papajoe222

Thanks for posting Just what I've been looking for. I've been purchasing from a seller on that auction site, but the baits have no hardware or hooks and by the time I add that cost, I may as well just spend a little more and get the whole package.

Just an add on to clarify my posts. I use straight braid for flipping/pitching jigs and straight fluoro for casting them. Even though I am a stickler for line watching, I like the sensitivity advantage fluoro gives, but I'm still not confident using it because I'm having difficulty adjusting my hook set.

Lightweight buzzers do this more often than heavier ones and that's likely why yours with the Pit Boss wouldn't run on its side and it would with other trailers. I don't throw many buzzers that aren't at least 1/2oz. as I don't use them with trailers. If I want to slow down, I switch to a floating buzzer, or a double prop bait. I'll start throwing them as soon as the water temps reach the low 40's.

I always had issues with the weed guard. I'd end up either trimming them, or removing them. I have a love affair with in-line spinners of all sizes. I've caught everything from bluegill to muskie on them. There was a company, back in the day, that made a similar bait that sported a turtle back blade. 1/21oz. bait. That thing caught me more pike and big walleye than any bait since.

Thanks for the replies. I was going to wait for the kit I ordered, but seeing as I have 2/3 of the bottle, I’ll give using it a go.

I haven’t done any custom wrapping for over a year. I just finished a butt wrap for a friend and when I went to mix the Flex Coat and the resin had crystallized. I don’t know enough about epoxies to take a chance on using it. I know it will become a liquid if heated, but will it then be viable when mixed with the hardener?

A curly tail grub on a belly weighted hook was my first 'swim bait' I still use that set-up on occasion. I've never used them on a T-rig, but I have used 4in. curly tail worms with good results.

Exactly my thought. I stopped using Ned style jig heads. Last fall (2022) I was shore fishing and lost the only Ned jig I had with me. I put a ball head jig and the tail section of a floating finesse worm and tied it on using a snap. That combo stood tail up every time and I was able to continue catching fish. Not exactly ideal, but a lot cheaper than Ned jigs..

My recommendation was to use straight fluoro if visibility was a concern. Braid to leader has no advantages over using either type of line alone. The #1 reason to use braid is its no stretch. The #! reason to use fluoro is its low refraction (visibility). Not to say that braid or fluoro don't have other, positive qualities. Using both together, IMO negates the strengths of both lines.

Mine are Daiwa Alohas paired to a 6’6” ML/F StCroix and an Acid (spiral) wrapped Forecast 6’ ML spinning blank. One of my biggest bass this year 5+lb. Was caught on the Forecast combo.

A hack fo fishing jigs with single or double barbs, like you mentioned is to thread your wirm on and twist it 1/4 turn afterwards. The cut into the plastic allows the worm to slide off the barb(s) by twisting it you only have solid plastic surrounding the barb.

If you're going to spool with braid, I don't recommend adding a fluorocarbon leader for jigs. If water clarity, or abrasion is a concern stick with straight fluorocarbon. I use a high-viz braid on my jig rod and color the last couple of feet with a green Sharpie. You can break up the profile by using a black Sharpie dabbing every 3in. or so on the green.

-I used to have this problem when fishing (casting) for walleye just after ice-out. Ardent Rod Kleen leaves a non stick coating on the guides and also works on the reel's line guide. As soon as ice starts to build up, 30-60min., I spray the offending guide with Real Magic and am usually good for a while. Temperature doesn't seem to make a difference in their effectiveness as I've fished in every temp from 32 to minus 5.

I'm looking for a fluorocarbon line with low stretch for my tube and small soft plastic presentations. I've been avoiding FC for most single hook presentations like jigs, as I've had issues with it breaking on hook sets. For my intended use of it, I'm not concerned with breaking off as I don't attempt to 'cross their eyes' when using those presentations. So, what is a good choice? Price is a concern for me as I plan to spool up with this line, but it isn't a deal breaker. I can always back it up with cheap mono.

The ones I make over the frozen water period.

I know it's time consuming, but I'd love to see something like that again. Get us northerners blood pressure up a bit. Maybe pawn the 'work' off on one of the mods. Maybe one that doesn't fish over the winter. My guess is closer to 5lb. than 6lb. Short and fat like I like 'em.

Guilty, but I normally have three of the six rods I carry rigged the same from spring to ice over. I anguish more over where the fish will be as my time on the water has reduced significantly in the years since I retired. Spending two hours, with my eyes glued to the electronics, in an attempt to figure that out gives me nightmares.

I avoid fishing water that's under 40 degrees, but with a few nice days this week I decided to try a couple of the bigger ponds around here. My two favorite, cold water, lures are a blade bait and a hair jig. Neither attracted any attention. I reached into a box I labeled 'Papa's Skunk Repelent' and pulled out what was once called a 'FlatFish' or 'LazyIke' It's a crescent moon profile crank, possibly a copy as this one is wood and about 1.5inches. No rattles and although it doesn't suspend, it rises very slowly. I'd used its big brother and father back in the day when trolling for pike. It did the job on the pond bass with a very slow retrieve with multiple 5-10 second pauses. The all struck as I began moving the bait after the pause. I know a lot of anglers like to try some of the old school stuff and seeing as this style lure likely out dates crankbaits, I'd say it qualifies as old school. https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/yakima-bait-famous-helin-flatfish-101117568 Although this isn't the brand, it is the style I'm referring to.

Just an FYI for everyone; brakes and magnets do not have any effect when checking spool tension by letting your lure fall from the rod tip. The spool needs to spin much faster than that for them to come into play. I won a bet with a guy at my club that claimed they do.

I believe you posted this pic before and I showed it to my wife. She though I was over the top when I purchased my 15th Daiwa baitcaster.........I now have 16 as I got a second Fuego this season. I've only purchased 4 reels in the last seven years. Two Pfluger Presidents and those Fuegos. The fixed income I'm on no longer offers me the option of purchasing higher priced equipment.

About the only time I open one is to replace a soft plastic bait, or respool with fresh line. I have six rods pre-rigged on my deck and rarely loose hard baits to snags. I'll spend ten minutes getting a crank or jerkbait unstuck. I may, occasionally, change a hard bait for another of a different profile, or color, but most of the time I go with what I have tied on. Fishing from shore is the only time I sacrifice a lure and is one reason I don't do it very often.

I'm surprised there haven't been any responses that mentioned painted blades, especially for smallmouth. Sometimes, less is more and in this case less flash can get you bit when those shiny blades are being ignored.

As Catt and WRTB said, I would recommend learning to master a few and I would go further and say learn a couple of horizontal and a couple of vertical baits. Top priorities would be a jig, or T-rigged worm and a spinnerbait. They have more versatility than say a crankbait that only covers one depth range and is limited to a horizontal retrieve. A jig or worm can be retrieved both ways and a spinnerbait can be fished at almost any depth.

I'm not a river fisherperson, but would love to do battle with smallmouth that grow strong fighting a river's current. Specifically, if there is a large rock, or boulder, do smallmouth position themselves in front of, or behind it? I've read different opinions about this and I'm guessing water depth above the obstruction, how fast, or slow the current is and even the activity level of the fish would influence their position. Would you treat bridge pilings the same as debris usually collects in front of them?

Al my lakes are closed for fishing ....waterfowl season, and won't open again until open water in the spring, March for the power plant lakes. I read somewhere that leaving your on board charger plugged in over extended storage time reduces the life of the charger considerably. My outside outlet is switchable and I only turn it on for four hours. My current MinnKota is on it's eighth year of service. My last two only lasted six. Batteries are on their sixth.