RDB

This is just one of those discussions where people think they have the one size fits all answer and it bugs me. I’m always amazed when people can agonize over having 4 strands of blue in their jig but can’t “wrap their head” around the possibility that their method of delivery could influence some bass.

Bass bite for multiple reasons. I am not as concerned about line for moving baits because I am generally looking for a reaction strike. Who knows...maybe the naysayers are right and bass are the only creatures in the animal kingdom that are never wary and are incapable of learning from their environments. Maybe every single bass reacts the exact same way and there are really no differences. Maybe I should always choose a spinnerbait on dead slick day and everyone that says they are not as effective without a little chop are just morons. Maybe I need to be less concerned with boat noise or getting too close as there have been times when I drifted over a bass in 3ft of water and they didn’t move. If rational for not believing that it’s possible is you have caught fish with XYZ, then so be it. I once shot a deer in camp standing in my boxers but that doesn’t mean I hung a stand there. Then why not save a ton of money and just fish with a bare hook?

I really don’t see why this is controversial. Personally I have no doubt that fish have the ability to see line (especially static line). Just look at how often sunfish peck at your line a few feet below the water. I also don’t think it’s controversial to say fish adapt to their environments and experiences. Just like everything else in nature, why is it hard to believe individual fish may act individually. Relate it to hunting. Ever had a buck come in without a care in the world but another who can’t take a step without looking around for 10 minutes. I’ve had numerous bucks duck an arrow over the years. Sometimes they may come in the same way the next day, others might hang up or completely change their route, and others I may never see again. Are all fish line shy...I highly doubt it. But I think it is reasonable to believe that some bass may be line shy, not because it’s Power Pro v. Smackdown but because some are more wary by nature. We do our best to limit our footprint when we are hunting, why wouldn’t we do the same when we are fishing. Edit: Sorry...I’m not very good at following instructions. I think I might have gone slightly over a 1 word answer.

Am I the only one thinking how do you know? ?

Not sure what your water temps are but you should be around the shad spawn. Get out early and look for edges in likely areas (rock/riprap, grass lines, grass/rock/clay points, docks, sea walls, hard edges close to the bank...something solid the eggs can stick to). Pretty easy to tell if it is happening. Spinnerbait, jerkbait, fluke, topwater, Alabama, swim jig, etc. After the sun gets up, you can either move out or look shallow in secondary pockets/points for spawning bluegill.

As a side note, if you didn’t see the video, I thought hack #5 at the 3:10 mark was a really cool way to keep the bait from sliding down the hook if you don’t have super glue.

https://trccovers.com/collections/frontpage Made to order, custom lengths, ends rubber coated, custom lettering, lot’s of colors. Not snag resistant but custom lengths help keep lure and cover separated.

This one escapes my knowledge of acronyms. Can you enlighten me? Bait Finesse System...unless there is another usage I am unfamiliar with.

It depends on the size of your swim jig hook but I prefer the Paca Craw v. chunk on a swim jig. For me, when casting and working the lure, the arms on the chunk foul too frequently, especially if you throw in a little Alabama Shake. Just personal preference.

Hack #6 in the article discusses using scents with ElaZtech. https://www.outdoorsfirst.com/bass/article/z-man-elaztech-hacks/

Since you said prespawn, I assume you mean staging fish (not bedding). For me, it depends on how aggressive I want to be which may depend on cover, water clarity, and chop. A plopper or buzzbait on the aggressive end and a downsized popper or weightless fluke for less aggressive. Everything is in play in the middle. A frog or buzzbait if I want to skip docks.

I sometimes fish a 12 acre pond if I have an hour or two and every bass you hook wants to jump. I don’t know if it’s the best technique but I have found that if I point the tip down when they are coming up and pull away (not hard) when they break the surface, I can get them back in the water quicker with minimal slack from head shakes.

