Jig Rookie

Another late-night stop at the local neighborhood pond produced a few fish, two keepers. I'm loving the spook, even on these calm nights--heaviest fish of the trip came on the ned rig though, 16.25" and 2.29lbs. I just started fishing it a few weeks ago and it definitely gets bit.

Live craws or t-rigged? I got to stop at a local pond the other night right at moonrise and got a few on a Spook, one keeper. Water was slick calm so I wasn't sure if the Spook was gonna be too noisy, but they were eating.

I think he means "dawg" as in Strike King KVD Mega DAWG, or Megabass MegaDAWG (two big walking baits). Or, he's a hillbilly.

Just caught my PB rat fish the other night here in the NW Illinois burbs (21 inches, 4.91lbs), so yeah, they definitely work up here.

I managed to get out for a quick overnight session last night; threw the big Spro Rat 50 wakebait and caught my PB rat fish at 4.91lbs. She ate it in about a foot of water at 12:20a, right at moonset. She had some shoulders on her!

We've got some FISHY weather up here in the N/NW part of the state the last few/next few days with all the summer storms passing through; hope someone gets out hammers a few! I probably won't get out this weekend so I'll be checking in here to live vicariously through you guys ha. Let's get some!

Not sure about tourney fishermen, but for non-tourney guys, speaking for myself and others I know who throw these huge rats, that's exactly the point; we're trying to weed out fish. "Impractical for the average size bass," yeah, that's the hope. Then you catch a few of these and realize reality sometimes isn't what you thought it was.

If anyone isn't throwing the frog yet, the bite is ON, at least up in the NW 'burbs. They're eating em real good, from dusk til dawn. Haven't fished much during the sunlight hours, but low-light conditions the past couple weeks have been super-productive in my local ponds.

I'm in Northern IL and the big rat has been my go-to for my overnight/pre-dawn sessions. Your cheapest option that I know gets bit is gonna be the Spro Rat 50 (three sizes, the 50 is the largest). Check Tackle Warehouse. In the pic below the rat has no tail, it got destroyed. They still crush it ?

Spooky...

Boogie Back (wake-and-cranks aren't on your list)--it's so productive it catches the same-sized fish it's supposed to mimic.

You refuse to get married cuz you wanna fish?? Man, I think you've either underestimated the joy of marriage, or overestimated the joy of fishing ? Bright side: at least you've got a boat!

Nice--is a "coffee tube" just a coffee-scented tube bait or something different? Nice to see your ponds are producing too.

You know I'm not sure, I haven't fished one yet (he gave me one) and I didn't ask. I just assumed from the cupped mouth they floated and were a popper-style lure.

Starting em early! What a good-looking kid, and so lucky to have you for Grandpa, Slonze. Happy Father's Day!

Hey BR, My buddy took a trip up to WI and found these topwater baits in a small mom-and-pop tackle shop. The owner couldn't name them, said they were donated to the shop from a non-fisherman's deceased father's tacklebox. Any idea what they are? They're about four inches long and they came with a single hook (not sure if it was that way originally, but that's how my buddy bought them), I've never really seen a topwater with a setup like that. Thanks for all the help fellas, God bless and tight lines.

Got out to the pond the other night about 2a. Topwater bite is still on; it was calm, no breeze, so I decided to tone it down from the rat and use a smaller wake-and-crank, the Boogie Back. Caught a bunch, only two keepers, but the action was great.

True--most of the big, public preserve lakes are so pressured from shore these days it's tough. Neighborhood ponds have been key for quality fish this year.

Wow, you've got these in Wally's by you? You're lucky, take advantage. And yeah, Savage Gear is definitely onto something.

Good rigging ideas above, just wanted to add this: chances are, if you fish the Hudd low and slow and fish it often, you'll eventually lose it, ask me how I know. If/when you do, a cheaper option is the 8" Savage Gear RTF (ready to fish) Pulse Tail trout ($19.99 vs $32.99 for the 8" Hudd). The Pulse Tail is Savage's version of the vortex tail of the Hudd, has the same slow, soft, natural wobble that's great for cold water especially. These new RTF ones have a jig hook up front and a pre-rigged stinger over the tail, which for all us stinger-runners is a Godsend, eliminates the home-rigged stinger hassle. Just food for thought, keep grinding!

NICE, you even got a fat gill to eat the lipless? That must've been fun!

Went out and threw the Gantarel at a small local spot; this was last week on that last rainy, windy, wretched day when only a crazy person would be out chasing em ha. Got rewarded with a nice one. Where's everyone else, I know somebody's catching fish in Illinois besides me?

Quick stop at the pond on the way home from work produced another small one. This rat bite is addictive!

Storms came through overnight, leaving my neighborhood pond up the street all blown out. I got out right before first light this morning, figured I'd throw the big rat wake around in the chocolate and see if I could find a topwater bite. Was not disappointed--the last bite and fight was so violent he ripped the tail completely off! Hopefully the wake bite is here for good.

This, 100%. Everytime I see someone say, "...one of those gimmick lures like the Banjo minnow or the Flying Lure..." I think man, you obviously never threw those things. As a kid I caught my most and biggest bass off the Banjo, couldn't keep em off that thing. PB crappie to this day was caught on a Flying Lure.