Mobasser

For the older fisherman, have you been quick to learn new teqniques? I recently tried drop shot fishing. Fished it for 2 hrs with little success. I've had fair success on shakey head worm fishing, as well as a simple split shot rig. Neither of these are new having been around a long time. When I finished with my drop shot fishing, I immediately grabbed my small box of bullet weights and worm hooks. In 3 minutes hooked and landed a 15" bass.This has happened so many times through the years, I couldn't count them all. Once one thing doesn't work, I go to a Texas rig, and can catch some fish.I know many of the newer teqniques work well. It's obvious by tournament wins, and the success of weekend fisherman as well. Do you keep up on all the latest things, or do you tend to use what's worked for you over the years? After 35yrs at this sport, I'm branching out- but I've been a little bit reluctant to change what's worked. Anyone else feel this way?

Nice jigs! I especially like the pumpkin color

Nice Toxic! I've not done as well on a senco as you, but I don't consider any soft plastic an idiot bait. It's working well for you for sure

I like the Zoom critter craw in various colors. Rage menace grub in the 3" size is good too. I like a little smaller trailers overall, not more than 3"" in size. Like WRB I started with pork trailers. Wish they were still available

Team9nine, I'm pretty sure I remember these advertised in Fishing Facts magazine. Don't know that they ever took off very well. Thanks for posting.

Also Catt, as you know, Team9nine writes for the site bassfishingarchives. I love this site. He's very sharp on this stuff! I can spend hours browsing there. I respect the time and work he's put into this.

Catt, I think spinning gear will be pretty easy for you. I cast with my right hand, and reel with my left. It can be a fun and productive fishing style. Your already almost there with your bass fishing experience.

Congrats! Stick with it, your on your way!

Catt, I've been fascinated by the Ned rig also. I bought the correct tackle for this, but have caught very few fish with it. I'll take some smaller plastic worms rigged Texas style or shakey head. But that's just the way I finesse fish. Lots of guys make a killing with the Ned rig.I think it's interesting about the regional differences in styles too. California- different than the Ozarks etc. Guys adapted to what worked for them.The guys you mentioned were all very good at this, fishing big tournaments on waters that were not always considered the best for this style. But they still made it work- very well

Guido will always be one of my heroes. One of the all time greats

Tom, I have read some excerpts from that book. Good reading.

I wear bibs for work and fishing in cold weather. As others have said, it's easier to layer underneath, and a jacket can be worn over them.

Toxic, of course everyone can fish as they want to. "Refined" is a good term to describe finesse fishing. As Scott F said, many of us were fishing this style before the term finesse was ever mentioned.

There doesn't have to be any label. I was just curios what others thought. Like you, I'll keep fishing the same way I always have

We recently had a thread about finesse jig help.Catt and WRB brought up some good points on jig size. To me, finesse bass fishing has always been this: med/ med light spin rod, balanced spinning reel, and line- usually not more than 8lb test.The specific brand of tackle doesn't matter to me. There are lots of good rods/ reels out there. Baits were smaller too. Thinner plastic worms, jigs in 1/8 to 3/16 oz size. If I'm throwing a 3/8 or 1/2 oz jig and trailer I want a stout casting rod, if for no other reason than to set the heavier hooks on the bigger jigs.Charlie Brewer often said that light tackle fishing was a "mindset". The spinning tackle and lighter line were just the tools to deliver these lighter lures. What do you consider finesse these days? How has it changed for you? For me a heavy , thick hook jig isn't finesse. Never will be. That's power fishing.What does everyone think? I'd like to hear from all young and old. Have the lines been blurred through the years between finesse/ power fishing?

This looks like a great jig to me also

Catt, like you said, the whole finesse fishing thing has gotten confusing. Those jigs to me are not finesse type jigs.Those are more for pitch, flip, and some casting too. I've noticed this trend too. Finesse jigs keep getting heavier! For me anyway, I'm drawing the line at 1/4 oz. For a true finesse jig more like 1/8 or 3/16 is it.Maybe the line tie position changes the definition of a finesse jig?

I started seriously bass fishing in 1980. Had 4 kids at home, and couldn't really afford a lot of tackle.I bought an old tacklebox at a years sale in a small town near my home. There wasn't much in it except a few rusted hooks, 1 old spoon, and some bucktail jigs. Older Arkie style probably 1/4oz. The old man saw me look at one and said " oh that's a good one". Get a jar of pork rind eels and fish them slowly on the bottom".I bank fished a 3 acre pond I had access to. I bought Uncle Josh u-2 eels and tried these jigs. First couple of times nothing. One overcast fall day, I cast one near a large blowdown near shore.Im thinking maybe 6ft water. On my initial cast, I felt a solid tap, set the hook and caught a 3lb bass.My biggest bass so far. I was pumped to say the least.Started trying different jigs- always with pork rind trailers. Now, I fish several different ones with plastic craw trailers. Next to the plastic worm , my favourite baits.I was using a hand me down ABU 5000 reel and a stiff glass casting rod- both a gift from my older brother.I had fished for bass with my brother, dad , and grandfather growing up, but we never used jigs then. We always used topwater plugs in the ponds on my grandfather's farm. Jigs can work anywhere

I like roboworms also.Mm3 and the grape/purple Folkstead special are both very good. Great baits

Scaleface, there you go!!!

Like I said in my original thread, GP hasn't worked that well for me. It's works very good for others. I have caught bass on GP red flake and a couple of other variants.If it's working good for you, by all means keep using it.Personally, I've done better at other colors, so I'll stay with them. Also, have others have said, bass are predators who use sight, sound, and vibration to catch prey. They can see much better than than we think. That's why almost any color could possibly work on any given day. We develop our faves by experience, and having confidence in what's worked for us.As many have said, color in bass lures is a complex subject, and warrants discussion.I respect everyone's choice- but green pumpkin is not mine

I also love learning about the history of this sport. So for me, it's like this: the next time you land a bass on ANY soft plastic bait, give a quick nod of thanks to Mr. Nick Creme and his wife Cosma Creme, along with a thinking fisherman from Texas, who thought to turn his hook around, embed it in the worm, creating the Texas Rig. Possibly the single, biggest lure innovation of the century. Yep. The century

Tom, green pumpkin hasn't worked for me, but I'm not saying it's no good. As you said, bass are a predator, and they feed on the easiest thing they can. Whatever color, and action along with depth and speed can trigger a strike. I do believe color is important, along with all the other factors. Always pays to carry a few shades of plastics, from light to darker.So many factors in drawing strikes, especially from larger bass, and it all happens in seconds.

I'll always carry, and fish with t- rig plastic worms.I use other baits too, and other soft plastics. But the plastic worm is my go to confidence bass catcher most of the year. It will never go out of style. It works

The reasons it works well have been written about, and discussed in books,magazines and videos for many years. The reason I like the Texas rig is I can quickly change weight, hook size, or worm quickly, to fit any conditions. I fish other rigs too, but the Texas rig comes through cover better for me than shakey head, split shot rigs or any other. It's the backbone rig of this sport. I would urge any novice bass fisherman to learn this.Its caught more fish for me than any other lures I've ever used