river-rat

I don't have a problem with the paint coming off rattle baits. In fact, I always scrape about half of the chrome off of a blue/chrome or black/chrome Rattle Trap before I ever throw it. I believe it helps me catch more fish.

I second the Mustad Grip Pin straight shank hook. ?

I use red crankbaits and rattle traps in the late winter pre-spawn period. After the bass have spawned I put them away until the next year.

I have a family member that uses a 7 1/2" Culprit worm in Red Shad Green Glitter 99% of the time regardless of the time of year. I've tried my best to get him to use other plastic baits but with no luck. His philosophy is the fish will either hit it or they won't. He seldom gets skunked.

I've been using a black Johnson Silver Minnow with either a solid black or solid yellow rubber spinnerbait skirt as a trailer since the early 1970's. It's still one of my primary lures in the freshwater marshes in South Louisiana.

There are two stick baits/floating jerk baits that I am never without. A Cotton Cordell Redfin or a Smithwick Rogue. Either one in Gold/Black Back/Orange Belly or Chrome/Black Back. You cannot go wrong with either of these.

For "dirty" water I have two spinner baits that I really on. One has a #3 red or chartreuse colorado blade in front of a #5 Colorado blade that is copper. The other has a single #5 colorado in copper. I use two different skirts - either a white/chartreuse/yellow shirt or a blue/chartreuse/white skirt. I also use a 4" curly tail grub in silk chartreuse or yellow colors.

Arbogast Mudbug and Bagley 3" Balsa B - both the shallowand deep diver.

I still use them for night fishing because of the amount of vibration they put off.

I still use yellow for several applications. 4" yellow grub used as a trailer on a blue/chartreuse/white spinnerbait is very effective in muddy water. Yellow Snagless Sally is still one of my favorite lures. Yellow rubber spinnerbait skirt as a trailer on a black nickle Johnson Silver Minnow. Black and Yellow spinnerbait I have painted crankbaits Black and Yellow and have done reasonably well on them in the Atchafalaya Basin.

I'll fish a 3/4 to 1 oz. jig in shallow water year round to get a reaction strike. I also find myself swimming a 1/2 oz. flipping jig more that dragging it on the bottom.

Copper is one of my favorite blade colors. I use a #5 single blade with a blue/chartreuse/white rubber skirt like Catt is showing above.

I always have a spinnerbait rod on the deck. It's one of my primary lures.

I use them for all of my skirt making supplies. I have no complaints about their service.

11 lb. 13 oz. on a 10" junebug worm.

I still use the Devils Horse and the H.C. Baits Rattalur. I've also been using the Tease Prop Bait by Black label Tackle the past couple of years.

I use Strike King Denny Brauer Flipping Tubes and Right Bite Baits Flipping Tubes exclusively.

LM - 11 lbs. 13 ozs. (caught in Florida) I am probably most proud of an 8 lb. 12 oz. LM I caught in the Atchafalaya Basin in 1997. An 8 + pounder from the Basin is a giant for that area.

Both Juebug and black and blue are very effective in south Louisiana. I always have these two colors in the boat.

I fish the Bayou Black area quite a bit. I've had the most luck on texas rigged plastics, spinnerbaits, swim jigs.

It's rare that I don't have a texas rigged tube available.

Pretty much the same for me.

I always snug the punch stop against the weight.

The Rage Bug has been one of my most productive lures this year. I use them on T-Rigs, Punch Rigs, and as a jig trailer.

In mid to late summer a black Little N, Bandit, or Balsa B with an orange belly is one of the best colors to use in the Atchafalya Basin. The water color can be heavily stained to muddy. I've been using this since the early 70's. This past summer the Basin was muddy in most areas. This combo produced best out of all crankbaits I used.