PaulVE64

And yet these 2 jigs are ridiculous

A set of coptic markers would change everything.

Spinner baits seem to work.

My river is just breaking into the 40s. And despite high muddy conditions I caught two +17" smallies on a black hair jig off the bank at lunch.

Mine are very predictable. Always not where I fish. Actually, I caught 2 smallies and lost 2 jigs all on the same rock just 10' off the bank. At lunch today.

I'm probably throwing big. Its spring and they're hungry plus they're smallies so they're nuts anyway.

Megabass Agehi, Whipsnake or Shakeyhead.

Can anyone give me advice on this rod. It would be used for 3/32 ,to 1/4 oz jigs in current. I've heard it has an extra ordinary tip that can handle small cranks and jerkbaits. If so it would be my number one river rod for 4# smallies. Any advice is appreciated.

I'm becoming a Megabass fanboy. Though most of my rods are StC

Older Fenwick HMG felt great. Had a 3000 BG on it with braid

All of them are great. Try each one on the rod and one of them will probably speak to you

On spinning gear they are almost my favorite.

Caught my first smallie this week. A 14" beast. That tug is the drug. I was on them last year into November, but it's been a late spring start for me.

My conditions arent typical but I do have an opinion. At this time of year in my waters the temp is +50 in the creeks and clear. The river is mid 40s and clear. If we get a deluge of rain in the watershed then it's a blowout. I never bother fishing the river in a blowout in spring. Our bass dont come into season until early July

So true, we all cope in our own ways. (I started making my own)

I made a hand pour mold from a slab of hardwood and bondo. Just melt my own scraps from fishing. Thankfully I only use a few colours in soft plastic.

How do you know spring flowers are friendly? They always have new buds.

Light spinning gear, 1.5# to 2# of drag, light wire hooks and braid to mono leader.

Sunny day - Elegy Bone & Pro Blue Cloudy day - Perch

I quit buing GY soft plastics because they fall apart.

5" senko worm in green pumpkin with black flake. Pick up some "offset worm hooks" or use EWG hooks and a little bag of split shot Hard to snag and easy to use.

I fish a 2500 or a 3000 on almost everything. From a 6' mlf to a 7' mfast. I like the line pickup when I'm throwing upstream.

Plus the creeks warm up quicker but they wont run into the creeks until the late winter storms and runoff have finished. Those creeks can turn into white water rapids real fast around here. I fish urban rivers and creeks in Ontario. It's still pretty cold but we had a very mild winter.

Ultegra is worth the $12 difference. Personally I like stC rods and I usually upsize my reels. I also prefer braid to a mono leader But I fish for river smallies so I'm bound to have weird preferances

I have some nice resident smallies that like the warmer shallow waters in the creeks for spawning.