Mbirdsley

White and chartreuse, black and silver We’re my best for mud fishing last year Middle right two and bottom center. These are Just arkies but, all I do is add a blade and get rid of the weed guard. Same exact skirts

I like mepps style better. I have a hard time keeping ones on rooster tails spinning. As kids when we could get them to spin they worked I’ve gotten away from fishing the river and in-lines since I received my boat. I make mine and havn‘t bought a inline in a long time. I have enough components to make about 30 more in differnt colors this particular one I made is killer on small mouths out of the Shiawassee River. I was just throwing stuff together one night

I would say the big difference is how they come through weeds. A bladed jig will attract every piece of grass in a ten ft radius of it ( ok it’s not that bad). I didn’t throw swim jigs a lot last year but, they come through grass better. From what I noticed from what little I did throw swim jigs. only blaided jigs I used last year were the ones I made. I used a Arkie head that I poured and just left out the weed guard. Attached the blade via snap ring and twisted up some wire to tie on to. In the spring I was using just 3 inch curly tail grub for a trailer And caught a lot of nice bass

I just ordered these today from kastking on eBay. 7 inch pliers, split ring, and braid cutters. I’ll affix the bungee cord it comes permanently to the boat where I sit. Nothing worse than losing something ing you just had in your hands

Power pro has worked for the last 2 seasons so I don’t really have a reason to change it up at the moment. I am interested in possibly trying the kast king stuff based solely on price. I change all my lines on my poles at the beginning of the year. I feel it’s cheap insurance and I use cheap mono for a backer so I’m only putting on 75-100 yards max. I use 30 lbs pp for a regular t-rigging 65 lbs pp for slop/punching rod. Both spinning rods atm I have 10 lbs hi-viz (yellow) pp rigged up. However, the light action rod I’m swapping it out for flouro to throw size 5-6 shad raps I have used 8 lbs spider wire stealth for t-rigs and other fineness stuff on the one spinning rod. It worked fine I only swapped it to pp hi-viz just for line watching reasons

Does the point for the split rings get in the way of removing the hook from a fish? Or do you only use them as split ring pliers? If you can use it for both that would be a good multi purpose tool

I like using stren flouro for leaders ( only time I’ll use stren) it’s cheap and works. I have no problem using flouro right off of a spool that I used to spool a reel (ie P-line , segar )provided it’s the right poundage. So basically what ever is lying around. I’m getting ready to rig my carbon light combo. So I’ll buy what ever cheap $1.99 mono backing I can find IE zebco, eagle claw. Tie that to about 50-60 yards of 30 lbs power pro braid. Than I’ll order 300 yards of 20 lbs stren flouro and have enough leader material for 2-3 years for that particular rig.

Except for a couple of new cranks/square bills. Last year I started changing over all of my stock hooks on my cranks/square bills to Mustad kvd 2x short 1x strong ewg hooks in the appropriate sizes. I did by some VMC 1x short on 1x strong 9651 bn to try as they are much cheaper than the KVD’s. My smaller floating rapala’s 5-8 I am using size 10-8 regular length owner St-36’s. I have noticed a definite noticeable hook up increase with using better hooks. I no longer have bent hooks either. However, I don’t think it really matters what brand of hook you use as long as it is a premium hook. .

I take them right out to swap hooks and Than into the tackle tray. If I buy 2 Or more of the same color that I haven't tried before I only open one, swap hooks, place in Plano box. If I buy more of one that I’ve used before and it’s a known hot lure, swap hooks on both and put both in the Plano box lately I have been testing all my cranks in the bath tub

After being bored all winter and watching a lot of you tube fishing how vids. I couldn’t buy a fish On a crank untill the 2nd week in June. So for winter and pre-spawn cranking I decided to invest in some shad raps. Luckily I also bought a bunch of flicker shads when I though I was getting into walleye fishing. I was rummaging through my walleye and salmon stuff and re-found them. New shad raps on left. Re-found never fished flicker shad on right. also been purchasing some worm binders to try and stay more organized on the water

Curly tail worms and Senko style worms wacky rigged. I’ve gotten swamp crawlers to work wacky rigged and senko style worms to worked t-rigged. Can’t buy a bite with them.

. I learned the hard way as a kid. I lost a lot fish that I should have brought in. but, I had the drag crank all the way down and they would break me off. I had to learn the hard way. Unless your using a scale you can’t really set the drag With reel off the rod. because if you do it that it does not take a lot lbs strength of pulling to get the drag to initiate even when the drag is crank all the way down. Put the reel on your rod that way and that you are in trouble. The rod and line have to work together. The rod takes a lot of the abuse and saves your line When you pull to get the drag to go off you want the rod good and loaded but, don’t make to where you are reefing on it . when your using punching rigs into slop with heavy braid tour drag will be tighter. your limiting factor there will be You don’t want to rip the lure out of the fishes mouth.

