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I never turn my live well on, don't worry about numbers or weight, but I don't tourney fish either, just out there to clear my mind and have a good time.

Tom D. with all due respect, I completely disagree with this view. What I choose to buy may be a reflection of my values when comes to material things, or it may just be a reflection of my financial success or lack of success. In either case these are superficial issues in my opinion. Who I am as a person has very little to do with the content of my rod locker. What a person owns is a very poor indicator of who they are in my experience.

Yes, you probably should have. The reader can only reach a conclusion based on what they have available to read. As I read that post, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or shudder as it seemed so over the top if you will. My initial reply was meant to be somewhat tongue in cheek. Now that I add your further explanation, I'm going to say that you were just as much at fault for missing that tournament. If you could count on him, why make the comment about having two backups? If anything, you should be happy that it was only an open tournament. I can't imagine what it would have been like had this taken you out of an Angler of the Year race. Move on and try to learn from your mistake.

You are right and you are wrong. While you can fish every lure with one set up, that is every lure that is in the rod and reels respective ranges of weight, you are really not being very efficent. The reason you have crankbait rods and flipping sticks and medium powered and medium heavy powered rods comes from years of people fishing and quite honestly, missing fish. When you miss a fish it is an "oh well" moment but when you begin to miss fish a lot you begin to wonder why, this is why we have different gear ratio reels, super sharp hooks in different sizes and so on. Saying you don't need more than one set up for everything is like saying all a golfer needs is one club, because that is how you see it. I can make a case for why a golfer needs one club, why does he need so many, if he is far from the hole he needs to swing harder, the closer he is he needs to swing softer. See where I'm going? Yes, you can use one set up for everything but it is much better to have set ups that are made to do what you want to the best of your ability, it also makes for an enjoyable time on the water when I'm not fighting my equipment or trying to fish a jig on a whippy rod or fish crankbaits with a pool cue. A staement like the one you made means you either are a new angler just learning or you don't take the art of angling too seriously and that is fine but in order to learn more or help others learn we need to look at everything with an open mind.

I'll be in a kayak on this water soon enough. I'm not a bass, so I'm not afraid. Or maybe I should be? I am the pike whisperer...

Simple solution: Don't plan to fish any more "buddy" tournaments with him. You've called him out on a public forum, calling him a liar, and saying that he faked an illness. You're not a good "buddy". And, if he devised this grand master scheme to keep you from fishing this tournament, he's obviously not a good "buddy" either. So, don't plan on fishing another "buddy" tournament with him again, since entry upon such an event would be a blatant lie. Or, a more difficult solution: Get over it and give your "buddy" the benefit of the doubt, since he is your buddy.

Teach her to use a baitcaster. Problem solved.

Tom uses 15 lb. on his baitcasing reels. Pretty sure he was only giving you an example of how strong 15 lb. line is.

Look at those slobs! I can't get past 50%!!!!

Can we say Courtbouilon

Wow - it looks like Shane and Dwight scared everyone off... Well, I said I was "in" so I'm going to post some fish pics - even if they're losing entries! At least it will bump the thread... For 3 years now, my biggest bass have been caught between October and February - outside the period of this contest. I've only caught two nice (nice for my lakes) fish since the contest started - both caught this past Sunday within about 30 minutes of each other (and it was dink city for the rest of the day). 5.02 / 21in - a whopping 34.6% of the TN state record - caught on my trusty 5" grub: And a 4.80 / 20 1/2in - caught on a daytime buzzbait bite (love topwater in the daytime!): The combined weight of BOTH of these fish don't match the percentage of Shane's and Dwight's entries... but at least it's an entry.................. :lol:

You're lucky Catt. I'd like to explain a little further why I'm dancing to a slightly different beat. I have discussed on here before about my long time friend and fishing partner Mike and how he lost his battle with ALS. One story I have never shared was the last chance we had to fish a tournament together. It was the annual fishoff for a 30 boat club we belonged to. You didn't need to catch fish, place in the money, or anything other than to enter into five of the eight regular tournaments to qualify for this tournament. In the years prior to Mike getting sick, he and I would fish all eight tournaments and then look forward to fishing the fishoff regardless of where it was. We actually had the somewhat funny distinction of always finishing in 4th place. Something like five years in a row. It got to the point where the tournament director would offer to give us the trophy and prize money for that place prior to blast off! The last year we fished tournaments, things had changed. A couple of tournaments that involved long drives or lakes Mike didn't like, we didn't bother to fish. He even used a substitute in the last tournament of the year so we would have our five tournament requirement. That year's fishoff was on Muskegon Lake which was a rivermouth lake just off of Lake Michigan. Over the years, the lake had gone from a very good smallmouth lake to one that had few smallies and primarily largemouth. Mike Loved Smallies! The morning of the tournament, I picked him up at his house and we began the 1 1/2 hour drive to the lake. As we drove to the west, I could tell he wasn't into the trip. Twenty minutes from his house we had crossed the Muskegon River. The same river that fed the lake we were headed to, but still had the distinction of being good smallmouth water. As we crossed the bridge he kind of groaned that he wished the tournament was being held there. He complained about how much he hated fishing for those darn green fish. Another twenty minutes or so down the road we came to an intersection where turning to the right would put us on the road heading straight west to the lake. I turned left, which just so happened to lead us right back to the river. When Mike asked me what the heck I was doing, I told him I was going fishing. I was going fishing with my best friend at a place where he wanted to be. We didn't catch a lot of fish that day, but they were all brown. While we still had the chance to fish quite a few times after that, Mike and I never fished in another tournament together. The last few times we got on the water we didn't even fish that hard, we just went fishing. The day I turned that truck to the left, I quit being a full throttle fisherman. I can understand why so many guys attack the sport the way they do, I just wanted you to know why some of us don't. Edit: I should add that for these last few years that I only fish one tournament each year. It is a memorial tournament held in Mike's name to raise funds for ALS research and it is held on that same river at the same launch. It is a day that I spend going 110% in celebrating his friendship.

Been there, done that as far as keys and locksmith. All is well that ends well. That is the kind of meal that makes a man glad to be alive, and and a happy wife is something that is hard to put a price on. Good job and congrats on 9 years.

This. If the wind is blowing, I spend nearly half the day trying to stay off the bank.

Manually closing the bail will not stop twist but it will cut back on those little loops that sooner or later jump off the spool with a bunch of line. Twists in the line come from 1. The way the line went on the reel, 2. a bait that spins - think in line spinners or poorly hooked up plastics or 3. Cranking the reel while the drag is slipping. I think 3 is a big time contributor. Check this out just by loosening the drad and mke it slip while you crank.

Wareagle for premium and strike king for standard. Mike D

I love fishing in the wind. The stronger the better. With a big trolling motor, a big drift sock, and a adjustable lean seat it makes it possible to fight the wind. You just can't be in a hurry or it becomes a safety issue. I hate fishing cold, muddy water in the winter. It sucks. If I see that I just go home.

NICE

I love the Lunker City salad spoon. It's been around for years and is often overlooked. Great bait. It is a more subtle version of the rage shad.

There is just no harmony between the species. The carp think that the bass get all the media attention, the bass think the carp are freeloaders dropped into the pond to eat them out of house and home. Meanwhile the bream and crappie are busy reproducing at breakneck speeds, insuring that they will be the dominant population of the pond. Soon enough the fish version of jesse jackson will come along and jump in the middle of it and really screw things up. It's all just fish racism. Why can't they all just get along?

dog days afternoons of summer in Alabama. high wind can be annoying, but i know everywhere i fish good enough to know where to get out of it. there have been plenty of 100 deg heat index with close to 100% humidity days id pay serious money for a breeze.

Slowly build up as you can afford it. It is more fun that way. And you never have too many rods.

