PhishLI

As far as I know the Fusion 19 jig head only allows for an open hook rigging which is a no-go around here beginning about now through January. Our waters are just too weedy. I rig most of my small swim baits on Owner Twist Lock Light 3/32 oz weighted hooks for a weedless presentation. VMC Drop Dead hooks are another long shank weighted hook weedless rigging option. I also rig on jig heads, but they're swinging types that come with offset EWG hooks for weed less rigging. Here are a few I use that come with reflective eyes. I usually pull the skirts from the ECO Pro and SKs for use with paddle tail swimmers, but I leave the skirts on if I rig them with worms or craws. https://www.reactiontackle.com/products/reaction-tackle-tungsten-swimbait-jig-heads-sexy-shad-1-2-oz-4-per-pack?variant=7570068832292&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_campaign=gs-2021-04-24&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign https://www.strikeking.com/en/shop/jigs--spoons/tour-grade-swinging-swim-jig https://ecoprotungsten.com/products/swing-jig Understand that nose weighting swimmers really changes their swimming action and attitude in the water. Where belly weighted swimmers will ride the contours of weed beds, the nose weighted baits tend to plow in unless fished fast. Sometimes that's the ticket, and other times a slow rolled belly weighted rigged bait is. I'm usually fishing both to find out what's up. Here's one from last summer. Yes it's actually the summer. I wear a thick wool hat to keep the skeeters from welting up my scalp. A buddy and I pounded this zone thoroughly, which is our habit, but no takers. I tied on an ECO Pro Swing jig head rigged with a 7"BPS power worm knockoff, and it got hit immediately ripping and pausing it through a weed bed. Was it the entire bait? Possibly. Dumb luck? Maybe. Did the flash from the eyes pique their interest? Based on my experience at this place I'd say there's a good chance they did.

Sign up on their email lists. They send out a tickle when their sales come up. Sometimes before the greater public sees it on a site banner.

If a bait gets torn I don't nip a piece off and re-rig. I chuck them in a bag and rig on a new one, or one that I've repaired beforehand. Once I end up with an accumulation of torn baits and have some time to kill they'll get fixed with Mend-it. It's amazing how many times a bait can be repaired. As far as I can tell the fish don't care whether a bait has been fixed or not. Unlike super glue repairs, Mend-it repairs are as soft as the bait, and many times you can't even tell. My local lakes are all similar. Tree lined up to the water then ringed with a beaten path several feet off the shore, then woods. The paths are criss-crossed with exposed and raised tree roots. Not looking down when walking the paths could easily result in a jambed toe or a faceplant wipeout. I've avoided the faceplant, but not the jambed toe. I've witnessed a few wipe-outs though. Anyway, it turns out that plenty of slobs toss their GY senkos on the paths, and because I need to look down as I go I spot them constantly. Plenty of other plastics too. I really haven't fished all that much this year, but I've already accumulated a really nice pile of 4",5" and 6" Yamamoto senkos, craws, etc, Those who've tossed them clearly haven't discovered the twist lock hook. All the baits have had their noses ripped by standard worm hooks. Good for me. It's an easy repair. Just as easy if the egg sack is torn nearly in half. Doesn't matter, and they're as good as new once fixed. With what I've rescued over the past few seasons I won't need to buy senkos for years. Same thing for most of my swim baits. So yes, I'm all about stretching out plastics to the limit.

Bass fishing is a long game. There's a time and place for everything. Patience, Grasshopper, patience.

Oh, the shame.

You'll get no argument from me on that, but there's still a time and place for mono. I like heavier mono on some of my standard multipurpose heavy setups. Enough give to provide delay and enough stretch to help keep them pinned combined with the oomph from a HF rod to set a larger hook to begin with has been working nicely for me.

Invest in a pair of hip waders. Had you been in the water even just a few feet off shore you could've lipped the fish where she was lighter and not lost her. Glory pics instead of a sad story. Don't worry though, once you've popped the cork on catching your first big more are bound to follow. It seems to happen that way.

