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I went around with my son yesterday to check on a few places, and to do some ramp litter cleanup. No open ponds yet, but my son picked up 6 shopping bags full of crap from just 3 places. Now today he wants to make some "Please Don't Litter" signs to put up all over. He's a good kid, and is going to make one heck of an ambassador of our sport someday.

It's not crankbait storage unless I can reach in the box and pull 42 of them out at once

Fished for 6 hours today at Loch Raven Reservoir. Only saw 3 fish all day and one wasn't mine. At the first spot just before we left I hooked into a chain pickerel that would have crushed my PB pick but he bit me off just before I could grab him and swam away with my KVD 1.5. Would have had him if I had had a net handy. Tried a couple more spots with no luck. Then just as I was getting ready to leave I set my spinnerbait hook into what I thought was a snag. Then all of a sudden the snag started to move and I realized it was "Fish On!". She hit right near the bank so after a short fight I had this big momma bass by the lip. My scale put her at 5 pounds even. My first 5 pounder! That's one 2014 fishing goal I can cross off the list.

Went to Loch Raven today and caught a new PB. Scale said 5 pounds even. Caught her on a 1/2 oz. chartreuse Booyah spinnerbait. Also would have had a PB chain pickerel but he bit me off right before I could grab him and swam off with my KVD 1.5. Checked out the area near the bridge on Warren Road or Merryman's Mill Rd of whatever it's called at that point. Either way its the same road. The rock bluffs were a bit much for my wife to handle so we walked down on the other side where there was a little cove with a ton of laydowns and various wood to fish. Saw a guy catch one that looked to be about 4lbs there but I didn't get anything. The cove really looked like bass though so I'll definitely be going back there. My fish was caught at an area a little further down the road towards Rt. 146

I hit Cobbett's on Sunday morning. My buddy and I loaded up the jonboat, and pushed off shore, I sit in the back with the trolling motor, and about 15' out, told him to sit down as I was going to drop the motor. I turned to drop the motor, he was to the side of the boat trying to get his rod ready, the boat leaned to the side, and I watched as he lost his balance and flew overboard. Needless to say, I pushed the boat back to shore as he waded. We packed the gear back up, and as we did we passed another guy who asked my buddy if the water was cold. I held back laughter until I got home, but I cramped up I laughed so much after that. Gonna try again thursday, he's bringing a change of clothes.

I think this statement is only partially true, braid transmits no vibration on slack line. If your line is tight it is very good, in my fishing I prefer FC, I think it offers more versatility than braid and also transmits vibration very well.

Caught this female on a Seibert swimjig in the blugill color she was on the bed but came off to chase it away. Man she hit hard.

For me, braid use is less about the lines breaking strength and more about no stretch & manageability. The line strength ends up being a beneficial by-product. 10 & 20 works for me on spinning gear and 30 seems to be my favorite for casting gear. I have 50 on my frog rod as the extra strength and weed cutting properties come in very handy. I do use mono quite a bit for treble hook baits. If someone came out with a mono that could match braids long distance hook up abilities, I'd use it. A-Jay

If you rely on the rod to determine what is going on with your lure....you are missing multiple strikes. Today's rod blanks may be lighter or may not, having lighter weight guides and less handle materials. A typical 7' jig/ worm rod in 4 power or med-hy rating may weigh over 4 oz., few weigh less than 3.5 oz. Scrimless or Scrim double wall construction...how is your rod made? Makes a big difference in detecting line movement and line movement is what everyone thinks of as sensitivity. Your brain translates line movement as vibration through the rod, it's far better to keep your finger on the line so the movement is translated faster. Tom

Im not prepared to say that any one presentation would require more sensitivity than the next. But I will second WW2 when I say that a 400+ rod isn't required to acheive the sensitivity to catch a bass with a bottom contact presentation. Is there a difference between jig fishing with a Champ rod versus a Lightning Shock rod, certainly there is... But once you get to a certain level, I feel that comparing sensitivity is like splitting hairs. It kills me when I see guys comparing sensitivity in two rods that exceed the 350-400 mark. Like the threads comparing the Dx to the GLX, NRX, MegaBass, Legend Xtreme... At that point sensitivity is the last thing I would compare... Because they are all sensitive rods..they all will most certainly aid on catching fish. Little bit of a rant that got off track.. sometimes I really think that sensitivity is over rated. ( is say that, but I am spoiled by Powell and a new Dx). There are few things that will aid in sensitivity and will result in more fish for bottom contact presentations, whether you are fishing a Vengeance Rod or a NRX. Correct line selection - braid is great and helps a ton for sensitivity, but if you are using slack like presentations that require the lure to freefall, I prefer a floro Tungsten weights- more dense Paying attention - focusing ans mentally pictuing what your are feeling as you hop a jig or pull a lure through grass will result in more bites DETECTED. EXPERIENCE- this one is huge, the more a guy practices, focuses, and fishes the more cognizant he is going to be to detecting bites in what ever water or cover. Sorry for the long rant

