justfishin

Sounds like a great starter kit for the guys whom are going to try jiggin. I tie my own as I am hook particular as well as material particular. I like to tie my jigs either sparse for a faster fall or heavy for a slower fall. It depends on what I am doing. Most of the store bought jigs come with a flippin hook which is much thicker and fine for flippin but, I like a finer wire hook for pitchin and hoppin. Gamagatsu and Owner are good hooks as well as a few others out there. Nickel will last you longer and may be a little more expensive but, they don't rust. I also tie stand up jigs and hair jigs for smallies. Most store bought hair jigs come with a smaller hook than I like ( I use 3/0 ) Also, the eye comes in either a horizontal or vertical position. I prefer a horizontal eye on my jigs, I feel they work better in a wood situation. I am glad to see someone take a interest in jigs on this post because I have read a lot of just the opposite. Jigs in the wood,pads,grass and around docks and pilings are a lot of fun and can be big fish baits as well. Good luck to you. One last word, when jig fishing, 99% of the time the fish don't play with them so, when you feel that famous tick, mushy feeling or that no weight feeling or anything out of the ordinary, set the hook. Really become a line watcher with jigs as well because they hit them on the fall a lot and all you will see is a line jump or you may feel that no weight feeling when you lift up. Use a MH or H action rod for your rubber jigs for largemouth. I like a 6'6" MH fast to X-fast for pitchin and swimming with 14-17 lb test and a 6'6"- 7' MH-H for flippin with 20 lb test. Big Game and Stren Dura Tough in low vis green are two good lines for Jigs. Have fun!!!

Here I go again. I read a lot of reviews in this post and see that some of you like braid. Personally, I have tried it on spinning and baitcasting reels and I do not like it. Give me copolymer anyday,my opinion. I just wanted to read some opinions of why you like it and what you think is its advantage other than the obvious pound test to line size issue. Thanks.

Fin-S-R, You don't like flippin shallow cover ? !!! Shame on you.

Where do you buy those rods without the hook keeper? I have been looking for them as the hook keepers on my rods weigh close to three pounds ! ---------- Hook hangers not only add weight they also bring hooks dangerously close to the rod, often allowing them to scratch and nick the surface of the blank. Most Japanese anglers overcome the lack of a hook hanger by simply hanging their bait at the base of the first guide standoff. The lack of a hook hanger will likely be viewed as ridiculous by most mainstream anglers, but welcomed by enthusiasts.---------- After reading the review on this rod along with some of the statements proclaimed as in the above one, I cannot wait until a later date when some of you rod builders in this post get your hands on one and give us your opinions.

I use almost all MH for my worm rods but, I do use mediums for weightless wormin such as Senkos and such as well as four inch worms and never had any problems. I really do not think you have a rod problem. If you say that your hook is sharp and you have the right size then I think you came across the ugly fish called a shortstrikadess tailgrabitiss or maybe one of those panfish that like to aggravate fisherman. I have ran into them as well and they sure are a pain. Seriously, if you giving a good hook set and it is not even breaking through your skin hooked worm, I honestly think it is a short striking fish or bluegill or something along those lines. Good luck. I have even had those buggers hit my 12" worms and actually hang on during one of my profound hooksets and brought them out of the water as well as been hit in the chest with them,lol.

Hey RoadWarrior, How is that Yo-Zuri Ultra Soft on 2000 Stadics ? I saw it in my local Mom & Pops and thought I would buy some and give it a whirl. Low stretch? Does it come in green,etc.

Its funny you said that " Fishbear ". I have caught a few channel cats on the Upper Potomac here in Maryland on spinnerbaits. When I told a buddy of mine about this he said I had too many Sammuel Adams the night before !, LOL.

I love those jigs. How cold are we talking? Are you talking green bass or brown? If you are talking green bass and it is super cold like 38 or so you could step over to a hair jig and a 101 pork frog in black and black. I use this for both L&S in very cold water. Also, if you are fishing deeper water because of the winter conditions use a casting jig instead of a flippin jig as the hook is finer and you will get a better hookset. I tend to trim back the rubber in the winter on my jigs to the bottom of the hook and remove some of the weedguard and trim it back as well at a 45degree cut. You mentioned that you were fishing in VA as well. I expect you are talking Lake Kerr, Lake Anna and Smith Mountain? If you are, I use 1/2 jigs with Zoom Super Chunks on those places but for this time of year I would maybe step down in trailers to maybe a smaller trailer or even a worm trailer. I use mostly a black jig with a Flippin Blue or Sapphire Blue trailer. I mean the colors are endless in jigs but, I use black because it works for me but, brown or olive will work too. Absolutly make sure you have white with a white trailer on hand, these places are full of shad and white can be great this time of year because some of the shad are dying and falling close to the bottom in an erratic manor. Hang on though, as Stripers will wack these jigs as well, especially Anna and Kerr around the deep water bridge piers like around the Rt. 208 at Lake Anna . Just my opinion.

The Sandra Bulluck suspender works but, I tend to like the Anna Kournakova or Catherine Zeta Jones better.

Do the treble hooks look like Excaliber, in other words, are they offset?

What is the appeal of the X-Raps? I never used them and am curious. What is the difference between them and say a Rogue, Rapala and such?

Ditto on the Chatterbait, they were a great additon and I had a lot of luck on them this year. Hmmmmm, I didn't use a X-Rap yet. I guess I will have to add that to my---I am going to throw more cranks and hardbaits next year. What is their appeal?

For cold water say, 45-52 I would go with a no. 10 or 12 suspending Huskey Jerk or maybe even a down deep Husky Jerk which will run about 8-10' after you wind it down on #8 test. It depends. They work. I like to throw them on a 6' spinning rod---M to MH on #8 test with a twitch,twitch, paussssssssssssssssse until you can't stand it retrieve but, let the fish tell you what they want.