Spinning rods with lighter line I thread the line all the way to the tip top and than let out enough line to reach the reel. Grab the line and move it arms width away with rod in another hand and start pulling. This loads the rod like fighting a fish. I tightened the drag untill it’s tight enough to basically initiate the drag and let out a little bit of line. then turn the Knob one more click. This is typically how river steel headers do it. I want it so when a fish makes a run the drag just give a little bit to take pressure off the line or rod. I want to hear the drag for a split second. Usually it’s set it and forget it bait casters I run tighter. might go 3-4 extra clicks but, basically the same as above until I can get a little bit of line off of the reel My crank rod I run it looser like the spinning reels

My leaders come off the same spool of line that I use to spool my reels. Only time I buy line for leaders is when I buy a full spool (150-300 yds) of stren flouro. Making Leaders is the only thing that I have found stren useful for.

Co-polymer OR flouro may be the way to go. than I can still fish the other stuff. I’ll just experiment on weather I need to run a mono leader or not. Ive got pline flouro clear which is a mix between copolymer and flouro.

I’ve made it a point to not even ice fish when it’s that cold

You are literally my hero right now for fishing in those temps.

I think I finally found a purpose for my dobyns colt 7ft light action spinning rod. I want to throw Sr-5 Sr-6 shad raps for late winter early spring bass. This dobyns is the only spinning rod I have in the power range and soft enough tip ( it says it’s fast but, it’s slow for being fast) I may or may not Have a new spinning rod by that time. Incase I don’t, the colt may have to pull double duty for a while. Being used as a ned rig, tube, or other finesse rod. At this moment it is spooled with 10lbs hi-vis yellow power pro braid. If I tied on a 8-10ft section of mono for a leader would that help with stopping the hi-vis from spooking the fish and act as a shock absorber? 2nd option I could go 8-10 lbs flouro main line than tie on a section of mono for a leader. Again, using the mono as a shock absorber for bouncing off of rocks or fish. Is that enough mono to get the bait to back up after being stopped by a rock or other object it may run into? 3rd I could just junk the ned rig for a while as I can throw tubes on another spinning rod that is MH. Which, I could just spool all mono. I took some nice fish on the ned rig at certain times last spring. I love throwing Crankbaits whenever I can. However, I could not get the current cranks thAt I have to go untill the water was at least in the low 60s which, was mid June last year. That’s why I’m interested in shad raps. I know people use braid for cranks but, for some reason my brain is saying don’t do it.

Right. I know with guns at least it usually requires a sub model designation. Same gun just the metal finish and wood isn’t as a nice

I thought I was done buying tackle but, than I got watching you tube videos about late winter/spring fishing. I realized I don’t have really tight wobble cranks ( I’m addicted to cranks and jerkbaits any how). Well 2 purchases from eBay and 2 from Walmart I know own 4 shad raps to go with red craw sr05 I allready have. I’ll be to Walmart next payday to get a couple I wanted but, didn’t want to deal with wife when she looked at the bank account. So I try to hide them with other purchases. “Sorry honey big run and prices went up on flowers and chocolate this year Valentine’s Day ya know supply and demand”

I wonder if Walmart gets the seconds ?

I just got home from Walmart and picked up some strike king super toads and try them on buzz baits. So I’m playing around with the black colored one and noticed that’s it’s left leg is shorter than the other 2 in the package. The right leg is the right length but, the flipper isn’t as wide and mangled. Bottom line is I paid like 1.99 for a three pack It’s a cheap bait. Would strike want to know they have short shot frogs getting out or just leave it alone and move on with life just double check I have three good ones next time.

Yeah, I usually up load them all up at once. Or atleast one trip. Usually though I’ll only put the biggest ones on there or if something changes. Like if I switched lures or if I made a major move to a different spot on the lake/river. Or if I catch something interesting. So let’s say I catch 5 fish roughly same size, same lure, relatively same area. I’ll just post one picture but, make a note in the caption caught 4 more of roughly the same size doing the same thing in roughly the same area

It depends totally on what your doing. If your cranking Or fishing any moving bait the rod dosent means nearly as much as long as it is a slower action. You need a good slower retrieve reel with a good drag to keep the lure in the strike zone and not rip a treble out of fished mouth. The more feel and finesse you get into the rod imho means way way more. You can’t reel a fish in in if you can’t feel it Pick that jig off the bottom. At that point your just using the reel to bring in excess line and retrieving the fish. great example is salmon trolling. All you really need and all most guys including charter guys use is a $10 for trolling. You spend the big money sometimes $100+ on reel so when that salmon goes on bone jarring run it dosent disembowel your 10 reel.

I’m up to 2 big flat Plano boxes of terminal tackle. I like the idea of super glueing or epoxying the dividers in