For Every Season Turn Turn Turn

After the upcoming Thanksgiving, I will be approaching my one year anniversary of fishing for crappie. Bought the boat last Christmas. The start was slow and I tried different styles of fishing until late Spring when I began long lining. There was a definite uptick in my results almost immediately. Later during the Summer months, I was able to launch the boat and catch a limit (25) almost every trip. For a while I was done within and hour or two. I had found the secret recipe.

Well now those 86 degree water temperatures are down to 62 degrees and things have definitely changed. I saw as my large jigs became less and less attractive. Then the bladed jigs stopped getting bites. Then I started catching fish on plastic baits that had almost no tail action whatsoever. Slabonator’s Hot Rod became very popular. Then Bob’s Worm bait fit in to my lineup nicely.

Then I started trimming the bait’s length, making it shorter and more compact and that got their attention pretty well. Then I started pouring jig heads with short shanked hooks and trimmed plastics and that was doing great. Then I revisited the jig tying vice and started making the lowly and way too common bucktail jig. No tail action at all when pulled at a steady speed of 1 mph. Just way too simple in shape and design, but the fish responded to it.

So then I began comparing my really good plastic baits to these bucktails and at first the results seemed even, but not any more. Now the bucktails are definitely getting more attention. How odd. A lure that has no action outperforming lures that have all sorts of action. Well I surmise it has to do with the fish changing their diet with the seasonal changes. I suspect that in my lakes they are wanting small little minnows. Many others have mentioned that downsizing during Winter was a good idea, and sure enough here I was seeing it for myself.

So a sleek little profile and a compact length are being hit hard by my locals. It can be hard to score a limit each time as the fish move about on the lake and where they were last week is not where they are this week. However once found my presentation, which has not changed, has been doing pretty well. I suspect that I might do almost as well as some of the best fishermen on the lake. The freezer is getting kind of full now. LOL. I have gifted and eaten and still there are fish in vacuum bags stacked inside. What a blessing. I have been very lucky and appreciative of the dominion He has gifted to me.




So now I am revisiting hand ties once again after abandoning them over the Summer. This is the jig design and colors that are getting the attention of my fish lately.

Attachment 413009

These are very simple to make and I will be making some new ones that are even smaller. I plan to make 1/32nd oz heads, keeping the 1/0 hooks, and then making a slimmer tail. I’ll post later after I have had a chance to make them.

I also wanted to revisit the Living Rubber legs and my version of the Tail Gunner.

Attachment 413010

As you can judge next to the penny, these are not large jigs. Bladed jigs have not been good in a few months now, but these are smaller and the colors are good. The fish might like bladed jigs as long as they are small.

Here are some of the tube baits I thought unworthy. They are back in the mix as well. I plan to use 1/32oz heads with these so they will swim near the surface.

Attachment 413011



Anyways, I want to encourage others to at least try to make their own lures so that they can then change as the seasons change. Dial in the colors and profiles the fish will respond to. Diversify and adapt as the fish change their habits and preferences. Stay loose and be at least willing to swap out some things that have always worked for you, for new things that might work better. Fix what is not broken. Trial and error.

Yesterday I caught my best fish on a bucktail that was swimming behind a 2 ounce sinker being dredged a foot away from the side of the boat and about two feet deep. I saw that the rod seemed normal but the line had moved away some, grabbed it and lifted him straight into the boat without engaging the reel. HAH……. who knew that the fish would like that. Go figure that one out. I first saw that over the Summer after landing a fish and pitching the jig over the side of the boat while putting him into the cooler. A fish nailed it and ever since I keep two rods right beside the boat.

So there has been a lot of things to learn, and no doubt much more lies ahead for me. Six plastic lure boxes chocked full of jigs of all sizes, colors, profiles, adornments, and still I feel the need to create something new. My goal is to discover the perfect jig for my lakes, and am quickly learning that there never will be a perfect jig. The stupid fish are fickle. They require me to meet their demands if I am to trick them. I think I am the one that should be in charge, but just look at how easily they control me. LOL

So the trolling sinkers are a big hit for me because they allow me to add rods to my spread without limiting my ability to turn the boat. They stay in close and avoid the far back lines easily during turns. I can circle back around fairly quickly and easily and do so every so often. I also like to alter course every so often as that seems to trigger bites. I have been holding a rod and jigging it as I go thinking that too might trigger bites, even though results are poor so far.

