ironbjorn

Under those categories, Crankbait: Original Rat-L-Trap in 1/4 oz Blue Shiner Topwater: Super Spook Jr in Bone Worm: 5" Senko in Watermelon Red Creature: Rage Bug in Black Blue Spinnerbait: 3/8 oz War Eagle in Blue Pearl Shad

I just started using them at the end of October/beginning of November. I didn't use mine a lot, but each time I threw it, I got bit. Now I didn't use mine a lot because the Vision 110 was accounting for a disgusting number of fish for me and nothing was going to beat that, but the KVD did get bit when I threw it as a change of pace. What I really like about it is its weight. Both the 300 and the 110 both claim they're 1/2 oz, but the 300 is noticably heavier. I also like the fact that it has big, thick, stout trebles. It throws well and fishes well on my 4 power Dobyns rods. I fish the 110 on a 3 power and 1-3 lb fish bent out all those stock hooks. I liked the 300 enough in my small sample size that I confidently gifted a couple in the Fishmas package I sent. I'm getting ready to fish now, and the KVD 300 will get some play.

I think UPRVR went out of business but in the event that I'm wrong they have great rod caddies.

Well like I said, they're not the scammers and shouldn't be called the scammers. They run an honest business and have for years. I've never once had a problem with TW. I never even had the shipping delays due to Covid that a lot of people experienced. However, their system/security is obviously incompetent, and the fact that they knew about this since the middle of October and just admitted it and didn't tell people until December is dishonest and shady; of course Black Friday and Christmas sales would be the logical reason as to why, so it would appear that making a buck was the priority and not customer safety. There is absolutely no need for some people to blindly support all things TW and excuse this. Multiple things can be true: that TW isn't a scammer business and TW is not innocent.

I don't have any advice as I usually fish small, shallow, cold water in the northern US. But I have to say, only an angler in Mexico could feel led astray by this lake! ?

TW must be handing out gift cards to some people. That's what makes it not the best place to have an honest conversation about the situation.

Green Big Game blends into the water far better than clear in my experience. Of course I'm not talking about crystal clear water. Green Big Game is my primary line.

Merry Christmas

Ponds are where I'm most secretive. I've shared soft plastic information in the past, to then discover the same soft plastics littering the ground. I've shared what hard bait and in what color I was using, to find that it suddenly becomes popular with the pond's anglers, and the effectiveness what I discovered through trial and error takes a hit and puts me back at the drawing board (which isn't always a bad thing). I'm a big believer in bass being capable of becoming conditioned, especially in small water. In small water I need to be doing what others aren't; I need to find the juice that others haven't. Fishing pressure requires it. A loud mouth is counter productive. I've seen ponds get fished out. I don't want to contribute to that because it directly negatively impacts me. Believe me, I understand kindness and sharing the wealth with others, but I guess I've become selfish because I've put my success during the happiest moments of my life (I'm happiest fishing) above the feelings of others, especially after being burned many times.

Summer of 2020: One day (of many) I was catching bass after bass on a 1/4 oz Rat-L-Trap at a 6 acre nature preserve pond. I must have caught 30 to 40 of them. A man was there fishing with his female companion. They weren't catching anything. Every once in awhile he would say something along the lines of, "man, you're killing it" or "save some for us". Eventually he asked me what I was using. I don't like giving away what I'm doing on waters I fish but a few times in the past it has bit me in the buttocks. I said, "a lure". He said, "obviously, but what is it?". I knew I wasn't going to get out of telling him, so I said a lipless crankbait and he walked over to take a look. I didn't see him again for over a year. Fall of 2021: About a month ago I was fishing this place and caught a few on a spinnerbait. This same man was there and once again asked me what I was using. I just told him upfront right away, a spinnerbait. He walked over to me and asked if I'd ever tried *this* as he shows me a lipless crankbait. I said of course, I fish them all the time. He said, "man, there was a guy out here last year just SLAYING bass on this. I asked what he was using and he said this. I went to Walmart and bought about 10 of them!" He didn't catch a bass this day. He came after me and left before me. I watched him blank. I wasn't fishing a lipless because for me, at this place, that bite had died a couple weeks prior. This guy didn't remember me at all, and he was probably wondering what my smirk was about. A few days ago I went out (and got skunked, but it's to be expected right now, it wasn't even a good choice but I wanted to throw a spinnerbait so bad I couldn't stand it) to fish one of the spinnerbaits that came in my Fishmas package. Guess who else was there throwing around a spinnerbait. It's humbling when someone in life sees you succeeding and they want to do what you're doing. I'll give you that. There's also a lesson here that you can copy what someone is using, but you can't copy how they're fishing it, and it doesn't give you the knowledge of the where, when, and why.

I'm fat and slow. Oh. Fast. I fish fast.

But there's still the issue of frogs. My buddy once blew my mind when I saw him using a frog with 10 lb mono, so by all means do what you like and that works for you. The problem isn't that 20 lb braid isn't strong. The problem is that small of diameter braid on a heavy rod with frogs and the knot holding up. You can't compare 15 lb mono here because the knot strength is completely different.

1/4 oz original Rat-L-Trap, and yes burning it. Can't really not burn it in 1-2 fow with weeds/grass/mucky bottom. Blue Shiner is consistently my best color.

I wouldn't even do that to low end gear.

And they're totally innocent for keeping it hush hush for 2 months in the name of the mighty dollar.

Yo-yo the lipless or let it sink, rip it up, let it sink, rip it up, repeat

The lipless is my favorite bait. I'm a self proclaimed king with it tied on. A 1/4 oz on 12 lb Big Game with a high rod tip and faster retrieve does very well for me in shallow water where things can get mucked up real fast.

The 4 power Dobyns is the best in the industry. It can do almost anything.

I do a lot worse like that. The days where I take 2 rods and a small handheld bag are my best days.

Simple for me. I use Dobyns Sierra, Kaden, and Champion XP rods. I use Shimano SLX XT, Daiwa Tatula CT, Lew's Speed Spool, and Lew's Tournament Pro casting reels. I use Daiwa Legalis, Shimano Sahara, and Shimano NASCI spinning reels. That's what I like, and that's where I like to be.

My senses are still too caveman to fish at night. I freak the f out and ready myself to destroy the branch that rustled. I haven't evolved.

A very remote area of Tennessee or Alabama.

I'm watching the video in the OP right now. He is very against yellow line and very for green lines (about the 15 minute mark). It made me think of this post (I had read the thread before starting the video). Are you sure this isn't what you saw? And it showed him using a yellow spinnerbait.

My best fishing has always been in the heat of the summer in the middle of the day. ?‍♂️ I don't pay much attention to the books anymore.

My total tackle weight gets lighter every year. Over time you learn what works and what you like, and you stop falling for the newest thing that's just like the old thing.