NorCalGuy

Keep in mind we're talking about a guy who told me all I would ever need is Okuma Guide Series XH rods because it was all about the size of the fish we were targeting and not about the baits. Now it's all about LDC rods and how they match up with different baits. I guess when I find someone to buy my three XH Okumas I might be able to get one of those LDC rods.

Go to Aaronlesieur dot com and look at his series of articles called "Fish Tales". He has the best article I've seen on how/what fish smell and he compiled scientific research for his findings. He has some other really good reads regarding common fishing questions that he answers from a scientific perspective.

Go with your strength and throw the senko.

Point 'em out and light 'em up. It's the essence of the Underground and how it was started... That's right, put up or shut up is how ish was before Before what? What happened?

A lot of guys are willing to drop serious money on new unproven baits because they think the secret to catching trophy bass is a silver-bullet bait instead of being a better fisherman. I don't know if Ken's charging too much for his baits, but Don doesn't really care what Ken charges because he gets his baits for free.

Or you can use "frogs hair" 6oz fluorocarbon leader...That's just for clear water applications Mossypumpkin is not going to approve of these kind of responses.

They are money in Northern California.

The idea of waiting a month or two makes much more sense to me.

I have a difficult time understanding why someone who is worried about fishermen following him around and poaching his spots on lakes that he admits expose him and his boat, feels compelled to get on a fishing site and advertise that he's on them. The adulation seems to be more important than managing the exposure it creates. Absolutely a huge contradiction.

I don't worry about being a better fisherman than anyone else. I just continually work at improving my skills, equipment and mindset in a constant attempt to be the best fisherman I can be.

Hi's Tackle is out.

Facepunch You make excellent points, especially regarding the evolution of the 68. Anyone who fishes Ken's baits for free is going to tell you they are the ish right out of the package but that doesn't make it true.

This is the second thread I've seen mention of that situation.

Thank you for the explanation. You have confirmed what I thought I knew, but it was only supposition.

So I'm curious, who in the swimbait industry has ever protected one and what was the outcome?

Bluegill by Pizz...great Punker combo.

After reading about similar issues with him on different sites I'm not sure why he thinks he'll be able to stay in business. He always seems to have a couple of guys willing to jump up and defend him, but damn he has a lot of problems for a guy who needs to have a stellar rep to survive in a competitive industry.

Maybe this bait isn't popular with purist big-bait guys, but it is an absolute fish catching tool. There's no reason someone can't catch the biggest fish in their favorite lake with it. As others have pointed out it is a tremendously versatile bait that can be fished effectively in more ways than any other bait I have owned. I use it in a similar fashion as Ceasar, but I have also caught quality fish Carolina rigging on deep structure. Try dropshotting/bubba-shotting it with a 1 oz. weight and nose hooking it on a VMC 1/0 spinshot hook. It works well as a vertical presentation and horizontally dragging it. I bet no one else is doing that on your lake. It is also a great choice as a swimjig body. I have never been concerned about the cost of the baits because they are very resilient and easily fixed with Mend-it.

For much of the cover and structure I frequently fish I found the most effective approach was using tungsten nail weights to turn my 5 ROFs into 8 or 9's. I just tried to split the difference between the 5 and the 12 ROF and it has worked out well.

There is no question the Little Booger is a fun, productive bait when fished in a traditional fashion. But, the best/biggest fish I have caught have been when I have fished them as a swimjig. It's very easy to pull the tube from the inside of the bait and then lace it onto your favorite weedless swimjig. Great profile and tail-kick especially on the fall. If you have never tried it, there isn't a better time of year than pre-spawn to give it go.

I keep a Mattlures Hardgill tied on virtually 12 months a year. I have caught countless fish with them from 2 pounds to 9+ pounds. The most recent releases are definitely more resilient, but I'm still whacking them on a slow-sink version that is covered with Sharpie ink and it's still the most productive swimbait I own.

Although I prefer the Dobyns 908 for throwing the Deps 250 it is absolutely money for throwing Huds and the large version of the Rising Son. It allows me to cover some serious water with the RS.

A Hudd gets them any speed / conditon and ANY bait with that tail is simply a copy. what about the stanley wedge tail? That was an awesome question. I've been checking every day to see the answer.