Have any of you any words of wisdom regarding changes to your techniques and presentations that you make as the seasons change ? As we enter colder conditions, are there any generalities that might be helpful to me ?

Nice report.
I seem to hit a lull around 65 degree wt, on tons of fish but they really don’t want to bite.
As it gets colder they won’t care what I drop.
When the water gets ultra cold I’ll be catching them 40 foot or deeper. Then a blade really seems to help.


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They do change their minds with the seasons

Attachment 413025


So I made some 1/32 ounce FreeStyle heads using the EC 571 size 1/0 hook.


Everything is nice and small. I can use my tube baits very easily as the heads slide right on in. The bucktails are small with the hook tip presenting tall and proud, and sport two different chenilles. These will be swimming behind me next trip out and we shall see if the fish respond to them. The tubes are cheap cheap cheap compared to other plastics and come in myriad colors. I already have accumulated a nice collection and they have been sitting around waiting for me to use them. Nimrod scores very well with his purple and chartreuse tube jigs, but he uses a different technique. Trolled they may not illicit a response.

Those tubes lend themselves well to being injected with crappie nibbles. That is supposed to work very well

Hat tip to Byrds’ thread title! :cheers2

I tie jigs in all sizes from 1/4 to 1/80oz. They also have all size different hooks from size 12 to size one. In the winter they typically like tiny baits be it jigs or plastics. I will go as low as a 1/64 with a size 12 hook. I lose some fish due to the small hook and I have to use a net. These are necessary because sometimes they want touch a bait unless it is tiny. During the spring it is just the opposite. They will hit baits larger than most would use for crappie. I personally don't think color matters as much to crappie as they do to crappie fisherman. I think the profile and size of the bait is a bigger factor. For years I kept a journal on the fish I caught. What I found amazing is the crappie certainly follow seasonal patterns and water temperature is a huge factor. I also found that just when you think you have them figured out they will throw you a curve ball. They are a fun fish to pursue.

Interesting read and follow-up comments.

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Good song choice, and bucktail is my favorite. By the time gets to those temps I am all in on walleye season up here. I have 200 jigs on the bench I poured yesterday ready for the fun part, paint and eyeballs. It will be slow as he did not want them till fishing time was on. Turn turn turn.

You have come a long ways in a year

Minnows do grow, lol. In spring, if using them, medium and large will be used, because there are no small ones. They actually spawn, after all the fish do, mid June, into July. You want to watch when getting on the bank, and watch for minnows along the shore, to see how big they are. During summer, then use small minnows.

Threadfin shad can spawn several times during the summer. Even as late as September. That provides smaller bait in the fall

As Jack said, you’ve come a long way in the last year. It’s been interesting reading your documentation of your path through the learning curve some of us have already traveled. I usually troll with something curly and some flashy, changing colors along the way. As you now know, they’re picky little things that we chase. I’ll be changing my spread next time out and see if what works on your waters will work on mine. A color you mentioned that always is in my spread is purple/chartreuse. I stumbled into it when trolling cranks. I noticed that while other colors would go hot and cold, this one was a constant. It produced consistently much like solid black and a certain shade of pink that Bandit has now discontinued. I use it in several forms and it seldom sits on the sidelines. Keep after them and telling of your thoughts. I, for one ,enjoy them and remember when I was there.

Grainraiser I think the topic of color not mattering as much to crappie as it does to the fishermen might more so be based on the lake itself. I do agree that size and profile is a huge factor too like you said, however I think color is just as huge. That is the case at least in all bodies of water that I have fished. I remember a time when I had a jig on my rod that I was catching fish on almost every throw until it got to the point it would not stay on the hook well so I changed the jig. I got another of the same color plastic jig out of my box but I noticed moisture had gotten into my box and changed the shade of the jig ever so slightly. I mean it was just a very little change. I did not catch a fish on it. I picked back up the damaged jig out of curiosity and put it back on and started catching fish again immediately. One area I use to fish was close to other areas that were fished regularly by other people who mainly caught fish on one or 2 colors only and they would try that color in the area I am talking about and had no luck. I would go in behind them and wear the fish out on a color I knew worked there. I was fishing with a guy one day was throwing in the same place I was with the same style bait working it the same way and he probably only had a couple of fish. I had caught an extremely high amount of fish on a different color. He seen enough and changed and started catching fish. So do add color changing to your line up more often because it can be a huge factor. I do agree with you that profile is huge too.

