J.Vincent

Fast track the learning curve and fish smarter by keeping a journal of what works for you. With a journal you can ultimately improve angling awareness by leaps and bounds.

Red Shad is popular but I don’t seem to do well with Red Shad in Michigan; but it’s also known as a regional color with greater productivity in Texas, Louisiana and Florida. I don’t exactly know for sure why this is, but I avoid Red plastics like the plague.

I keep a physical journal and often return to entries from years ago.

You absolutely did the right thing !

There are still plenty available on eBay but prices seem to be climbing since May, but still fairly reasonable....also I think you might be correct about the Arashi Square being discontinued because I also found a few at the local Ollie’s for $2.99 each and then bought about 20 more for $1.99 at Meijers on a clearance end cap.

Storm Arashi Squarebill...available in 3 foot and 5 foot. The Arashi has a unique self tuning design to keep the crankbait running very stable and true.

Typically in Northern waters during the early fall; I’ve found many offshore summertime schools of bass will move from those deeper areas (12-30ft) towards the mouth of coves or inlets.....they may sit or hold in 6 to 10 feet on points or feed in open water; and then forage at different intervals into the shallows and flats. Essentially if you follow the post spawn staging areas in reverse, then you should hopefully or eventually locate concentrations of fish.

With Chatterbaits and Spinnerbaits, I use a Veritas 6ft6 and 7ft1 Medium Heavy Moderate Fast with 14 or 17lb mono....I always use a mono with more abrasion resistant qualities like Berkley XT, Cajun Red Lightning or PLine CXX. As for the Berkley Cherrywood rod and XL combination....it will work just fine but maybe consider the Berkley XL Armour Coated Line if you like standard XL, the Armour coated version of XL will give you more abrasion resistance !

I like Colorado Bladed SpinnerBaits anytime the water is dark enough to make Bass hold tight to cover but I also fish this style of spinnerbait when Bass are guarding spawning beds, regardless of water clarity. These seem to be the two best producing scenarios for me, but it will work in many water conditions and situations. I've even heard about some anglers pitching and helicoptering Single Short Arm Colorado Spinnerbaits around Wood and docks with success. Hope this is helpful !

Drop shots can be very effective when targeting any species in the Black Bass family.

The Fate rod is an all graphite rod if I remember correctly; or do they make a composite version ? If it’s a graphite rod not designed for crankbaits then try using monofilament , this may help with the Lipless crankbait

My leaders are kept to under 3 feet unless we are talking about drop shotting; but in heavy cover situations on Baitcasters, most anglers who use braid main line will lean towards fluoro leaders for abrasion resistance and lower visibility (this visibility topic is of course debatable) I don’t think fluoro leaders are typically used for the added sensitivity over monofilament; but more for its other qualities. But that being said, I tend to use monofilament as leader material as often as i use fluoro for leader material; there isn’t a huge difference in fish count, and monofilament also slows the rate of fall on jigs and worms slightly . So I think it boils down to the Fishing situation and what you are wanting to accomplish.

What is the rod power and action? What is the weight of the lure ? What is the speed of the reel ?

Shallow Crankbaits = 26 to 28 IPT Medium CrankBaits = 26 to 28 IPT Deep CrankBaits = 25 and lower IPT This is my rule of thumb unless my instinct tells me otherwise or in rare situations like colder water or fishing pressure

Mostly 6 or 8lb Yozuri Hybrid lately...it keeps things simple : )

No offense and I say this as a person who really enjoys watching MLF; but I think the Major League Fishing format is cool and novel and exciting because it’s different, but it’s not the format of the future. BASS has worked very hard to capture the true challenges of tournament bass Fishing and also highlight the high school side , college side, amateur side and pro side of the sport. BASS has the sport covered from every angle; and that is something FLW and MLF cannot completely offer...so as the sport progresses I think BASS will make some exciting changes within their own Brand and tournament formats but most likely not merge with FLW. It just seems too much like a monopoly of the pro trail...but I’m sure anything can happen in a world motivated by financial gain

Ive not heard anything about a BASS & FLW merger ; nor have I heard anyone hinting to do so. So who is the source of the rumor ?

The Cush It product also adds a touch of weight to the Rod handle, and this helps in balancing fishing rods as well. I personally use a budget solution, with Rubberized Chair leg caps (4 for $2.00) and one or 2 quarters inside the bottom of the cap. It's nowhere near as cushioned as the Cush It....but it does work

Right now I use a Medium Power Fast action Abu Garcia Veritas Spinning rod for this type of lure. The Veritas in Medium power does a great job, but in all actuality the Medium power Veritas is somewhere between a Medium and a Medium Heavy. Also it's value and performance are very good at the $100 price point.

Great video....I love fishing Texas rigged worms in late summer, it's one of my favorite ways to target largemouth....but is it me or has the plastic worm lost its popularity over the past 10 years or so ? There is hardly a mention of Texas Rigged Worms anymore and it's rare to hear an angler win a large format pro tournament this way. Am I off on this opinion , or does this opinion hold true around the country ?

Lews Mach I BaitCasting Rods are on sale at Dicks Sporting Goods right now for $34.97 and the Lews LFS Speed Spool Casting reel is on sale for $79.97 plus tax. Also, Dicks Sporting Goods has a $20 dollar of $100 on select products until August 8th plus free shipping. Just select standard shipping before checkout and shipping will become Free at the payment screen. You will be hard pressed to find a better deal for a quality rod and reel . With this specific Rod you can choose between a 6'10 or a 7'2 and I don't think you will find a better combo at this price point, it's actually $170 dollars before discounts. In my opinion this would be an excellent deal

Yes

Yes

No there really isn't one rod to do it all..but a 7ft MH Fast Baitcasting Rod will cover a lot of bases

Probably any lake with cold (35-45 degrees) and muddy water.....even one of those scenarios on any given lake can pose a challenge. Next I would say any lake with heavy local fishing pressure