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In the winter use the tiniest jig you have and put waxy or spike on there. In our pond that equals continuous action until a BIG fish comes to the area for a BG snack.


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Originally Posted by FishinRod
His exact quote was, "The tackle companies don't design lures to catch fish, they design them to catch fishermen."

20-some years ago the wife decided to have a garage sale. I started digging through tackleboxes/bags/totes/etc. and pulled out a bunch of
stuff that either didn't work or had never been used. I took in close to $500 on that stuff.

To Jake's point about what's in your buddy's tackle box... one morning on the Osage River my buddy Nick took one look at the Rebel G-Finish crayfish crankbait that I was tying on and sez "You're not going to catch anything on that stupid pos thing!"

Then that stupid pos thing caught every smallmouth bass in the river and made him eat his words. It was very satisfying, for me anyway.
I haven't fished that lure since, but every now and then just for fun I pull it out and show it to Nick.

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Haven't been here in a while though I should post more often because of the great replies to my past posts. Image posting was a problem but I'll give it another go, though I wish the forum had a way to upload shots right from my computer.
The following ideas and suggestions are opinionated - mine alone. They are not meant to be taken as gospel but only as suggestions based on years discovering the many ways to catch fish.

When it comes to catching fish on lures, two rules apply starting out:
1. larger lures exclude small fish from biting
2. smaller lures catch everything regardless the water fished

Finesse lures and presentations get it done. By finesse, I mean any lure that exhibits the slightest subtle movements. A 2" Floating Rapala twitched on the surface producing ripples is a finesse lure and presentation. There are an infinite number of finessee soft plastic shapes, but all require a light jighead or only a hook.

The most amazing and thrilling thing is to discover new lure shapes fish attack. Early this year a pickerel tore off the curt tail of my 2" grub. I figured: why not use it with no action tail? Dang if it didn't catch a slew of fish this summer!!!
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
I started to experiment with more colors and shapes:
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com] [Linked Image from i.imgur.com] [Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Note: colors added using a soft-plastic dye.

I also melted together two grub bodies together for a different shape and waddle:
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com] [Linked Image from i.imgur.com] [Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Jig head weight: 1/32, 1/24 oz.; hook size #6
Like the retrieve another posted, slight reel hand turns along with occasional rod tip twitches, making the lure slowly dart, wobble & pause.

Another discovery was figuring out how to improve the shape and action of a 2.5" Sassy Shad. I simply cut off the belly thereby creating a flat bottom surface but also shortened the lure by cutting off 1/4" from the front. It also caught fish! The shimmy of the body is much nicer.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com] [Linked Image from i.imgur.com] [Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
The same jig weights were used but also a #4 hook for a larger length S Shad.

I also attached the Shad tail to a grub body using the candle flame method posted a few years ago:
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com] [Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Here's a final suggestion:
Use a light jig head and #1/0 hook attached to a Softie or Gary Yamamoto Kut Tail Worm. Both have an amazing action as they whip & pause back & forth between pauses:
Softie worm: [Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
GY Kut tail: [Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Last edited by SENKOSAM; 11/13/23 07:12 AM.
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Nice report!


Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:"
"She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."

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I too have had excellent success in the past using chartreuse lures.

That is NOT a color found in nature.

Is it purely a visibility issue? Do predator fish species have color receptors in their eyes that are that sensitive and discriminating?

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BG and LMB tend to bite on damn near anything you throw at them sometimes, almost seems like the brighter the better, actually in my pond I would like to find something the little suckers wont bite on, the BG I mean, I cant catch any YP for not being able to keep BG off the hook.
BC and other more finicky fish, I have never had as much luck with a Chartreuse or other bright colors. and old standby is the Charlie Brewer slider, in a black with white tail, or a baby bass color or a motor oil color, which is an oarangeish color, I think it mimics the color of a mini crawdad, I have caught an enormous amount of Crappie on those. and the tail action on a 1 1/2" CB slider jig is something they cant resist.


All the really good ideas I've ever had came to me while I was milking a cow.
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Originally Posted by FishinRod
I too have had excellent success in the past using chartreuse lures.

That is NOT a color found in nature.

Is it purely a visibility issue? Do predator fish species have color receptors in their eyes that are that sensitive and discriminating?

Excellent observation and question !

Color is in the eye of the beholder. wink wink The color I see above the water is totally different that what a fish sees given the less-than-clear water it lives in, depth and light intensity. But....

If I have any superstitions regarding lures, it's color. It's like watching a miracle take place that I become a believer for the rest of my life after what I just saw: fish biting a specific lure in that and maybe a few other colors. No need to carry 10 colors when 3 will do.

Match the hatch-is-nonsense IMO. But fish senses are cued in to detect specific motions that cause them to react. Is color another?
So, as in the above example, chartreuse, orange and black are perch colors that stand out, teasing predators to attack as is their nature. On the other hand, pearl, and pumpkin with green or blue flakes in soft plastic or in a silicone skirt, simulate nothing yet after so many fish were caught on them, I have to believe they will work anywhere given the specific lure that caught fish.