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Originally Posted by Grainraiser

I tie jigs in all sizes from 1/4 to 1/80oz. They also have all size different hooks from size 12 to size one. In the winter they typically like tiny baits be it jigs or plastics. I will go as low as a 1/64 with a size 12 hook. I lose some fish due to the small hook and I have to use a net. These are necessary because sometimes they want touch a bait unless it is tiny. During the spring it is just the opposite. They will hit baits larger than most would use for crappie. I personally don't think color matters as much to crappie as they do to crappie fisherman. I think the profile and size of the bait is a bigger factor. For years I kept a journal on the fish I caught. What I found amazing is the crappie certainly follow seasonal patterns and water temperature is a huge factor. I also found that just when you think you have them figured out they will throw you a curve ball. They are a fun fish to pursue.

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Originally Posted by crappieseeker

Grainraiser I think the topic of color not mattering as much to crappie as it does to the fishermen might more so be based on the lake itself. I do agree that size and profile is a huge factor too like you said, however I think color is just as huge. That is the case at least in all bodies of water that I have fished. I remember a time when I had a jig on my rod that I was catching fish on almost every throw until it got to the point it would not stay on the hook well so I changed the jig. I got another of the same color plastic jig out of my box but I noticed moisture had gotten into my box and changed the shade of the jig ever so slightly. I mean it was just a very little change. I did not catch a fish on it. I picked back up the damaged jig out of curiosity and put it back on and started catching fish again immediately. One area I use to fish was close to other areas that were fished regularly by other people who mainly caught fish on one or 2 colors only and they would try that color in the area I am talking about and had no luck. I would go in behind them and wear the fish out on a color I knew worked there. I was fishing with a guy one day was throwing in the same place I was with the same style bait working it the same way and he probably only had a couple of fish. I had caught an extremely high amount of fish on a different color. He seen enough and changed and started catching fish. So do add color changing to your line up more often because it can be a huge factor. I do agree with you that profile is huge too.

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I saw that one spring in an area the size of 3 football fields. There was avout 10 boats in the area. I was in a kayak. 2 guys in a flat bottom was wearing out the fish. Nobody else was catching nearly as much. These guys were catching them every cast. They limited out as they trolled by the threw me a pack of Bobby Garland Baby Shads. I believe the color was Smoke. I caught fish cast after cast until those 2 bodies were too torn up to stay on the jig

That is why I am so impressed with spring collar jigs, plastics last much longer.Attachment 413289Attachment 413289Attachment 413289

Sorry, not sure why that came up 3 times. Oops

I hate Bobby garland plastics for one reason, they use a soft plastic. No need for that soft of a plastic. I like a medium to medium hard plastic that will last longer.

They are soft for sure. Bout 2005 I was in the south and stopped by a tackle shop that sold what they called hard heads. They had a solid body and softer tail section. It was the rave at that tourney but once I came back north I never saw them again. In those days I was not on the net much and don't know what happened to them.

That is a lot ot jigheads

Well……. I took my friend fishing on Wednesday. He catches tons more fish than I do and he wanted to watch what I was doing so we could make changes. Corrections as needed. He saw very little wrong though. In fact he liked several of my innovations and we talked a lot as we went along because the fish were very uncooperative.

It was 40 degrees when we headed out across the lake. Man that was brisk. Felt like an August day when I stopped. I sat him up front with six rods, and I wandered around on the boat and fished just four rods. I handled the fish for the most part and did all the detangling operations. He had to steer using the hand controlled TM.

His recommendations were good and I was grateful to receive them.

We decided that I should alter two of the six rod holders up front, and instead of fishing those rods on sinkers straight off the side of the boat, adjust and then fish 6 long lines from the front. 16’ - 11’ - 6’. Next eliminate two of the rods in the back of the boat, and fish the other two using trolling sinkers for down riggers right in close to the back. 10’.

I made the changes yesterday while waiting for family to arrive for Thanksgiving.

