So does any one have any techniques they are gonna focus on mastering this season. I haven't put a jig down in 2 years so this year I'm gonna try and not use the jig and focus on my finesse work. I have a kayak this season to so it's gonna open up a whole new door for me also. Now for this ice to melt

The early season is alreday here in the Mid South. When your season opens I STRONGLY recommend

the Red Eye Shad and Smithwick Rogue. I don't know exactly when the topwater bite will catch fire, but

when it starts: MegaStrike Cavitron, Zara Spook, Rage Shad & Menace. I think you should also consider

the NorthStar Original Swim Jig with the Menace as a trailer.

This year I am making myself learn to fish football head jigs.  I just picked up 20 of them so I am stocked up. Just need to learn how to fish them the correct way.

I was planning on throwing more crankbaits this season as learning to use the dropshot more. 

The early season is alreday here in the Mid South. When your season opens I STRONGLY recommend

the Red Eye Shad and Smithwick Rogue. I don't know exactly when the topwater bite will catch fire, but

when it starts: MegaStrike Cavitron, Zara Spook, Rage Shad & Menace. I think you should also consider

the NorthStar Original Swim Jig with the Menace as a trailer.

 

 

 

I have probably 30+ smithwick rogues it used to be all I fished the lipless and jerkbait is usually what I start my season with actually 

I don't have many jigs, but I had some success last year. Planning to throw some more this year.

My 2013 goals are

 

Finesse - The Drop Shot.  All stocked up on hooks and lures.  I will use this each and every tournament.

Power - Chatterbait.  I rely heavily on the Spinnerbait.  I want to expand my horizon and get some more experience using this toy.

I spent much of this winter / off-season reading In Pursuit of Giant Bass by Bill Murphy. 

 

I am going to devote at least this next fishing season to that end.

 

By learning the techniques he employs and adopting the mind set required to use those methods effectively, I'm hoping to see a whole "New" side to the waters that I have been fishing over the past few years. 

 

And maybe while I'm at it, I'll sore-lip a few worth posting here.

 

Regardless of how it goes, I'm planning on posting a thread at the end of the year covering this venture.

 

A-Jay

I spent much of this winter / off-season reading In Pursuit of Giant Bass by Bill Murphy. 

 

I am going to devote at least this next fishing season to that end.

 

By learning the techniques he employs and adopting the mind set required to use those methods effectively, I'm hoping to see a whole "New" side to the waters that I have been fishing over the past few years. 

 

And maybe while I'm at it, I'll sore-lip a few worth posting here.

 

Regardless of how it goes, I'm planning on posting a thread at the end of the year covering this venture.

 

A-Jay

 

 

Make sure you include the Good, the Bad & the Ugly.

I spent much of this winter / off-season reading In Pursuit of Giant Bass by Bill Murphy. 

 

I am going to devote at least this next fishing season to that end.

 

By learning the techniques he employs and adopting the mind set required to use those methods effectively, I'm hoping to see a whole "New" side to the waters that I have been fishing over the past few years. 

 

And maybe while I'm at it, I'll sore-lip a few worth posting here.

 

Regardless of how it goes, I'm planning on posting a thread at the end of the year covering this venture.

 

A-Jay

 

Atta boy!

 

Get your stitchin' fingers ready! 

I plan to substitute the Jika rig for some of the more basic jig applications.  Before we get much in to prespawn patterns I want to reach back in time and reuse the old cold weather  "jig and eel."  That's one that I fished regularly but got away from.

My 2013 goals are

 

Finesse - The Drop Shot.  All stocked up on hooks and lures.  I will use this each and every tournament.

Power - Chatterbait.  I rely heavily on the Spinnerbait.  I want to expand my horizon and get some more experience using this toy.

Felix, with you being a co-angler, you'll be surprised how many fish you catch if your boater is using a spinner bait. 

Make sure you include the Good, the Bad & the Ugly.

 

I'll be keeping a log and . . . Oh Yea - you know me ~ there will be Plenty of Ugly . . . . . .

 

 

A-Jay

Punchin with a skirt on a t-rig

Shaky head, drop shot and Carolina rig, if I can use them as effectively as my spinner baits and T-rigs I will be happy.

This year joined a Bass club and wont always be beating the bank and I am excited about this, I hope to learn and do new things, I would like to try a chatter-swim and maybe a deeb diving crankbait.

My plan this year is to focus on jigs this year, specifically 1/4 & 5/16 Finesse Jigs.  I've got my Falcon Eakins Jig rod, a Curado 50 E and I'll put 10 lb abrazx line on it and start fishing.    Lets just find out how many times I get snapped off in gnarly cover.

 

I'll still throw my share of reaction baits, but when it is time to slow down, that will be the primary rig in my hands.  At least that is the plan.  For now.

My focus this year is going to be on the T-rig which iv never really used before.

Ive said it before, I want to improve my deep cranking and efficiency. I also am gonna concentrate alot more time on bama rigs and big swim baits.

This year I wanna try and learn to fish jigs and get more proficient at t-rigged soft plastics.  I catch some on the t-rig but I feel like Im missing a lot.  I think someone in another post said something about braid improving the sensitivty and making it easier to feel bites so maybe Ill try using braid for my jigs/worms.  I also wanna catch something on a spinnerbait.  Ive been fishing them a lot but for some reason never got a bite on them.

Punchin with a skirt on a t-rig

This was my plan except TW has had all their punch rig stuff on back order for months.

I fish for smallmouth in clear water.

 

The only thing that will be new to me is to try lipless crankbaits in my home water, never having thrown them much before. I appreciated the recent post on these cranks.

 

I used the Jika rig last year with some success but I'm not overly enthused by it. As Crestliner 2008 pointed out, it's nothing more than a real short dropshot rig. Aaron Martens mentioned in his article in the January "Bassmaster" that the line below the bait on his dropshot rig is, under certain conditions, no longer than the bait.

 

I'll be jig fishing more, having bought Do-It's Shake It jig head mold. I'll be dressing these with hair and rubber as well as using the jig head plain with a plastic bait.

 

Looking forward to a spinnerbait bite when the wind's up and the sun is out.

 

Regarding suspending jerkbaits, which is what I use early season . . . I came to the realization recently that I like to buy these as much as (many) women like to buy shoes!

 

To the other icebound anglers: We're not all that far away now!

On 3/1/2013 at 4:53 PM, Pegwedge said:

I've been wanting to ask this question for a while but I did want to start a new thread. This seems like an appropriate place to ask.

I got into fishing last year and have bought gear and tackle willy nilly. I haven't really devoted much time to any one technique. I want that to change starting this spring. The problem is is that I'm not real sure what to start with. I fish a lake in central WV primarily that I've been told quite a few times is "tough to fish". I'm also a bank fisher 98% of the time. Every once in a while have a friend that I get to go out on a boat with. He's a diehard crankbaiter and never lets off the trolling motor.

I've been watching videos left and right, especially Glenn's, which are great by the way. I'm intrigued with learning to fish a fluke. I've tried it before but never had much luck. I'm also kinda leaning towards the basic Texas or split-shot rig. Or spinnerbaits. Or lipless cranks. Dropshot? Somebody help!

Start a new thread. It will get more hits that way

Last season I began using jigs with much success, this winter I practiced my pitching technique with a stepladder and a bucket, so I want to focus on flippin/pitchin more accurately.

I would like to use the Carolina Rig in deep water more effectively.

Also, I would like to use more crankbaits/jerkbaits.

This was my plan except TW has had all their punch rig stuff on back order for months.

Why not build your own? I dont know how much time you have to do it, but you can order the weights with the hub on it, or the hubs and skirts, or just the tabs...