Bdnoble84

I have alot of luck with rapala husky jerks in either hj08 or 10 depend on how agressive the fish are. Another great option is a small hair jig this time of year. I inserted a 3” smoke and pepper tube this year in place of a grub and there were a few days it was absolutely fire since the smallies were keyed on small minnows.

Have before, just dont remember which it was

New ties, second pudd ball is much better than the first.. Should get some bigger smallies goin.

Thats what I’ve been curious about. Did the founders come from Owner or was that Mustad.

I kinda like it.

Depends on time of year and fish activity. Any time fish are active spring to fall (water +60f) i like a x-rap. Cooler conditions ive had more luch with a husky jerk. They dont suspend consistantly though so i have to tweak them with suspen-dots and playing with larger/ heavier split rings. Suspendots go right behind the first hook. larger hooks work also but i kinda feel like they can kill the action more. If i want to work the top couple feet i go with a good ole floating rap. I love the metallic silver. Its been a go to since i was a kid. Ive caught a top of crappie on it too running it on a slow straight retreive along shallow wood. mind you im fishing northern rivers mostly for smallmouth.

Thank you. I always appreciate your posts. Found the jigs. Its an interesting tie. Made my first one last week based off Smalljaws tutorial but im out of 210 and 140 denier. Those take alot of tension to get the desired flair. It might be interesting with a zonker strip trailer as well. I think i’ll have to try it once i restock.

streamer tail bucktail or rabbit zonker?

Throw bigger baits if you think they are there. 110 size suspending jerkbaits and skirted jigs would be things to try. Maybe slowroll a spinnerbait in a shad pattern theough deeper holes.

That top photo with the sky is amazing.

If you are using acrylic you will need to clear over it, otherwise it will peal right off.

Probably coincidence but this guy did like a bigger lure.

I agree with MASSBASS. Fishing rivers/ current is about angles. And dont be fooled by what the current looks like on the surface. Especially in mid sizes rivers and bigger that current you think is pushing in 1 direction when in reality it is moving a different direct or maybe multiple directions. There is so much in play from general river flow direction to structure underneath, bank shape, depth and depth changes, multiple currents converging. There are a couple eddy’s I fish (spots where some sort of structure/obstruction forces part of the river to reverse course) that while the current is pushing back upstream the mass of the current is also pushing into the bank, so when I cast out and let my jig fall, even though it looks like the current should take it back upstream, it actually pushes it up to the bank or even downstream some. The fish will sit on the bottom waiting for current to trap baitfish and push them down to them. that said, if you want to play percentages and find active fish a great place to start is where the current break starts, particularly if the bank is causing the break. Hit that spot from a few different angles and you will probably pick something up. I will say, i focus more on how my lure acts than specifically what way i think the fish are facing. Things like jigs have better action and look more natural/ give you better control when you are pulling them with the current. Moving baits typically work better with the current as well but there are times when working against the current makes sense. sorry this was long winded. Its just my take.

Haha, absolutely. Its like shooting pish in a barrel (pun intended) 🤣. Generally i do prescribe to that school but based on the spot and what i know about it, there are some 16-20’s mixed in somewhere in the stretch.

I’ve stumbled onto a pattern recently. I found a spot where smallmouth are stacked 1 on top of another feeding on small 2-3” minnows. Basically throwing anything remotely resembling 1 of these small morsels will get bit. I ve narrowed down to an 1/8oz 3.5” tube in smoke and a 1/8 oz bucktail jig in a minnow pattern to be the best options for bites and hookup percentage as well as snaglessness since i am having to let them fall to the bottom in chunk rock. my issue is i’m running into alot of 9-13” fish with few bigger. I’ve played around with a few diff things for bigger bites but no luck yet. Is this a situation based on forage that im just going to have to weed through the smaller fish and wait to run into something bigger or would upsizing be the right call for increasing the avg? i know i can just upgrade to a jig or big jerk anyways and just take a chance i wont get bit but im curious everyones thoughts.

Ive looked at those too. Im looking more at quality between brands. Victory is new on the market so i dont know much about them.

Yes, sorry. 10313. I’ve heard alot of positive about Owner for sure.

Anyone compared the Victory 30313 to the Owner 5013? I havent used either brand yet. I’m looking for a stoughter option to my light wire EC lil nasty for my mushroom head jig in size 2 and 1/0. Not worried about fit. I dont think the diameter or eye shank length will be a problem. Just curious how the victory stacks up to owner, or even gami for that matter.

Smallie fishing mostly so i would say 7-10lbs, although last couple years there has been an influx of 8-12” fish (theory is dry springs leading to really good year classes in 20, 21 and 22. So I expect my “bags” to go back up.

Just hang them. If you find a good clearcoat for metal that is easy to use and durble/let me know. You can also powder aint them with a owder paint gun.

I just like tapping into my creative side. I’ve used the standard sized ones you sent me. Just tell me what you want for hair and i will gladly make a trade. No more school. Straight 9-5 now so i have time.

Dabbling in making my own jig blades. I’ve made a few with copper brass and stainless steel i got at the local hardware store. I could only find .035 in the steel and brass though. Normal blades are .020 from what I mic’d. Anyone know a good source for thinner metal. I did a google search but everything that came up was aluminum or reg steel. jig blades are easy. Anyone have experience making spinnerblade (obviously no cnc or press). Whats the best way to cup the metal. also ideas on good cutters. I habe generic sheet metal cutters and they do the job but not the cleanist.

Depend how many you want and what you are specifically looking for I make micro finesse jigs that i would love to see what they can do on Texas Bass. Not looking to make money. PM me if interested.

When they are that big its well worth the experience.