Going to Try Anything New This Year?

[Scott Ferguson]

I've been reading a lot about the "Ned" rig and it seems like a natural for smallmouth. I've never tried it and I just picked up some mushroom head jigs and the TRD elaztech plastics from Z-Man baits. Looking forward to giving them a try. I was going to try them Saturday on the Dupe, but I think the experiment will have to wait.

Anything you are going to try for the first time this year?

[tjtroester]

HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM FISHING A WEIGHTED WORM? TIMOTHY

[Scott Ferguson]

The worm itself is very buoyant and attached to the mushroom head, the tail will point nearly straight up. Normal plastic worms will fall over and lay on the bottom. Apparently, the bait has been doing very well and often catches fish when not much else will. It seems to be a numbers bait, which is right up my alley.

[tjtroester]

OKAY, SCOTT, THAT EXPLAINS IT. I HAVE SEEN IT DONE MANY YEAS AGO BUT HAVE NO IDEA HOW COMMON IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AT THE TIME. I RECALL IT BEING A VERY GOOD TECHNIQUE. I HAVE IN THE PASSED USED A SIMILIAR IDEA WITH BOYANT NYMPHS WEIGHTED IN THE FRONT. I THINK THE IDEA IS A GOOD ONE. TIMOTHY

[Guest rich mc]

i will try something similar to the jika rig but will just use some of my chenille worms which are on a ewg worm hook but by leaving a 3/4 inch tag end on my knot i will add a split shot to the tag this can be done with either spinning or fly gear rich mc

[Mike G]

TRD is a good one. I found videos and articles on the net about 2 years ago. I first used about half a Senko on a 1/16 ball head jig that had a big hook. I found that a lizard with legs and tail trimmed off also works if you want a body with more shape to it. Last year the Zmen got into it with specialized worms and mushroom jigs. I use their TRD with a weedless mushroom head from Arkie.

 

I noted that Eric has been doing the same thing fishing a 3 inch Senko on a Sledhead jig.

 

"New" this year for me will be working articulated streamers on a sinking fly line. I will see if Kelly Galloup's system works for bass as it does for trout. I also expect that a good lure will volunteer itself. Last year I found a Van Dam square bill floating in the shallows. It worked very well early season till the weeds got too thick.

 

BTW The TRD has big cousins-PHis Stix, Reel Magics, and Money Hounds that look like this.

 

 

About 4" long. http://www.sightfishing.com/cotee.htm

 

It is a tube without the tentacles. Less is more.

[Scott Ferguson]

Using a Senko, which looks like the TRD, does not fish the same because the Senko sinks instead of floats.

[Kev-mo]

I would like to refine my techniques and presentations, kind of get things dialed in a little tighter and gain more confidence in that the fish are there; I just have to figure out what will trigger them.

 

This of course will require purchasing different lures to try

 

 

 

So planning to try a lot of new stuff just don't have it all figured out yet. I did pick up a Megabass popmax on a good sale last year. Will give that a whirl when it warms up,

[Mike G]

Using a Senko, which looks like the TRD, does not fish the same because the Senko sinks instead of floats.

 

True, but both work. The first few Ned rig fish I caught were on a Senko trimmed to 2.75." Since you probably have Senkos around, there is no extra cost. It is another arrow in your quiver.

[Terry Dodge]

I'm just going to try fishing on days that I normally would not fish due to bad conditions (water levels/weather) or what not.

[Rob G]

I'm going to spend some time trying to fish two fly rigs that Mike G and Woody spoke about. Probably after about the third hang up in the first 4 casts, I'll end up clipping off the back fly but I do plan on giving it a shot.

[Norm M]

most likely try to refine my Carolina rigging and chatterbaits in the river .

 

buzzbait tipped with buzz frog ???????