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I don't see anything that indicates they are Made in the USA. Can you provide some reference? So, the US citizens employed by them don't count?

I have a simple backpack with one plano 3600 for various lures and a 3601 (skinny 3600) for terminal tackle. Plastics (4-5 bags) go in the bookbag as well. Get's me through a day on the banks.

got skunked this morning in the river, went back about 8 pm for 1 hour, not skunked any more. 2 right at 4 1/2 , 1 real long , 1 with a huge gut. 5 more smaller ones. my battery died just enough on my phone to still take pics but no flash after the first 2 fish.

Received my state award for catch and release of a Sunfish over 9 inches long. Caught it on 2 lb. test line and a Rapala Original Floating Minnow F03 1-1/2 "

I would like to know what lines everybody else uses. I use either power pro braid in 10 20 and 40 pound test and then seaguar fluorocarbon what does everybody else use. Andrew

Shadow theater meets dance,.....with a story you can actually follow. very cool

With the scorecard(if you used it at the purchase).... you can look it up online also, print/email it, which would give you proof of purchase for abu. The warranty is 3 years with abu. I had a rod warrantied with no receipt before that was a gift and I didn't even pay the $9.95 fee they usually charge for shipping. You will also probably get to keep the broken rod. You can even get the tip repaired on that locally cheap and come out ahead. Ive never had any problem with their service, its been nothing short of excellent with me.

It should be covered under Abu's warranty. The DSG thing is replacement insurance, not manufacturer's warranty. http://www.abugarcia.com/support/warranties

7'6" Is a lot of rod for general purpose. For pitching and flipping (generally longer rods) I use a 7'3". That said, what makes it too long? Is it something you can adjust to? If you use this setup for things like cranking, or top water treble hook baits, then I could see it being a hinderance. But for most other techniques, provided you can adjust, the extra length will be an asset.

Yumbrella Jr. for $10 http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_736466_-1?kwid=ps_pla&mkid=PLA|023321037|YUM%20Yumbrella%20Jr%2e%20Baitfish%20Rig I suggest rigging the outside arms with LFT Live Magic Shad weightless on light wire 3/0 offset worm hooks. In the middle I use a Johnson Silver Minnow. The rig is light and VERY effective!

Back pack, even a cheap one from Walmart. It really does make everything easier to carry, even more so then a tackle bag. I've been through where you are at. Wasted $100's on different tackle bags over a couple of years. Finally listened to everyone and got a backpack, had it for 4 years now, not going back! http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/bank-fishing-tips-shore.html

Throw some used coffee grounds, sliced apples and wheat flour in there to plump those worms up.

If a guy thinks a fish is 6 lbs....who cares? Even if you see the fish and don't agree....who cares? Just say "nice fish" and move on. When you start playing the "expert" or "authority" card you just come across like a punk. Now, there is nothing wrong with a little debate or discussion but this post went a bit beyond that. There is enough negativity in the world.....lets keep it out of fishing.

Rask should NOT sit. The Hawks have a dependable backup goalkeeper. The Bruins have a good backup netminder, but he is young. Khudobin is what Rask was the year the B's won the cup last. A good goalie, but still young. I'd worry about him cracking under the pressure. Heck... I remember watching him play with the providence bruins just last year. My analysis of Crawford: Great goalie but nowhere near as good as Rask. There GAA are about the same. But if you look at the shots they've faced, Rask wins hands down. Also, 90% of the hawks goals have been off of one timers or garbage goals. When those easy one-timers happen, it's a mistake by the blue-liners to turn the puck over. Most of the time, that is. 2 mistakes have to happen for a team to score a goal. One by the defense, and one by the goalie. As it stands, Rask is pulling his weight and his defense is letting him down. The Bruins scored 5 goals glove side last night. I believe the other goals they've scored in the series have mostly been shot glove side. Crawford literally has no glove hand. The B's just need to keep putting the puck on net and good things will happen.

i switched to a backpack this season and love it. Makes it easy to just throw on your back and walk the shoreline casting

Sure Life Catch and Release is what I've used for years. Great stuff.

My friend made a livewell out of a cooler using the following kit below. Seemed to work pretty well. http://keepfishalive.com/cooler-conversion-package.php Next time I am at the house I will take a pic of it.

Looks like she schooled you with big bass

Sorry no experience with Weber gas grills but their charcoal grills are awesome!!

