LrgmouthShad

Best time of year is the cold-water period but also a little on the front and back end. My best retrieves are a slow steady retrieve, a slow retrieve with periodic rod lifts and pauses, a burning and kill retrieve, a retrieve where I vary the speed a lot, and yo-yoing them on the bottom. They come through wood sometimes and can be ripped out of grass or tugged out of the top of it. A lipless ricocheted off wood, ripped or pulled out of grass, and yo-yo’d on the bottom accounts for most of my success with this bait.

@TnRiver46 and spinnerbaits may never get along. I sent him custom spinnerbaits. I think he got a few. Ol Russell and his trusty worm are a better team

Yeah I have a Dobyns Beast from a member and it has held up good. Thank you. You know who you are. I also received a Megabass SV-3 as a gift for the annual fishmas on here. That is a durable spinnerbait as well. Nichols are well built but don’t last forever. I am a spinnerbait nut. I have hundreds and many different blades. I’m not picky on durability but if they are glaringly flimsy, that’s a no-go.

I’m probably at 2k

No I don't do anything crazy. A guy years ago on Badin in NC told me I should try a carolina-rigged crankbait. Since then, I've seen a few members on here say it is legit. That includes Glenn if I remember correct. So, I don't think it is a gimmick.

I use a 7’ HF in shallower water, in tighter quarters, or for skipping docks. I use this for jigs up to 3/4oz. If I’m using a 1oz or above it automatically goes to the next rod. I use a 7’3”HF that can throw a little more weight when I’m in deeper water or using heavier jigs. This isn’t really dependent on cover. The 7’ HF has more than enough muscle to work thick cover I could get away with only using one of these rods for all jig fishing, but since I have the option I’m going to use both for different situations.

Yall ain’t kidding about the cooler weather! I had to put on a windbreaker at night! Just caught a small one and a big drum last night. Looking to go to a new smaller body of water for a fast trip trying to get a little more this weekend before I am gone for about 2-3 weeks

Your drag may be too loose but hard to say because I’m not there. I don’t use a lot of braid as a mainline but I don’t care if it digs some when I I’m testing drag. I just want to make sure that my drag is good. Usually with a single hook bait that ain’t flimsy and line that ain’t light I like the drag to where I can pull it off the spool but it takes some force. With heavy hook jigs I might go even a touch tighter to where I can’t pull it off the spool. I will sometimes loosen the drag when I’m fighting a fish but I want to drag tight enough to go through the weedguard, get the fish onto the hook, and finally bury the barb. With the Dirty Jigs No Jack jigs, that hook is a monster and takes some force to get the barb buried. I have several of them where I’ve taken off some strands of the weedguard to make it a little easier to get that fish onto the hook. Just all depends on the cover you are fishing. This is a really subjective topic but everything else in your setup seems okay so if you are having trouble keeping fish pinned, I’d try tightening the drag. Rod might be a little light for some of the bigger jigs but I don’t think that’s the issue here.

Where is your drag normally set when you are fishing jigs?

What is your setup and what jigs are you using? I saw Dirty Jigs No-Jack and a bitsy flip?

Thats the one!

Well doesn't that sound awfully familiar to what I'm seeing in TX at night. At least as of last weekend. By now, who knows, maybe they all went to the other side of the lake.

For over a year, I have stored my soft plastics in bin containers. I have them separated by type of soft plastic. I have straight tail worms, curly tail worms, creatures, swimbaits, craws, grubs, trailers (such as chunks or split tail), spinnerbait materials, gambler soft plastics, senkos, other speed worm style worms, and most commonly used jig trailers. Out of all of these, the first to run out of space is curly tail worms. So I have to think this is my favorite/most commonly used soft plastic.

@PhishLI don’t you have at least a couple of 7s from NY? Post them please. I’m thinking of one in particular

20lb sunline sniper. 1/2oz+ Texas rigs and 5/8oz+ jigs. Occasionally some lighter stuff but that’s it for the most part. What I like about it is that it is a true fast action but has a soft tip. And by soft I mean that it reacts quickly despite being able to throw 2oz at its high end of weight capabilities.

I am at this time declaring that the Expert Amistad is the best rod I have. I love that thing.

For anyone looking for a good vid on the FG, this is it. Tension is key

Tough one! I can only have one? I will have to go with a rage craw as well

Extended report: the hole I was on for day one was significantly less active for day two. A lot of the fish just left. In one day. Had no idea what was going on and couldn’t find where fish went. Fish caught: 0. The photos shown are from day 3. I launched somewhere different worried that quality might take a hit. 3lbers are nice I had fun but worse than 5lbers. So the search continues 🔎

3 3s Im never taking a photo in the dark with a hat again good grief I need to get it together

Every year sets up different. Right now what I’m seeing in TX is a lot of movement. There’s a lot of dead water. Many bass are transitioning to some new areas and following bait but not going insane for them yet. There’s less bass suspended right now than I would’ve thought. They are overall set up just a touch shallower than in the heat of midsummer.

Username checks out

@Woody B nice!! Well y’all I was sitting anchored on a community hole. Nighttime so I had it to myself. Offshore structure 15-17ft. Jig and worm. Definitely a well known spot but my first time going there. It’s going to be hard not to go back. Could be a DD or two cruising around there at night. Still trying to figure out what my best options are. I’ll probably go back and rotate through some baits just to see if it continue to produce and, if so, what size bass am I looking at. But I’ll need a backup spot or two.

Pair of 5lbers

You can walk the PopMax fast You can walk the PopMax slow You can reel the PopMax and it creates a wake You can chug the PopMax slow You can chug the PopMax fast You can barely twitch the Popmax You can cause the Popmax to skitter super fast You can let the PopMax sit and the realism of the lure will not deter fish away I like the PopMax As far as the hooks go, yes they are light but with a spinning rod and looser drag, you will be okay with the stock hooks. I caught a grass carp that probably went about 8-10lbs on the stock hooks and only one hook was bent very slightly. I’d rather let the popper stay buoyant than weigh it down with heavy aftermarket trebles sorry Ajay