papajoe222

My favorite lipless for years was a Diamond Shad. I have two left that I'll occasionally break out.That bait isn't a Diamond Shad, but I like the looks of it.

I was finally able to get out on the water for the first time in six weeks. The lakes I fish all close for waterfowl season which starts Friday. I almost didn't go because of the weather forecast; High 55 and winds ENE @ 18-20mph with gusts reaching 30mph. Want won out over logic and I headed out at 10:00AM, in the water at noon and fishless for two hours, bucking the wind the whole time. Made the choice to fish the SW shoreline. I figured if nothing else, the wind would be at my back. I ended up anchoring, which is something I rarely do, within casting distance of the weed edge there and picked up my spinnerbait rod. Five casts later, I tied into an nice 3.5lb.LM that I though was likely a dogfish. I retied after landing her as she wrapped my line around my TM. First cast after retying I was into another healthy fish. I fan cast the area and was getting ready to move down the breakline, but opted to grab my worm rod and give the area a once over with the worm. I ended up with two more fish before I pulled up anchor and headed for the launch. These old bones can't handle that chilling wind anymore. Tomorrow, I start winterizing the boat, but I sure am glad I got out one last time this season.

I've been using Lucas reel oil and grease for a few seasons now. Top shelf products, IMO. Cal's is the only drag grease I've used though as all my reels have carbontex drag washers.

Casting toward shore, use water clarity to help you determine how close to shore you can get. The clearer the water, the farther away you like to be. Add some type of shoreline cover and you can get closer. Avoid things that will alert the fish to your presence and you should be okay.

I've been using Lucas reel oil for a number of seasons with no misgivings. I also use their Super Duty grease for casting reels sold under the Lew's label. They're quality products, IMO. Check that level wind gear frequently and keep it clean. Too much oil will just attract dirt, so don't overdo.

I've ordered Mustad Tripple-Grips from a seller on that auction site. Never had a problem with them and as they came in the company's packaging I believe they're legit. BTW, he has a 98% positive feedback profile.

The only type of jig that I loose on a regular basis are the hair jigs that I tie. There's one lake that I fish that stroking one is deadly. The problem is twofold as light line is needed and there is a lot of junk there to get hung on. I'll occasionally be able to straighten out a hook, but break-offs are just something I've learned to live with. As for traditional 'bass' jigs, If I loose half a dozen a year, it's a lot. I loose more to rusted hooks.

If they're relying on their lateral line to find forage, then it's a situation where sight is all but eliminated from it. In that situation, I'd be throwing an Indiana blade spinnerbait or a fat crank with rattles. They don't necessarily 'feel natural', but they move a lot of water and that's what I'm looking for in a bait then.

From the spring spawn, I'd say they're around 4in. The later, summer lot are somewhere between 2-4in.

Honestly, the only time I throw living rubber jigs is when I have to slow way down. That's cold water fishing for me and I can attest to the fact that a bass will pick up a LR jig that has been sitting in one spot for a minute or more. Another fan of Mike's jigs.

In the natural lakes I fish, once a good cold spell hits, I look for fry bluegill. Like shad, they school up and the bass will roam in groups of 2-3. Inside weedlines and humps that top out under 10ft. are where I usually find them, but I'll start out searching for the schools with my electronics.

It isn't just shore anglers and ice fishermen. Almost every trip out to my home lake I end up with line wrapped around one prop or the other and sometimes both. A number of times I heard the TM prop making a ticking sound only to find a length of line wrapped around its base with a lure still attached. These lazy fools don't even attempt to unsnag a lure, they just cut the line and tie on another.

I've used A for all my builds until this year. For my decorative butt wraps, I've switched to B and found it much easier to work with. When burnished, the result looks more like paint than thread.

The original Gitzit. I get mine from Sheels

I fish a lot of clear water and I've done well with both silent and rattling cranks. I will say that the silent ones have worked better in shallower water (1-10ft.). Deeper than that, I normally throw ones with rattles. That's mostly because most of my deeper diving cranks have rattles.

I have a customer that really likes the looks of a rod I built over ten years ago. It had gold guide feet, reel seat hood and trim rings. The trim rings and other accents I can find, but not the reel seat or the guides. I contacted Pac Bay about the reel seat, as I'm sure they were the manufacturer, but so far I've been unable to find a dealer that still has them. Any help would be appreciated. I really don't want to 'sell' this guy something he really doesn't want. Thanks

Yes, I've been using the Owner Phanthom for an internal weighted hook and the Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Tube Hook for T-rigging. Trokar also offers a similar tube hook, but they tear up the plastic and I'm happy with this version.

My choices here are both in the line catagory. I disliked fluorocarbon line for years until I bit the bullet and picked up some Sunline Shooter. Although there are more 8 strand braids on the market now, I love my Sufix 832. When it was first introduced, it was pricey. It has been said, you get what you pay for and sometimes what you get isn't what you paid for it.

It depends on whether I'm catching fish, or looking for that first bite. Until I get that first one, I'll run through the water column with a couple of different presentations. If I go two hours without a bite, I stick with a jig tight to cover and experiment with fall rate. If I'm on fish, but they're barely hooked, I will change my retrieve, or the bait's profile and stick with the same style bait.

Check your rod's tip during your retrieve. Chances are good that it's higher than when you fish standing up. Your hookset suffers because you don't move much line or have much power behind it. Also, don't shy from a second hookset. Get in position and hit 'em again.

Get it taken care of as quickly as possible. The longer she waits, the worse it will get. Praying for a quick recovery and the next season will make you both forget what you missed this year.

Yep. It's happened to me on more than one occasion. I tell people that I let them go so someone else will have a chance to catch them, but in truth I do it so maybe I can catch them again.

You already said that you eat bananas in the boat, saying you're a slow learner is redundant.

I like them, too. However, they don't have the same spiral fall a jig head does, it's more of a glide. I've never had a problem with loosing fish with either rigging.

VMC offers their Rolling Swivel in smaller sizes. I believe they come in pkgs of 8. I like the size 6 placed around 18in. up from a Fluke, or Senko, especially when I intentionally put a kink in the bait. I use them when fishing tubes in deeper water, too.