MassYak85

Got out again yesterday same lake. It was warmer but just as windy. Was hoping the warmer sunshine would encourage them to keep pushing shallow but they seemed to have pulled back a bit. I still got 8 but overall smaller fish and they were way more finicky. I think the overnight temps dipping into the upper 30s with the cold front the day before probably shocked the shallow temps enough to discourage them a bit. Water temps in the same areas we had been fishing the day before were about 2 degrees cooler.

Does the Megabass or DUO have a weight transfer system? I would fish crankbaits so much more if they casted better in the wind. I think that’s why I lean so heavily on spinnerbaits and chatter baits as my go to search baits.

20mph sustained winds, air temps in the 40s, water temp 47 at launch. No way they’re shallow I tell myself, best go look on the drops outside the spawning areas. So we did that for about 4 hours in the morning fighting the relentless wind and freezing our ass off on the main lake. Then about mid day we pass by the shallowest area of the entire lake on the northernmost tip. For the hell if it we go shallow and find the temps just barely above 50….yea, guess where the bass were. DIRT. SHALLOW. Thats what I get for thinking I know anything about this sport I guess lol. Anyways, I ended up with 10 bass and my dad with 6, all on spinnerbaits. Kind of a weird bite though, they would follow it and only seemed to hit if you paused it for a half second and let it drop briefly. All pretty decent fish with lots of fight in them, probably all under 3lbs but a few were close. No signs of beds but they were definitely making the push to scout things out.

I picked a hell of a first day to go out (tomorrow). Wish me luck in the wind. Hoping they'll hit a spinnerbait around some of the dropoffs in wind blown spawning coves. If I have to fish a jerkbait or bottom contact baits in this wind it's gonna be rough.

If I use a snap it stays with the bait and is used instead of a split ring.

Decoy Egg snaps size 2, 3 and 4 depending on the bait.

I haven't been out yet. Not as motivated to brave the wind and the cold this year haha. I think in a week or two I'll start getting out there.

I am cursed with tying PBs. For a loooong time I was stuck at 5.40 on the dot. I caught 3 fish at that weight on: 1) Green Pumpkin Wacky Rigged BPS Stickbait 2) Lethal Weapon Swim Jig 3) 9" Trout MS Slammer I broke it on at 5-11 on a Bl8nkt Red Spinnerbait Then I broke it again with a 6-4 using a brown 3pc PB Rat....only to tie it at 6-4 again, with a black 1pc Monka Crawler

For the price point I prefer the Daiwa Fuego CT but the Lews Speed Spool LFS was my first baitcaster alongside an old Johnny Morris hand-me-down from my dad. It was a solid reel.

Uggggh I didn't think I needed anything before spring

Calling them for parts is extremely easy and quick I will say.

I feel like I have the opposite problem where I can usually figure out a pattern but it's all 2lbers 🤣. I need some of your big fish magic haha.

The newer model Tatula. They've been super solid reels for me and easy to work on it was totally my fault for putting it away wet and waiting too long to service it.

Jigs, lipless (jigged off bottom), or jerkbait if they're still holding on the deeper breaks. Once they start getting shallow I am usually just covering water with a spinnerbait or bladed jig and hitting key areas with jigs.

Destroyed the levelwind on my oldest Tatula reel during it's annual cleaning (bearings were rusted beyond saving) so I "had to" order a brand new one 😄

I would pop open the gears at least and see what those looks like. If everything still turns smoothly you're probably in the clear. If you feel any grittiness there's probably some rusted bearings somewhere in the reel.

SV3 is my current go-to.

Pulled the trigger on a new Tatula. I had an 8 year old one that was my workhorse reel and finally had to retire it lol. I pulled it apart and the two levelwnd bearings were not just rusted, but somehow fused to the worm gear. I destroyed both bearings, the worm gear itself, and the plastic housing trying to get it apart. Oh well, it had a good life and I've got other tatulas and fuegos I can use the parts on. Called Daiwa and unfortunately they don't make that specific worm gear anymore.

They're super fun, the wings can be finicky sometimes though. MDC makes a perch crankdown that I really like and I have a Cl8 possum I'll sometimes pull out but that thing is big lol. I've caught a few good ones but I have to be in the mood to commit to it.

The last couple years the Monka Crawler has been my favorite. Unfortunately it only works well with no or very light wind but man that is such a fun bait to fish. More wind I tend to go to crankdowns or bigger wakes like Slammers or the Gill/Trout.

I picked up a Psycho Trout last year only got to use it once before winter set in. Excited to try it out more this year. My Psycho Gill is pretty old and beat up haha. But sometimes those baits work even better it seems.

I'm from MA and have definitely noticed an uptick in quality fish since I started throwing swimbaits. I don't throw anything huge, usually 9" and below, but things like MS Slammers, Rats, Crawlers, and Gill baits get crushed. You're also around a lot of Pike so that is also a factor. I like titanium leaders but luckily don't need them too often up here.

I could definitely use some of these for the fall fishing above those shallow weed patches that haven't pulled back yet.

Was gonna order through their site. I agree the Foxboro store leaves a lot to be desired.

Been sitting on a bass pro card for a long time I might just stock up on some 110s before ice-out to be prepared.