BoatSquirrel

The lure itself weighs 1/2oz. You are looking at putting a further 1/4oz hook on it. For a 3/4oz bait, unless you are trying to get a crankbait to dive extra deep, 15 seems light to me—but you do you man. 65 lb braid for that Slammer!

Well said sir!

Swap that 15 for 20lb line.

Right you are sir. I guess thats why its $5 for 600 yards. They are trying to give it away.

After a lenthy period of research, I pulled the trigger on a new dedicated frog rod. OK, it may see some action as a jig pitching setup. I ordered and it showed up with a crushed guide. Sent it back. The next one showed up with a broken tip. Ugh. I realize the retailer cannot control what happens once a product leaves their facility but needed some help. Guide trip fast approaching, I contacted customer service and good help is what I got. They overnighted a new rod which arrived in perfect condition. I have purchased untold thousands of dollars of gear from said retailer. I do not work for, nor am I sponsored by this retailer but will forever be a fan and customer of Tackle Warehouse. Goooood people.

I have had very good luck with the ProQualies—drag is a bit light but for $50, tough to beat by me.

When a fish eats a single hook lure, you have to drive home the hookset so a heavy or extra heavy, fast action rod is necessary. For treble hook baits, these require a rod with a little slower action and more of a “reel and sweep” hookset so as to not pull the lure away from the fish. For treble hook lures like BullShads and SWavers, I using an Okuma Guide Select in 7’ 11” heavy, with a moderate-fast taper. $140 on Tackle Warehouse and I love it. It is a very well made stick that I would buy again tomorrow. Paired with a Curado 200 since I hate round reels, and good old 65 lb PowerPro braid, its perfect for my needs. Hope that helps!

Make sure to drive it, check to see if the trolling motor and the live wells work and check the hull for any dings/leaks/anomalies. If you have a buddy who knows boats, ask him to go along with you. Do not be afreaid to walk if something looks “fishy.” Good luck man!

JigMan is right—CO is the way to go for your first year. Great learning opportunity that will make you a much better angler. Bassmaster website just had an article on co-angler tackle boxes. Bring gas money, your PFD, and be prepared to learn! https://www.bassmaster.com/slideshow/inside-co-anglers-tackle-bag

Nothing like a good ol wacky rigged senko for spawners. Watermelon candy is my juice.

Those appear to be Mustad Triple Grip hooks. Be happy about those. I bet they will stick in your thumbnail!

All of us old deer hunters know camo is IMPORTANT!

I like how on MLF an angler catches a fish, weighs it, and releases it as opposed to running it all over the lake in a livewell. I would love to see more tournaments go to this format, even if it is for the best 5 fish.

Those old KB2s are fish catchers. Be careful casting it around riprap and boat docks!

I am not sure about temperatures but it is looking like another high water year here in the mid-south. Flooded bushes again yall!

The Skimmer has been a very good bait for me also. I would also like to see your handmade topwaters please.

I agree with the sage advice above. For a MH setup, I would avoid the traditional small dropshot hook and would opt for a TX rigged dropshot on an EWG hook or a Roboworm Rebarb heavy wire hook. Those small hooks are best matched with lighter rods. Good luck man!

1. Definitely 2. Either first thing or later in the afternoon when the water warms 3. North and western facing rocky banks that will warm throughout the day and where winds will push bait—Bluff wall ends, riprap, long tapering points. 4. Drag a Football jig or splitshot rig slowly. Ned rig. Pump a silver buddy or ratltrap off the bottom. Good luck man!

1 for solunar tables here. I will not go into the theories involved but fishing around active periods has been spot on for me for years—especially in regards to big fish. Watch what time cattle or deer move when unpressured. Fish are no different. Watch Major League Fishing or Bassmaster Live and you will notice that fish catching comes in waves, usually not consistently throughout the day.

Bass in your area probably do not go very deep if your water temps do not dip below 50, and feel super happy they don’t! As much as all of can learn from the master, what you learn on the water and letting the fish tell you what they want will always be more important. Fish push shallow in muddy water. A recent Zona Show with Jason Christie saw them fishing in 3 feet or less in 48 degree water. Bass, for me at least, are much easier to catch when they are shallow so throw your squarebills, spinner/chatterbaits, lipless cranks, black/blue jigs and enjoy!

If you need to know how NOT to catch many bass this time of year on Priest, Woods, or Normandy, I am your man. I enjoy Lewis Smith in AL also.

Nice work—I would be proud of those too! Its very rewarding catching fish on lures you made yourself and you will definitely catch em on those!

If North GA is like Middle TN, an open dropshot hook is tough to get away with—it dives into every stick on the lake. The Roboworm Rebarb hook is nasty sharp. TX rigged on a dropshot accounted for a ton of fish for me last year. Sticks em right in the roof of the mouth.

I caught my first “big” bass on a J9-jointed rapala, and was sorely disappointed when I was told it was not big enough to have mounted! Rapala lures to this day still account for a huge percentage of my annual catch.

BOOYAH again!