I always grab this one first. Perfect for dragging worms on bottom in smallmouth waters. 

 

 

what’s the first setup you reach for ? 

Always either one depending on conditions. 

 

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In smallmouth county I start with Ned rigs (new money trds with 3/16 head has been best). Second is jigs (Pee Wee jigs in 5/16 oz has been the best size and First Down the best color).  Third is shaky head which has not been good yet. 

If I had to pick a go to lure, it'd be a fluke in watermelon red, though I don't use it that often. I normally fish spots I know well, and I know the fluke works, so I choose to use something else most of the time so they don't get wise to the fluke.

 

Second lure is a curly tail grub, either on a jighead or texas rigged with a 1/16oz weight.

This time of year,

Jackall flickshake in green pumpkin candy on a 1/16 wacky head.

Summer mornings I'm reaching for a toad, buzzbait, or frog. The rest of the day my go to is a 6in finesse worm flipshot rig.

So which rod do you grab first? 
 

love that speed worm @Mike L, I need to get more of those. Is that the zoom or the Cut-R? 

24 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

So which rod do you grab first? 
 

love that speed worm @Mike L, I need to get more of those. Is that the zoom or the Cut-R? 

If my boater doesn’t want to start flipping or pitching first I always, always grab the Speed Worm first above all regardless. 

 

That’s the Zoom UV. 

The Rage Cut R has a different tail design. They have a raised flange without the cut. I throw those too but in clearer water. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

Year around hair jig w/pork trailer is my 1st choice.

2 nd choice is up for grabs depending on what’s going on.

Tom

Mostly fish for smallies and walleye, not largies. Go to is 1/8-1/4oz jighead and a 4" easy shiner.

Baby Brush hog or UV Speed Craw

8 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I always grab this one first. Perfect for dragging worms on bottom in smallmouth waters. 

 

 

what’s the first setup you reach for ? 

Reminds me of 2005 when kvd won the Elite event on lake Lewisville in Texas, with a lake record 11lb13oz bass.  This was when the shakeyhead was gaining popularity, and during the tourney, he shared that he was using a finesse worm, but kept how he rigged it a secret until after the dust settled.  He was doing the t-rigged jighead just as you are 👍🥷

Given the limited amount of bass fishing I do these days, I'm nearly always reaching for my 7'11" XH F flippin stick, or my 7'4" H MF bladed jig rod. Wrestling them out of the jungle in the daylight and working weeds and rock structure at night with a bladed jig are my two favorite ways to catch 'em. In both cases the rod is an Ark Invoker Pro series. 

 No specific rod, but, since I’ve been night fishing recently, I like to bring my dropshot setup to carry me through sunset and then I’ll switch to my night stuff once it gets dark. My dropshot rod is currently a St Croix Legend Tournament Spinning 6’10” “Dropshot/finesse.” I’m still experimenting with line setup on that deal. 

2 hours ago, Mike L said:

The Rage Cut R has a different tail design. They have a raised flange without the cut. I throw those too but in clearer water. 

Nice tip there, thank you

Before retiring and moving, whenever I went 'fishing' I was almost always trying out new gear or keeping up (or trying to improve) my skill with a baitcast reel.  Florida visits is where I actually 'fished'.  I kept low cost rods there, and it's a good thing I did because a drug addict relative stole them all.

 

My favorite way of fishing here is a weightless 10 or 10.5 inch ribbontail Junebug worm on a MHF rod.  Now that I've moved to Florida I plan on trying a few of my better rods for this technique.  The first two rods will be a Helium 3 7'3" Light MHF rated 3/16-7/8 oz. and a Hammer Elite 7'3" MHF rated 3/16-3/4 oz.  This should put total lure weight close to the rods mid-range.  Hopefully they will increase casting range as I fish from shore.

 

A third possibility is the Shaman 7' MHF rated 1/4-3/4 oz.  A fourth is the Zolo Deputy. I have several other rods I can try, but these are the ones that I am hoping will be the best.

I never know where to start 😕