Cdn Angler

I've had a lot of luck in fast relatively shallow (5-10 feet or less) current reeling a small shallow diving crankbait against the current. The current will make it hit bottom and stop reeling when digging too much. Much slower retrieve but it doesn't matter as the bait will never stop moving. I've also let out a metric ton of line and let the bait float away for awhile then started reeling. Can cover a ridiculous amount of water in one cast like that.

I kind of doubt that a frog even looks like a frog to a fish, even more so underwater. What frog has a giant circular body with no front arms or distinguishable head? And I don't even think the "legs" on a frog look like legs or would move underwater like a frog that has legs kicking. I'm sure a bass will still bite it as they'll bite d**n near anything that looks alive.

I rarely fish a jig TBH. It can't be worked all that well on the bottom given the amount of milfoil/hydrilla where I fish and I think there are better options for dead sticking/punching in that stuff. If you are trying to cover water because you don't know where the fish are I'd also say a jig isn't a great option. I'd rather fish something that can be worked more quickly like a deep diving crankbait/jerkbait, spybait, carolina rig, even a ned or texas rig in that scenario.

I stopped doing this, whether on TackleWarehouse or elsewhere. Usually the stuff is on sale for a reason. If I haven't used it, haven't heard good things, or it doesn't fill a gap of some kind or look super interesting, I try not to buy it. I still have some in-store discount baits/tackle that are either totally inferior to other stuff or are colours that don't make sense where I fish. I put this in my "backcountry camping" tackle box as there's a chance it'll get lost or rust out and the fish aren't picky back there in theory. Also try to use it shore-fishing when snags are likely. Why would I willingly fish something that will likely catch less fish than something else? I also stopped following TacticalBassin as I realized their main goal is to make you think you need more tackle than you do and buy stuff on TW. I don't need 20 variations of ned rig soft plastics. It wouldn't even be possible to fish often enough to reach any conclusion as to which one does better and under which conditions.

I always assume that Crayfish and Perch are on the menu. Then maybe smaller sunfish (pumpkinseed, bluegill, redear) and various minnows that are usually silver or greenish. And assuming young versions of the sunfish. It's annoying as I don't really know how to pattern any of the above. I don't have a live well so no vomiting.

I've never had much luck fishing any fluke style bait until recently when I got the Yamamoto D-Shad. Wow! This thing kills. Some rigging issues. I have rigged on an offset worm hook as I prefer an open hook and thus has worked perfectly...when it doesn't slide down the hook. After 5-10 minutes or a fish it basically slides down the hook and is no bueno anymore. But the way it falls is perfect like this, as is hook up ratio. I've texas rigged on a 4/0 hook but this causes it to sink too quickly and slightly nose first. Bait stays put, but way fewer fish. Plus I prefer an open hook. Anyone have a suggestion for fishing a DShad on an open hook? Nose hook it? I throw it on 12 lb flour and mainly around natural lakes that are relatively weedy. Similar to a senko if super weedy I just dead stick and weeds aren't an issue with an open hook. Anyone have a non Texas Rigged preference that works?

Don't know, but someone should make a frog with bent out hooks.

Love the jointed Rapalas. Those, Mepps, countdown minnow, Cotton Cordell Big O all get bit. My biggest complaint is that they don't cast that far and need better hooks usually. Get bit as well as anything new and shiny though.

For what it's worth I've been blown away by my M Sellus. No worse than any other spinning rod I've used and I've tried more expensive (double or more) rods by Shimano, Fenwick, 13 fishing. I use mine mainly for senkos.

12 lb floroucarbon for me.

Shimano - Rods and Reels Keitech - Plastics Hard Baits - too hard to pick. Maybe Berkley even though I use zero of their products as they make every type of bait. Or Rapala.

A lot of baits are situational/regional. It might just be that your circumstances/fish aren't conducive to catching them on a spinnerbait. Unless you know other people are killing it on the same body of water as you at the same time, I wouldn't stress it too much. Maybe try it out here and there when you think it makes sense and experiment a bit, but it might just not be "the deal." I wanted to fish a spinnerbait this past week, but a swimbait was outfishing it 5-1 so I had no choice but to switch.