That's not too shabby for a first bass!

i would be comparing and researching honda,yamaha, and suzuki. those are the only 3 i would think of placing on my boat.

Went to the delta today and killed them on a drop shot roboworm in morning dawn and a fire tiger speed trap fishing in Mildred and lost isle

Yea, pull Rask too. Both worthless goalies. Trade Kaner while they're at it. Heck, Handzus should take Toews spot. Get out of here.

caught this at the pond today weighed just over 4 pounds told Chris to throw his crawdad over a stump he said no so I did and was paid for my effort.

Wow! Even I was intrigued by that list!! great job! Welcome to the forum!! You will learn a lot here. One word Senko. That's pretty much all I would fish. Do what I call "combat fishing". Stick in ever possible place a bass could live. You lay it on an old bigguns nose and he won't be able to stand it!

What I do is use a weightless texas rig for the senko or trick worm, then cast it along the edge of the dock. Let it sink to the bottom on the initial fall, then jig your rod slightly in random sets of 1-3 jigs with short pauses after each jig. try this in as many places as possible near and around your dock, and work down the shoreline if you can, casting in as many areas as possible. Once you get the motion right and cover more ground you should be getting more bites. Also the bass will most likely be hitting it on the fall, so if you see your line start to tighten after the pauses, reel in the slack and give it a good hookset.

Fill it up with water and see if it leaks. Riveted boats do not inherently leak like some people think. Rivets can get sheared off and can loosen although I've not seen it. If you look at welded hull boats, you need to check for cracked welds and warping.

I did the driveshaft bearing (5 bucks?) and Curado E handle ($30 or so) upgrade to mine. I did not care for the small knobs and lack of bearings in the original handle. It's one of my favorite reels now. I use it for squarebills and lipless.

lol Sam is the King Of Lists. I think he about covered everything possible. he forgot one thing though that is usually on all of his fishing lists, "dont forget your pliers"

And exactly why "guessing" fish weight from a picture is only guessing, The one in my avatar is 6-10 as well...weighed on two scales, and caught in a tournament, but from comparing pictures, yours "looks" bigger.

Being a shore fisherman makes it difficult. It sounds to me that you need either hire Ccoch for a day on the water and learn a lifetime worth of on hands experience or....plan to be more moble, if that is possible. Hoping there is a bass around your dock with tidal effects is low % hope! Bass on the delta like rocky transitions and any type of change is cover or structure. Look around for a culvert entering the slough, rocky areas between tullies, floating reed mat, abandoned docks in poor condition that indicate knowone is using them. Your highest % spots to fish are the slough ends where they outflow into the river. Fish the slough ends like it is a points, because it is! Fish the slough points when the tide is either flooding or dropping, both create current to activate the bass into feeding. I would shorten up the drop shot leader to 12" and wacky hook your worm or Senko. When a bass grabs your drop shot worm you will know it!, feel the weight and firm lift and reel. Tom

Terrible news. He never looked to be in the best of physical shape. He was a very good actor.

Thats so sad to hear. RIP James Gandolfini aka Tony Soprano

Preston, a few dock rules. 1. Bass like to hide and be under something to feel safe and wait in ambush for an easy meal. Docks allow this to occur. 2. Bright sunny days are best for docks as the bass will be under them as stated above. 3. Cloudy days allow the bass to roam so docks are just another target but maybe not the best target. 4. Docks close to deep water are the best. 5. Docks built close to the water are best. 6. Docks with grass, brushpiles and fishing rods on them are the best. 7. Skip plastics under the dock with a spinning rig to avoid backlashes. 8. Throw plastics all around the dock, starting in the front and working back to the shoreline. 9. Concentrate on any grasses next to the shoreline. 10. Concentrate on any lily pads around docks. 11. Concentrate on any wood (blow down trees) around docks. 12. Hit as many pilings as you can with your plastics before moving on. Hit them a number of times and from different angles. 13. Throw your crankbaits and spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits, etc. parallel to the sides, in front of the dock, and all around the dock. 14. Throw the moving baits many times before or after you throw your plastics. 15. Throw your plastics on a Texas rig, a Drop Shot and a Shaky Head. 16. Skip your Senkos or YUM Dingers rigged wacky under each dock. Throw them at least five times each. 17. Throw your Senkos or YUM Dingers all around the dock and hit all pilings. 18. Throw your moving baits in between the docks from the shoreline back to the boat when moving from dock to dock. 19. Consider throwing your jigs and pigs under and all around the dock 20. Approach a dock quietly and from the side. 21. Try to use your trolling motor as little as possible and be very quiet. 22. Have the net ready to roll without much movement on your part. 23. Fish each dock to the fullest before moving on. 24. On a day when you want to study the docks take your boat and troll all around them while you view your electronics to see if you can spot any underwater structure, holes, drop-offs and if there is any deep water nearby. This information is just for starters. If you do catch a bass do the same thing over and over and over again and again and again as you have found the pattern for the day. All the best.

