OHBuckets

I imagine the eventual 'ping!' and he'll have a top 10 weight. Seems to be the way...

The markings on that spot are beautiful!

Hello! I've got a handful of the Hammer Shads (and Ultimate Shads and Strong Shads). I like them and have caught fish on them The soft mattlures have their quirks; they're very soft (mendit), and from reviews, they may need some harness wriggling (like hudds sometimes do). But mine seem to run good enough for my skill set. I haven't fished mine in a while - I moreso just like looking at them ha ha. But maybe I'll spend a day with them around the spawn. I look forward to other responses so I can get my wallet ready for the Monkey...

I'm a fan, so I'm excited to have just received my new 'Pinky' and 'EO Trout' Glideway 176s. I find them easy and fun to fish, and have had some real t-bones on them :)

Obviously I will get a PB and runner-up state record! :)

Forgot to post when I got them, but I am really liking the Megabass ORC wakes. My Karashi 80s are still dry :)

I just happily bought some to play with :) I watched the main vid and it seems like there are definitely nuances with rigging it, but with feedback on SU and from others, I think it will be fun to fish at some of my gnarly spots. Aside, I just recently sold my Unitoads and other Zooms (apart from my Mag UV Speedworms) - I like their stuff, but reached my limit on warped baits (not the Unitoad in their shell, of course). Even with the Mags, the first thing I had to do is open them and unkink half of the tails. Drives me crazy.

Nichols, Picasso, and Sieberts here I have a bunch of others, but if I'm ordering any these days, it's one of the above.

Finally got on the board for 2026 before the weather drop. Dragged in about 10 branches before getting a lazy mushy bite. White 3/8 Elite Evo with a fluke trailer. Only one for the weekend, but I'll take it !

I've got a set of them, all bladed, different sizes and bills. I also really like the finishes on them. I've caught bass on them; was down at that Elite tournament at Lay Lake a few years back - rented a house with a dock. Only two lures caught fish for me at that spot - the bladed Chippawa in the color KP Duty posted, and a Bandit 200 in 'Mistake.' Besides a few bass, I could not keep the drum off of them. Eventually lost them, the Chippawa broke off to some lake monster, and the Bandit to a snag. Also had a huge cottonmouth follow a Keitech Fat/Flashy Swimmer in, and almost get on the dock with me :(

My wife certainly won't talk with me about flukes :) At the time I put it on a 5/0 BKK Permalock - didn't have any hook up issues; it seemed to give enough to bite. May play more with TwistLocks when my lakes are liquid.

I can't remember exactly (maybe Copperstate sale - they move Hideups?). I bought a bag on release and liked it, so it went on my 'wait for a sale' list :) The only one I'd pay store price for now would be the Natural Green Blue color - that color is pretty cool and never in stock anywhere. Also, if talking about pricey/big flukes (besides the Sakamata HW 6s, which are awesome), I like the DRT VTS 5, but one only gets a few fish on them (super soft; action is amazing). I have the VTS 7 too, but I don't seem to know what to do with them so I just admire them in the bag :) My PB for 2025 (7+) came on a white DShad that had nicely dulled a bit having been stored with all the other colors in a ziploc (excluding the 'Glowstick' color - that one stays separate :)). TOXIC's DShad box is awesome, but I like what happens when they're all jumbled together :)

I am a never-to-recover fluke addict. I got a bunch of Judy Fish on discount - just IMO, they hold added scent quite well and the durability is very good. I had the same one on for several days and numerous catches - never had a single issue with it keeping on the hook. In fact, it's still on the same hook in a tackle tray waiting for spring :) It also has an air bladder in it that gives it a nice swimming action (as opposed to a solid fluke).

Here's my backpack box

Second the Hira Tailor - I've fished them on a free rig, but quite like them just plain weightless. Other excellent alternative is the BottomUp Gimmy, just IMO.

