BassFishingMachine

Just wanted to know what most of you do during this time of the month when what water gets pretty cold. I always thought you should downsize your baits because the bass metabolism slows down. But I thought I read in some articles, people talking about using big baits this time of the year. So I just wanted to know what you guys do. Do you Upsize your baits when the water gets cold? Or Downsize? If this helps, I particularly be planning to fish jigs, and hard jerkbaits.

I still go out in this cold weather as long as its not raining, I can take the cold, but combining the cold with the rain is just too much for me to handle. Its alot harder for me to catch fish during the cold times, but I can manage 1 or 2 here and there if im lucky. Although since I only fish small local ponds, once they ice over im done, the ice is too dangerous to walk on and break through to ice fish, so its basiclly unfishable. Thats the time of the year where I start freakin out... There is nothing I hate more in the world than waiting for the ice to finally melt. I start buying more and more tackle, and I get pretty ticked lol. But even though it sucks waiting for the cold to pass, it is pretty good all in all. Gives me time to organize my tackle, clean all my poles, change the lines, and think about what techniques to use in the future. Really gives me some good preparation time, so even though its the time of the year I hate the most, I have to thank it in the long run. Ps. Although when the local lakes ice over, I'll sometimes go to a river that the water moves a bit, so it doesn't ice over. There aren't many bass in this river, if any at all, but there are some sunnies. I'll tie a small fly or tiny end of a plastic worm to my ultralight spinning rod, set the drag extremely loose (so the small sunny gives some what of a fight), and mess around.

So your telling me, if I thread the pork frog on the jig, it won't come off without me damaging the frog?

By blunt side of the knife you mean the handle? or the opposite side of the blade? And if you do start chopping with the opposite side of the blade, that wont do any damage to the legs? I heard somewhere a hammer?, will that work? One more thing I'd like to add is, every time I see a jig rigged with a pork trailer, it is always rigged with the hook just going straight through the pork, like in this pic http://www.fishingwithbobj.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/scale.jpg, I prefer to thread the trailer up the hook rather than just hooking it right through the middle and letting it dangle like that. Can I fish the pork by threading it up the hook? Or is it better to hook it through the middle, and let it hang like that?

Hey, just bought my first Uncle Josh pork rind baits, in pork frog. Just wanted to know if you guys cut the area that divides the feet, so the feet are more free to wiggle, or do you just leave it as is? I already know I have to keep them moist because Ive heard they dry out pretty quickly, but is there any other tips I need to know about using these baits? Any good ways of making them have more action?

I don't have a pool, so sadly I can't do this :'(. But does the chlorine have any negative effects on the baits or anything? Like can it add a bad scent or, cause any problems?

What were you using?

I use 3/8 and 5/8, and they both work pretty well. The 5/8 seems to shine most during prespawn. As for colors I really haven't noticed a increase/decrease in hits by the color of the jitterbug, I use black, Frog, white with black spots, and bluegill and they all get bit. Although I have rules I follow to determine what color im going to throw, if this makes a difference I couldn't say, but its a confidence thing. I use the frog pattern during daylight in seasons where the temperature is warm, and frogs are about. I use bluegill anytime around spawn during the daylight. Just because bass seem to feed alot on bluegills during this time due to the fact that they eat their eggs, Ive caught many bass during spawn with bluegills half way down their throat, so I feel most confident with this color anytime around/during spawn. Once it gets dark I'll use black, only because I believe black is the most visible at night. I'll throw the white during early fall because I believe the fish are feeding more on baitfish so can't go wrong with white if your trying to imitiate baitfish. I'll also throw frog patterns during early fall too. But like I said I don't really notice a increase of hits or anything due to color, the rule I follow is all confidence related, but confidence is one of the most important things in fishing so im going to stick with my color selection rule . By the way, you guys saying you mainly use black jitterbugs, do you mean you fish it even during daylight? I always thought black was a unnatural color so I mainly stay away from it for hard lures during daylight. (disregarding muddy water conditions with softbaits), I fish it at night only because I feel everything is going to look black anyhow, so might as well use a solid black for the best shiluette effect.

