OK, Pro Staff- What's the deal with...

[JoeMo]

(a) Rattles, scents, beads, and any other additions to jigs, worms, lizards and other baits that you use?

(b) Are plastic trailers on jigs just for summer?

(c) Ever use jig worms with 2 hooks?

(d) Do you often "wake" a spinnerbait to "wake up" the bass? Or "kill it" to obtain a similar result?

(e) Do you twitch a Rapala to get that first bite at first light? And how long between twitches?

(f) A plastic frog in the pads. Is that a viable tournament tool? Or is it too undependable?

(g) If you are not on fish, but think you might have a real good chance to limit, how do you convince your partner if you are a boater?
Same question, only you are a back seater.

I'm not trying to wear you all down, but these are fair questions to you guys who have factual information to back up your claims.
Also, if you are stressed for time, answer what you can and we'll go from there.

I appreciate all the help from all of you. I just wish I could spend a day in your boat with each of you. My "batting average" would move up 100 points. lol Much obliged.
JoeMo

[MMT]

a) Rattles, scents, beads, and any other additions to jigs, worms, lizards and other baits that you use? ---Joe, I am big into rattles for worms and IKas. I use brass n glass a ton here on LI. Sometimes I use rattles on jigs but only at certain times. I am a huge beleiver in scents and am designing my own line of super scented baits. I don't think it attracts fish but I feel it makes them hold a bait a bit longer. At the very least it masks foul odors and gives me extra confidence. That confidence is priceless.
(b) Are plastic trailers on jigs just for summer? ---I always prefer plastic to pork even in March!!

(c) Ever use jig worms with 2 hooks? No.

(d) Do you often "wake" a spinnerbait to "wake up" the bass? Or "kill it" to obtain a similar result? ---I love to wake a big double willow job from Summer all the way to the end of the season.

(e) Do you twitch a Rapala to get that first bite at first light? And how long between twitches? ---I use a twitch Rapala for dusk fishing. I prefer a Sammy or Spit N Image in the Morning and I have a very erratic retrieve to it....no timed twitches or cadence per se.

(f) A plastic frog in the pads. Is that a viable tournament tool? Or is it too undependable? ---Undependable at best. Sometimes it can work, sometimes not. Certainly not a tactic I can always rely on and not a bait I would consider throwing under normal circumstances.

(g) If you are not on fish, but think you might have a real good chance to limit, how do you convince your partner if you are a boater? ---I hit him over the head with a paddle.
Same question, only you are a back seater.---Boater has the preference but see response to part A. If I am not on fish....why would I think I had a good chance at a limit??

[JoeMo]

MMT- That last question was not clearly drawn
What I was trying to say was that if the angler hadn't caught many in practice, but thought he could limit, how would he convince his partner that they should go to his water.(I'm beginning to see that we wouldn't go there if it was my boat.)

Plastic trailers on jigs seem to be a bigger favorite than they once were.

Scents and rattles help more if the angler believes in them. I think we all agree that confidence is the best thing to add to our
angling repertoire.

Thanks for contributing, MMT. JoeMo

[EW77]

Joe, for some reason, I couldn't post under MMT last night. Could you please have Joe or Brendan email me my password?? Thanks-MMT

[mofish]

(a) Rattles and scents: I use Rattles in my worms when the water is stained, muddy,or thick cover. I have used two worm wieghts facing different dirrections with a bead in between them for a clicking sound when working craw worms.

(b)I use plastic on my jigs almost all of the time. Messing with pork never was any fun for me. Plus the veritiy of colors you can get with plastic just makes it my choice.

(c)I have used jigs with a worm trailer when swimming jigs around boat docks but not with two hooks.

(d)I like to kill a spinner bait to get that reaction strike.

(e)I'll have to go with MMT on this one. I two like the Sammy or Spook in the morning and Rapala at dusk.

(f)Undependable for me. Don't have much of chance to use them here either.

(g)If I'm not on fish I let him know. Honesty is the best police for me. Who knows he might be on them and help you. If not I say lets just go fishing. You would be surprised how good you can do just going fishing. Some of my best tournaments I was not on the fish during practice. You just never know.