I got a question... I don't want to know what it is.. But do you have a bait that you use often, wear them out on it, and keep to yourself and maybe your best buddy.. Even go as far as changing what your throwing when a boat gets close... lol I do sometimes. Just wondering if others do also.

I sure did when I was fishing tournaments. Never left a rod on the deck for anyone to see at weigh-in; or any other time that other fisherman were around. Even been know to bite the line and put the bait in my pocket, if I got caught in a bind. Now they are all for sale; as I build them and have the plastics poured.

We got our first place at Fork in 2007. I got bit by the bass fishing bug and my wife and I would fish from sun up to sun down every time we
would come down and stay a few days. I had all the rods and reels, all the baits. When we first started she used a Zebco 33 and was a
worm dragger. She would use two baits, a small red worm on a 1/8oz texas rig, and a Carolina rig with a couple of Hags Tornados, green pumpkin and
a blue/red glitter, 5'' long, and that was all she would use....a few years later a guide showed her the drop shot and she added that, but with the same worms....we bass fished for about 7 years. She out fished me 3 to 1, and has 4 ten pounders. We have since switched to crappie fishing, for a number of reasons. I can hold my own now with her. jim

I have 1 lure that I have only ever seen 2 pros use and never another soul that I've seen or met. I have it tied on in some form 100% of the time and catch a majority of my bass on it. Because almost no bass anywhere has seen them they get hit! And it is one of the most versatile baits I have ever fished. I'd bet almost anything you've never had one tied on.

Wacky rigged square bill....

I tested a LOT of baits for what David Fritts said were made on Wednesday, just before lunch and THEY were the only lures worth their weight in gold. He will not sell them for $1000 a piece. Do not know if that is still correct, but it used to be what he said. PERFECT CBs that went down faster, ran deeper, caught more fish and were JEWELS in the fishing world. I have 37 of those CBs, from shallow to deep and use them during Tournaments and only on 20# test or better. I have given 3 away to friends, sometimes they work for them, sometimes they do not. BUT they always work for me. Keep them in a SPECIAL CB Box and never mingle them with others Got 500 CBs from Bill Norman baits for $1 each when they let all of their pro staff go. I was on their testing staff, since I had caught 2 lake records on their DLN in two lakes. 11-8 LMB out of Lake Lewisville and a 5 lb Smallie out of Ln Henry. THAT was the year of 98 and 97, respectfully. Still have those baits, NOT in the 37, but in the replicas mouths that I had made. Hope this helps. Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

that doesnt help, and what?

Who cuts their baits off before weigh in? Number 1: There are no secret baits. Number 2: I can be throwing a bait that I have confidence in and be catching fish and you can be throwing the same bait with no confidence and get skunked. Lastly Number 3: I could absolutely not care less what you were throwing to catch fish, or not catch fish, or whatever. I am going to live or die by what I like to do and nothing I see on your boat deck would change that. I've seen guys go out and catch a 6 pounder in practice on a bait, drive all over the state to buy every last one they find, show up to the tournament with their rods locked away so people don't see their "secret bait", and end up catching an 8 pound limit. Fishing for that $150 club tourney prize has gotten a little out of hand. For anyone curious I have caught 5 DD's and here are my "secret baits": Sapphire blue sweet beaver, Purple Lizard, Homemade jig (red, blue, brown, chartruese), Square bill (1.5), and a Wiggle Wart.

I dont cut my baits off, but I put the rods with my money baits in the rod box before heading to the ramp whether its fun fishing or tournament fishing. I agree there are no secret baits, but there are baits or colors that they may be eating wayyy better than any other bait at any given time... sometimes a little clue is at it takes for one of your competitors to stumble onto your pattern. Its awesome that so many of yall say you dont look at or care about what others throw, but your a minority from what I've seen.

If I am really on em' I will cut my baits off then tie on something completely different and leave it out for everyone to see. Really get that hamster wheel turning.

You're telling me you caught a 5lb smallmouth at Alan Henry? And didn't submit it for the lake record? yeah, I'm not buying it.

That was in 1998 and there was NOTHING out there then. it was coming on evening and to officially way the fish, we would have driven into Pst and hope we got there beforeUnited closed, so we let her go. We did not have a digital camera back then, before they got real popular. So we measured her and weighed her on our hand scale nd let her go. SO, YES, I did NOT CERIFY the fish. The next weekend, I caught the lake record LMB out of Lewisville, 11-8, ON THE SAME LURE. Live ell wasn't working, so took pictures and released her.

04champ,

He asked if I had any SPeCIAL lure, and I replied that I have 37 of them left now. I even broke one off in Lewisville stumps and dove in for it, but couldn't find it. SO, YES, I have SPEciAL lure that I only use with kids or in T's. One way to recognize one of these lures is if it comes from behind you, under the boat when you reel it in. That means it is DIggING down deeper for longer. Hope this helps. Tight lines, keep safe and good lcuk.

Thad Rains

Back in the 80's and 90's when I traveled to tournaments all over the country, I'd always hit the local tackle shops and see if they had anything unusual or in odd colors. I'd bring those back to Texas and wear the fish out on that stuff that they'd never seen before. Then the internet came along...

Why yes.... yes I do!