Aaron_H

Out of the ones you listed, I think the RES is the best all around. Rat-L-Trap excels at ripping and burning, but not so much on a yo yo or jigging retrieve, where the RES is superior IMO. These days I throw the Booyah One Knocker and the Thunderhawk Sergeant the most, though.

Rapala stock hooks and split rings are notoriously bad, I swap them before fishing them. Some of their newer baits come with quality VMC RedLine hooks now, at least.

I have used both Gamakatsu EWG and Mustad short shank triple grips on mine, size 6. This one was with the Gamakatsu hooks, I believe.

June 2020. It is just now hitting me that this was almost 5 years ago. Goodness.

Zako is the king, for me, but I have been playing around with the Spunk Shad as well and it seems promising. The pin tail seems to let the bait hunt a little easier, but almost every big bladed jig fish I've caught was been with the Zako. I just picked up a few packs of the Zoom Shimmer Shad to try on the back of a golden shiner Jackhammer, that slimmer profile seems to mimic our fingerling shiners better than the deeper body on the Zako.

The thought haunts me. I'm holding her back away from me because I had not yet mastered the selfie with plus-sized bass, but my forearm from wrist to elbow in that picture is 11"; she was a loooong girl, but no belly as I caught her in the middle of June. She was longer than both of my DDs, and her shoulders were so broad I couldn't get my hand around her. Both fists fit in her mouth without touching the sides, and those big bug eyes...... FWC's weight estimator put her peak at 12.5lbs at that length, and I believe it. I dream of catching her again in peak prespawn, if she hasn't declined she should be a low teener easily by now, that pond is full of shad for her to bulk up on. Not to derail OP's, thread, I only posted her to show that, yes, that rod will work for the other uses you listed.

Academy doing 75% off of their clearance right now. Snagged a 6" Magdraft for $3.74, a CrossEyez bladed jig that must not be named for $2.49, a Quake 70 for $1.99, and then two Waterloo 6'9" medium/moderate-fast casting rods for $23.74 each.

Caught her on a 6'10" Medium SLX throwing a 1/2 oz SK Red Eye Shad. She went 8lb 9oz, but was pushing 27" long.

Something bluegill-ish like green pumkin, something shad like white or electric shad, and something dark like black/blue will cover a wide amount of forage and water clarity/conditions, IMO.

Only freshwater fish I've had clean cut me off was a bowfin, lost a pricey lipless to that one. Was also on 15lb Big Game, coincidentally.

Walking out back and catching bass while wearing a luxurious bath robe? You, sir, are living my dream.

I'm surprised some of those fish can even swim with how fat they are, my goodness.

Not to rub it in

You're absolutely killing it lately, keep up that hot streak!

I'm left-handed. I cast with the rod in my left hand, I switch the rod to my right hand and then reel with my left hand. Reeling takes more dexterity than holding a rod, IMO, and feels better in my dominant hand, but I also feel that casting with any type of precision also is better suited to my dominant hand, so I just switch hands after casting, sacrificing 1 entire second (the horror). Seen enough pros do it on the tour and if it's good enough for them when they have money on the line, it's good enough for me. I have never missed a fish while switching hands.

JUMBO, excellent work! I appreciate the kind words, a big one on a jerkbait in the coming weeks would put a big smile on my face, for sure. Lipless and bladed jig are strong contenders, as well. Edit: This Chatter Bait to bladed jig auto correct thing is super weird.

That's an awesome fish, bud. You've got me itching to hook into a big prespawn girl.

Just need a bigger pan, that's all.

Ahh but black bass are in the sunfish family, too!

@A-Jay counting down the days to ice out like "Y'all got any more of those bass pics?"

Dang, that weather is snow joke! You'll get 'em next time.

I have the 7'2" MH glass in the Intenza line and it does struggle to truly rip a bladed jig through grass paired with mono, but I would think braid would offset that and allow you to rip through thick grass but still load deep into a fish. Edit: Why does C h a t t e r b a i t auto correct to bladed jig? Happened to my post in the Latest Pics thread too. Didn't used to do that.

I always make a point to stop into Bitter's when I'm on that side of town. Good people.

Finally managed to get out for the first time this year. Nothing crazy but it felt good to connect with some fish. Only fished for a few hours, managed 7, biggest one was a bit over 4lb on a bladed jig up against some reeds. Jerkbait and lipless got me a few, but bladed jig got the most. Also culled a tilapia, and had a nice little surprise with an ~11 inch crappie on the lipless. First fish of 2025 was also my first on the Vision 110. Best fish of the evening