It comes with experience. the best sensation via words is like a "tap-tap" that eventually is distinguishable from the other crap you run into, provided you have quality gear (sensitive rod and line).

Some lakes are "spot" lakes, it's hard to imagine your lake only has 3 spots that hold active bass. It is very common for LMB to become active feeders in 4 hour cycles with a short 20-30 minute activity period. There is a reason those bass are feeding on that spot, your task is to locate an unknown spot of your own. Look at your lake map very closely, there are more "spots" to discover! Tom

It could just be small fish that aren't taking the bait. Drop something small down there like a small jig and grub or a crawler on a small hook to see if it's some bluegill (you say you're on a dock, so I will guess they are bluegill).

I already won a reel this year. Let's see I get lucky twice! Thanks, Glenn.

Most important tool you can add to your kayak would be a portable sonar. Then you can really start to learn what the structure looks like that you are targeting. I'd recommend you seriously consider one. They are not that expensive these days. You do not need anything fancy. A simple black & white LCR can be purchased new for around $100.00. Cheaper if you look for a used unit on Craigs List. Just a thought.

I to have it, its one of the reasons I won't buy those tiny micro guides. It'll eventually wash up to shore or sink or whatever it does! It does look cool when its snowing cotton, beautiful actually

My inlaws live in LaCrosse, I've fished the main river and some of the slews close to the city and on the Minnesota side as well. Lots of nice fish to be had. I would ask how they fish the main river as opposed to the backwater areas if they change tactics or baits for each!

I use Zoom Finesse and Trick worms. Cheap, available everywhere, simple, and they work.

Zman Crawdadz, green pumpkin/orange claws rage rigged with some crawfish Megastrike. I bet you could catch every fish in the lake on one bait.

I know the fish is sandy, but no one said the fish were going to be cooperative to strike a pose.

I use a 7' MH-mod-fast Shimano Crucial.

Can't catch fish that aren't there. With that water temp, there is a reason you are catching fish up shallow. They should be on the first drop or up spawning at that temp. My guess is you are fishing where you "think" fish should be instead of where they actually are.

Agreed, weightless trick worms and baby brush hawgs are very light. They also sink very slowly. 15lb diameter mono would further slow down the sinking of these baits, thus, creating more slack. If you are having success using these weightless, then you should switch to a sinking line, or just add more weight to your setup. Also, the slow descent of these baits gives the line a longer time to get blown around by the wind and the waters current. This information is just in addition to what was said above me.

I can fish two people comfortably. Three is a big stretch and quite dangerous with the length of the swimbait rods and the size of hooks on some of those things We'll get something figured out even if it's just a short tutorial/Q&A.

Glenn, 1. Have fresh line. 2. Tie directly to the Pop-R. 3. Throw out - let sit until ripples go away - pop it - reel in some slack - pop it - reel in some slack - always leave some slack in the line. Change pattern to a pop-pop-wait or pop-pop-pop-wait cadence to try to find out what the bass want. 4. Throw Pop-R parallel to grass and pads and around docks, piers, pilings and other structure you see. 5. Make sure there is a feather on the tail hook. 6. Consider changing front hook to one size larger. 7. Use mono to help keep the lure on top of the water. I don't like mono leaders on braid due to one more weak spot in the line. 8. Use a spinning rig. 9. Wait a second to two after the strike to set the hook. Easier said than done. 10. If bass misses the Pop-R throw a Senko or YUM Dinger to same spot as fast as possible. 11. Throw Pop-R first thing in the morning and then during the day. So many of us throw it at dawn and don't touch it for the rest of the day. How do you fish a Pop-R or a RICO?

Be careful with their chatterbaits. I've had their skirt attachment come unusable numerous times.