I fish the Citizen Micros - they are cool, very nice subtle colors, and I love the action on a weighted swimbait hook (I prefer the 2/0 size). I've fished the same one for multiple sessions and find the durability excellent; it's been weedless without having to tear up the top by skin-hooking, and it has not slid down the hook except when setting it on a fish. I'm a fan, but to each his own. Probably have spent more than that on Keitechs in the same effort. Maybe if I caught more 5 lbers I'd tear them up more, but they've held up well on my dinks through 3s.:) Accidentally casted into a bank shrub one day (bank fishing), and when I pulled it free into the water it made a nice bass so hangry that it bashed, butted and rolled it no less than 6 times before inhaling it. I was trying to retrieve it steady but was laughing so hard at how determined that bass was. Pure joy.

I went out with a light rod last Thursday and got on some fun lmb (<1-2 lbs) - I could not keep them off a weightless Raid 1-Way Hybrid and Big 2-Way. Fun ended when my L St Croix Premier inexplicably snapped a third of the way down. Only two rods I've ever broken fishing were both St Croixs (L now and a MH). Lost a Fenwick to the truck door:)

If you missed it, HUT had a release vid on the Grass Piece that said its assembly, painting, etc had moved to bigger scale production in China. I imagine that's why HUT still has stock and TW has a pile now too. I got new old stock and some of the latest ones. I'll probably just fish the new ones now until I ruin or lose them

Landed a beautiful 6+lb largie on the karashi this past weekend - ML spinning rod, 15lb braid to 8lb YZH leader (thanks to Crazy Alberto for the knot). Thought it was a good 3lber until I saw it jump, then she took off peeling drag - I really thought I was gonna lose the fish and the lure. Was also sweating because I knew I'd be collecting about 2+ lbs of weeds on the way in. But I did it, slow and steady with the drag in the sweet spot. Karashi was pinned in both the roof and corner of the mouth. Both trebles made it through perfectly fine. Karashi also gave me an awesome session prior to that - caught 15 crappie (good sizes too, best 12.5"), 3 largies, 1 bluegill, and I had 6 more somethings come unbuttoned under the water - in 90 minutes! Definitely wear safety glasses fishing it - it'll come right back at ya! (I also just ordered replacement back hooks :))

I think of live bait here like staking the goat out in Jurassic Park. Not for me personally, but I'm not fussed. If I was fishing to eat, absolutely I'd use whatever rig I had to to catch only what I needed. For sport or having a look, I'd rather skunk than use live bait. Includes worms and minnows for whatever. My fishing trips just turn into birdwatching trips. I've been on a couple trips rigging live shad and herring, but all the delicious catches went in my belly Don't wanna eat a muskie, and they always take part of my hand away with them [PB muskie 48.5]

T-Billy - quite the lipstick on that bass!

Biggest I've had out of there prior was a chubby 20.5". A local gentleman next to me said he only pulls one 6 lb and one 7 lb out of there each year. I guess I won't go back until 2026

Went out yesterday afternoon and landed a nice 2 and 4 lber; lost maybe a ~3 lber getting it to the bank because we hung up in someone's junk line. Lots of aerials which was fun. All on a Watermelon Slice fluke. (my early morning effort yesterday had 4 little largies on a Gunfish 95) Went out after sunup today and couldn't buy a bite at several spots. Watermelon Slice was not on today. But... I changed to to a white DShad and twitched it parallel about a yard from the bank. After about 20 ft of twitching, felt a nice bite. Set the hook and started the dance - thought it was a nice 3 lber collecting another few lbs of lettuce (as is common at this spot if you don't horse them up quick), until she came up and tailwalked. I thought, dear gawd stay on! 23", which is a d**n fine OH fish! Not the best pic, but you can see she'd have no trouble eating my hand (special shout out to BKK Permalocks - she was pinned perfectly)

This^. I had buddies meet me for a great lake salmon charter. I regulated their meal the evening before and didn't let them have any booze We all made it, even with a post-limit long steam back in 6 footers. I didn't want them ruining MY trip ha ha

Oh I love the sakamata - I have a ton in various sizes and colors. I fish them weightless - it's a confidence bait, with the DShad for fluking. Love it!!! Aside, had a recent long weekend vacation and fished plenty. My two best came out of the same river bend! Short-hopping a tube: I was surprised that Largie didn't just pop like a balloon