im definitely more motivated to use them since i put forth so much effort to make em! Fishing clear water is tuff!... I would stick with plastics too!..... My main spot is usually a slight green stain with 3-4 ft visibility... But with this last round of rain we got, it turned into chocolate milk!.... Threw me off my game a little, cranks have produced a few, but nothing else is working now

For shallow water, especially water standing over weeds... Cant beat a weightless strait tail worm rigged with 2 small (#6 or #4) hooks... Casted on light tackle, with a jiggle/pause retrieve... It looks so alive, its scarry! Caught my PB on a Roboworm fished this way several years ago.... Since then, i designed my own worm for this application, 8" long with slow taper down to a whip like tail, one of the most successful baits ive made yet!.... So that's what i would use

Same here... And what was slightly stained clear water before, is now murky mud!

How bout all the rain this year!!! Fishing was rough for a while!

Over looked by bass fishermen, but standard practice for crappie fishermen....... The slip bobber A slip bobber adjusted to the correct depth will suspend your bait over the vegitation........ Especially handy if youre fishing from shore, because you can use a vertical presentation as if you were jigging under a boat

Im on the same page!... I had a right handed baitcaster that was stolen several years ago... Ive been fishing spinning tackle ever since and got use to working the rod in my right hand I just recently got another baitcaster, and i went left handed... I LOVE IT!... Click, cast, reel.. Click, cast, reel... And all my coordination is in my right hand, so it works the rod while my clumsy left hand turns the handle One thing hard to remember, on a left hand reel, the drag is backwards.... Lefty tighty, righty loosey...... I lost a big fish to a bent hook because of that last week

Great answers!... I knew there was more to it than just a skirt... I think every fisherman gets set in their ways, and im no different... But im looking to broaden my horizons Great to see some fellow tackle makers here!... I do pour my own plastics, but i make all my molds.. Not only is it cheaper, but i can customize my baits...... Currently i dont have any jig making supplies, but i can change that! One question... The lakes i fish are 99% soft bottom, and about 50% of the bottom is matted weeds... If you had to choose one style of jig head for these conditions, what would it be???

I left in 2003, moved to Denver... Came back in 2011, i recognized part of it... But Loop 288 is practically its own city now!

First post here.... Wanted to start a discussion on something ive always wondered...... Hear both sides of the story, or find out if im the only one on my side Ive been bass fishing for 25 years, and ive never used a bass jig.... Before you condemn me, let me say ive caught plenty of fish throwing a Texas rigged craw bait, using the same presentation you do with a jig My reasoning at first was budget.... $3 for one jig, or $5 for a whole pack of weights and hooks.... A no brainer right??..... When im dropping something to the bottom of the lake, i don't wanna have much invested in it But, i soon found more advantages to this approach 1) cost... (just worth saying again) 2) color selection... I can carry infinite colors of my craw baits, and change at my leisure without re-tying 3) fall rate... Once the weight hits bottom, the bait free falls the rest of the way.. Using larger slip weights has less effect on the bait than larger jigs 4) sound... While a jig can tap against rocks to make sound, a Texas rig can do this on its own as the weight taps against the hook (or bead) on every jerk, even over a soft bottom When you hear "Texas rig", its usually followed by "worm".... But its far more versatile! So lets hear the other side from the jig guys... What am i missing out on??

Thanks! Glad to be here! Denton has changed a lot!... Just got back from there, last minute Christmas shopping

Howdy! Joined the site a while back, finally found some time to look around... Certainly ALOT here to process!!!.... Im not new to bass fishing, but there is ALWAYS more to learn! Names Jeremy... Been fishing since i was old enough to walk... Little bit of everything... I like crappie and catfish in my freezer, enjoy catching bluegill with my youngest boy, and every other summer i use family in Colorado as an excuse to go after trout and walleye.......... But every since i started watching Bill Dance when i was 10 years old, bass fishing has been #1 for me! As mentioned, im located in NorthTexas... Im just north west of DFW... My main waters are the LBJ Grassland lakes, but i also fish Bridgeport a few times a year Started making my own baits almost 2 years ago... Soft plastics, crank baits, top waters, crappie jigs ect..... Just like fishing, its an addiction!... And i can quit any time i want to... Just not right now Nice to meet cha!

Also from Texas (north east)... New to the site (just joined) but not new to bass fishing..... However, there is ALWAYS more to learn! Glad to be here!