Favorite technique-  Topwaters and Shallow cranks- Admit it, it's just fun when you can cover water quickly, you can float free of snags, and the fish hook themselves, or you have big blowups on the surface.  I like to challenge myself, but I love those days when they just hammer anything that moves.

 

Least Favorite-- Lipless Crankbaits--  Why do these work so well for everyone else?  All I catch are weeds and logs. 

 

Close 2nd (LF)-- Carolina Rigs and Drop-Shot-- I had little use for these when I was fishing 5 acre lakes and ponds from the bank, but now that I have a boat and fish bigger waters, I'm having to learn some new techniques.  I'm sure I'll appreciate them when I start catching pigs, but for now it's mostly awkward casts and lost rigs.

Favorite- froggin. Buzz baits ( basically anything top water) and t-rigs

Least favorite- jigs, spinnerbaits, and swim baits ( as I am yet to catch anything but trees using these) ha

Fav-Poppers, walking baits, and frogs. If you don't love topwater explosions, there's something very wrong with you.

 

Least favorite- dragging plastics deep (t-rigged, c-rigged, drop shot). I'd rather stay home.

My favorite method is fishing a Zara Spook in thin woody water on Table Rock lake, then switching to a Senko as the sun gets up.

My least favorite is power crank bait fishing.

My favorite method is fishing a Zara Spook in thin woody water on Table Rock lake, then switching to a Senko as the sun gets up.

My least favorite is power crank bait fishing.

Favorite - texas rigs

 

Hate - bottom jigs

From favorite to least favorite (in terms of what is productive for me in most situations)

1. Carolina rigged plastics
2. Texas rigged plastics
3. Weightless Senko or Zero
4. Ned rig
5. Crankbaits
6. Chatterbait
7. Drop shot
8. Shakey head
9. Spinnerbait
10. Skirted jigs/jig & trailer

Favorite = jigs in shallowish water

Least Favorite = jigs in deep water

 

not sure why, but these feel like 2 different types of fishing altogether for me.  i also love some topwater, but it is far from my most productive way of fishing....

Favorite by far is a Texas Rigged worm. The hits are always fantastic and I've caught my biggest fish on this. When they won't hit anything else, they'll hit a worm.

Least favorite would have to be dive baits...end up catching either hybrids/stripers or just a lot of sticks...

Favorites: jigs, texas, and A frame spinner baits.

Least favorite: drop shot. It reminds me of junk fishing, but I'll do what it takes to win.

Favorite: Frog

 

Least favorite: C-rig.

Fav: Wacky Rig

 

Least Fav: Jerk baits

Favorite: pitching a Texas rig

 

Least favorite: jerkbaits

I know the A-rig gets a lot of hate on here, but if you are catching them on jerkbaits I'll be wearing them out on that stupid contraption

Favorite: pitching a jig or t-rig

Least favorite: I've never had much success on swimbaits, so probably that.

Most: Any plastic bait on a texas rig.

 

Least: Buzzbaits. I don't think I've ever caught a fish on a buzzbait. I'm even throwing them more than usual this year, having just bought a couple Cavitrons on the strength of recommendations by folks here. They're nice... but still, nothin'. Can't get a strike. I must be doing something wrong.

Favorite: pitching a Texas rig

 

Least favorite: jerkbaits

I know the A-rig gets a lot of hate on here, but if you are catching them on jerkbaits I'll be wearing them out on that stupid contraption

Curious on how you are rigging the A-rig with Illinois's 2 hook rule

Most: Any plastic bait on a texas rig.

Least: Buzzbaits. I don't think I've ever caught a fish on a buzzbait. I'm even throwing them more than usual this year, having just bought a couple Cavitrons on the strength of recommendations by folks here. They're nice... but still, nothin'. Can't get a strike. I must be doing something wrong.

Use them around any cover or weed lines you can find. Work them as slow as possible with the blades still keepingn it on top of the water. Stick with white or white/chartreuse during the day. Black in low light conditions. Next time your driving around take your buzz bait and hold out of your vehicles window to make the blades spin. This causes some wear in them that could take hours and hours to achieve a squeal. For me they always seem to attract more fish once they have that squeal. Hope this helps. For me they are one of my favorite most productive baits I use.

Curious on how you are rigging the A-rig with Illinois's 2 hook rule

What do you do with jerkbaits that have 3 trebles on them? Do you have to take one off to be able to use them?

Favorite is top water. Least favorite any lure I've spend money on and can't catch fish on

What do you do with jerkbaits that have 3 trebles on them? Do you have to take one off to be able to use them?

The rule is no more than two rods with two hooks. Which means you can't have more than two rods in the water with more than two hooks on each rod at one time. But from what a DNR officer told me when I asked him about it was that lures like a jerkbait are technically one bait however an A-rig has several baits.

 

A lot of Illinois laws are vague and confusing. And thats from someone who lived in California....

The rule is no more than two rods with two hooks. Which means you can't have more than two rods in the water with more than two hooks on each rod at one time. But from what a DNR officer told me when I asked him about it was that lures like a jerkbait are technically one bait however an A-rig has several baits.

A lot of Illinois laws are vague and confusing. And thats from someone who lived in California....

I'm sure it done purposely. Make it as vague as they can so if they wanna screw with you they have the ability.

Favorite is a t-rig or a jig worked on the bottom.

 

Least favorite is a C-rig.

Most favorite: frogs

Least favorite: deep cranking, although it's productive and I do it often, it's not a lazy man's way of fishing, therefore... I hate it.

Favorite right now is anything I can throw/retrieve on my new glass crank rod, least favorite is jig fishing.

Curious on how you are rigging the A-rig with Illinois's 2 hook rule

 

Copy and Pasted off the Illinois DNR's website. "Alabama Rig

Credit: Brad Wiegmann

The new Alabama Rig is sweeping the nation, raising questions by anglers regarding its legality. The lure, which has five trailing wires to which five lures can be attached, appears to be a school of fish swimming through the water, making it attractive to bass.

The IDNR legal staff, working with the Divisions of Fisheries and Law Enforcement, has determined that the Alabama Rig IS legal in those waters in the state that do NOT have the "2 poles only with no more than 2 hooks or lures per pole" regulation.

Examples of those lakes where the Alabama Rig is legal are: 

• Corps of Engineer lakes (Carlyle, Rend and Shelbyville)

• Lake of Egypt and Kinkaid Lake.

The Alabama Rig is also legal on most rivers and streams, including the Mississippi River between Illinois and Missouri, but NOT between Illinois and Iowa. It is also legal on the Ohio River, including Smithland pool. In addition, the Rig is legal on all private waters in the state."