IgotWood

I was fortunate to have some great mentors teach me how to fish when I was a child. I didn't get into bass fishing until I was about 30. I moved to VA, where striper fishing in the surf and fly fishing for trout are not really a thing. There was a small lake right next to my house. I bought a bag of senkos and dragged my kayak in there, and the rest is history haha. I didn't have anyone to teach me the ropes in bass fishing. I resorted to this forum and have learned a TON. I also learned a lot from watching guys like Timmy Horton, Chad Hoover, and Iaconelli.

I agree with this. Another very versatile jig for me is a NorthStar Southpaw jig. Fantastic jig for flipping, pitching, dragging, and swimming. It comes through grass very well, durable, hook up ratio is great. There is nothing I dislike about this jig.

Big worms are deadly for me late in the summer! I mostly fish it on a standard worm hook with a 1/8-1/4oz weight...super light. And often times I'll get on the water before daybreak when there is no wind at all. I'll fish the worm weightless. Let it hit the bottom and rest for 5-10 seconds....lift the rod slowly to 11 o' clock...let it fall...repeat. DEADLY! Big worms have been a great bait for me up until fall when the water really begins to cool. Then I like to fish vibe worms with a heavier weight on a relatively fast swim retrieve.

I was reluctant to buy one. They’re rather pricey for my taste. Saw one in the shop one day and my curiosity got the best of me. Caught a 5lber on one of the first casts with it and then never had another bite on it again. I’ve only fished it a few times.

Some days I notice the fish are particular to size and profile, other days it’s a certain color, and sometimes they want a specific type of action. We got on a good jig bite one day and my buddy ran out of of black trailers, so he put a black senko on a craw jig and kept the bite going all day. Why wouldn’t a boot tail work?? Many guys often use craw trailers on swim jigs....?‍♂️

NuCanoe! The second seat slides into gear tracks on the deck. It take two seconds to add the seat or remove it. And the boat it super stable. I’ve seen two grown men on one of them before. The transom is also designed to accept a trolling motor.

Traditionally crankbaits are used in more natural colors for bass fishing. But for me, black is a staple color regardless of species. I love 6th Sense squarebills. They’re my favorite crank. I haven’t been able to purchase one of the black colors, so I spray painted one last winter and did very well with it!

I use them. But from my experience they hang weeds just as much underspin jigs. Great hook though with a good hookup ratio.

I agree. A Rage Menace or Rage Craw is usually my go-to trailer. As is a Speed Craw. I do not rig them sideways. No need, from my experience. If its it’s cold and the fish are slow, I’ll go with a trailer with less action. In which case I probably won’t be swimming it. Funny...I bought a few bags of these with huge confidence and have never been able to score a fish with them. They sure do look nice in the water though. I’ll keep trying.

A grass jig or a Texas rigged ribbon tail or trick worm with a really light weight, fish super slow. A small sized swimbait rigged weedless might have fit the bill also. Those conditions are tough. To be honest, I would have lost my patience and junk fished solid structure in shallow water. But even still, I never count out a jig and a jerkbait in the cold months. Was there an option to explore some deeper water? ...With perhaps some different structure, like humps and grass edges? Fall and winter are really tough for me. I just don’t have the patience for it. But sometimes if I can’t get a bite in shallow water, I’ll go and graph the deeper areas and try some different things there. Like dragging a football jig, jerkbaits, drop-shotting, yo-yo a lipless crank. A lipless crank is also a very good option in the grass btw. Even when the fish aren’t active, a lipless crank can produce bites. Hang in there man. Winter fishing for me is about being outside. If I catch a few fish, it’s a bonus.

It’s an “all-terrain” jig for me. Works well in structure and grass. It also does ok as a swimjig if you’re in a pinch. It’s like a hybrid between a grass jig, brush, and arky.

Perfect! Thanks so much!

I am looking for a mold for a specific jig head. Don’t know what this head I called and cannot find a mold for it. Any help?

I love this hook! It’s super sharp, and I rarely miss a fish with it. And for a light wire hook, it is way stronger than you may expect. The hook point is also really tough. I have never bent or dulled a hook point on a hang-up. However, the one thing I really hate about this hook is that is seems to rust pretty quickly; in my experience, faster than any other jig hooks. And it always seems to be the hook point that rusts first. Once that happens, you might as well throw it out because a file or sharpener just doesn’t do it. Despite the one complaint I have about this hook, I still use it a lot. I buy plenty of Siebert jigs with this hook, and I tie a lot of flies with it, believe it or not.

I like this condition on my lake. Dropping temps, a big cold rain, and dirty water. Usually I find the fish on the same structure and depth they normally hold at, but have to fish slow and methodical. Even if the water is still warm enough for normal fish behavior, if it has dropped 10 degrees in a day or two, the fish be slow, and they will glued to structure if the water is dirty. I like pitching jigs in this scenario. Fish slow. And make at least a few presentations at each of your targets. I’m still waiting for the first big cold rain this fall. My lake fishes very well like this.

Thanks guys!

NuCanoe Frontier! They’re super stable! They’re a little clunky to paddle, but if rigged tandem, your wife can help paddle too. It also has a motor-friendly transom. It is a little more portable than a canoe, and also a little nicer on solo outings than a canoe. I am in the market for one this year so I can take my kids out with me.

I plan to be fishing some 6’-10’ diving crankbaits, and lipless cranks in the 3/4oz range. I have never really messed with the kinds of baits and I have no idea what rods I should be looking at for these applications. What do you like? I am going shopping tomorrow.

Lol! I intentionally and habitually make a random cast in a very unlikely area as soon as I get on the water to dismiss the first cast superstition. This was passed on to me by my father when I was a child.

Never catch a fish on the first cast. If I get bit on the first cast, I won’t set the hook.

I'm with MrFrost on this. A 7' medium action. I'd say my hookup ratio is very close to 100%. You don't even set the hook. The fish bites, and you just keep reeling.

What type of river are you fishing? A big, quiet, flat river? Or a river with fast moving water, rocks, whitewater? Generally, a spinnerbait would be productive just about anywhere, as well as small soft-plastic swimbaits. I've always fished a whitewater river for smallies, where swimbaits, squarebills, and small spinnerbaits were the usual tools for the job. Regardless of where you're fishing, look for current seams, eddies, and objects that obstruct the current. Focusing on those areas will certainly help narrow down your "search".

They work! Fish don't necessarily need to SEE something. They know it's there. In fact, from my experience, usually the subtle baits get the most action at night. If I'm just blind casting and trying to cover water, I'll go with the loud, vibrating, moving baits. But if I am fishing at targets, worms and jigs would be my go-to.

It's such a fun way to fish. And super productive too! It took me a couple years to figure it out, but once I got it...I GOT IT! Sometimes when I know I am in good water but not getting bites on the jig, I'll t-rig a craw of some sort and peg the weight. Hold on tight!