We talked about jigs, and he suggested that I was too reliant on a combo of colors that catch fish for me, but not as many fish as his catch. He said he uses four colors and likes to offer all four while fishing. I looked at the four he was mentioning. One was indeed the one I am so fond of. Three curly tail grubs and one paddle tail. I saw the jig heads and they were store bought plain old things, but all of them were the same color. I asked if that color head was anything special or did he just have some of these lying around. He smiled. I am gonna make some new heads soon. LOL

I don’t wish to blab away all of his secrets and such what he shared, but if you follow some of the other threads of mine I am sure you will notice some changes in what I will be making. I have had time to think about what I learned. How he swapped out one of my jigs for one of his and started to catch fish. I saw that. No really I watched him do that and then this morning saw where this old thread was back and folks were interested in colors, and stories about colors, and decided to add this drivel about colors.

I surmise it all has to do with the quality of the water. The fish must grow up in it, learn to hunt in it, and if successful at that, mature. The eyeballs of the fish are the same whether the water is clear or cloudy, but a fish from clear water probably wouldn’t live long in cloudy, and vice versa. Starve to death as they would be at a disadvantage with the minnows that……grew up in that water.

I have read that dark baits are more easily seen in stained water, but his baits were not dark at all. Brightly colored. The jig head was brightly colored. I am thinking that in my lakes the fish key in on lightly colored jigs much better. The color combo that I discovered to be so successful for me was only one key to the lock. Now I have three other keys, and that might make the difference for me going forward. This man has won tournaments, and wins consistently, and has crappie fished for fifty years…..IN THESE EXACT SAME LAKES !!!!

I would say that makes him an expert, and me a fool if I don’t surrender and just join in. So I will be making some new jig heads, and ordering some new plastic baits. I also plan to tie up some bucktail jigs using these color combinations, even if they will not be a perfect match. He let me take a picture of his open jig box for reference.

Because I make my own lures and such, I hope to best his performance. Tall order I know. I saw that he uses a few jig heads, and adds plastic baits as needed. Well what a pain that was. Every fish they were pulled down and even after reeling in no fish on they were pulled down. I mentioned that I glued my baits to the heads and he seemed curious an d said so all your baits have jigs on them already, and I said yes. I plan to keep doing this because it really bugs me when I see a jig spinning, twirling, because the bait has slid down.

I also mentioned to him about the new rig I will be using very soon. He had heard of such a thing but had never seen one. We discussed it a little and decided they would be best fished on the two rods in the back with sinkers on them for depth control. I think they will do just fine and might nab me a trophy.



So in conclusion, I have formulated some facts. Number one is be ready to adapt. Next up, try to limit your selections to just a few colors, the ones that work best for your lake. Try to figure this out as he has done. Finally, whatever you think you know for certain is actually open for change at the same rate as the fish teach. HAH !!!! That is right, be flexible because they are a fickle lot.

Good stuff. For me I found out years ago color don’t matter nearly as much as presentation. I use to pour a whole lot and took a lot of tackle with me. Now a days I have one small bin of plastics, one small tackle bag of hand ties as well as drop shot and weight stuff and then lastly a compartment tray of size 1/16-1/4oz jigheads. Doesn’t matter the lake, clarity or weather I just tie on what I feel like at that time and I’ll fish it until I lose it or have to downsize. I have several rods tied up with either plastics or handties and will alternate between them. Most of what I tie on has three colors and usually bright. Head one color, body another and then tail the last color. When I do tone it done it’s usually a grey ghost color or just a pearl body of come sorts. I also don’t beg them to bite. I’m constantly moving to find active fish. I have one friend that will go with me and we won’t be in a spot but a few minutes and I’m pulling up trolling motor. Throws him for a loop when I do. Lol.

Attachment 413333

Well I couldn’t stand it and was weak and did fail. Yup, visited Slabanator.com again.

Ordered some of his BootyThumpers. I was very impressed with the quality of the plastic and the brightness of the colors. They are durable and offer a great swimming motion as well. I can see my rod tips wiggling as they swim.

Got four colors that are a close match to what I saw in his lure box. I think these will serve me very well going forward. My plan is to use just these new baits on the new jig heads I will make when mold arrives, painted in the color the man was using. Well as close as I can get anyways.

I just trust that the guy wasn’t snookering me about it all, and I watched him change off my very carefully selected jig for one of his and BAM. The fish definitely preferred his jigs.

So old Slabanator got me yet again.

Some good observations and tips here, Micanopy and dr nip. Thanks!
Bob

Well I showed up at the club meeting today. The weather was beautiful. I was supposed to be helping with the cook. I brought six large vacuum packs of nice clean crappie fillets. Then I powdered each one and dropped it into grease at 350 degrees. Then out onto a wire rack. Then onto a serving pan. It was more fish than they cared to eat. Several spoke of how delicious everything was. I thought they tasted really good. Then they recognized me for providing the fish and cooking it. Then they broke out take-her-home boxes and took the remainder home.

