RRocket

I'm aware of that. Looking for an app with relief shading, selectable depth colors, etc, and "all of them" don't have it.

Try these if the Grass Piece is out of stock or too expensive https://bacustombaits.bigcartel.com/product/bladed-grass-jig

They aren't very good..and no relief shading that I can see. And what apps are those in?

Same here! I thought Northern Pike.

Definitely. I've been wearing my boots for 5 years now doing a variety of things....and the tread is just about worn out! But yes...versatility is important!

Can confirm they handle pike. But the risk of break off is what scares me when throwing it without leader in pike waters.

I'm getting better at making the tails...

On some things, they really do. Its so odd. But I buy baits here often cheaper than in the US...especially when considering exchange! And most hardbaits are cheaper. A Megabass Karashi here is $24 CDN ($17 USD). They are generally $25 USD at your online retailers. But the odd time on an odd item, price is bananas!

Not here it isn't. (Canada). Same price as Wacky Pliers, VMC Crossover pliers, etc It's really perplexing.

Not here, anyways. Cheaper to buy Wacky Pliers.

Every year, it seems as if fishing is getting tougher and tougher (or maybe it's just me!! ). While I don't use electronics on board, I did use apps for weather, wind, navigation, etc I know many areas of structure locally...but certainly I don't know them all. So I'd like to improve my chances with some quality bathymetric charts, preferably app based. In the past, I've used the Navionics app but it seems like the price goes up every year. It's well over $100 for the year now. But the bathymetric charts were good and could be relief shaded. Are there any other choices you've used? I see C-map has an app and the subscription is significantly less than Navionics.

A heavier weight will get down to the bottom quicker...which should give greater separation on slack line. But I don't always want greater separation. Particularly in deep water. If I'm using a flat (ish) bait and there's huge separation on the initial drop...it takes forever to get to the bottom. That might not be what you want...particularly if fish are relating close to the bottom. And sometimes the weight chosen is needed to activate appendages. I found that LESS than 1/4oz didn't pull enough to adequately activate the claws on the Dolive Beaver or Egu Chunk and therefore 1/4oz and higher was needed for those baits. As with all things bass fishing it's situational, depends on conditions, baits, etc There is a bit of a learning curve to discover what works best for your style, body of water, bait, etc

I use 1/4oz most of the time..even in 10-20 feet. The only time I size up is if there's significant current. Because i want that bait pulled straight down. I use the lightest weight I can to achieve that. I want light because many bites happen on the weightless separation. So feel for me is important.

You'd probably like the Hayabusa Wacky SP hooks...

My dad, a lifelong fisherman, died of skin cancer last year. Cover up and be safe, people. I favor gloves for skin protection but also for functionality. I suppose it depends what you do when fishing but I feel I get less wear and tear and fatigue on long days when I wear gloves. The suede like material of the gloves gives more grip and offers just enough padding to make a difference. I can still tie knots with the open fingers. When I don't wear gloves, I definitely have my sun shirt covering my hands via the thumb holes. That brings the shirt to about my knuckles. Doesn't impede anything. And for a sun hat, and I've tested many, the best I've found is the Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure Hat. No detail is overlooked here. UPF50+, including the breathable mesh panels that make this hat so cool to wear. Large brim, neck nape, sun glass holder, wicking sweat band, subtle reflective panels, foldable/packable, etc etc This is a truly exceptional piece of kit. And I don't think it looks half bad, either.

I bought all the stuff to make my own tail trebles....so far so good!

And for my money, this is one of the best underwater clips on the great separation and secondary stall action of the Dolive Beaver. Note how straight the drop is. A Texas rig glides more on the drop. https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxFzu9wcEvbneZaDSR2dchgHx_apm1kxrJ?feature=shared

Those videos exist. But I've also seen Free Rig videos with poor technique. On the drop, you need slack line to get the greatest bait to weight separation. Without slack in the line, the bait and weight can be darn near connected so you don't get that great separation and secondary bait action. You have to fish it correctly if that's the action you're after. Otherwise it fishes like a Jika when the weight is "connected"...which is still pretty excellent! This is a good video on the topic:

You could use a lightly weighted hook...enough to allow the frog to land weight side down....yet still able to keep the frog floated.

I have been putting in many hours (about 100 thus far) on the Neko since Joedodge started a thread on June 2. I got going on the 10th. Lots of fishing, testing of baits, refining of technique. Was the season opener today in not ideal conditions. Plus it was deep for what I (thus far) consider optimal use depth. But I still caught fish.

I'd wait the 10 seconds and then jiggle the worm..or pop it off the bottom and see if that initiates a strike. Out my way, they frequently hit it on the fall rather than pick it up off the bottom. Might not hurt to try another color..perhaps something darker? We also have bluegill here as a primary forage, yet they prefer purple and black and junebug.

You guys might like Imakatsu Aventa crawlers...all pretty interesting. I like the thin Aventa Vazelle

Alright...I'll let you know if I see any at the JDM sites I frequent. PM Sent

I use a lot of delicate Japanese baits and this helps immensely.

This solves the problem...