SkilletSizeBass.

Very sweet work. I like all 3 of them.

With the tru-tungstein smart pegs just get the right size depending on the size of line. after you slide on the rubber peg, wet it, stretch it just a little, then slide you tungstein weight on the peg, in a twisting motion. After you get your hook tied on and bait on, slide the peg and weight togther down against the hook/knot.

My brother and I hit John Hay lake today. We caught 6 keepers between us with the largest 17". All but one caught on rattletraps and 3 different brands of them. Not a great day, but its a start and was fun getting out. Water temp was 50. All of the fish caught in 3-5'

While I'm going to try some different baits this year that I've overlooked in years past, swimbaits being one of them, I allways have at least one crankbait of some type rigged up. I just love throwing cranks, probably my favorite lure. Besides, I've bought quite a few this past winter, so I got to try and justify it somehow ;D

I had a similar situation with Plano a couple years ago.One of my latches broke off my Plano 737 and they sent me a new some new latches, and then I broke where the latch actually goes on the box, contacted them, mailed my old box back to them and they sent me a whole new tacklebox Plano is really super to deal with. I own 3 plano boxes now, and I'm going to buy another in the near future.

I use the tru-tungstein weights and pegs to hold them in place. I think if anything it helps feel your bait better, as far as keeping your wight if your line breaks, that depends on where your line breaks, or if your lucky.

I haven't fished Patoka much lately, but I bud of mine caught some on a Berkley chigger craw crazy legs in green pump. last weekend, inc. a 5lber. I've done good there in previous years on a white dbl blade spinner and a Bomber brown craw.

I sure you get better soon for you can get out and do some fishing. Good luck

A buddy of mine fished a tourney at Pakota last Sat. and caught one fish, a little over 5lbs. on a Berkley chigger craw green pump., not sure where he caught it.

How do you do at Hardy, many keeper size and nice ones? I haven't fished Hardy in years.

Nice work Marty, I like # 3 & # 2 the best, they all look sweet ;D

That was a nice fish, once he got her out of the weeds ;D Maybe I should dig that old red spinnerbait out of the retirement box :-/

One of my favorite cranks that I do good on a small clear lake locally is a Bomber model 6a and 7a in redfire crawdad, a red/chart. color. I like a little chart. on a crank, but I don't seem to do much on a mostly chart. colored bait. :-/

Nice way to start out the season I've been thinking about getting a thug in that same color.

I would not do all my lipless baits, but I'd like to have more silent options in various models. I would think at times after getting hammered by loud rattling baits a silent bait may work better. I'm not how removing the rattles would effect how the bait runs, or just add some glue. I may experiment with a cheaper model 1'st ;D

I tried out a new local pond yesterday and didn't do a thing, not a nibble. But I was tickled to even be out trying after this long cold winter ;D. I seen a little activity, a few gills and a ball of baitfish in the shallows. I seen a bunch of some type of shells laying around in shallow water, opened up, oblong shaped, any idea what these are? I'm so glad the weather is finally breaking, man this winter seemed brutal, and long > Has anybody been out and how did you do?

I've heard the Holiday Inn wasn't too nice either.

My brother and his son just returned a few hours ago. They fished 2 1/2 days. Didn't find much weeds growing yet, and didn't catch many fish. The few they did catch were on deeper running crankbaits. I beleive on the Bomber switchback citrus colored.

I was curious if anybody has tried this, and if the lure still ran ok? Would it be better to remove the rattles or just add some super glue and epoxy the hole? I've been expanding my lipless baits to try this year, but its hard to find different models in a silent version. I've ordered some from Japan, but this gets expensive. Some of the lakes I fish have very clear water so I want to try silent models.

I just tried them yesterday for the 1'st. time at a small pond. I didn't have any luck on anything, so I'll try them more later. I thought the action was pretty good, not sure if its as much as I expected. I will try them more when it warms up some.

I've seen them before but there is so many awesome cranks I got to spread my money around. No, I haven't tried them, kinda curious myself if others have.

Stringjam has helped me out and reffered some different cranks to me, he knows his cranks. I've got 6 diff. models but haven't even got to try most of them yet. I dont care much for the larger baits, like the Z-4, but thats just me. I love the finish on Ed's baits, esp. the wobbler. Big M here on the forum makes some very nice quality baits too. as does Richard Manley of Ram baits( baby pig, lil pig dog), Sonny of Flat-shad baits, Jawjackers. Like I said, Stringjam knows his cranks, and he has some awesome pics ;D

I'll have some new baits to try this year, including some new custom made cranks that I'm real excited about. I'll try to use what I think will do best under the conditions at hand, but my best producing baits lately on the watersheds I fish are the Zoom mag2 watermellon/red ( 10lb. fluroclear, 1/8oz tru-tungstein, Gama 3/0), Roboworm 71/2" robotail redcrawler or Aarons magic ( same set up), a Bomber 6a or 7a redfire crawdad ( red/chart.)