Of course you can use a snap on both baits. I cut the small gasoline tubing for lawn tractors into 1/16 sections and place that over the tip of the wire and then add the snap. It works like the small "O" ring shown above but it is a lot cheaper. I get one foot for $1.00 at the local lawn tractor (Cub Cadet) shop. Give it a try.

I just wait for Ghoti to go to sleep and I take his stuff. He's got really nice stuff. Ronnie

Looks like I'm like a lot of you. I like good gear, and I buy the best I can find for what I'm willing to spend. My comfort zone is in the $200 - $250 per item range. Any more than that, and I have to think very hard about it. I seem to be always willing to upgrade, but will do so only when I find a bargain. Above $250 is where I hit the point of diminishing returns. That simply means the increase in performance is not worth the increase in cost, to me. You may place the point either higher or lower than mine. You should. It's your money and your stuff. Place your own value on it, and if it makes you happy, who gives a rip what somebody else thinks about it.

Think I'm going to give Toray another try. I do like the Sniper and Shooter, but after reading these to reviews one would have to lean towards Toray. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewshooterfc.html http://www.tackletour.com/reviewtorayfc.html

Wind also, nothing makes me more GGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRish than that.

Winds are by far my least favorite....anything over 12 with my aluminum boats becomes a pain! Jeff

My mind set is regardless if I'm fishing with my grandkids, tournament buddies, or alone FULL THROTTLE! I never go fishing with the intentions of catching small so I never hold back tackle or myself.

Sounds like the LSS is losing bottom. Like Jig said, running in Manual depth range may correct it. Loss of bottom could be a result of beam kickback related to your ducer mount. Could also be a faulty LSS module or ducer. Can you post a pic of your ducer mount and LSS screenshots, both when it's working and not working?

These will help: http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/bank_fishing.html http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/shoreline_fishing.html http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/bank_fishing_shore.html http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/urban-bass-fishing.html Enjoy!

I have seen them up to 12" out of Erie.

The hardest thing for a bass angler to admit is where they fit in the scheme of things One can spend thousands of dollars and still only be average at best! In my classes I teach locating structure, understanding structure, and how bass relate to structure. Next I teach understanding prey, how that pray relates to structure and how the bass relates to the prey. This is what will make you a better angler regardless of what tackle you own and all it cost is time.

St.Croix Avif 7' MH/F with 50 # Seagaur Kanzen, mostly dragging footballs

are you on auto ?if so,try putting it on manual for depth.Mine did that on auto, but doesnt on manual.

While there are many rigging options for the Rage Craw, the most popular, is the good ole Tx rig, usually with a weight (either pegged or un-pegged). I suggest a 5/0 EWG hook, preferrably one with a bait keeper, like a Moaner Stroker hook. http://www.moanerhooks.com/ http://www.ragetail.com/news/03/rage-craw-rigging/

It is entirely, completely and utterly subjective.

I trust a rapala knot over any swivel..

My first big embarrassment was many, many, many, years ago. I had unwittingly invited two girls out for the same night. The problem was they were good friends and saw each other every day at school. The day before the date they both showed up at work for some small talk; then one asked what time was I picking her up for our date, when I answered the other girl asked "then when are you picking me up?" Right then and there it hit me, and they knew it too. They stood there with a smirk on their face's watching me start to sweat and turn bright red. Well, after some of the fastest talking I had ever done, they decided to flip a coin to see who got me. Believe me when I tell you that was the longest, coldest date I'd ever been on. There were digs on top of digs about what I had done, I was grass and she was the lawn-mower. At the end of the night, I got my date to her front door to say good night (I thought this would be our last date) and she laid one on me that made me melt. It was then I knew everything would be OK. That girl has been my wife for 40+ years now, and she is still putting up with my forgetfulness.

If the fish don't eat those bluegill ones I will.