I did good.

It is certainly a good feeling as the cook when there are no leftovers. Sounds like you did a great job

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Originally Posted by DockShootinJack

It is certainly a good feeling as the cook when there are no leftovers. Sounds like you did a great job

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Jack, I helped a caterer prepare and serve a Christmas dinner for a company party. Busy time of year for them. We cooked everything on site. Loaded mashed potatoes, green beans, mac-n-cheese, and my favorite….prime rib.

The prime rib was amazing. The vacuum packs cost $225 and we did three of them. That was some stress for me as ruining the party was one thing, but ruining $700 of meat was another. LOL

His cooker has rotating platforms inside and is gas fired and works like a rotisserie oven basically. We could have added wood for smoke but did not. Pulled each piece when they hit 115-118 degrees, and each arrived at that temperature at different times, which I did not understand.

The carved slices were excellent and I nibbled on the chop block’s share. They had a little pug nosed dog and boy he sure liked me. So serving others twice within a few days has taught me a lot. Like sometimes you have to clean your fingernails, and sometimes you just let the raw meat take care of all of that.

Just kidding. The raw meat didn’t actually get everything out from under my nails.

Rich people dinner. They had several large screen TV’s and all sorts of fancy expensive things to gift away. They gave me a nice tip, which was very nice. They had lights strung all over everything. When we got there a man who worked for them was finishing the display. Man that must be nice huh, a man to string lights wherever the wife says. He had them all the way up the palm trees and there were dozens of those. Looked like Whoville.

Catering business is not for me though. We didn’t get to serve until about 730 or so. Man that makes for a long night. Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, whatever is the most hassle- yes that is the night we want to be served. I plan to help some more but what a tough line of work. Go like hell, stand around and wait, go like hell, stand around and wait, go back and clean everything, then go home. Yuck.

I bought some new rods with my tip money. Rhino Rods from Wally World. I needed some six footers to better suit my boat’s new layout. Going to be much easier than the ten footers I now have in those holders. So I will have 16’-11’-6’ dangling over the sides of the front of the boat. This should offer a nice spread that will allow me to alter course without a disaster.

Last trip out I hooked and landed a 9.8 pound bowfin. What a savage he was. Apex predator looking thing. Nasty teeth. Like a musky I imagine. The locals call them mudfish so I figured he was not edible and back he went. Man he was strong. If my lines were close together, say two feet like most folks do, he would have made a huge mess.

Had a special request to make a fellow club member some jigs. He wanted them painted gold, with a brass spinning blade underneath, in 1/16th oz size, with 1/0 sickle hooks. I didn’t take a picture but they looked pretty good to me. Used a new technique for securing the large gold 3D eyes to them and was very pleased. I sure hope he catches some fish with them.

Had a friend visit the other day, and he bought all of my surf fishing stuff. All except about four rods. Those rods were my powerful distance casting rods. Cast a baited rig over 200 yards with them no problem. Anyways I loaded him up with sinker molds, hooks, bits-n-bobs of all sorts and fashions, line, reels, all manner of things. Stuff that took two decades to accumulate. Off he went with it all and we will settle up later. Told him mail me a check for what you think it is worth.

I just didn’t want to see all that stuff sit in plastic tubs and melt down. I don’t plan to go surf fishing anytime soon. The drive was way too far at two hours each way. Many times I had driven there only to arrive and see horrible conditions, like muddy water. There were only a few times of year when I would catch something nice, as those fish migrate up and down the coast. You either fish when they are around or forget about catching them. I have a cart with fancy wheels that travels over soft sand and that made life somewhat bearable, but still walking a mile down the beach to get to a good spot was tough. High winds were always an issue, and then there were the people. Strollers walking down the beach- “Catching any ?”

I told him that crappie fishing from a dumb boat was going to be much better for me all the way around. Not sure if he will ever figure out what some of the bits-n-bobs do. I designed and made rigs of all sorts. Some were very simple, and some complex. Some were for sharks and tarpon and others made to fish for pompano way way out there. I invented several new rigs along the way and one of them has become very popular. I helped him learn how to pour sinkers and got him started. Now he has a very lucrative business selling specialized sinkers and I couldn’t be happier for him. He has worked very hard and now is starting to enjoy some payback from it all.