If I think I'm in dead water or it is not likely that a fish would follow, I just reel it in quickly. Then toss to a higher target area. You'll get bites as you pull a bait out of the water as it triggers followers, but the calculation is whether those bites are greater than the bites you'd gain if you reeled quickly and got more total casts. I guess like everything with fishing "it depends." Back when I was fishing in a tiny kayak (sub 30 lbs) in waters with giant musky (40 lb +) I pulled a jerkbait out at the boat and an absolutely enormous musky tried to take a bite and slammed straight into my boat at seemingly full speed. Scared me senseless.

I would start out with two rigs. 1) Wacky worm - wacky hook (pick your poison - many options) and any 5 inch worm, use 0-rings on the worm (o-ring tool and o-rings sold together - $10). 2) Texas Rig - Get a 1/4 ounce bullet weight, a 4/0 EWG hook. Use the same 5 inch worm and any other soft plastic that's roughly 5 inches long that suits you. I'd start off with that and go from there. Swimbaits are also good starters. Any swimbait hook (1/4 ounce) and a 4 inch swimbait. I'd start off with standard bait sizes/weights before worrying about more niche sizes. A 1/4 oz weight will be useable in most scenarios.

I have an original vixen that I use, but I don't find it any better than a R2S Rover. Never tried the Teckel version.

I'm not even in the realm where I could try to be jealous of someone that caught a 16 lb bass. I enjoy your posts and don't doubt anything you say.

I've honestly enjoyed my medium Shimano Sellus rod for this purpose as much as any other rod and it's like $50 US. I fish the medium, 6'8, with a Nasci 3000 reel, and 12 lb flouro.

Shadow Rap Shad - Perch Colour Jackall Rerange110 - Perch Colour Duo Realis Rozante - take a guess On 12 lb flouro, spinning rod.

Walleye preferred here if you are eating them, which is a fair number of people. Walleye fishing has suffered badly as a result and it's often easier to catch bigger and more bass as it's a c&r thing mainly. Also cant get em through the ice unlike pike/walleye/perch.

Regional and fishing pressure thing I think. I fish a lot of water with light fishing pressure (maybe 1-2 boats on a lake on a Saturday, some days zero) and a whopper plopper outfishes any moving bait most of the time: jerkbaits, crankbaits, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits etc. Factor in that lakes have a lot of grass and a topwater lure is easier to work...and it outperforms so it is a no brainer. It's hard to put the thing down. If anyone watches NDYak it's the same situation.

So he finds bass on livescope, drops a lure on their head and leaves it until they bite? ... That's not fishing to me.

Work like crazy around here. Most confidence I have in anything.

Grass: 30 lb braid no leader Clear water no grass: yozuri hybrid 12-15#

At the end of the day it's an imperfect description. Do what you have to do to catch fish.

I'd benefit from fishing with d**n near anyone. I've only ever fished by myself. BR: AJ as he is a fellow Northern guy and apparently fishes out of a canoe sometimes. Glenn from BR also as seems like a good guy and knowledgeable. Bob Izumi as a Canadian legend, nice guy, good fisherman, knows Canadian waters. Blaukat as someone you could learn from and a good teacher. T-bassin as tackle junkies. Greg Blanchard as I kayak fish. All of the above seem nice enough to help someone out/teach. That's a lot different than just being good at something. It'd be interesting to take them to the lakes/river I fish to see what they chose to do in given conditions compared to what I'd normally do. I do think it'd be cool to show someone else waters I've found that are ridiculous. Mainly lakes that see zero or near zero fishing pressure and have no boats on them ever. Just a different kind of fishing/fish up here in more remote parts of Canada. I think others would enjoy it. If I could go on a boat with a locally great fisherman it'd probably be just as useful to me given my skill level and the fact that they know their stuff. There's a local muskie guy I'd love to fish with just to pick his brain, but he charges like $600/day.