MassYak85

I think so. The double hook keeper and the snap to the blade make it worth it for me. Typically I buy a bunch when they go on sale so I'm averaging like 14 bucks each when I buy them. But they're super durable. I have one that's almost completely lost it's skirt but the wire tie is still in place, it's just caught that many fish and is still going strong. I generally only lose them to giant pickerel or fishing super windy days getting a bad backlash.

I got in the habit of it. If it helps preserve the drag stack a bit great, but it also keeps me honest to set the drag appropriate for each time out.

It's huge, but that's about it. I like the regular DoooN spinnerbaits, I just wish they would use a better hook. Those things bend out on 2lb fish if you aren't careful and use a soft rod.

Solid deal, if I didn't already buy like 12 jackhammers last year in a similar sale I'd be all over it haha.

This transition time can definitely be tough. I feel like once we hit the mid 50s again I start to get those more aggressive feeding days.

Tempted to snag another PB rat. I've wanted a black 2 piece for a while.

That fish would have had to be suuuuper skinny to be 3.17. Usually a healthy fish at 21" is at least 5lbs for me.

I sometimes just buy the normal straight shank gamakatsu hooks and make my own keepers with shrink wrap to mimic the roboshot ones.

Tactical Bassin had a video recently that kind of legitimized something I've felt for a while but couldn't quite pinpoint. Essentially that the fall transition starts earlier than we think and as soon as those first few colder nights hit the fish start behaving differently. My last couple outings even going back into mid august the bait seemed to be acting different and the fish were just a bit off. I have struggled in the past this time of year but I think it has been in tandem with my unwillingness to fish deeper. I have been having more luck on those deeper weed edges or edges of flats in spots the weeds are most healthy and attract the most baitfish. Everywhere else has felt like dead water. Every year there's always that one tree on the shoreline that has it's leaves changing super early and I think that's really the first hint. Nature knows what's coming and I'm sure the fish do too.

I have a few confidence "search" baits that I might cycle through. Once I feel I've found something I can call a pattern I will pay more attention and slow down in those areas and see if I can increase my bites. But sometimes you just have a bad day and spend all of it looking. It happens. Usually when that happens I end up fishing "history" based on the time of year and going back to structure or areas I know the fish "should be" and fishing slow to see if they are just in a mood that day. Once that fails I usually call it.

Y'all finally got me, snagged some 15lb samurai for my spinning reel. I have it on my jerkbait and crank baitcasting setups and have liked it a lot.

My trip out last weekend I noticed a lot of concentrated baitfish activity around the most lively and thick weedbeds and the bass seemed to be in lock step. I actually had one bass spit up some baby bass from this spring! I doubt all the bait we saw were bass fry but definitely a few of the smaller schools. Of course we caught them on thing that didn't resemble baby ass at all haha. I even switchd to a small bladed spinnerbait at one point to try and match the hatch a bit better but they didn't want it. Sometimes you just gotta stick with what is working and not overcomplicate it. The cooler nights are definitely here and that switch to the fall bite will be here before we know it. I'm hoping to do more fishing in september but it's traditionally been a tough month for me.

Awesome bait, I just wished they casted a little better.

I fished today with my dad in central MA. I had an awesome summer worm bite going on the 10" black power worm. Probably got 15-20 fish and all very solid 2 to 3lbers, capped it off with a 5-0. My dad started us off strong in the morning with a 5-1 on the psycho gill and did some damage as well on a jig.

He's in central MA. His Psycho Gill is the crappie pattern one.