Rods & Lures for Opener

[Jayber]

Hey all. Just wondering how many rods you're planning on rigging up for the opener and what you'll have them tipped with.....maybe what you think you might throw first, second and third? Me, I'll likely have 4 or 5, most being spinning reels. Haven't settled yet, but leaning towards a jig with a trailer, a frog, a worm/senko and a top water. Got some new stuff coming today that may change my mind. Good luck y'all!!

[Craigums]

I don't know yet probably something like this

1. Jig

2. Spinnerbait

3. Crankbait

4. Swimbait or Swimjig

5. Jigworm or Grubworm

6. Senko

7. ?????

[Deitz Dittrich]

crankbait(squarebill)

soft plastic jerkbait

hard jerkbait

swim jig

swim bait

wacky rig

dropshot

jig

finesse jig

jigworm

[bASS_BLASTER]

Its that time of the year again. This just might be the year for another LMB record.

1. 3.5"-5" Swimbait

2. 3/8oz Spinnerbait

3. 1/8oz jig & trailer

4. 3/8oz jig & trailer

5. 3/8oz Texas Rig

[Fisherman45]

Here's to hoping the state record goes down this year.

1. crankbait

2. swim Jig

3. Money Frog

4. wacky rig

5. Jig and trailer

6. Spinnerbait (white with white colorado blade)

I hope everyone finds the fish and starts the year right.

[bassfshin24]

1. Spinnerbait

2. Swimjig

3. Squarebill crank

4. Lipless crank

5. Jerkbait

6. Tube

7. Grub

8. Soft jerkbait

9. Jig

[corncob]

1.Hair jig

2.small spinnerbait, white

3.squarebill crankbait

4.drop shot

5.swim jig

6.senko , weightless

[RumRiverRat]

Chatterbait

Jig and Chunk trailer

Ugly Otter and a 1/4oz tungsten weight on the flippin stick

DT6/DT10, lake I will be fishing has a slow sloping rock point at the mouth of an extremely shallow bay. I expect fish to be in the bay in full on pre spawn/spawning mode. The prespawn fish will use that rock point as a pathway to the bay. Plan to run cranks along that point to intercept them.

Lizard on a standup shakey head for bed fishing.

Going to be an epic opener with the full moon and prespawn and spawning fish.

[Superduty]

I'm going way north for the Memorial day weekend so I expect cold water. I hope it is mid 50's.

If they are where I think they will be I will be throwing nothing but a lipless crank. Might sneek a swimjig in after a couple passes to show them something more subtle. I can't go fishing without a senko tied on a rod to mop up when things slow down or to target an obvious sweet spot. I will keep a jerkbait nearby if they don't want to chase.

[RuddyDuck]

Gonna be on a small lake up north in a small boat so I limit my choices a bit.

1. Spinnerbait

2. Texas rigged worm or Lizard

3. Senko type worms or a Lake fork Ring fry

4. Shallow crankbait

[JP Z]

1. Senko, always have to have one of those on opener.

2. Wacky rigged senko

3. Splitshot rigged Hyperworm

4. Squarebill

5. Rattlebait

6. Swimjig

7. Spinnerbait

8. Jerkbait/Soft Jerkbait.

[mainbutter]

4wt cabelas fly rod - 1'' furry w/rubber leg crayfish bug thing, maybe small poppers.

9wt TFO signature II - EP-style streamers, murdich minnow-ish streamers, bunny streamers, and fuzzy dubbing loop streamers.. maybe a bigger topwater but I think it's too early for me to try those.

[thatoneguy]

I'm going to Portage Lake to look for smallies on Saturday. I've never fished it early in the year before. Anyone have ideas on some good lures for locating smallmouth given our current water temps (55-ish degrees right now)?

For the green bass I'll chase on Sunday, I'll have:

Black/blue Zoom Horny Toad

Black/red jig with Berkley Havoc Pit Boss

Black/blue jig with Pit Boss

T-rigged watermelon senko

Various sizes of spinner with silver willow leaf blades at the ready

KVD 1.5 cranks in a couple of colors

Strike King swim jig with Havoc Grass Pig trailer

And I suppose I'll have a gold Jawbreaker tied on, just because I always do.

[bassfshin24]

Here's my search baits I would throw at them this time of year thatoneguy:

Lipless crank

Spinnerbait

jerkbait

softjerk bait

I think my best producer this time of year ends up being a spinnerbait.

[corncob]

TOG.....On portage, i'd go left of the landing to the 2nd small bay where there is a flat out in front of it with water depths about 8-10 feet . Scattered lightly weeded and a spawning area. Then the two points that follow as you continue along the shoreline.That flat area is the one I'd work from shoreline to the first break as it is good sized and can be productive....Good luck

[corncob]

On portage, suspending jerks, tubes, slow reeled grubs, senkos.

[RK]

DT6/DT10, lake I will be fishing has a slow sloping rock point at the mouth of an extremely shallow bay. I expect fish to be in the bay in full on pre spawn/spawning mode. The prespawn fish will use that rock point as a pathway to the bay. Plan to run cranks along that point to intercept them.

Deep cranks are way, way underrated early in the season IMHO. 'Deep' is relative of course but the point is not everything is shallow this time of year. Some of the best early season fishing I've ever had has been on deep weedlines. Not all weeds die off in the fall, and if you can find remaining green weeds on the edges of flats leading into spawning areas or prespawn feeding areas, look out. Fish stage there before moving shallow, and also drop back to those areas post-spawn.

Inside turns, the lee sides of points, etc, are all likely places to find green weeds, and if you find an area with they they usually have weeds year after year.

This is one of the odd times when for some reason fishing 'inside out' - holding the boat shallow, casting out, and bringing the bait in to the weed edge - can work better for some reason.

I won't fish opener - have family commitments around Memorial Day - but if things go right I'll have a 4 days stretch the next week to get after 'em.

[thatoneguy]

TOG.....On portage, i'd go left of the landing to the 2nd small bay where there is a flat out in front of it with water depths about 8-10 feet . Scattered lightly weeded and a spawning area. Then the two points that follow as you continue along the shoreline.That flat area is the one I'd work from shoreline to the first break as it is good sized and can be productive....Good luck

Thanks, griz - I know exactly where you mean. I've caught nice smallies in the deeper water off that flat later in the summer.

[slopmaster]

Jig

3/8oz t-rig craw/creature bait

1/4oz t-rig worm/lizard

swimbait/swim jig

squarebill

drop shot

[Craigums]

Figured out what my 7th setup will be. Split-Shot rig!

....yes my new bassmaster magazine came in the mail

[JP Z]

HA NICE Craigums, I am planning on Split shotting, but using a Lake Form Hyperworm as the kicker on that......watch out that is a good rig.

[Juan Grande]

So the advantage of a split shot rig over just Texas rigging is the bait floats up off the bottom?

[JP Z]

that's what I've found, and it has a bit of a more erratic action as the worm doesn't have the sinker keeping him down........ from achieving his dreams

[Jayber]

HA NICE Craigums, I am planning on Split shotting, but using a Lake Form Hyperworm as the kicker on that......watch out that is a good rig.

Okay, you talked me into it.......Now I need to rig another option up!!!

[JP Z]

NICE!! You're not fishing my tournament are you???????