50lb Braid. This reel is more rugged than the SLX , easy to tune externally adjustable centrifugal brakes, and with its 36mm tall spool you can throw a frog into the next zip code if you like. Great 5yr warranty too. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Quantum_Smoke_X_100_Casting_Reels/descpage-QS3C.html

I have a Genesis III Jr Swimbait. It's true to it's rating up up 4oz, and ticked several other boxes for me like its shorter than usual handle for a swimbait rod which is what I was looking for. All I can say otherwise is that if you're a leader guy you should check with them first as to whether or not they use micro guides on what you're interested in. I don't do braid to leader, but was still surprised to find the last 4 guides are micros on this rod.

I think attempting to explain non-blatant strike detection to someone who hasn't yet grasped it is akin to trying to flesh out the concept of balance to someone who has never walked yet has the capacity to do so. You can say "balance" all you like, then attempt to simplify the concept with as many synonyms, clues, and analogies as you like, but until they grasp it for themselves...Just like learning to walk it'll just happen when it happens. That said, here's my contribution. Close your eyes or look down when you're dragging a bait and try to maintain a semi slack line. Reps will teach you the difference between what's constant from the bait back to you, and what the changes are that indicate a strike versus bumping your bait into, rock, weeds, etc. The same holds true for moving baits whether in open water or in or around cover.

I threw the #2 and #3 Super Vibrax like a nut when I was a kid. Chucking and winding them never got old, and I caught nearly every species in the lake including the occasional bullhead. I can't say I chose it over anything else beyond thinking it looked the coolest to me. I could also go to the salt and catch snappers all day long with it. Once I got my hands on a weed less Hawaiian Wiggler spinner and was able to fish the pad fields that's all I wanted to do. For no particular reason I haven't tried a Vibrax out since I started back up, except for the type with the minnow I found at a flea market. I can say that last May a #3 Mepps black/yellow and black/orange saved the day at a new lake where they were seemingly immune to most of my usual tricks. I never purchased the Mepps I have, but found a gaggle of them over time snagged in bushes and logs while wading. Never came across a Vibrax, but maybe I'll pick some up now. Thanks for the reminder.

All line guides have a certain amount of wiggle. Grasp the pawl cap on any reel and there's always a certain amount of side to side play, and there's a good reason for this. The worm gear/pawl doesn't exist in a clean space. It can get gunked up with plant matter. What you see as looseness is designed in to allow the pawls's fork to clean the grooves in the worm gear and express that matter, all without binding. Because the T-wing sits up higher on the carriage than a tradition aperture you're able to put more leverage on it manually. This has nothing to do with in-use operation. There's nothing wrong with your reel.

...and, IMO, this is what most people who are good at catching fish do, even without focusing.

I had to miss the past two weeks, but I made it back to the lake this morning and had great conditions with pea soup fog and a slight breeze. I thought I'd have this place to myself, but the bucket brigade was there in force using headlamps so bright they could've signaled a distant galaxy. They like to aim them at their bobbers, but they end up washing the opposite shore with light. Thankfully they stayed far away from where I planned to be. Just like that the trees are in full bloom, and It's amazing how much the weeds came up in two weeks, Too bad the algae is everywhere too. I saw gills on beds, which is quite early around here for that, so I tied on a Shellcracker G2. First up was a skinny guy who looked like he gave everything he had to give during these lovin' times. Got an upgrade with another G2 eater, then figured why not and tied on a 7" senko, which is like throwing a kielbasa, and upgraded again with a decent chunk. Got a bonus crappie on a Livingston Bullnose wake, then I boogied on outta there.

I've haven't been out for the past two weeks until this morning. The weeds have exploded and green algae is everywhere, floating snot mats, and also draped on the weeds. Gills are even on beds here already, which is something I haven't seen this early. Anyway, right after ice out there were places where I could, but using anything with a 90 degree line tie is over here now. I bought parts and made them a few years ago, but not a chance here once we turn green. Just an exercise in frustration,

I'd say 5 1/2, or a shade more. I can't say for sure, but I like how your slippers match the yak?

