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Hank Parker just posted a great article that will help you catch more fish when times are tough. http://www.bassresource.com/hank-parker-fishing/mental-toughness-fishing.html

If money is no object go Avid, but Premiers are fine rods too. I wish St Croix would make the Avid with the Premier rear grip, not a fan of the "hump".

I think just learning cranks you should stick to shallow and mid depth divers say down to 8' and no deeper than 10'. By using shallow cranks it will give you an idea of how they feel when you hit bottom and what it feels like when a fish hits and it is also much easier to learn what triggers strikes by fishing shallow and medium divers. The square bill cranks are designed to be fished fast and deflect off cover while the round lip is meant to dig deep to not only help get the bait down fast but also skip along the bottom without hanging up. For 5 good solid baits I think you need to have at least one super shallow bait so get a Manns baby 1 minus, Rapala DT Fat 1, or a Bandit Footloose, then get yourself 2 square bills like the Strike King KVD 1.5, Cotton Cordell Big O, or the Rapala DT Fat 3. The other 2 you want to get will be medium divers, a Rapala DT 6, Strike King series 3, or a Bandit 200 series, any two of those will be good and that will give you a good start to learn and catch fish while doing so.

I seldom use a leader, but when I do it isn't half/half, it is 1-1/2 feet to 5-6 feet max. I'm cheap. I spool inexpensive mono on first, then finish off with fluorocarbon. Make sure to leave enough room for the fluro. I hate getting into a knot. Most reels hold more line than you will ever use bass fishing. EDIT: Oops. Missed the OR first time thru My mind saw AND.. Sorry about that.

A good fishing buddy always Offers to chips in for expenses Shares your enthusiasm Offers suggestions when your program isn't working Almost never misses a fish at the net Is always on time Loves to have fun Takes good pictures or will learn how to Is willing to learn/knows how to teach/share the knowledge Is always welcome on my boat Takes what mother nature has to offer

Another vote for the trion!!!

LMAO, I can just hear the voice of a 3 yr old saying that. "Don't crack me." His choice of words are hilarious. I hear ya about the spanking vs. abuse. That's what ticked me off about that lady interfering with her comment. It's obvious she seen me spank him on the butt with an open hand, cleary not abuse. I wanted to walk over to her and say "Bi***, people like you are a big reason why we have punks roaming the streets."

I just got my second package today. 4/0 EWG worm hooks. Woot!

I have actually been using the regular bps hooks for awhile, but I'm starting to roll the points pretty regular with them. I got a pack of the heavy wire oshagussaney type but don't like them too much. Maybe I will try the ewg version. I generally don't like ewg as much, I seem to not hook quit as many fish with them for some reason. The bps hooks are sharp and affordable though!

You're not ignorant, just a NEWBIE, lol. The small fish you see could be a number of different species. You said "minnows" and confirmed it to be saltwater. The minnows are refered to as glass minnows, at least here in Florida. You need a cast net to catch'em. Specifically, a glass minow cast net. The glass minnow cast net has tiny, 3/16 inch holes, as apposed to a regular cast net at 1/4-1/2 inch mesh. Click this link to see what a glass minnow looks like. Are they the same you see around your dock? http://www.google.co...O-hz-wfBkn_8FXQ Here's a cast net picture. You can find some for less than 100 bucks. http://www.google.co...DcpJ0n68ZTgkutA The Sabiki rig won't catch true glass minnows. Get a cast net.

Oh I want to buy another one so bad.... I hope the wife doesn't care lol.

I've also been using the BPS Magna EWG hooks and have been very impressed so far. Once in awhile I'll roll a point if I snag a rock or stump but at about $8 for a 20 pack I can afford it. They're similar to Gammy superline EWG's but at about 1/3 the price.

I'd have an easer time catching a Bass than getting a hot lookin' woman to go fishin' with me.

And that my friends is why I refuse to buy a Shimano. Biased opinions are about as useful as an inflatable anchor.

Raider hates LSU and the Saints. How many votes do I get for deleting all of his future football threads?

Fishing claims more lives than any other jobs. Logging the NW is 2nd.

Much has been written:

Wow i'm a little surprised. The record for massachusetts is 15.4 on a little 310 acre pond, back in '75. Seems small(wow calling a 14lbs largemouth small )

I like to use a drop shot in this situation. The drop shot let the sinker drag in the slime while my worm/creature is in the clear. Some trial and error let you adjust the dropper length or if your electronics is sensitive enough you can see how high the moss is floating from the bottom. I hate dredging up slimy stuff and having to clean my hook on every cast.