Look in the stores and try to match it up or go to your local tackle dealer and I bet he could help you identify this lure. Sounds like either a floating Rapala or a Smithwick Rogue.

Isn't it funny how we all tend to leave something out of the game. I am as guilty as the next guy. When I am fishing for green bass I flip or pitch jigs as well as tubes 80% of the time. Its just hard for me to put down that 12" worm, black 1/2oz jig with a flippin blue trailer or 5" black/red flake tube, they work so well. My least favorite way to fish, and also something I rarely do, is throw a crankbait. I have tons of them and have caught fish on them but, at least for me, I have not gotten those quality fish on them, at least not consistantly. I have witnessed the opposite. I keep saying that I am going to throw them more but, then when I go to tie one on I switch to a spinnerbait instead. One reason I don't throw them is because I hate treble hooks, or trouble hooks, as I call them. I am going to break out the Normans and DT's I have this year and give it some more time. I do like to throw no.10 Huskey Jerks for smallies in the river and it is a good way to wax them as well as fun but....yada,yada,yada.

Hello Got Bass, You can go to Bassmasters.com or I have seen a lot of good articles in here. Is their a local club in your area or maybe some B.A.S.S. Federation Chapters near you? I was involved with the Maryland Bass Federation for a lot of years and we had a regular Youth chapter and many of us volunteered to teach techniques and so on. We also volunteered as boat captains and had many bass tourneys for the younger bassers for the federation as well as putting them together on our own. I hope there is a local Youth chapter near you. Go to Bassmasters.com and check out what your state and area have to offer. Read up on the basics of flippin and pitchin and then after that, practice,practice,etc.....This is by far my favorite way to catch largemouth bass. I love flippin jigs and it certainly is a big fish method as well as fun. It may look difficult to you now but after you get these two techniques down they will become second nature to you. Good luck in your endeavors---Jim http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/youth/news/story?page=b_youth_program_overview

I use #6 or #8 on all my spinning reels. I only own the 2000 or 2500 series Stradic's though as far as spinning reels. I think they are 130 yard of #8. I guess if I went to a 4000 series I wouldn't be afraid to go to #12-#14. I only use mono and never liked braid but, I guess braid would change this. For me if I go higher than #8, even to #10, I switch to one of my Curado or Abu Garcia baitcasters. Every one has his or her own personal preference. Whatever works for you is what you should use. Just my opinion.

Thanks y'all. I was curious as they are a large part of my arsenal and work great for me. I hear you on the gin clear water situation though. I sometimes lose confidence in this situation as well, unless its really windy, but, for smallmouths in gin clear water you can use a 1/2oz spinnerbait and downsize the blades and burn it, and I mean burn it, and it can be deadly. I also change most of my spinnerbaits blades over to Indiana blades after I purchase them as well if they don't come with them, except when I am in the grass. Another time is in the summer when I am night fishing I use a big Colorado blade one arm and they can be fantastic. The last 3 or 4 years I have also had a lot of luck on points and drop offs in the late summer with heavy 1-1 1/2 Clearwater Spinnerbaits. I read about good Ol' Woo Daves with this bait and tried it and yes, it works great. Always learning something I guess. Thanks for the interesting answers.

I usually use a t-rig around wood,pads,heavy mats and peg it. When I am in the sparse grass areas I don't peg it. I use a jig and worm to swim with and sometimes for flipping although I usually put a chunk on as a trailer for flippin. I also like to hop a jig and worm down points and bluffs. When the water is real clear I like to use a 1/16-1/4 leadhead and Alabama rig it. I usually use a green pumpkin or watermelon 6" trick worm for this presentation. It can be deadly and certainly seems to put a few more in the boat when nothing else seems to work.

I disagree Avid. I think the ironing does a great job except now all my shirts are Green Pumpkin !

There are a lot of good spinning reels on the market. I only own Stradics. I have had them all for many years and have been more than satisfied with them. I have looked at the Presidents and my buddy owns two and swears by them. Can't beat the price either. I would still go with Stradic though. They are an awsome reel. My opinion.

Zara Super Spook, in clear or bone color.

You can use a hairdryer to heat them up some, that might help. Don't worry though, if your worm is bent you can always adopt.

I am a newbie to this post and really like it. I have recieved some great tips on tackle making,new techniques and ideas and have been motivated to try new things and have seen how greatly fisherman disagree on a lot of topics. Not disagree really but, how everyone does things so differently. One specific thing really stands out in many of the post . I have heard many of the guys comment about spinnerbaits " I don't use them ", " They don't catch fish ", etc. I am curious as to why they have this opinion and what helped them form this view on this bait. Spinnerbaits can be used in so many different venues. Slow rolled, burned, reeled slowly along the bottom, brought through the trees and wood, contour following down points and..... I have always used them and have done well with them, especially on Tidal Water ( Lower Potomoc and Upper Bay in Maryland ) and for smallmouth in the rivers. I am just curious to hear some reasons. Thanks-Jim

Very tricky question. It really depends on the season. I would rather, if I have to make a choice, to spot fish a area that I think is probably going to have some fish and take my time and pick it apart. This is probably going to be around the spawn and late summer. For pre-spawn and fall I probably will use more of the search bait ( spinnerbaits, swimming a jig or throwing a crankbait ) until I think I am on to an area. For pre-spawn they are usually following those underwater roadways such as creek channels and moving up the points leading away from the main lake and to the more shallow upper lake and in the fall they are heading back to the main lake via similar routes and sometimes its tricky to find just how far they have already moved. Just my opinion. There are always variables to consider such as cold fronts,etc. Good post, thanks.