softwateronly

I've been finding lots of uses the last couple years. Shower blows 77-105, jerkbaits, spybaits, 3-4" hair jigs, most underspins, jighead minnow 5-6" sizes, 1/8-1/4oz free rigs, weightless flukes, weightless turd baits, small flutter spoons (nichols mojo), tailspins, and 7-20g metal jigs (MC jigpara micro, slow, 3/4oz Duh spoon, and Little Jack type 1). scott PS - I do fish braid to leader, kinda is a huge part of the equation with the lighter power rods.

@August if you go dirty jigs, I like SC flippin jig for similar cover you're describing, 5/8-3/4oz seem to do best. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Dirty_Jigs_Scott_Canterbury_Flippin_Jig/descpage-DJSCFPJ.html Dealing with milfoil up North, I highly recommend that you choose a jig with a vertical line tie. Northstar Flip N Swim gets thru the thickest gunk as well and comes in heavier weights and has an eye to boot. https://www.northstarbaits.com/catalog/item/8195376/8883264.htm The eyemax looks perfect and comes in heavier weights too, and I'm also thinking the Nichols Buddy Gross Craft jig is worth consideration. scott

For yamamoto the floating d shad is much more durable than anything else they make, probably a salt content thing. The crush city has lasted dozens of fish on a jighead minnow for me the last few weeks. The crush is 4.25" and the floating d shad is 5" I think. For some reason the crush city feels smaller than 4.25. The 5" jerky j has been good for many fish for me as well, the 3" is quite small and I don't think would be what you're looking for. scott PS - The gambler komodo mini might be an out of the box choice, those things last for me on free rigs.

I have a handful of 2-piece rods now for similar reasons. This is perfect for 1/4oz for me at $135 https://www.digitaka.com/item/29/6/5/4573236260310 This one for $100 which I've only heard good things about, but have never tried it myself. https://www.digitaka.com/item/29/6/5/4560350818138 scott

I'm braid to leader too, I don't notice it nearly as often with .28mm braid to .33mm leader and never with .21mm braid to .26mm leader. Anything heavier and there is a click or hitch most of the time. scott

I've converted to sniper as my favorite leader, usually 15-25' of 10lb & 14lb. Tremendous knot strength (fg,sdj), diameter, "stretch", feel, and price and good enough abrasion resistance; took me too long to make the move. Still working thru my fc 100 in 20 & 25lb, but will probably give sniper a shot in that range when it's time. scott

I really haven't except for one Canadian trip as a kid, and this thread is a light bulb moment for me to figure out a canoe trip. Thanks @ol'crickety!! scott

I've had a good run with jumpers recently by keeping a steady to heavy reel going if I can't knock em over with the rod. Fishing grass, I had a tendency to set the hook and wait for the turn and head shakes, now I keep a steady pace and accelerate and drop the rod if I feel them coming up. But even if they rocket up immediately, I'm always taking line or at least trying to. Been hooking bass on light gear with spoons, which don't always have the best landing percentage for me. Might be luck, but my results feel like they're getting better. scott

I've only found one time of year with a significant difference, middle to late November early morning before the sun crests the treeline. There's an s-curve choke point, similar to a 18' deep creek channel that connects to large 25' flats on either end. Seems like groups of 7-10 bass sit on the last remaining structure between the choke point and flats and massacre any and all shad that make their daily trip to open water. They'll slowly work their way out onto the deep flat, still actively feeding until it just flips off like a switch. The evening reverse happens too, just more diffuse in activity and time and not quite as good. Coming out of the cool to cold nights, I assume the gizzards are extra vulnerable in mid 40 degree water. scott

It changes all the time, here's what I brought out last week for a predawn till late morning adventure and I have problems and no one else on the boat. 7' XXH/R lightweight swimbait rod w/ spro chad shad 7'6 XH/RF w/ 3/4oz swim jig and a 5.8 paddle tail 7'6 H/F w/ a 1oz nichols double willow spinnerbait 7'2 H/F 3/8oz free rig w/ dolive gill 7'9 MH/RF duel hardcore 5+ crank 6'9 MH/F 5g jighead minnow / 5" jerky j 6'6 MH/F 3/16oz 8" hags tornado 6'9 M/F 3/8oz underspin w/ 3" armor shad 6'9 M/RF 4" cover scat 6'10 M/MF duo spybait 7'8 M/RF 2" 12g metal jig 7'3 ML/F - BFS 1.75" 7g metal jig scott

