In years past, it's bee a Popmax in white python.  This year, it's back to a Rage Craw in Bama Craw on various Texas Rigs.

This spring I did 90% of my damage came on 1.5 and 2.5 strike king squarebills. I haven’t had much luck with them before but they got crushed this spring. Since the post spawn I’ve caught most of my fish on a T-Rig, a 75 Whopper Plopper, a Cavitron buzzbait, the very evil wacky rigged Senko and the even more evil Ned Rigged TRD. The ZMan crawz have been coming on this summer as I have been wading and floating the rivers around here since the heat has set in. Those things are smallmouth candy!

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Zoom_Mag_Finesse_Worm_10pk/descpage-ZMFW.html on light (1/8 weight) carolina rig

Neko Rig in deep (20-30 fow) hands down.

Lucky craft pointer 78 flake flake golden Sunfish this year.

Little update, white plopper 110 has been on ?, as well as my white Lunkerhunt “thump” spinnerbait. Funny the cheap spinner gets hit so much.

 

yesterday morning was awful for me hooked one didn’t land it, but I only fished for about an hour and a half in a heavily pressured area. 

for two weeks now, wacky rig with a Zoom trick worm 7 inch watermelon w/red flake.  Toss up between 1/0 mosquito hook vs owner weedless hook size one.  It has been great!!!

T-Rig with Yum Dinger and Senko, weightless

I haven't gotten to fish that often this year due to work schedule and rain.  However, when I have gone, I have done well with a Trickworm in Junebug, T-rigged.

Summer update: Stanley Ribbit in the slop(Watermelon Red Pearl), and weightless Zoom Finesse Worm(some sort of purple) on the outside edges.  Texas rigged Gene Larew Biffle Bug for flipping docks and isolated cover.

Wacky rigged Senko

 

*UPDATE 8/7/2019*

 

And a Neko rigged Senko

Boy oh boy, I tried googan softs for the first time.... I’m sold, they are just way to expensive, however I’m out there to catch so if it takes a couple extra bucks to go googan I will. The kraken craw and the brush hog are both ?

 

Have tried their natural, and green pumpkin and I am very, very impressed. 

In my shallow natural lakes as of late, hollow body frogs have been doing well along with various t/rigged plastics.

Also shallow cranks such as h2o xpress wake bait, bps the egg.

Topwater Sammy’s, shower blows, and spro rats producing.

Berkley Choppo. Color Blue Gill

45 minutes ago, Jim Sutter said:

Berkley Choppo. Color Blue Gill

I have been in love with the ghost gill with a touch of sunlight and clear waters, the choppos are catchers all right!

I fish mostly shallow weed choked lakes. There are a few exceptions. Last year at this time nothing could touch a Berkley 10" power worm in watermelon or motor oil. This year I haven't had a sniff which seems crazy to me. However, specific paddletail swimbaits have been getting crazy bites. Specifically: The Beast Coast Miyagi in Hitch and Alewife rigged on an Owner 6/0 1/4 oz Beast hook, the Norries Spoon tail Shad in multiple colors rigged on an Owner 6/0 Twistlock light 3/32 oz hook, and the MegaBass Hazedong Shad in Green Pumpkin Blue or Moroku rigged on a Mustad Power Lock Plus 5/0 1/16 oz hook. I've landed and lost my biggest fish on the Miyagi, but smaller fish will eat it. That bait gets bitten hard like a chatterbait. They really commit. The Norries is not far behind. Any sized fish will chomp the Hazedong. If they're not interested in the Grn/Pump/Blu, the Moroku will probably get action. It really looks like a shiner. Perfect for when you can see small baitfish near the bank. I just slow roll that bait and it'll follow the contours of the weed beds dipping in and out of holes nicely without getting bogged down with slime. The Norries also comes through very cleanly.

