papajoe222

The best retrieve that I've found is just fast enough to get the spoon wobbling from side to side, but not spinning. Depending on the size, normally the bigger you go, the slower you need to retrieve it. A slow retrieve will also get the spoon deeper in the water column. As with most lures, varying your retrieve will get you bit more than just chuck and winding. The big ones are great for trolling for pike and muskie.

For all you frugal bassers, or those that just can't bring themselves to pay retail for a Whopper Plopper...................Here You Go: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Whopper-Plopper-Topwater-Floating-Fishing-Lure-Rotating-Tail-Up-Water-Crankbaits/163711147690?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=463220574123&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 Not recommending them and, no I haven't purchased or used one. Just spreading the word.

Thanks OtP. I figured somewhere around half of what it sold for new and $60 comes in just under that.

Sadly, I'm at that age where friends begin to expire more and more frequently. Not only am I left with a void that can never be filled, I also end up acquiring my buddies fishing and shooting gear. I'm a gear junkie, but so was a friend I lost back in May. His wife gave me over half of his fishing gear and although I was grateful, I just can't keep the majority of it. I'll keep two of the rods I made for him to help keep his memory in hand so to speak, but he was a lefty and although I've tried on many occasions to adapt to left handed baitcasters, it's never going to happen. I intend to sell them and give the money to his care giver. I have an idea of the value of the Abu STX, but am clueless about the Citica 201E. It's in excellent condition, but I don't think it's an upper end reel. I don't want to under price any of these reels, but I do need them to sell. Any ideas, recommendations as to a reasonable price to put on these?

Currently, in northern Minnesota, the SM will be the bass to target on most lakes. The LM may either be spawning, or in post spawn. A tube dragged along while drifting is a good bet. Use a heavier jig than when casting. You don’t need to let out a lot of line either. Gentility raising and lowering your rod top will add some more action. Don’t be surprised if you catch more walleye with it compared to the live bait rig.

What Catt said about hooks. You want a hook with a lot of bite, a hook with its point in line with eye has little bite to it. Its effectiveness relies on the fish biting down and compressing the plastic. The more the point is offset from the eye, the more bite. Straight shank hooks normally offer the most bite. As for size, 2X the plastic diameter is a good starting point. I, personally, go one size up from there, or more. One tip when using big worms; when you first detect the bite, set the hook. The longer you delay, the better the chance that worm will get balled up inside its mouth and you’ll be trying to set the hook through two or three times as much plastic.

Most of the big chain sporting goods stores sell spinning combos at your price. For bass and walleye in WI, I’d recommend a Med. Power rod rated for 1/4oz-3/8oz lures. I doubt the action will be listed, but Med/Fast is a good, middle of the road action. Chances are the reel will already be spooled with 8-10lb. test line. Be sure to set the reel’s drag properly and have fun.

Also, check the pawl on your level wind to make sure it isn't worn, or it may need to be adjusted tighter so it doesn't jump the gear at one side or the other.

Jig Swimbait Crankbait Wacky Rig Jig....wait, I said that already...............ummmmm C-Rig

If anyone finds a customized Zara Spook (bone/red gills/orange belly, with hand tied feathered treble and oval split ring), I'm offering $20 for its return.

Welcome The same as it has been for the last few decades; Jig/plastic trailer. The trailer changes throughout the seasons and the jig's weight often does, too. I kept a fishing log for years and would review it during the off season. It (the jig) accounted for over 50% of my catches year after year. It also produced most of my biggest catches each year.

I fished pits exclusively in my early days of bassin' and making the adjustment to natural bodies of water was difficult for me because they didn't have that sharp drop to deep water that I was used to fishing. With pits, other than during the spawn, it's all about the drop-off and how the fish are relating to it at any given time. Bright, cloudless days they'll tend to suspend 30-50ft. from the drop. Overcast days will find them roaming close to the drop and windy cloudy days will be the ones you'll remember because they'll be up high and close to or on the shelves. Depth is the key, not only for their location, but for you to be able to control your presentation to a specific depth. A great rule of thumb is to start out at the depth of light penetration and work from there up or down depending on the conditions. Cover is all but nonexistent, but when you find some, especially at that magic depth, it'll hold numbers. The presentation I started with most of the time was a hair jig suspended under a slip bobber. No doubt about whether or not I was targeting the same depth with each cast. If you love top-water (who doesn't?), a Spook will draw them up from down under like no other.