Personnaly, I think both are short on hp. When I feel like wiping the grin off a bunch of Triton drivers, I have two motors, I play with. One is 318 hp @ 6,100 rpm, the other is 326 hp @ 6,200 rpm. Either one will push my 20 Javelin over 80 mph with two people, livewell full and full gear and plenty of gas. My next project I'm considering is a 3.3 Rude @ 450 hp. For a tow truck, put a twin tubo's with six inch exhaust on a DuraMax. That'll take care of any hp and torque numbers anyone could want for tow vehicle.

I only fish from the bank since i do not own a boat. Well just got a jonboat but it needs work before its ready. Anyways there's tons of great info on this site for bank fishing. Ive learned so much from here. I like to GoogleMaps the spot Im going to fish and look for access points that most people wouldnt use. Try and get to areas that boats cant go. When you get to the spot, BE QUIET! Sneak in and stay a few feet from the bank. You would be surprised how easily fish will spook. Wear colors that blend in with the woods, no bright colors. I usually like to start with something flashy or loud to get their attention and depending what they do ill change to a jig or Senko. Let them tell you what they want. And honestly, i know its kind of frowned upon but chum the water up. Yea i said chum. lol. Sometimes even spraying a few squirts of the scent you may be using can draw them in and they key in on that scent so if your lure has it on it, well you get it. You have the advantage sometimes over boater because you can go where they cant. One of my super secret spots involves scaling down a 50 foot hill thats extremely steep. We tied a rope to the tree at the top and kind of rappel down. lol. Coves, creek arms and channels, docks, look for any trees that may be in the water on the bank. Anything for fish to hide under. Also look for trash, yes trash. Theres a great article on this site about it. Look for trash and such thats piled up in coves and fish it. I have a spot that has old palets and barrels pushed up against the bank in the cove and theres always fish there. Explore, youll be surprised what you fish. HAWGS!

yeah ratio doesnt mean much to me but im looking for something extremely durable because i tend to throw my rod and reel a lot when i lose a nice fish so i have a shimano right now the shedona i think and it is nothing but a pain in the butt to me i saw the pfluger surpreme xt but thats just such a pricey reel i was really curious about the pinnacle reels but i wanted to see if anyone has used them

Brandon, I laud you for your interest and desire to acquire sponsors. Do not EVER put your name and any identify information (such as your date of birth) on a public website for the whole world to see. I strongly suggest that you edit your post to remove any information that could be used by a criminal looking to steal someone's identity. Best of luck to you!

In its pure form, structure is defined as relating to those permanent topographical differences within a body of water. Things that are temporary differences such as docks, trees, and grasses are considered as cover. A point whether main or secondary, humps, canals, underwater levees, and ridges are all structure. However, there are times when a temporary difference will relate to your fishing experience exactly as structure will. A solid grass line that presents a wall is a good example. Both structure and cover present excellent locations for bass. Cover that relates to structure is even better in most instances. There are many theories about why fish spend time in and around cover, but more than likely the most accurate would be because their prey uses that cover to hide in. Why fish relate to structure is a bit more complicated. Water moves as a unit so the volume moving is constant. As the flow meets a restriction to its flow, the movement accelerates to accomodate the the volume. So for example, as flow meets a hump in the water it will accelerate over that hump as the volume moving cannot change. This increase speed of flow brings with it an easier flow of food as the accelerated flow disturbs the floating food chain. The increase in the flow of diatoms as an example bring the baitfish which in turn attracts the bass. An excellent way to observe this is to study a weir. As the water flows toward the weir no current is obvious, however at it nears the weir the current increases and is visible. As the water flows over the weir the current increases dramatically. How this all relates to fishing besides of course location, is the selection of bait. One fishing structure would do better to use faster moving baits than one fishing cover. A bait that will appear to being tossed about by the current would be another excellent choice which is why the Carolina rig is a highly preferred bait of choice on structure. Remember that the current increases in speed passing over the structure so look to the lee side of the structure for the most activity. Another interesting note to this is water flow in itself can emulate structure. Looking at a simulation: we will assume a inflow of water coming from the west and a wind generating current to the south. Where might be an excellent location to find some fish in this situation?