168 Rookie

Cheap hack: you can also use bright fingernail polish.

Hang in there, man--both those baits are proven catchers and we'll shortly be moving into eating season. Keep sendin em, they'll get bit...

+1 for the TK. Also the Shine Glide and Gantarel. For topwater I get bit on the Spro Rat and the BoogieBack.

Sheesh, is it football season already?? Way to get out and grind that weather!

Thanks! Not gonna lie, I've underrated it myself; I've had it for a couple seasons and only thrown it a handful of times. That's gonna change this season for sure.

Congrats brother!! Just started catching and already sticking a new PB--big baits catch big fish right?? What a tank, the head on that thing is humongous. Great, detailed write-up too, felt like I was there with you!

Rough weather in northern IL today but I've been on this 3-day weather pattern the last couple weeks (fishing the 3rd day of warm day/warmish night trend) and today is the target day. I decided to send this Gantarel KO (it's a super-slow sink, not a floater) and got lucky with my new PB! Went 20.75" and 5.77lbs. Water's less than 2ft visibility, off-and-on drizzle with 10-20mph NNE winds. I was using a moderate retrieve with pauses every three handle turns or so (reel, reel, reel, pause...let it glide off to the side and stall a couple seconds, then reel, reel...) She hit it right when I started reeling after a pause. She didn't TANK it, but it was a good double-tap. Thanks for reading! God is great!!!

@Ash showl Hope I'm catching you before you leave the house: Walmart tip repair kit, $3. I used this to fix my Fury 795--same as yours, 3" broken at the tip. Still sticking fish three years later. This kit has three sizes so one should fit. Save yourself some money.

Thanks Caesar!!

Wow, we're honored you could take time from your Elite practices and join us here, Ben. Welcome!

I've only fished the Spro Rat 50 (the big one) but I swear by it, thing gets absolutely chewed. I'll second @azfisher: tight to shoreline/shoreline cover/shallow water has been the ticket for me, can't say I've ever caught a rat fish over deeper, open water. The Spro specifically has a loud knock, so I prefer to use it when there's a decent chop on the water or some rain coming down. Glass-calm surfaces I usually opt for a quieter presentation (more a surface glide ie TK/K9). Mostly a nighttime game for me and the rat, but I've caught them early morning up to about 9 or 10a on overcast, prefrontal conditions and early evenings during the gloaming in the summer. I've never fished them midday so I can't speak on that but they absolutely get bit. Two of my top-5 fish have come on the Spro 50. Good luck in your search.

@maine y yak Sorry to hijack: is that a tiny house on that island of the lake you're fishing??

The 8" BAMF Shad takes a 12/0. Also, if you wanna gon super cheap (but still gets bit) get the 7.8" Keitech.

Nice fattie! You run the gill low and slow this time of year (jig-fishing style), or steady retrieve though the column? I've got the Savage gill (bootleg Hudd gill) and I plan to put in some work with it this prespawn, was thinking I'd start off fishing it like a jig until the water warms up.

Let's GOOOO, love the excitement on your face! I've been a TK fisherman for a couple seasons now; I have a K9 but haven't put in any time on it, not really confident I'll get bit on something that big in my ponds/small lakes around here. My PB is just 5 pounds, K9 is kinda intimidating... Nice to see it's paying off for you though, inspires me to put in some time this season.

Dude that's awesome feedback; Bing Bongs latest just popped up in my YouTube feed, have yet to watch it. Great fish and recap, totally can see the inch-long rip in that fish's cheek.

A member here who makes YouTube videos @Crazybassfisher swears by (or swore by) the ABT Wagtail softbait, he's got years worth of catches on that bait. That's the only ABT info (secondhand) I've got.

Incredible, what a TANK. Ice-out is still a ways off here, hope to get my season started like you did!

Geeez, I go away for a while and come back, you're still SLAYING. Excellent work, brother, keep inspiring me through this northern ice season!

I'm IN! Never even seen a 3:16 up close, but I got some legit wake spots in my neck of the woods. LET'S GO!!!

In!! Thanks JC!

Don't even have to click the "X", just tap anywhere else on the screen. Lookit that, come to SU and get your life's problems solved.

You drop a post blasting someone's name and calling him a scammer, flag him on eBay, you're proven wrong...and you disappear into the ether. What, no apology post? Bad form, breh. Getcha mind right.