The weather is starting to break and warmer temps are coming. Tied a couple dozen leaders this weekend, sharpened several dozen hook points, vacuumed the boat, greased bearnings and preparing to install a different graph provided I win my eBay auction this evening. I am soooo ready to start the fishing season!

I have been making some mental notes regarding goals for the upcoming season and was wondering if anyone had anything they were going to try to do differently whether it be new baits, new areas or new techniques?? After reading some interesting stuff regarding predator vs. prey relationships this winter, I have been rigging a few "mini-BK rigs" very similar to the one's made famous by the St. Larry trolling guys minus the spoons.

The main difference is that these rigs will be able to be casted and there will be very little space between the 2 baits. I am going to run several big rubber baits (Monster Tubes, Medusa's and Dawgs) right behind a much smaller bait to simulate the fleeing response of a smaller prey eluding the big rubber. On one of them, I used a small size Freestyler and attached an 10" October Tube to the back hook hanger and split ringed them in-line and then attached a larger treble to the middle of the Freestyler just in case the Freestyler gets bit. On the other 2 rigs, I used a Mag Dawg and Shallow Mag Dawg and used a Countdown Rapala and Husky Jerk right in front of the big rubber with the same larger treble attached to the middle of the smaller bait. I am hoping the larger treble will aid in sinking the bait faster and close to the same rate as the big rubber.

I will use the rattling gold Husky jerk/Shallow Dawg rig in stained water with a slower sink rate. I am not sure how things will run regarding the sink rates. I very well may have to add more weight to the smaller (lead) baits to have the right sink rate for it to run a tad nose heavy instead of the opposite.

Other than trying these rigs and boating at least 50 "casting fish" for my clients, I am looking forward to testing out the larger Hellhounds later this summer as well.

Anybody else have new goals or techniques they want to share?