I can't see the first one you posted actually catching fish. But I guess if your going to spend that much for it, you don't plan to actually use it.

Tin2win is exactly right, it will definetly be the only lure you want to fish. I just started getting the hang of the jig about 2 months ago, and I use it constantly now, it catches some beautiful size fish. And I can definetly say I catch more quality fish now that Ive been using the jig then what I did with the senkos and rapalas. Its a amazing lure, it takes some time to get some confidence in, but keep throwing it and keep working it along the bottom eventually you'll get one to take it. Once you get one, and you have confidence in the lure then you will catch them again and again with the jig. And trust me you'll see what I mean about more quality fish .

Ive tryed the trickworm a few times but can never get a bite on it. Everytime I try it I rig it weedless/weightless. The fish just don't like it around here I guess.. I have a few bags of these worms because I like the looks of them, but Ive just never caught a fish on em. I plan to give them another shot eventually, this time rigged weedless with a small bullet weight.

Thinking of trying this tomorrow, anyone ever do it with any success? You think its worth a shot?

It looks like a lure that might catch some fish, I'd give it a shot the next time your thinking of using a spinnerbait. If it doesn't get bit, just tie on the good ol spinnerbait.

I currently use Megastrike for softbaits, and YUM Crawfish Scent Spray for my Jigs.

Yep, happens to me all the time with GYCB, just somethin you gotta try and work around. I occasionally open a pack of my GYCB baits, to arrange them in different positions so they don't get molded into undesirable shapes. Its a pain in the ***, but its worth it. GYCB is a great bait, but this is a problem you have to deal with, I just work around it.

Well then whats up with the pegs being 5dollars also? lol

You can use the drop shot rig fishing from the banks? I thought it was only usable when on a boat.

The price is ridiculous though, its a great weight and I use them, but like LuckyInKentucky said, 3 of em for 6 bucks is just wrong. How can this guy live with himself charging people that type of money for bullet weights. I hope someone copies his tungsten weights, and sells them for half the price, he'd deserve it and I'd never buy a tru-tungsten again. > Another thing I notice is its not just the weights, the guy is just plain out expensive, all his products are no less then 5bucks, his bulletweight pegs are even like 5$ I believe.

Since I pretty much just started fishing jigs, I was wondering if white jigs would work better then the blue/black and the natural greens during the winter. I figure with the fish targeting more baitfish, a white color jig with a single tail white grub would be a good choice over the regular colors. Just wanteed to know do you any of you guys have any luck with white jigs? If so what trailers do you use with them, and do you flip them into cover and work them slow as you would a black/blue jig with a craw trailer on it?

Trout are delicious, thats the only reason I fish for them . They stock the rivers around here mainly in April, so I fish for them awhile, but once it hits mid May I just can't resist the spawning bass and drift away from trout. Although wading down a river in pursuit of them is fun and adds to the great taste of the trout (when you caught it yourself, makes it taste just that much better). But other then April - Mid May Im bassin. Also Ive been going to the same spot for about 6 years now every opening day of trout season, so I know majority of the guys who show up there opening day, and its like a Holiday for me, I won't miss that day for my life 8-).

I can never get Mepps Black Furys to spin, (the ones with the painted blades). Although all other mepps, and small rooster tails work great for me.

I don't think theres a difference in the two, they both smell the same to me. The only reason they added salt into the bag IMO was because alot of bait companies have been doing it, but I think its no better than the original. From what I hear the salt is only good when added into a bait to change the fall rate of the bait, other then that I don't see anything special about it.

Isn't the tournament strength just salt added to the packaging? While the original doesn't have any salt?

I've caught a few bass with them, but nothing worth bragging about. I had the booyah boogie bait, but I lost it in a stick pile recently, and I don't think I will buy another unless I see it for a good price.

Black/blue Booyah Jig 3/16 - 5/16ounce with YUM 3.5 inch Chunk in black/blue as trailer. Or a Black Strike King Bitsy Bug Jig 1/16 - 1/8ounce and for trailer either YUM 2.75 inch Chunk in black/blue or bluefleck, or Netbait Paca Chunk 3 inch black/blue.