New and Improved for 2010.

[Bob Smith]

Originally Posted by keithdog

As far as lures go, I'm going to try more with rattle trap type baits. So many people swear by them, but I've never had much luck with them. I just bought a 3/4 oz Strike King Red Eye Shad in a chrome with blue back. Doing to give it a work out this spring. The main thing I'm going to be working on though is learning to use my new depth finder. I havn't owned or used one since 1984! Needless to say, they have changed a lot since I last owned one.

Keith, get some traps in the 1/2 oz range as well. When the water warms into the 50s and bass start the pre-spawn you can slay them with the Red Shad Rattle trap. Working that thing slowly over last year's dead grass and vegetation. As the water warms a bit more the Brown Craw pattern works well. The Chrome and Blue is a tried and proven schooling bass bait, and works pretty much anytime the bass are forageing on shad.

BB, definitely hone your pitching and flipping skills! A huge percent of the fish I catch on Jigs are caught on precise presentations and usually on the first drop. I would venture to say that the technique may have been largely developed around jigs then applied to other baits (I beleive that Don Iovino may have been the godfather of flipping and he probably used tubes! LOL).

[autigersupG3]

I want to get more jig experience....I usually start out with that goal each year. I fish it some but end up back to plastics or throwing a crank bait

[basstastic]

I'm going to improve my spinnerbait fishing. i'm good on the jigs, cranks, and soft plastics but i have never caught more than one fish a day when using a spinnerbait. P.S. bigbassin i'm originally from Toledo

[Justin2729]

I would have to say the Drop shot i love the idea of the technique but never gave it a legit shot in the boat and swimming a jig both of those I am gonna force myself to make work this year. A lot of guys don't use either technique so a real motivator to get good with both

[CamG]

I'm very surprised to see all the jig comments. I cut my teeth fishing a jig, so that's the bait I'm most comfortable with. Once you guys learn jig fishing, it'll be tough to not want to keep it on ALL the time! It's my favorite.

I have the most trouble with a deep bite (20-40'). I've caught a few fish this deep, but just have never had what I call great success. I need to learn drop shots, and spoon fishing, and I'm looking forward to it!

[bassnman30]

I'm going to deep crank. I know of lake were deep crankbait are in demand. (Highrock)

[basstech]

I'm fairly new to jig fishing although I've used them off and on over the last twenty years, untill the last couple of years I've limited myself to fishing them in deep brushpiles. The one technique I really want to learn/utilize is swiming a jig in shallow grass. That will be a priority for me this year as long as conditions and situations permit. The other thing it seems I'm missunderstanding is Deep cranking. I've thrown cranks all my life but just never have had much succes with deep cranking. Picked up a tip on what I haven't been doing with them though on a Jason Quins segment of deep cranking in the 2009 bass pros video. So I'm eager to get back out there this summer and give that a shot too.

[MN Bass Man]

I want to work on my topwater and spinnerbait skills. I've only caught one fish on a spinnerbait. Nothing ever on a buzzbait. Have caught a few on the Stanley Ribbit type frogs, but never hooked up on a hollowbody like a spro or scumfrog. So I think it's a patience thing with the topwater, and setting the hook too soon.

[Rebbasser]

Swimbaits. I have the gear, just not the confidence-yet.

For you guys trying to master the jig, keep throwing one. You WILL get bit. I threw one literally for years and couldn't buy a bite. And then one day I felt that wonderful thump and pulled in a four pounder. Caught a smalller one later that day and now I always have one tied on.

I do always use a crawfish scent when fishing a jig. Does it help? I have more confidence using a scent, and confidence is the name of the game.

[MeanMouth]

I am most confident with soft plastics, but need to be more experimental with Crankbaits and Spinnerbaits.

I see video after video, book after book, and statement after statement about these lures, but I just haven't found the correct approach to be consistent.

I'm in the Pacific Northwest, so I don't know if I should approach my lakes differently. I do know that my waters are much colder. Slowing down my retrieves and being more patient is what I need to practice more.