He liked my jigs but so does everyone else. At least they say so. LOL

Oh and I bought something else. A nice pair of fluffy gloves. Man that wind is cold when you have to steer the boat. HAH !

I considered building a smoker trailer several times and doing some catering. I enjoy making the finished product for sure. I have done a few graduations and weddings. Between a 100 and 200 pounds of pulled pork each time. Honestly the best gig out there would be just selling the vacuum sealed pork and let them turn it into a party. In the end I will stick to this industrial maintenance. Operators and robotics can be a pain in the rear, but it is the evil that I know best. Those bowfin are some prehistoric critters for sure. In South Alabama they had a bowfin tournament every year. Never known anyone to eat one. I remember when those Rhino Rods came out and how much of a stir they caused as to witch was tougher them or the ugly stick

Went this morning and did what I figured I’d do- 15. Kept seven fat devils. Nice fish. Gifted at the ramp to some locals. The man said- Hey thems nice fish!

They were too.

My all new attention to color coordination was on display today. I’m using four combinations and all got bit today. New rods also did fine. New rod holder configuration worked even better. I was able to maneuver around obstacles in an abrupt fashion. Two tangles were from turns, weeds or fish. Had more confidence in my baits and presentation today than ever before. :)

Gorgeous day- 55 degrees and warmed fast, water was at 62 and smooth.

Saw where portions of the lake were smooth, and other areas right beside those that had ripples. Defined boundary. So……. can you tell me why that happens ? Wasn’t depth as it was all shallow. Weird phenom.

Cooking some ribs now. Akorn smoker. Four hours from now they will be good to go. I smoke at 225-235 for two hours, wrap in foil and add sauce and sweet and back on for one hour, then unwrap and allow them to finish for about another hour. Teriyaki is nice when used lightly, and that is what I will do this time. Use a computer controlled fan to keep the smoker’s temps spot on. Impossible to botch the deal.

Ribs have so much range that most judge solely based on them freeing from the bones very easily. The flavor is the key, and I like the meat to only leave the bone when my teeth pull on it. Want some smoke and some seasoning and some crust. The cut of ribs plays a large role of course, but I like to buy the St Louis style when on BOGO. Why pay $25 for a rack when restaurant down the street sells their’s for that same $25 -cooked and they do a great job ?

A good cook and make a great cut of meat taste really good. A great cook can make a bad cut of meat taste really good. I make bad meat worse sometimes, but not today.

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Thank you very much CRAPPIE.COM people for the guidance, advice, and support. Almost a year now and I am doing better than many of the locals who have fished these lakes for years. I can’t wait to start helping some of these newbies with some pearls of wisdom. Them fellers what got my fish today sure looked impressed with what I had, and I tossed fish I used to keep. One fish was wearing a bad Christmas sweater and said that if I let him go, and just kept going there would be a bigger one coming along soon. So I did. Sure enough he said same exact thing. It was obvious from looking into his beedy little eyes that he was lying. In the live well he went. Destined to remain trapped inside some redneck’s septic tank some where. Poor guy. Christmas time and all, too.

Wanna see what color combinations I am using ?

What colors ya got? :popcorn

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Originally Posted by Micanopy

Went this morning and did what I figured I’d do- 15. Kept seven fat devils. Nice fish. Gifted at the ramp to some locals. The man said- Hey thems nice fish!

They were too.

My all new attention to color coordination was on display today. I’m using four combinations and all got bit today. New rods also did fine. New rod holder configuration worked even better. I was able to maneuver around obstacles in an abrupt fashion. Two tangles were from turns, weeds or fish. Had more confidence in my baits and presentation today than ever before. :)

Gorgeous day- 55 degrees and warmed fast, water was at 62 and smooth.

Saw where portions of the lake were smooth, and other areas right beside those that had ripples. Defined boundary. So……. can you tell me why that happens ? Wasn’t depth as it was all shallow. Weird phenom.

Cooking some ribs now. Akorn smoker. Four hours from now they will be good to go. I smoke at 225-235 for two hours, wrap in foil and add sauce and sweet and back on for one hour, then unwrap and allow them to finish for about another hour. Teriyaki is nice when used lightly, and that is what I will do this time. Use a computer controlled fan to keep the smoker’s temps spot on. Impossible to botch the deal.

