Mobasser

In past years for the coldest water, I had good luck on a Mann's Little George. They do hang up easily, and fish seem to throw them easily too. I've used Silver Buddy, and BPS blade baits with limited success . Catt posted about the Rinky Dink, which is a line through tailspinner. I'd like to try this, as it would be much harder for fish to gain leverage and throw the lure.A 2" or 3" plastic grub can be good too, reeled very slowly or fished as a lift drop retrieve

Maybe the question is this. Will it make a difference, between a cheap rod and a high priced one? Not for everyone. For experienced fisherman, probably so. For a novice- not. My wife goes crappie fishing with me. She doesn't fish for bass. She does fine catching panfish with light jigs, but give her a 400.00 bass rod and some plastics, and she still won't feel the strikes. It's just not her thing. But a good bass fisherman can catch fish on a cheaper rod, because he knows what a light tap feels like. Fish whatever tackle works for you.

I attended a sports show in Kansas City over 30 yrs ago. Larry Nixon was the guest speaker, and gave a seminar on structure fishing. He discussed defining and locating structure, good baits to use, seasonal patterns etc. It was a great seminar. After he finished , he took a few questions from the crowd. One guy asked him how he developed his fishing style. Here's what he said: I've been very lucky to fish with so many great fisherman in my life. Weekend fisherman, guide clients, and top tournament pros. Each has their own fishing style. Some cast sidearm, some fish with the rod held high, others prefer a low rod. Some modify their tackle to suit what works best for them. Many don't fish in the classic, textbook fashion, but do things which may seem unorthodox, or even wrong, but they catch a lot of fish. Another interesting thing from this seminar: two fisherman trolling slowly along a bank, both casting identical plastic worms, could never duplicate the exact retrieve of the other. Why- they each fish with their own style. It's impossible to duplicate. He summed it up by saying that there is no right or wrong way. If your catching fish with consistency, your style is working for you! Personally, I agree 100% with all of this. Do you have a fishing style? Often, I think it's developed over years of fishing. What unique things do you do that define your fishing style? You may have to think on it, because after so much time your probably doing something subconsciously, and it's become automatic for you. There is no right or wrong, it's what works for you! What's your fishing style?

I fished with a friend years ago who only used Berkeley Cherrywood rods. His catches were good. He just didn't see the need to spend a ton of money on tackle. He actually won 1rst place in a club tournament we had against another club. He never worried about it. If one of these rods broke, he marched right into Wal Mart and exchanged it for another one

Nice fish! Before you give up in frustration, I would shop around. I'll bet someone can make your fish look correct for you

Hope you enjoy it. This year I really wanted to see the Saints and Chiefs in the SB. But that's how it goes.

I'm not a fan either I was pulling for the Chiefs. I thought Mahomes showed great leadership for a young quarterback. And, even though they lost, they made the Pats earn the win. It wasn't easy for them. I also feel the Saints got a raw deal on the calls. Ridiculous! Makes me not give a d**n who wins the Super Bowl. I'm hoping it warms up a little, and I can go fishing. Sounds like way more fun to me, than watching some biased refs ruin it for the team's and the fans.

What about a tailspinner? Little George or similar?

My setup is much like yours. I fish grubs too, but also use blade bait, tail spinners and I plan on fishing lipless baits also. Ever try a Mann's Stingray grub? Sometimes less is more in cold water

Catt, I like to be versatile too, but the Texas rig is hard to beat for me. I'm dealing with milfoil weeds, and it comes through cover better than any baits I've tried. This year I'm bringing back the Beetle Spin. A smaller spinner can work well too. As you know milfoil is tough to fish. But, that's where the bass are

Green pumpkin is my least favorite. I like blues, grape, purple, black and some reds

Jigs are great lures, with a proven track record of catching good size bass. Jig fisherman are usually some of the more skilled anglers on any lake. It will take some time and practice. Jigs can also be some of the hardest baits to learn.

4" worm Texas rig

Ya, I can't stand Brady either. I probably won't even watch the Super Bowl this year. Hopefully it will warm up a little and I'll go fishing instead!

The only lizards I've seen in my area are blue tail skinkBut, I've only seen them in hot weather on dry pavement. In fishing 30+ yrs I've never seen 1 lizard in or near any waters I've fished. But bass will strike lizards for sure. Only the bass know why. I guess we could say the same for many "creature" type baits too

Russ, I hope the defense does well also. I'm 35 miles north of KC, so naturally I'm pulling for the Chiefs. Should be a great game. May the best team win!

Well, tomorrow is the big game day! Should be good. I'm saying Chiefs and Saints for the big one. I hope so

Mann's or Culprit worm, Texas rig. Lead weight, mono line. I like several different colors. I still fish this classic plastic,but have added or modified through the years , as needed

Awesome Catt! Your a lucky man!

Mine would be a Zoom chunk

1 technique I'm best at? Plastic worm fishing. That's it

My grandson and I fish an old quarry lake quite a bit. 5acre size and deepest part is 33ft. Primary prey are crawfish , bluegill, and smaller crappie. Most all of the wood cover has rotted away, except for some slowdowns along the bank. Spring- we drag jigs slowly around the rocky areas. Summer- topwater baits early , then plastic worms. Fall- traps, topwater and jig/worm again. In summer a blade bait, tailspinner, or grub can be good over the deeper part of this lake. Water is clear. We use a wide bottom canoe and portable depthfinder.

Well written thread. I like tubes also, and rarely Texas rig them. I prefer a Jig head , usually 1/8 to 1/4 oz. Being from Missouri, I first became aware of tubes back in the 80s, from hearing and reading about Guido Hibdon, a great tube fisherman.

After you fish for a while, you can make your choice of tackle based on what you like, and what works best for you. Don't worry about what others think. Fish your style! That's what all the best fisherman do. You'll be more successful doing this.

I've never tried it. I imaging it would work though