Big Rick

Last few hours of the TW Labor Day sale. I ordered THREE this morning. Then I went to my local hole and caught a 2 pounder on my 110 in Bluegill!!

One of the best spinnerbait set ups for dense grass is a 3/8 head with a SINGLE WILLOW blade. When the bait hits grass snap it through and often times the act of the bait suddenly springing free of the grass will trigger a reaction strike. Color doesn't matter too much, but I would match the blade to the forage as best you can. Again, don't let the bait sink down too far. Just enough to snag some of the grass. Snap it free and get ready. The pic is of a Blade Runner Tora Spin spinnerbait. This bait has a heavy duty .51 musky wire that will not bend out of shape when you snap it free. Also, the skirt-less design helps it slither thru. You can substitute a paddle tail swim bait but make sure you glue it on. I realize you asked for JIG info, but I know this works and well, so I thought I'd share. My $.02..

I believe the blade on the 75 is actually larger than the blade on the 90. So, in essence, you get a shorter, fatter bait with a bigger "plop". I can't wait to get mine in either..

Medium-heavy will work well as long as the ACTION isn't a fast taper. Moderate action is necessary to keep from snatching the bait from the fish, I've found.. A MH with a fast action will not allow the rod to flex enough while fighting a bigger fish and they'll pull off the smaller, lighter hooks necessary to these baits. As far as the Chug Bug goes.....well, I wasn't intending on divulging ALL my secrets!!!

There is such a wide range of poppers on the market with many able to do dual things. And a huge factor is the sound chamber. If your fish have seen many poppers then you need to do something a little different. The Pop-R is a great plug. However, they are so widely used that fish may ignore them at times. And, contrary to some opinions, color REALLY matters on these because that action draws the attention but the color often determines whether the fish just swipes at the bait or inhales it. Again, the top color doesn't matter much on Pop-R's because they don't roll side to side very well. The BOTTOM color makes all the difference, however. You should have white, orange, and chartreuse BOTTOM colors. If the fish are hitting one and you're not hooking up then swap colors. You'll be surprised at the difference it makes. Also, some poppers pop, some spit, and some chug... You have to experiment. I've found the spitting ones work more consistently for me. My biggest fish come off the ones that'll spit the water forward yet not chug the water and slightly submerge. The biggest thing with poppers is the sound chamber. And that's where the money comes in. There are quite a few poppers in the $15-$20 range that have very unique sounds that fish aren't much exposed to because anglers won't spend the money. Some of the best are Rico's, Evergreen OB poppers, both MegaBass versions, and Don Iovino's Splash-It. These are well worth their money. The Rico's don't "walk" too well, but they flat out catch fish with a 3 jerk and pause retrieve. One more thing.... Poppers that will walk. These dual action baits will change your life. My favorite is the Evergreen Shower Blows in the 105 size. This thing is amazing. And it is so easy to work. Just remember, you need a moderate action, parabolic rod and mono line to effectively work these baits. The hooks aren't the strongest because big strong hooks will kill the action and defeat the purpose of a $20 bait. You can get better hooks, just don't upsize them. If panfish are giving you fits the upsize your bait. I use the larger size in the Rico's and Splash It's. However, the Shower Blows 105 is perfect already and it's the smallest version. Hope this helps.

Just make sure you don't upsize the hook or wire size too much or you'll kill the action of your baits. In most cases softening your rod and downsizing your line to 10-12 lbs will help keep your hooks from bending out for a much longer time. The hooks will get dull and wear out, but if you're bending hooks all the time your crank bait set up is too stiff. A crank bait rod needs to be parabolic and have a moderate action. Almost floppy, but not quite. One more thing, always be prepared to loosen your drag when you get a big fish on a crank bait. Horsing a big one almost always insures she becomes another big fish tale.....

Spend a little more money and insure the drum rides on roller bearings and not those shims. You'll never buy another dryer. Only replace the heating element after 10 yrs....

I'm a little lost here..... Brand? Pic? My son has a Lunkerhunt prop frog and smokes them on it. He got it in his LTB.

The one thing I've not seen covered here is PRACTICE pitching, skipping, and casting. The biggest fish are LAZY and don't move a lot to eat. It would probably depress us all to know how many big fish watched our bait land a few inches off target and let it go by. Catching the bigger fish is a game of inches. Often times we only get one shot at that perfect cast. Get it right and something magical happens. Get it wrong, see a swirl and wonder how big that fish actually was. Or, miss the target and never know a lifetime bass is there... The thing is, accuracy is a major factor with largemouth. They relate to structure their whole life. So, putting your bait in the exact spot it needs to be, as softly as you can, and work it to the best of your ability, really elevates your chances of hooking the big one of the day. Set up a target in your drive or yard and cast, pitch, and skip to it from different angles over and over and over until you feel like you got it. Then, put a broom or rake horizontally on a bucket or something to raise it off the ground in front of your target. Casting under the obstacle and yet still reaching the target will really make you a much better angler. Most times it's not the bait you are throwing that keeps you from catching the biggest fish. It's where the bait is landing that determines whether you catch a big one or not.

Chatterbait FREEDOM is 25% off at TW. Deal of the day.

I fish a lot of tannic (coffee) water in La. because of the cypress leaves staining it so. I have learned that chartreuse is a great color, especially when mixed with other colors like green and blue. Think sexy shad colored spinnerbaits and such. It seems the water tinge tones the chartreuse down and really looks good. A Strike King Rage Tail Shad in green pumpkin / chartreuse rigged tex posed is killer among those laydowns.

In the short time I've been around this forum I've noticed the advice varies greatly depending on the locale of the advice giver. So, it would make the most sense to look at the poster's location to determine if it is valuable info. Case in point, here in the Deep South the water is averaging 90 degrees and the humidity is very high. Our best oxygen is in less than 5 ft of water. My biggest bass this summer have come from skinny water. And I mean SKINNY. Less than 3 ft. I've caught them all on topwater baits. Namely, Rico's and Don Iovino's Splash It in the larger size. It seems down here the "middle" water is pretty dead. Either fish DEEP and SLOW or SHALLOW and FAST. In the South shad stay right near the surface and "school up" causing a great reaction bite in the heat of the day. My biggest and best catches all came on Bluebird Sky days with the sun high. Early light produces more bites, but mid-day produces BIGGER bites. Of course, that's my story in my neck of the country. I'm sure the northern fisheries are all together different. And to oppose my own view point above, I've taken "Northern patterns" and used them with great success in "Southern lakes" because fish have never seen it before. So, there's that angle as well....

Tatula with the SV spool. The SV spool is amazing. An "Air Brake" of sorts. I own several along with some Lew's and *** reels. The Tatula with the SV spool will BOMB lighter baits almost as well as spinning gear. Also, if you're fishing deeper the spool will automatically feed out additional line after lure touchdown. No need to pull out extra line. Truly a work of art for less than $200, IMO.

This is great info! I've been impressed with the finish and look but due to past experiences from the "other" house brands I was skeptical.... Guess where I'll be headed to shortly...

Not exactly, but it sure makes think twice about cursing when you lose that 6 pounder.....