Ribs have so much range that most judge solely based on them freeing from the bones very easily. The flavor is the key, and I like the meat to only leave the bone when my teeth pull on it. Want some smoke and some seasoning and some crust. The cut of ribs plays a large role of course, but I like to buy the St Louis style when on BOGO. Why pay $25 for a rack when restaurant down the street sells their’s for that same $25 -cooked and they do a great job ?

A good cook and make a great cut of meat taste really good. A great cook can make a bad cut of meat taste really good. I make bad meat worse sometimes, but not today.

Attachment 413885



Thank you very much CRAPPIE.COM people for the guidance, advice, and support. Almost a year now and I am doing better than many of the locals who have fished these lakes for years. I can’t wait to start helping some of these newbies with some pearls of wisdom. Them fellers what got my fish today sure looked impressed with what I had, and I tossed fish I used to keep. One fish was wearing a bad Christmas sweater and said that if I let him go, and just kept going there would be a bigger one coming along soon. So I did. Sure enough he said same exact thing. It was obvious from looking into his beedy little eyes that he was lying. In the live well he went. Destined to remain trapped inside some redneck’s septic tank some where. Poor guy. Christmas time and all, too.

Wanna see what color combinations I am using ?

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Those 3,2,1 ribs look awesome.

:hesaid

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Originally Posted by DrNip

What colors ya got? :popcorn

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Attachment 413921

I always wonder if I am just boring you guys with my ideas, so decided to ask to see if anyone cares. So these are my new colors and I am really liking them.

The paddle tail grub was invented by Lockett Lures and was named the Sassy Shad. (read this on their website so…. ). Charlie Brewer also had a paddle tail design that is said by others to have been first. I have some of each but prefer the Slabanator because of the plastic they use. Their colors are vibrant and bright too, but the plastic doesn’t disintegrate when a fish rips at them. This is important to me because I glue my baits to the heads and want them to last that way for as long as possible.

The Charlie Brewer design features a very soft and short tail and while that flaps at lower speeds, these flap really well at the speeds I like to troll. Look like they are swimming. The Charlie Brewer design also has a longer grub body and shorter tail section. His design is good and would do well with a long shanked hook, but the Slabanator design works very well with a short shanked hook. This leaves more of the bait extended freely behind the bend and able to be incorporated into the swimming waggle of the bait. Small matter I know but little things matter to little fish.

I have been using that short shank EC 571 hook for my jigs and so far really like it. The hook landed that 10 pound bowfin so any crappie I manage is not going to straighten out the hook. Makes it so much easier to get good alignment with the bait because of less plastic needing to be dealt with. I have developed a way to skewer them on in a single fluid motion that yields good results. My baits are on the shank as they should be and not kinked.

My tails are upside down and that is something I kind of like doing. Not sure if it is an advantage or disadvantage. Just something I have been toying around with.

I clip away the pointy tips of my baits as you can see. This leaves me with a flat surface to abut up against the jig head. This is where I dab on some Locktite Gel. Just a dab is all, perhaps a drop. The cut section is raw plastic and free of any oils they use to keep the baits fresh and allows for a good bond. The flattened area also fits up nicely against the head and provides a larger surface contact area for the glue. So far this has worked very well for me. I cannot stand seeing a bait sliding down the shank and balling up only to sit back there and twirl up the line. It also serves to get that lure back into the action much quicker as there is no need to fiddle the thing up. Just remove fish and recast. Seems silly at first but when you figure bites come in small areas while trolling, this becomes more important. The bait that just got bit is back in action quickly.

I originally imagined using just a single bait. The one that was the best and I could simply make that one bait, but it was soon apparent that that was not going to be the case. Some have managed this and only throw one bait style and color combination and good for them. I am presenting six basically. Which is big doings for me as I have a tackle bag loaded down with all sorts of jigs that I made up with bought baits. Whittling that whole mess down to just a small group means I can save money and don’t have to drag around large bags of luggage.

I also have switched to Mr Crappie Hi-Vis mono on my reels now. The braid is gone. The leaders are gone. The little metal clips so I could swap out jigs quickly and easily are gone in favor of the three pass overhand loop knotting directly onto the line. Not sure this is a big deal but sometimes the smallest of things can make a huge difference in results. I am in effect going simple.