Hey, I just want to say that I wish I could be there this year but I'm going to be spending the week with the Elites at Toledo Bend, actually staying at Tommy Martin's house with Shaw & Paul. I'm very humbled by the wonderful things you all are doing for Tackle The Storm. I keep reading things that say, "Don Barone's Tackle The Storm," and that couldn't be further from the truth. It is all of our's Tackle The Storm, I couldn't have come close to doing what we have done without the help and support of folks like you. And let me tell you what you have done. To date YOU have put the magic wands of childhood, fishing poles, into the hands of 1,446 children. You have put over a THOUSAND kids back on the water after storms knocked them off the pond. Tackle The Storm's latest event will take place in Peoria, Illinois on June 28th and it will be for the children who lost everything to the tornadoes that hit the area last Fall. We are having the event at a park filled with ponds made especially to teach children how to fish so the child will be handed a brand new rod and reel, tackle box and baits, and will within feet of that be able to fish. From what I've heard from some of our helpers on the ground out there we could expect upwards of 200 kids to attend the event, and your donation from this road trip will go a long way in putting rods and reels into those kid's hands. One other thing, and this isn't for public announcement yet, Glenn and Keri may not even be aware of it yet, so please keep this amongst each other, but since you have been such a big help, I thought you should know. We are a 501 c 3 public charity recognized by the feds. When you attain that status you have to provide pretty detailed information on what your charity does…and we have…we put children back fishing after storms take that ability away from them. But right now we are in the process of making a slight change, really an addition to our mission statement filing to the feds. And with fingers crossed it should be in place by the Illinois event. Here's the addition: Tackle The Storm Foundation will continue to put children back on the water after a storm in their lives BUT, we will now also put back on the water the child's…daddy…mom…grandpa or grandma. We will put back the person who took the child fishing because it is my belief that they too have lost the ability to fish…and more importantly…continue to take the child fishing with them. For many, fishing is a family experience and we will have the ability to put the FAMILY back on the water. Sitting in an Alabama warehouse waiting for the OK to go, are right now, 250 ADULT Spinning rods and reels and 250 Baitcasting rods and reels…and more are on the way. I didn't do that….YOU…made it possible. And for that I am eternally grateful and constantly humbled by your giving heart. Again, wish I could be at the road trip, but please know I am certainly there in heart, in gratitude. db

The only thing I can add to all this excellant advice is try and block out all the baggage we carry on our shoulders. I would use the texas worm (but in a 1/8 or 1/4) and throw it out by targets. Just focus on the line and your feel for little ticks. Pull it in slowwww...wiggle once in awhile and just focus on enjoying what our great Lord has created. Tight Lines

Went to my local Academy Sports during lunch break today and saw the new Curado I 200 HG on display. While I was checking out the display model, the clerk told me had six in stock, so I left with two of them. Just wanted to pass this information on that other Academy Sports might have these in stock for those that might be in the market for this reel.

IMO the main idea of coming to a roadtrip is to fish with other folks. I was very excited to fish with othes last year... to see what they throw, to see how they fish, to see their favorite baits. I learned a lot in a week. I learned new baits, new techniques. case in point: 1.as crazy as it sounds I didn't know how to fish a senko until the roadtrip last year. I owned them, had a box full of them, but never caught many on them..... Glenn gave me a GREAT lesson. Now I don't launch my boat without one tied on. 2. 00mod taught me how to how to be a better shaky head fisherman..... I fished them before and had a box full of them, but never felt that comfortable..... now a year later I feel like I am a decent SH fisherman and never launch one without it. 3. Bassinisaddicting never caught a jig fish until the roadtrip last year. It wasn't the style of fishing he was used to being a co-angler in his club...... ask him if he goes to the lake without one now! Plus I learned from Jon about fishing in general, and cranks(even though we didn't fish them) just hanging out and talking every night since we were room mates you are about to fish the TN River at arguably its peak time of the year, especially for numbers....... just bring your favorite baits, your favorite colors.... and the stuff you struggle with or want to learn. There will be someone that is on your "struggle bait" bite, and you will learn, that I guarantee!

i sure hope the topwater bite is good. last year on Pickwick it was...those were some of my best days.