I do pe #1 w/ 10lb sniper on one true bfs set up and pe #1.5 w/10lb sniper on 2 others that are soft tip, M/RF rods that throw down to 3g. I have to be conscious to reel set, then lift, or I get straight to swinging on some of those hard thumps. Still fighting my instincts on this stuff. scott

@HawkeyeSmallie had some of the same thoughts the last couple weeks. I'm having it harder than normal trying to catch bass during the daytime on structure and or cover since mid july. Small natural lake, clear water, lots of variation in breaks from 5-20 fow, various weeds and grass grow out to 18-22, but the vertical stuff stops around 15', then large expansive 20-35' flats with gentle depth changes, hard bottom, and barren. Point is, bass bust small gizzard shad on the surface on these large deep flats, and targeting them with small 1.75-2" metal jigs is currently my best bet. So as I wait for the bass to show themselves, I often set up to cast the deep weed edges with my eye on the "abyss" and keep my line tight grabbing decent bluegill and crappie on these spoons. BFS makes this possible to be ready in time when the bass do start showing up and still have a whole lot of fun when I'm waiting. scott

White skirt spinnerbaits....gray, silver, blue, green in natural tones all work better for me. @FishTank Looks like a largo shad to me; I feel like there is a difference in action between the "real" colors and the dyed plastisol ones and it's not in the favor of the "real" ones. They definitely got me with the minnow pattern. scott

My boat wouldn't start at 2a. I paddled to shore, tied up to someone's pier and walked the 3/4 mile home. Towed it back to my pier this morning with the pontoon and for all my trouble last night, all I got was a malnourished smallie. There are no known photos of my walk of shame.... scott

When fish do that repeatedly to any topwater I'm fishing, I've had better luck throwing something that swims high in the column but not on the surface, paddle tail swimbait, burner worm, etc. scott

I don't, sorry. My lake is 3+hrs south of you at the Michigan/Indiana border and I rarely get north. Shore fishing is always tough for me, I have to change my mindset a bit and commit to the best 2-3 looking spots for at least 4 hours, but I know others do better just always covering water. scott

I've had the same success with them and agree with all your observations. I swapped to large cps springs and the nose damage seemed to decrease significantly in frequency, and a nail weight in the first 1/3rd of the spunk shad can help it get down in deeper water a little more efficiently if you run into that need. The 6.5" is also a great size for our waters, big enough to attract the largest fish but still able to land the 2-3lb fish. They also work really well on a jighead minnow rig, super versatile. scott

Maybe one day you'll catch some bass worth posting with one. That'll show em.... scott

I too love a cold Hamm's! scott

If you read between the lines, I feel like most to all creel limits really should be a slot limit with maybe one over slot to protect the general public from mounting their pb if they desire. And those slots should probably target smaller and possibly more fish to make up for the appropriate biomass reduction. Very interesting video, thanks! scott

Still gets bites for me at night. I added a nishine outer weight to each hook to work some deeper water more effectively. Ended up with 3 before sunrise, then the bite shut off for me where I was fishing. scott

@LrgmouthShad if you ever give ewg hooks another shot, the gammy g-finesse is the first hook that feels perfect. scott

Tomorrow 8A - Phoenix local time at the hookup tackle. scott

24 casting combos 8 spinning combos 4 casting rods w/out reels I haven't fished a spinning rig in over a year, but hand them out to friends and family when they fish with me. I also have my eye on a couple "casting gaps" that I feel like I should hold off on for now, but man it's hard. scott

If you go casting/bfs this rod has the right tip in my opinion and at 7'8 with a stock alphas air it sends, I frequently spool with small spoons. If you go with the ML instead, I don't think you want the solid tip so be aware as the labeling is very similar.... https://www.digitaka.com/item/29/6/140/4573236273983 https://www.majorcraft.co.jp/5g/blackporgy/ scott