I’d agree, but only in the sense that painted on or molded in eyes do little to make a difference here at this lake. I believe that the flash from the shiny foil eyes I’m using, which are size-wise in proportion to the bait, is the difference maker here, especially in low light and at night. My thought is the subtle reflective flash as a first que is enough to get their attention, but not so much that it turns them off. Underspins get me nowhere at this place. This approach seems to be just right more often then not. Who knows? Perhaps @Yeajray231 is right and it’s simply confidence in action. All I know is that I’m not transmitting any voodoo down the line to eye-less baits, but it’s working with ones having shiny eyes.

Any pro in any tournament anywhere would be fist pumping and giving praise to god for that fat girl. Might even win big fish $. Congrats!

Agreed, but carefully. I wouldn't experiment with it making contact with the plastic side plate, and especially the lettering.

Beautiful fish. Spectacular tie.?

?. Frustration is the mother of ambition. Can't around here. They'd hit the water, and before I could exhale they'd plow into filamentous algae. Can't throw neds here for the same reason. Gotta stick with baits that have shapes that'll cut through it.

Some baits don't work well at certain lakes. Not for me anyway. This was the case at one of my local spots. I had very little luck when throwing Keitechs from 3 1/2 to 5" rigged on swimbait hooks, and believe me I put in the time. Thinking bass might've wanted some flash I tried a few versions of Flashy Swimmer type swimbait hooks, but nothing. I was tortured by these baits. Several years ago while at a fishing expo I grabbed a few packs of JDM NorieS Spoon Tail Shad 5" swimmers. They're a slender torpedo shaped bait with dimensions similar to the 4.5 Keitech Swing Impact, but they have 6mm chrome eyes. I couldn't keep the bass off of them. At first I thought its action, which is quite different from the Swing, might've been the difference, but I truly believed it came down to the eyes providing just the right amount of flash. I tested this by removing the eyes from a NorieS and fishing it against a stock one. There was no contest. The 4" Megabass Hazedong Shad rigged on an owner hook has been another winner for me. Once I added eyes to the Berkeley Champ Swimmer it also took off. You can't simply peel off stick on eyes from a sheet and stick them on a Keitech, Rage Swimmer, Saucy Swimmer, etc. They require a socket. Here's how I made them. Measure the diameter of the eye and match it up to a drill bit. Preferably a bit with a flat bottomed shank. The non-fluted side of a drill bit, or the shank, often has a point. Not ideal for this hack. Flat bottomed types are available. Metal round stock from the hardware store will also work. A dowel. Whatever you have that's the correct size. Heat up the tip of the shank with a lighter, then press it into the bait creating the socket. Spin it slowly, then remove it. You may need to experiment with the amount of time you apply the flame to the bit, but you'll figure it out. The factory glue that comes applied to stick on eyes doesn't work well on soft plastics. I lay out a paper towel, spray it with 90% alcohol, then rub off the factory glue in a figure 8 pattern. It's easy to see when it's all gone. Then apply a very small dab of gel super glue to the center of the newly formed socket. You can install the eye with a finger, but it's better to use a sharp X-acto knife instead. Some of the gel super glue may ooze if your dab is too large. If you use your finger to install the eye you might become one with the Keitech. Using the X-acto knife will avoid this. Poke the tip of the blade into the center of the eye on an angle, pick up the eye, then press it into the socket. Hold it down tightly for a good 10-15 seconds and you're good. Anyway, I catch fish on Keitechs now. Good Luck.

Yes. If you take the leap, don't sleep on these. They go where others can't. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/search-tackle.html?start=0&count=30&searchtext=project+z+weedless

Do you believe two or three separate treble hooks hanging off a bait magically disappear underwater?

Spend a day at a spot with two spinning rods. One setup using a split shot rig. Rig half an earth worm on the hook. The other setup will be a light crappie jig with a mealworm rigged on and fished under a bobber. Good chance you'll find out exactly what's living in there and where. The "where" will change over the season. Don't be surprised if you catch your PB while looking for which types of baitfish a pond is holding.