I will have 2 dedicated rods that never change the entire trip. 1. 1/4 shakey head rod 2. 1/2 oz jig rod These 2 produce on the TN river year round, and EVERYBODY should have them tied on. I think the A-rig bite will be done by then. Other lures I would have would be senkos and flukes, mid depth cranks (6-12') and swim jigs/soft swim baits. I will also be throwing topwater every morning and evening. Water temps around here are already in the low 60's. Jeff

Hello Everyone, Thank you for the accolades to all that have had positive experiences with us. For those people who have not had a favorable experience please contact us at info@***.com or call 1-800-300-4916 and one of our customer service representatives will be happy to assist you. If ever you are unsatisfied with the service you receive from Tackle Warehouse please ask to speak with a supervisor. Your satisfaction is our main concern and we are working overtime to make sure you get unparalleled service. We have certain policies in place to protect you the customer as well as us but we are always willing to work with you, in anyway we can to get you the product you want. We are always happy to explain the reasoning behind certain policies as well. Thank you again to all who have contributed to this thread and please remember to contact us as soon as any issue arises so that we can help you out immediately. Thank you for choosing Tackle Warehouse we appreciate you! Sincerely, Tackle Warehouse info@***.com

Shane, thanks to you and your son. He's been taught well by you that it isn't just about what you get out of the sport but also what you can give back. Congrats on being a gd fisherman and Dad, Well done.

Just keeping this fresh.... Caught a good one end of the day on 4/4/14, so juuuuuust a bit early. It's cool though, I'm lurking.

God help us.

I err on the side of caution and use the most sensitive rods I can all the time so they can double for bottom baits when need be. For example, I'm going to be using a DX 746 mostly for frogging. Way overkill for a non sensitivity presentation BUT I want the option to punch or use heavy jigs and that is when I will appreciate the sensitivity

I always cram as many as I can into a space. Sure, it'd be great to have them all separated, but I've got way too many baits to do that with. With the size they make the tackle trays, there's way too much wasted space to put one bait in each even if you use the thinner ones. As far as worrying about if the baits will get scratched or hooks dulled, I don't. Crankbaits will get beat up more fishing than they do sitting and I can't say I've ever actually seen damage from them just being stored in tray.

I lucked out with a lunker for my 1st and only catch yesterday. 21" and just under 5 lbs. Wacky Senko underneath a downed tree. Suntanning ... LOL

I go to gorham hs. That is an awesome thing to do with your kid. It's truly awesome to see that, as a 2 year conservation director for youth clubs in Maine and Arizona too many kids do not understand the importance of leave no trace. Give him a "way to go" for me.

It is unfortunate that people are such slobs. I hate seeing litter, whether that is along the road or at the boat launches. I usually end up picking up trash every singe time I go fishing. Its such a disgrace...

Jigs catch fish ? Biggest bass fish I have ever caught was a 9-1 and it was on a jig. Jigs certainly do catch better then average fish. It is a big fish lure. Senko's catch everything from little 6 inch dinks to lunker bass. Biggest fish to date on a Senko is an 8-10. A lot of people don't like fishing Senko's but at times they certainly do out fish other lures. I have done well in tournaments fishing jigs and fishing Senko's. Three years ago a friend and I fished a tournament on a highly pressured lake. The jig bite died about 10 am. We had our limit by then but no weight. The Senko's saved us that day. We ended fishing second place, with lunker a 6-4 on a Senko at noon. Jigs are a great all season bait that catches big bass. I love fishing jigs and would prefer to fish them above all else. There are times though when you cant deny the catching power of the Senko.

You have some things I agree with in there Bill.............like lure speed in clear water, but even that is not set in stone because........sometime the opposite is true. I have to say this ...man....................do you ever over think things. Bass fishing is not complicated.....we(fisherman) like to make it so for some reason. I don't know if it's because it strokes our ego's when we think we have it figured out...........but how much have we really acomplished outsmarting a fish with a pea brain? Go fishing, put lures/baits you have confidence in, in a place that bass live or feed, and if they are not there, look in another spot. No need to reinvent the wheel to catch one.

20# test would be your first choice?

Two of the best jig fisherman in America are Denny Bauer & Gary Klein, they both throw 3/8 - 1/2 oz 90% of the time! During the Dog Days of Summer I'll throw a 1/4 oz jig in 20-25' of water. The slow rate of fall gives the bass a long look at it & they'll usually hit on the drop. During pre-spawn I'll throw a 1/2 - 5/8 oz in 10' of water or less, the bass are actively feeding & aint gonna look at it long.