The fishing has been tough lately, but it is tough for everyone. Some are still getting limits ( I hear ) but they are probably working hard for them and I suspect keeping fish I would toss back. Surely there are many folks that are far far better than me but I am closing the gap now. Would have been easier to have just copied monkey see fashion but I like to learn as I go, not just accept and repeat. I use to tell people at my surf fishing seminars that if you are not catching fish, drive around and try to make friends and learn what they are doing and then do that. I have always been hard headed in this regard and never really did that myself. That and no one wants to be my friend anyways. LOL

Well maybe not LOL.



I did the latest mod to my FreeStyle mold and the resultant under spin looks great. The wire form comes away from the head at a nice angle and looks great. I will probably post up a thread on how to mod this mold later. It simply could not have been any easier and the results are fabulous. Want an under spin, insert the wire. Don’t want an under spin, skip the wire. There is no lead residue to clean up if you skip it. Very pleased with what I came up with.

Ordered some new spinner blades now that I have learned a little about how and what works. The size is Number 1 in Colorado and Willow Leaf. I also am going to try the Dakota blade. The blade can be the biggest thing the fish sees or a subtle thing that simply enhances the bait. I want to provide just a little extra stimulus to the lure. Get that reaction bite. I will add blades to the lures in the picture at some point and see what happens.

Tried the Alabama Rig thingie and drug it around the lake all day to the big no bite effect. Not sure I want to drag it around any more as maybe the time of year is all wrong for it. Might work better in the heat of Summer.

The drop in water temperature sure has made a difference in my results. Not sure if my technique is less effective or the fish are less active. Hard to know which is in play here but I have caught about seven keeper fish the last four trips. Far cry from the limits of keepers I was used to. Could be the fish, could be me, who knows for sure which it is ? I have changed speeds, drop back distances, head sizes, lure styles and colors, and have been watching others as well as asking them. One old man yelled out that the Moon was all wrong. I yelled back he should fix that for us. So it is probable that no one really knows anything and it is all just a huge joke those evil little fish play on us to get even. Possible.

I am going to try to tie up some bucktail jigs in the colors I like and see how they do. I can downsize those easily and get smaller in case the fish decide they want that.

This whole head weight thing is complex. People say they like 1/32nd ounce, but it all depends doesn’t it ? Is he casting and reeling, is he trolling, is her straight lining, vertical jigging. I have made a lot of mistakes following advice given in various searched threads…….not realizing that the advice was technique specific and completely not applicable to me and what I was trying to do. I imagine others experienced the same when they started out here. The lure that works for a dock shooter probably is not my best choice.

Most of what I have been learning was already discovered and refined by others. Still we all have to find our own way through the swamp. Having been given a map does not mean the trip will be successful. Being able to dead reckon one’s way through the morass provides the best success. I think back at what I was doing when I started out and just giggle. Making my own lures has been fun and rewarding. Made a lot of mistakes but those have mostly been given away to others. LOL

Attachment 413922

Not sure what happened to picture but here it is.

Good looking colors. Why are some tail up while others are tail down. With your attention to detail there has to be a reason.

Man them heads look nice. You ever try orange?

Always interesting comments, Micanopy!
Bob

Yeah if I was trolling I wouldn’t use braid either. I was never a fan of Mr. Crappie line. Had issues with it years ago breaking. If it gives you problems check out Vicsious Panfish mono. Really good line. I prefer Gamma panfish copolymer though over any if I’m not using braid.

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Originally Posted by DockShootinJack

Good looking colors. Why are some tail up while others are tail down. With your attention to detail there has to be a reason.

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Jack I like to experiment and sometimes I discover good things and sometimes bad. Not sure about upside down paddle tails but many do upside down curly tails. I run them next to the boat and try to study them as they swim. These swim beautifully.


DrNip I have some orange paints and might make some up later. Right now I am liking pink, white and chartreuse. The chartreuse is fluorescent, UV reflective and glow in the dark. The white gets dipped in clear with UV enhancement. The pink is floursecent and UV reflective. So these heads are very noticeable and are an important part of the overall color scheme.

I added eyes that were too small to some and got others just right. I thought big as will fit but am changing my mind about that. I want the eyes to look right.

I have noticed shooting docks in the that if the body gets pulled down the hook. You get no bites. Put it back right where the body is touching the head and they will hammer it. I took a fresh body hooked it where the body lacked a 1/4 inch from touching the jig head. Shot the dock for 30 minutes. Put the body on the hook correctly and they were back to biting.