Tom Rust

Mobasser, yes I have used some of the same stuff for 30-40 years, but if I hit the same pond or small lake several times in a span of a few weeks, it seems like my catch rate goes down, presumably from the fish getting conditioned. That’s where I think a new presentation saves the day. Would you agree??

one of the wonderful things about (bass) fishing is the many different channels of participation. You can experience the thrill and pressure of competing in a tournament, or dreamily doze off under a shade tree while waiting for a bite while fishing "deadline". Your tackle box(es) can be full to bulging, or be complete with a cigar box of just 2 or 3 different lure techniques. While many here enjoy a cornucopia of massive impoundments all within a 90 minute drive, the closest to me are 3-4 hours away. Although I keep an aluminum bass boat just to drive 5 hours north to fish awesome Lake St. Clair several times a year I mostly fish farm ponds and several nearby small streams for smallmouth. My challenge with the ponds and city lakes i fish is the need to keep up with something new or different to fool those pressured bass. At 71, I'm a tad slower than i used to be, so a slow walk around a pond is very relaxing for me. BUT, I still am very driven to catch as many as I can during my time with a rod in my hand, so i guess I'm competing with myself in some respects. Or occasionally a buddy joins me, so then there's a friendly competition to see who's got the secret sauce working that day, which can be really fun. Now here's where the new trick comes in. Although i've been a dedicated wacky worm guy for at least ten years, i've never investigated the Neko rig. Once i checked out a few videos on how to rig it, i bought some fat roboworms and got a handful of size 6 wood screws, Then I read on here that a long-shanked wacky or dropshot hook pointed backwards under the o-ring leads to successful hookups mostly in the roof of the fish's mouth. Yesterday it was time to put my new technique to the test and my buddy joined me. He didnt get a single bite and left after an hour to take care of an errand. I too only had about an hour before a scheduled Vet visit for my dog, but the Neko rig produced TEN pickups with 7 bass successfully landed. 5 of those 7 fish were hooked in the roof of the mouth. My point is, you gotta keep up with new or "tweeked" techniques in order to keep these pond bass interested in biting, otherwise "lure fatigue" sets in!! You can bet I"ll be using a Neko Worm for the forseeable future, and the ideas shared on this website helped make it possible. Thanks to all on this site who share ideas on what wprks, and what doesn't....

Yes, baby brush hog I fish T RIG

ok now i un derstand almost afraid to ask this, but theyre advertised "scented" what does the scent smell like???

did anyone see what the 40 pound bag fisherman was catching them om-seemed to me he was careful to never show the lure when he removed it. was using a baitcaster, so im guessing not a small finesse bait??

not sure what youre referring to as a poop bait?

This situation is pretty common for me-I'm fishing a small pond or am stuck with a limited stretch on a bigger lake, (assume for discussion purposes theres a tournament boat on every good point or stretch of shorline) so in both cases i have to re-fish it 3-5 times. the pond takes about 30 minutes for one thorough "fish-around", and has largemouth up to 4 pounds in it. First pass i would use a baby brush hog. catch a few, but i know from experience i have to change baits when going atound the second time. So, i switch to a ned, get, 3 more bites and two are the better fish. third time around i use a roboworm rigged neko-style. and get two more bites; I've got time for one more pass today, so whatbait would YOU choose next? in fact, assume I'm going around two more times, so please give me your 4th and 5th bait selections. note: its late morning and i missed the early top-water bite. pond bottom is sandy/clean, no moss down there cause he keeps grass carp for that reason. Reservoir similar habitat. You're the expert, so fire away, please! in fact, you can list all 5 of your choices and explain your reasoning. thanks!!

Color preferences on the Frittside and size??

Are these flat sided crank’s basically interchangeable, or do you like one better than another? Correction on the bane it’s OG not OT

So what f you think it would be equal wins, then I guess you believe the Elite Anglers are every bit as good as the MLF Pros??

on a similar vein, when you lose a lure that isn't from a soft bait multi-pak, and it was catching fish, how soon do you (and how many) do you go out and get reinforcements? if a new color works for me, i cannot "not" go back to store and get several more of the new color, for fear its going to be discontinued soon. Or at least thats the lie i tell myself over and over......lol

What do you all think of pitting the top 25 guys from the BPT against the 25 highest rated pros from Bassmaster Elites. Just add all 25 weights for each team and do it for 2-3 days. No allowing communication between team-mates on the water like the new BPT team format where they can talk, update, and coach each other. I'm old enough to remember when the American Football League claimed they could compete on the field with the more established NFL. While BASS is older, the BPT stole almost all the top pros, so they would be considered the better league of fisherman, but are they really? This would prove who's got the stronger group of accomplilshed anglers. I say, put up or shut up! Do you think the Bass Pro Tour would be afraid of the challenge, given they are almost universally considered the stronger league ability-wise.? I think just like the Super Bowl, it would be must-see viewing and super high ratings for this made-for-television event. Agree or disagree??

So I watched Ned Kehde video detailing how he thinks the Ned rig is most effective when the Ned bait is swimming about 6 inches above the bottom. He states that you have to concentrate on keeping the bait at that depth. I’m wondering wouldn’t a drop shot be perfect then as you can set that depth above the dropshot weight and you just reel slowly and keep the Ned bait plastic 6 inches off the bottom? In other words, use a Ned. Air on the dropshot rig?? What do you all think? Correction: should be Ned BAIT on a dropshot rig