SPEEDBEAD.

You'll be fine and having fun in no time. Find some weeds or a nice laydown and hold onto that rod!

Whew! All this snow almost pushed this to the second page. LOL, I don't think it's going to get warm. Ever.

Good deal, thanks fellas. I hate getting people on the phone that don't have a clue.

I disagree with this statement 110%. Let me tell you why. Small and cheap is a waste of money in the realm of swimbaits. Small, while effective for numbers, lacks the drawing power of an actual swimbait (we'll say 6" and up, which is still relatively small). If you are going to throw swimbaits, then IMO you are looking to improve your size. Cheap is a relative term so I'm not exactly sure how you are using it. There is "cheap" as it refers to hollow bellies are they are relatively inexpensive in cost per bait. Then there is "cheap" as it refers to different low-cost, single-packed soft and hard baits. Sure, I can buy THREE castaic boot tails for the price of one 6" Hudd, but if that Hudd catches fish and the Castaics sit in the box because you don't get bit on them, where is the value in that? I went the "small and cheap" route when I first started. I was warned by the guys who were showing me the ropes just as I put this warning in here. I try and let guys know from my own mistakes. The other nice thing is if you figure out that swimbaits aren't really your thing, you can typically resell a quality bait. Using the above mentioned baits, say three Castaics cost you 15 bucks and one Hudd costs you 15 bucks. You WILL NOT be able to get any money back out of those Castaics, unless you return them to the store. LOL. I can guarantee that you will be able to get at least 10 bucks back out of the Hudd. Just some things to think about. Take it for what it's worth.....

Have you considered changing your hookset or the amount of time you let the fish have the bait? I can't say that I miss too many fluke fish. The beauty of a fluke, IMO, is partly due to its weedlessness. Wouldnt want to screw that up.

LOL, this time of year they are SKITTISH as all get out. Oh, got 8-12 inches coming on Monday now! LMAO! This winter is never gonna end....

Wow, what a pain in the butt. I never expected it to be so difficult. Hazmat training required? I expected to pay a hazmat fee but not be certified! LOL Any of you guys ever shipped ammo?

I've used them for non-fishing related items, no worries.

I've caught all three you mention and I still think the smallmouth fight harder and get bigger. Biggest spot I have ever caught was about 3lbs on KY Lake and I've caught a ton of 3lb smallmouth to compare it to. There really is no comparison IMO. That spot was feisty, but it didnt bulldog and jump like any of those smallmouth.

40's and rain? Try 30's and snow flurries and then come talk to me. LOL

If you are looking for a hard swimbait, I'd recommend a High Power Herring. Look him up, not sure if allowed to post the link to his site.

I'd go just to play.

Good to hear. In PA, snow is upon us. LOL

Pretty accurate description there.

I was never really a fan of the "bow to the fish" technique if they were going to jump. If I hook into something that I know is good size, they get DRAGGED to the boat if it is on my swimbait gear. I'm not in the mood to play a fish on swimbait gear as most of the time the bait I'm using is big enough that if the fish jumps and shakes its head, that fish is gone. If I do feel that they are coming up, the rod goes right/left HARD, whichever way is opposite of the fish. A net is a huge help too.

I dig his show. I agree that his persona seems genuine. If you are like that, be like that all the time.

Stupid. Really, really stupid.

I'd throw 'em for sure. Those weedguards are a bit long for my liking, but that is easily fixed with a few snips. I'd also like to see less of a severe angle on the weedguard. Using the first picture as an example, compare it to the third pic. I realize they are different styles of jigs and hence the mold is different, but I prefer the angle of the weedguard in pic #3. Color selection, fit and finish are all very nice looking.

I'm planning on going up there on Saturday around lunchtime. I think we are launching up-lake at shy beaver. I'm thinking smallmouth are going to be more active than largies in water that cold, but they are still gonna be deep. I'll report back with what I find, IF I find anything at all.

Haha, used to make the kids at juvi detention facility watch it. Always told them, "See? Could be worse!"

I been known to cut a lil' rug....(sorry, Major Payne reference) I've gone out a few times, water is cold. Real cold.

In my experience fishing jerkbaits, there are ones that excel due to their movement, others due to their sound and others due to the amount of water they displace and how they displace it. In dirtier water, I'll tend to go with a larger Pointer 128. It displaces more water and projects sound better than the smaller jerks that draw bites solely from being seen by the fish. Bass have a lot of senses and IMO sight is not really up at the top with regards to catching them. I fully believe they "feel" most lures before they ever see them.

Still playing a bit.

You sure about that? LOL

It's supposed to look like this: LOL, yet another slow morning.