Jeff H

> "Less Filling" > "Tastes Great" :-/

;D Hey Muddy, there is no such thing as magic powders so you might want to double check that just to be sure. Loud cranks? Anybody here ever shake a Manns Loudmouth? Holy geez....

WOW!! I thought I would be the only one to say "Jitterbug" Honestly I don't fish topwater much but the Jitterbug takes the cake for me. I like to replace the trebles with twin hooks and the front hook will fold right up to the body when you drag it across anything and you can fish it right square through the junk with no problems. A great bait that has withstood the test of time!! My next favorite is the Pop R. I hate buzzbaits for some reason, maybe because the fish seem to miss it as much as they get hold of it.

Do you use them and if so under what conditions do you prefer them or... dislike them? I've never been able to prove to myself they make any real difference especially in clear water. I keep thinking they should help though, especially in deep or dirty water.

They are good quality hooks but they are manufactured in France and for that reason I won't use them anymore. I would really like to use Eagle Claw since they are American made but they just never seem to be as sharp as Gamakatsu.

So, who's got this type of bait WITHOUT salt? You know what is funny? These discussions always sound like the old Miller Lite commercials.

I agree!! Those frogs look awesome!!

I have a feeling bass have no taste buds either . I don't know about the rest of you but if I put something in my mouth that is full of salt it gets spit out IMMEDIATELY . No sane creature be it man or fish should be able to stand as much salt taste as some of these baits look to have . Apparently a fish is very different then I am concerning salt. I just cringe at the thought of what it does to their stomach should they actually swallow one of these over salted baits. It would make me sick. I have never directly tested/compared salted baits to non salted but I have compared my favorite worms to Powerworms and I have watched them hold onto the plain plastic just as long as they did the Powerworm. This is by no means conclusive testing as the fish were just active dinks in clear shallow water but it was interesting none the less. I have also had days where they deeply ingested the Powerworms and maybe that is some form of testimony in itself but it was a PITA because it was killing fish that I would like to release unhurt. So, when my current stock of Powerbaits run out I will no longer be buying those either.

I still have some Wacky Craws left in pumpkinseed and smoke/chart. claws. They were extremely popular for awhile with the Pro's back in the day for finesse applications. There was a write up on them in Bassmaster Magazine and how the pro's regarded that design as a secret of sorts because of their action and they swore it would out-produce all others.

As an absolute last resort I will fish docks. I would imagine we all have some pattern we hate to fish, but will when we have to and docks are the pattern I hate most. If it is available, I will find dirty water and work those docks first then check those along shaded shorelines in clearer water next. I absolutely detest that pattern though and will always be on the lookout for any other shallow heavy cover I can work. This only happens for me if I have exhausted ALL my deep options.

Rainbow trout in clear water or stained. I don't really fish any "muddy" water lakes.

BANG crawfish for me. I do not use it all the time but of the few I've tried on my jigs, it's been the best one.

The Stratos 176 XT is a great boat for the non tournament, "small water" type of guy that doesn't have a speed fetish and can appreciate his mpg. I would like to have one but I'd like it to come without electronics or trolling motor and I'd be very happy with a 50 hp Yamaha bolted to a CMC hydrualic jack plate.

Use a skirted bullet when you T-rig the craw. It's a nifty option. Thunder Bullets makes some rattling brass bullets that have a skirt pod on them that work real nice. I throw a jig most of the time though. I may not be the best jig fisherman in the world but I can hold my own to the point that if I can't score on the jig, I'm not going to score at all on that spot.

Kind of a seasonal thing... but anyway, this time of year?? I guess since my go to bait is a 1/2 oz jig it would have to be the Powercraw or Producto craw I stick on the jig.

He's drilling it from the side, not the front. It's like notching tubing for building roll cages on race cars. Get it?

This time of year(summer patterns) I will spend a lot of time trying to define the "spot on the spot" on deep structures and when I do, that spot is going to see a jig/craw first. I love the precision and I love the bite that comes with a jig.

No, sorry. I've no pictures of them.

What are you guys going to argue about when you step inside the pearly gates? I have this notion that the big tackle shop in the sky is a HUGE place with tons of different baits to pick from but none have any labeling. What are you gonna do then? ;D

Who on this site is making custom "bass jigs" . My two favorite suppliers have gone out of business and I'm looking for a place that can sell me molded heads with a quality hook (prefer Gamakatsu) in a decent design. I may even be interested in your custom skirts (60 strand please) but would like to buy seperately. I'm actually looking for something like the old Bulldogs with the flateye Gamakatsu hooks if you remember them.

Whatever happened to Bulldog jigs? Did they just disappear or are they still around? If they are still around anyone know how to get in contact with them? I can't find anything on a google search.

Revolutionized Bass fishing?? Holy geez....I wouldn't extend the guy THAT much credit.

If Berkley is watching this thread....Please bring back the MAG action (heavy action) 6'6" Series One triggers. They were the best pitchin' sticks you had and are awesome deep jigging rods. Not to mention better in milfoil too. Geez...give us back some power please. I'm on my way to get a St Croix Premier 6'6" heavy action trigger now because you don't have one!!

They also have a very bony/hard palate and sometimes it's hard to stick them. Yup, we call them dogfish here in MN. They are good for nothing but garden fertilizer or feeding the snapping turtles.

Is it a carbed 2 stroke motor? Do you notice this more when it is hotter and more humid out? How do your plugs look? I've seen this problem many times before with 2 stroke carbed motors that are jetted grossly fat in the summer heat. Not only do they run doggy and slow but they suck way too much gas.