On 7/22/2019 at 12:37 AM, PhishLI said:

I fish mostly shallow weed choked lakes. There are a few exceptions. Last year at this time nothing could touch a Berkley 10" power worm in watermelon or motor oil. This year I haven't had a sniff which seems crazy to me. However, specific paddletail swimbaits have been getting crazy bites. Specifically: The Beast Coast Miyagi in Hitch and Alewife rigged on an Owner 6/0 1/4 oz Beast hook, the Norries Spoon tail Shad in multiple colors rigged on an Owner 6/0 Twistlock light 3/32 oz hook, and the MegaBass Hazedong Shad in Green Pumpkin Blue or Moroku rigged on a Mustad Power Lock Plus 5/0 1/16 oz hook. I've landed and lost my biggest fish on the Miyagi, but smaller fish will eat it. That bait gets bitten hard like a chatterbait. They really commit. The Norries is not far behind. Any sized fish will chomp the Hazedong. If they're not interested in the Grn/Pump/Blu, the Moroku will probably get action. It really looks like a shiner. Perfect for when you can see small baitfish near the bank. I just slow roll that bait and it'll follow the contours of the weed beds dipping in and out of holes nicely without getting bogged down with slime. The Norries also comes through very cleanly.

Try some googan baits next time your at a gander. I am not affiliated with them in any way, but they have been great for me. I really like their natural and green pumpkin colors. They are pricey, but you get what you pay for. Plus I will say this after years of fishing, and rebuilding my stolen tackle box, I realize now why people say fishing isn’t cheap. I have probably spent a grand on replacing my tackle! Plus being a part time Muskie fisherman, 7$ is a joke to me for lures. A Medusa will run ya upwards of 30$ a lure, and trust me they still break off ?

 

thank god they got my bass box and not my Muskie box. I don’t even wanna think about buying 10-12 20$+ bucktails plus all the Medusa’s and spoons and 30$ xraps ??? the more I think about it, If I didn’t have access to a boat a charter would be cheaper for Muskie for me haha 

I have had multiple mornings on home lake where I’ve caught a 20lb limit in an hour on a 3/8oz BPS pro model dragon shakey Head and a 6” Yamamoto Senko in green pumpkin green/purple flake in 10-12ft water. Also have had great luck on a drop shot with a 6” straight tail Roboworm in Aaron’s Magic when they got a little shy. 

 

And since i can’t help myself.....every time I come across a mat or lily pads...I’ve always got the trusty Terminator popping frog tied on. I like the Black Camo color....it’s caught me quite a few this summer as well.

 

But that big senko....it’s worked like magic this year for me

 

 

 

 

I have a bunch of new baits and old faithfuls to try.

This summer its been mostly Ribbits and old Luck-E Strike King Jogger worms { senkos} .Its difficult to pitch standing in a jon boat , low to the water , with gun-wells so  I need   weight . The Jogger worms and a 1/4  ounce sinker gives  me enough heft to pitch into shallow cover while  Jelly worms are utilized deep .

On 5/30/2019 at 8:34 AM, Todd2 said:

Lizards...Junebug and Watermelon Red

 

I change my mind, it's America and I have that right.

 

 

Solid black curly tailed worms. Is it just me or is the most productive lure the one we're throwing the most?  

58 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

I have a bunch of new baits and old faithfuls to try.

This dude ain't playin..lol

Numbers: 4” Keitech Easy Shiner on a 1/4oz leadhead or weightless nose hooked.

Size: Hudd 68.

Honorable mention to Stanley Ribbits skipped under trees in the hottest part of the day.

19 minutes ago, Fried Lemons said:

Numbers: 4” Keitech Easy Shiner on a 1/4oz leadhead or weightless nose hooked.

I have been doing amazing on the 4" Easy Shiner as well, but I rig them on a 1/8oz sled head. 

They have a great wiggle at most every swimming speed, the position of the weight both protects the nose/screwlock connection and gives it a great looking "nose down/tail up" position if you drag it on the bottom.  

24 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

I have been doing amazing on the 4" Easy Shiner as well, but I rig them on a 1/8oz sled head. 

They have a great wiggle at most every swimming speed, the position of the weight both protects the nose/screwlock connection and gives it a great looking "nose down/tail up" position if you drag it on the bottom.  

There’s really no bad way to rig them they just get bit. The weightless nose hook rig is really good in shallow weeds especially burned over the top like a toad. Dead sticked with some twitches it looks just like a dying baitfish. Downside is you get one fish per bait.

This year it has been a ribbontail plastic worm in purple.  But I've used it a lot more, too, so go figure.