What jig hook are those and did you make the mold yourself?

I'll normally attack a point by paralleling casting, working my way down the side with the more gradual slope or the side the wind is blowing in to. I fish mainly natural lakes and points rarely extend out more than 50yrds. If one does, I'll divide it into sections going deep to shallow and back out again as I move down the sides. One of the most important things I've learned recently is that boat positioning/casting angle can, at times, make the difference between catching and casting practice. That one piece of knowledge has kept the skunk away on a number of occasions when I applied it to fishing points. Bottom line is that no one way of doing things is the best way.

Missing some key information, I'm going to go out on a limb and say those spots don't hold fish in numbers the majority of the time. There are many key factors that need to be present for a spot to consistently hold fish and often times one missing ingredient will ruin it. One example; Banks on the west side of the lake frequently fall into this category as they receive little wind driven current. The presence of forage is reduced as is their food supply. The chain continues up the ladder to the bass and other large fish.

I was recently given a bunch of St. Croix rods by one of my daughter's co-workers. Once I came down from the cloud, I checked them out good. Two had broken guides and one, the Med/Light Fast casting rod had one bent so bad, I didn't even attempt bending it back to position. It's rated for 8-14lb. line and 1/4-5/8oz. lures. This seems more in line with a Med power rod. Anyone own one of these? Are St. Croix rods generally heavier powered than their listing? I planned on replacing the guide and using it for wacky rigs and drop shotting, but after checking out the specs I'm thinking in-line spinners and1/4oz. blade baits.

Snaps, yes. Snap swivels, no. I just remove the split ring (if it has one). When using one with crankbaits, be sure to check your knot on occasion. I tend to get lazy when using a snap and not checking has cost me a fish or two.

I'll offer a tip or two on waking spinnerbaits Go one size smaller on the back blade, that'll help eliminate the bait rolling on it's side. The other is to let the blade break the surface occasionally during your retrieve. It has the same effect as bumping cover or changing speed....a deadly combination of speed and another triggering factor.

Swim Jig...................paddle tail swimbait 3.5in. Spinnerbait................Kalins Lunker Grub Chatterbait......Never used one

thanks strato. The only spinning reels I own are Pfluegers, so that works perfectly

I’m looking to add a spinning combo. I already have a StCroix SCll rod and looking to pair it with a reel that pulls in more than 26in. per turn. Suggestions.

Like A-Jay, I don't look for a pattern, at least what my definition of a pattern is. After I've caught a few fish, I can sometimes take an educated guess as to location on a given piece of structure/cover and what technique, angle and presentation should work. That, BTW, is what I consider a pattern (although I believe you're inquiring about where to look on a given body of water). On the rare occasions that one does present itself, it rarely lasts for the entire outing and I need to recognize and adapt to the reason it doesn't. On a new body of water, I end up spending a lot of time and effort just in finding areas that hold fish, or the ones the fish may use in their movements. Seasonal movements, types of structure and cover, the presence or lack of current, along with some idea of the what the main forage is and what/where it is likely to be, are all things I consider prior to hitting the water. Every lake is different, but bass, as said, are driven by two things once the spawn is over; security and food. That's where I begin.

Funny you should mention something not fishing related for a sponsorship. A while back (a lot longer than I care to admit) I fished a two day buddy tournament. We finished second and his brother was there for the weigh-in. His company makes custom golf clubs and he offered me a sponsorship. For the life of me, I couldn't follow his logic, but his offer included entry fees for the rest of the season. Their logo was up front for the remainder of the season!

This, unless he's hawking one of his sponsors products. That us when they give a three minute response to the most often asked question; How did you catch them. They answer with a general location and an in depth explanation of how they used their sponsors product because some other brand wasn't producing.

I'll be heading down to Nashville in two weeks and and looking for a couple of areas to bank fish. I know there are park waters in the area, but don't know if they're worth checking out or not. Are there any retention ponds near the interstates? I've done well in some of the older ponds that were dug out when I-55 and I-57 were built. Any and all suggestions are welcome.