My main gear is mostly Diawa for casting and Shimano for spinning. I have quite a bit more that just gathers dust. Steez - 6 (last 2 were used from a member of this forum) Zillion - 1 (unfortunately the old model) Aldebaran - 2 (really fun to fish with) Metanium - 1 (like but will probably replace with a Steez) BB1 - 2 (still the best cranking reel IMO) CI4+ - 2 Vanford - 2 Luvias - 2

I would assume you can remove them. Even if you have a hole, you could always use wood filler. Google rod clips or billiard clips. Lot’s of choices for replacements. https://thesuperstick.com/product/pole-storage-clips/

Question 1: Dirty Jigs are my preferred jigs and I haven’t had any styles that I didn’t like. Question 2: It usually depends on the jig style. If you want to go above 3/4oz in Dirty Jigs, you can get the punchin’ jig up to 1 1/4oz.

Lot’s of great advice. To highlight a few that I think are most important when starting out: 1. Practice in the driveway. The smoother the better as the key is perfecting the motion. 2. Make sure your follow through finishes with your tip high. 3. Reels that have the ability to fine tune are easiest. I keep my spool tension loose and only adjust the brakes. If you keep spool tension too tight, start up inertia makes the bait want to swing up on release v. remain flat. Skipping a lure is not like skipping a rock. Though you are doing it from the side, when you roll your wrist under and finish high, it’s like making an underhanded toss from a sidearm position.

Something else to consider is just getting the blades. This is not a Nichols blade but it is the same hammered foil concept. https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/cabelas-colorado-prism-foil-blades?ds_e=MICROSOFT&ds_c=Shop|Generic|AllProducts|High|StandardCatchAll&msclkid=dbae1470a13b1ef6488174fa63e50996&gclid=dbae1470a13b1ef6488174fa63e50996&gclsrc=3p.ds Instead of having a spinnerbait in every size, color, and blade configuration, I carry my favorite spinnerbait styles along with blades of all sizes & shapes. It takes no time to switch out a #4 for a #5, etc. I do the same thing with skirt colors.

As others have said, bottom contact, and it’s not just about the bite. Having the ability to feel what is going on is important...same reason people use tungsten. I use sensitive rods for longer presentations like Carolina rigs or dragging football jig as well. For moving baits, high sensitivity is not really needed and can lead to pulling the bait away from the fish (premature hook sets). That’s why many use more moderate or parabolic rods.

Like BassWhole said, wind direction can be an indicator of incoming, ongoing, or outgoing weather conditions (fronts, etc.) and movements are influenced by barometric pressure. It’s up to the fisherman to decide if and how that might impact feeding/bass behavior.

TRCovers.com Got tired of having hooks get caught in the bottom of the mesh. These made to order covers have a hardened base, custom lengths, custom colors, and custom text.

I don’t disagree with your overall point but I sure hope this part isn’t true.

I agree with Sam. There are population limitations to maximize growth potential. While there may be some bigs, the fact that you are seeing large numbers of smaller fish is a good indicator that there is some over population. Texas A&M published a simple management tool using catch rates by size to evaluate population balance. I will see if I can find it this evening and post as any fisherman can use to get an estimate. Edit: Here is a link to one survey example. It doesn’t speak to using angler records specifically but another A&M link did. I believe this used fish size applied to Texas waters...not sure if that matters for other states. http://agrilife.org/wildlife2/files/2010/04/3_Fish_Popl_Assessment.pdf Not endorsing, just sharing a study on assessing fish population balance ?.

A jig is probably on every deck in a typical tournament (at least largemouth). There is not a time when a jig can’t catch fish but it may not be the most efficient or effective way. And they are not great search baits. Remember, many of these tournaments allow pre-fishing so they have an idea of how the fish are positioning.

I think everyone is basically saying the same thing...it’s really a difference between technique v. bait choice. With crankbaits, in warmer water you may choose a squarebill or something with a more aggressive hunting action while in colder water it may be a shad rap or flat side with a tighter action or downsizing in the fall to better match the hatch. I agree with Catt that most pro’s have a handful of preferences or styles but they are pretty diverse in those areas. Edit: I would also add that any pro that loves jig fishing will also have no hesitancy grabbing a t-rig, shakey head, etc. If they love a spinnerbait, they will also be good with a swim jig, chatterbait, etc. They may have one that is their go-to but they are very diverse.