Many colors and color combinations have done well - some that are in-their-face when it comes to color brightness and contrasting, black stripes, dots or coachdog patterns. Do eyes on a lure matter? Nope! That isnot superstition, just fact.

Last edited by SENKOSAM; 11/13/23 11:40 AM.
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I once heard that lures are designed to catch fishermen; not fish. I burnt a lot of gas chasing bass tournaments across Texas. That was back when.

They’ve certainly caught me. I have multiple tackle boxes of “stuff”; a lot that I have never have and never will use. I recently gave my 10 year old great grandson a half dozen rods/reels and a tackle box full of stuff guaranteed to catch fish. Still have way too much both at home and in the country.

I had a 20 ft Ranger boat with 200 hp Evinrude that I didn’t use for years. Finally gave it away to a young guy 3 years ago.

Last edited by Dave Davidson1; 11/13/23 05:25 PM.

It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Does a good nap highlight your day?

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Absolutely , Turning 69 soon, Power Nap or old fashioned Nap Nap , so very important ! Can Nap anywhere .


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Dave, you and I are on the same page:
1. was a sucker buying so much crap for who knows what reason except those given in BassMaster mag., In-fisherman and other media sources. Still have most of it - i.e. many crankbaits still new in unopened boxes; skirted jigs and spinnerbaits I made myself; unused soft plastics still in bags. Wish I knew of a way to sell them cheap.

2. I also sold my Ranger/ 90hp bass boat for a song. (Of course I now own a 16' aluminum boat with 60 hp I used only a few times this year, preferring a 12' Jon boat with 2.5 hp Merc.)

3. also fished tournaments for years - sometimes with 2 clubs at the same time. Can't even remember how many I came in 1st place.....

Once I started creating my own lures and testing them in many small waters, the desire to go back to using conventional lures and fishing many large waters is gone.

Last edited by SENKOSAM; 11/14/23 11:11 PM.
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If I had to stick with one rod and reel combo, I'd pick a 5-6 foot ultralight spinning rod with a smooth reel. Something like the Ugly Stik Elite Spinning Rod paired with a Shimano Sienna reel. Super light and fun for those feisty bluegills.

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I’m also not short on firearms and a safe that is stuffed full with closet queens. Unbelievable amount of hand loading gear. And, I dang near never shoot anymore. Built my own range with stations at 25 and 100 yards. Big packs of targets. I thought about doing some shooting a week or so ago. Then I remembered that it’s deer season and I try not to pop a cap unless it’s at a deer.

Lots of tools with standing tool chests at both home and country. Biggest issue with the tools is that I have trouble figuring out which box to look in. No problem. I have multiples of most things.


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Got a Private Message asking about my shooting range back stop.

It’s old retired railroad cross ties stacked about 4.5 ft. tall. Then cheap plywood screwed onto it.Push pins(thumb tacks) to put the paper targets to the plywood.

Last edited by Dave Davidson1; 11/14/23 07:50 AM.

It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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If I had to pick one outfit and 10 lures, I'd go with an ultralight spinning combo and a mix of small jigs, soft plastics, and tiny crankbaits.

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I remember one year, years ago, when very small 3/4"? powder blue curley tail jigs were absolute dynamite on local bluegills. Probably still have a couple hundred; but haven't even tried one for a long time.

Last edited by Rangersedge; 11/14/23 08:22 PM.

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Worms or crickets work well.
















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Dudley, a nap doesn’t actually highlight my day. But, my recliner and I are certainly on a first name basis. Retirement is the poorest paying and most boring job I’ve ever had.Been dang near everywhere within driving distance and a couple of years ago we went to Africa and shot some animals that I wasn’t a dang bit mad at.

Then, last year, drove to Seattle, saw grandkids, took an Alaska cruise and did some whale watching. After the cruise we headed East, turned North and went to Canada. Headed South for several hundred miles and took a left and headed East for quite a few hundred miles. Next, North to a different part of Canada. Then back South and, at some point, headed West to Oklahoma. Then to our second home at Bowie Texas. Then back to Home at Cowtown.

Don’t need and dang sure can’t afford another vacation.


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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At least you did some things although you're probably still trying to figure out why. Unfortunately, it only gets worse until the most important thing becomes having a clear path to the bathroom.

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Dudley, I do have a good understanding about the clear path.


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Ah, yes. That wild-eyed desperate rush is such fun! Have you had that special Wal-Mart experience yet, my aging Brother?

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While you guys are waxing about being way out on the Back 9 (over 50), I'd have to agree on always having a clear path to the head.

In recent years, my wife has taken on a nasty habit of stacking boxes/random stuff behind closed doors and in front of closet doors, thus making access to either a royal pain. If she ever blocks any kind of access to the head, I'll know she's gone off the deep end, and will separate.


Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:"
"She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."

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Ah, another online Brother, only this one thinks he lives in a republic instead of under an occasionally benevolent dictator. Sunil, if you'll do quick research of the Barbie Doll line, you'll meet DIVORCED BARBIE. She comes boxed with Ken's house, Ken's car, Ken's boat, etc.

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