Keep it Simple! Learn what structure is, how to truly identify it, interpret it, and the fish it effectively. Learn what is the prodominate prey species in your body of water and how it relates to structure morning, noon, and night...with each passing season. Understand that next after location is timing; just because you didn't get bit does not mean the bass aint there or ya tied on the wrong lure! The key to consistently catching bass is a process of elimination and duplication. Eliminate patterns and waters that are non-productive and duplicate patterns and waters that are productive. The human tendency is to respond to failure and frustration by over complication rather than simplification of technique and theory!

1446 kids on the water because of BR. Awesome job guys.

Do what?!?!?!?!?!

I purchased three of his Big O Brush jigs a couple weeks back and could not be happier - they are beautiful. I finally got out to test them last Saturday and loved them. He does not skimp on material at all, a long FULL weedguard, fantastic hook and the skirt was very long, all allowing for customization. After cutting the weedguard and skirt down like I like, I was ready to go. That right there is the devil craw with sapphire blue head. Long story short, my wallet is going to be a lot lighter next week. Thanks Mike!

20 lb Fluoro is tough to handle. Why the need for line that big? To me, 15 lb Fluoro is almost to big. I prefer 15 lb Seaguar Red label but I only use it for leaders. When I used Fluoro to cast with, I used 10-12 lb.

1. Powell Endurance 714C - all purpose, jigs, trigs, ect. 2. Powell Endurance 714C - all purpose, jigs, trigs, ect. 3. Powell Endurance 775 Flip - flipping/pitching 4. Dobyns Savvy 735 - frog 5. Dobyns Champion Extreme 795 Flip - flipping/pitching 6. Phenix Recon 766 - swimbait/big jigs 7. Irod Genesis II "Bama Rig Special" - Alabama Rig

I fished my first two tournaments ever this weekend, I was a co-angler. Saturday an ABA event on Rocky Fork in Ohio and Sunday at Indian Lake, Ohio in a club event. Got skunked on Saturday...But won on Sunday! Get this, only caught one fish, but it was a good one...6.22 lbs! Caught it around 10 am and a cold front came through around 11:30 with 20+ mph winds and the bite got real bad. Like I said it was a small club event with 8 boats, a few guys had four in their bags, but they were all small. My one bass got big bass and won overall. I'm officially hooked on tourney fishing and fishing in general! Big thanks to Bass Resource for for all the great info, tips, and Gene's "how to flip and pitch" video. Learning how to flip and pitch was a huge help today and now one of my favorite ways to fish! BTW, 6.22 also my new PB!

I think the Daiwa Lexa 2000 is the best of your list. Frank

Yeah, I think you're probably right, but for myself personally, I use the same caliber rod for all that stuff. I want to feel everything, so I use the best available to me for everything I do.

You should write dear Abby and ask her what to do

This is what spinning gear is for.

Exactly. I agree with everything! I even use the same line sizes

Hahaha he loved your comment. He just started working on the car. It was off limits until after the wedding. He has tinkered around on it and we just moved the motor over to a garage to work on.

You, my friend, did not see your notification....where did you think I got banned to?

For me, they all require the most sensitivity if you want to feel the bottom not because of how long the bass will hold onto the bait, but feeling the change in bottom composition. I'm not a big fan of braid and will use it because it turns a $100 rod into a $300 rod.

Depends on the person. Some people "need" $400 rods to feel bites, I get by just fine with $100 rods. Do I feel as much as they do? Who knows....I do know that they and there $400 rods generally do not out fish me when money is on the line.....at least on my home lake............take me off this lake, and all bets are off LOL.

Also, I only have 2. A Dobyns DX 744c and a Dobyns Champ 735c. I love the 744 and use it primarily for jigs and plastics. I'll use the 735 for a ton of stuff but it's either got a worm or a jig on it most times. If not one of those then I'll throw heavier swim jigs and spinnerbaits on it. I'm honestly contemplating getting rid of 735 for a 733 or 703. I'm finding I prefer lighter powered rods and don't throw hardly anything over 1/2oz. We'll have to see though as I haven't had a ton of time on the water with these rods recently.

That thing is a 4" stick of dynamite!

Are Viginians considered yanks now?

Thanks for the comments and YES we are always making any and all improvements possible to increase action results from both the Bait and the Bass There's extensive Testing on all designs prior to placing them on the market... perfect example is this years new design, RAGE Bug. It's been in our Pro's hands for mths now and I fished it for a couple of years prior. It's RIGHT now so marketing will start this Summer. I'll have samples at the Roadtrip this year for those of you who make it. Hope y'all like it, cause the bass sure do