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Besides being the largest "Beer" drinking holiday of the year, for whatever reason so many humans seem to lose their minds around the 4th of July. Combine the intoxication with the traditional use of explosives, I chose to stay at home on this one. I do however appreciate it that many of them choose to document their insanity for my viewing pleasure on youtube. A-Jay

I get the impression that AdamsEye is trying his hardest to convince everyone that if they use brakes on a baitcaster, they suck at casting. They didn't learn the right way (his way) and they are making all kinds of mistakes (I didn't know I was making all of these mistakes) when I am out there casting lures for bass. There are millions of baitcasters in service all over the world and I don't know of any that do not come with brakes. The brakes are there to be used so use them and don't let a guy with 35 posts get into your head cause I can guarantee you that he won't get into mine.

Hash brownies and space cakes

I don't know how old you are but you look young in your avatar pic. If having motor issues is the worst thing that ever happens to you in your life then consider yourself lucky. Wait until you have grown-up problems. You need to get off your ass to get on your feet.

I am with A-Jay. You have looked at your situation, attitude, and behavior, coming to the conclusion that you don't like it. Do something about it! Stop talking (whining) about it, get off your *** and get on with it. Your father understandings this principle and so do you. Now go get a job, some physical exercise and catch some fish!

It's time for some serious Self Assessment. The only thing holding you back from getting or having what you hope for Is You. Instead of complaining about what you don't have, appreciate what you do have & build on it. Whatever you're doing that is sapping your physical & mental energy - Eliminate it from you're life. The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us but those who win battles we know nothing about. It's time for You To Get Your Mojo Back ! A-Jay

Hey It is time to pick yourself up and get out of the funk you are in and get moving. It sounds like you have a great dad and you need to make him proud of you. Show him you are the son you should be and get looking for a job and get interested in getting that boat fixed. People are stepping up to help you because they see something good in you. Don't let them down!

It does not matter if it is Hydrilla, Milfoil, or Coontail...fish what is under it!

It gets worse everyday. As a public educator of 10 years I can tell you that from experience. I almost feel sorry for my son having to grow up in this day and age.

The lure is brought up to the tip not cranked down on it. Also I don't mind criticism at all, it helps me learn from any and all mistakes I could be making and not even know it.

Cant be real..nobody eats lettuce on a hot dog.

Aiden with a new personal best at night on a Rage Lobster!

For bass? It would be tough for me to pick just one, as ideally I would be able to cover top to bottom. My instinct is to say either spinnerbait or Senko..... but I'll go with a black plastic worm. To catch any fish though I'd definitely say inline spinner.

17 year, right C&G ? At this age, and for a few years coming, you have to learn to be a man. Sometimes, you have to fight thru the smoke & heat to get to the fire. Have you ever considered the Military? You want to serve something greater than yourself? Service to your country is a fine option for a young man.

Your Dad loves you very much, and your happiness is very important to him. The boat is a testament to that. How can you repay this loving gesture? Use what ever skills you have at this stage in your life and work on making some $$, find a mechanic and get your motor fixed. If I remember correctly you are/ were a H.S. athlete. It's summer time right? This is prime time for summer camps. Look to see if any those camps are looking for coaches over the summer. Trust me, working with young kids will help you forget your issues. It's win win, you get to utilize your athletic skills and teach a young child something new. Trust me on this, having a pity party is not productive. Been there done that, and I lost time that I could have been more productive with.

Shane great seeing you post again bud. You flat out tore....them..... up!! You owe the individual who gave you that intel on that location an outing. LOL... Great video btw.... and the best line in that entire video was: " I had a premature hookulation"....... You gotta love FL froggin....

watch some youtube videos and read some books on your engine take the time to fix it with your dad doing projects like that are the things you will miss when he is gone don't stress over it everyone has spells where they feel a little down

Why isn't your name dinger lover instead of senko lover??? Lol

You haven't been paying very close attention if that's the most ridiculous statement you've read here.

Where are you looking at the Stella? I would say that if you buy one from Tackle Warehouse, then yes they are very pricey. If you buy a JDM Stella from Japan Lure Shop for around $500, then they are much easier on the wallet

IMO many of the adults today have never matured mentally. Look at the antics in public, the language, the rudeness -- adults acting like a spoiled 5-year-old. Look at the behavior in classrooms, in the mall, in movie theaters, in traffic, at sporting events, and yes even a few anglers. The hippies of the 60's didn't rear their children and those children are now parents and don't have a clue how to teach proper behavior to their little devils.

Caught this on a Senko last night...

Welcome to LMB fishing . . . and btw that's some Very Healthy looking vegetation right there ~ I'd expect some there are some very stout green bass living in that eco system. You may get quite a few different responses that revolve around baits & techniques, and I would never claim to be an expect in any facet of bass fishing, however I'll tell you that the way I learned to have success on lakes that have an abundance of that stuff was to ignore it; especially if it's every where, and focus on location. What I mean is, fish the structure not the cover. Clearly you'll need to rig & fish a technique that accounts for the grass, but after that it's all about depth, contour lines and bottom composition. Just like you're doing to find & catch those SMB. I will also tell you not to be afraid to use an ounce (tungsten) or more for your weight to get through that stuff. The LMB could care less about the weight and seem very content to suck up you offering despite the extra tonnage. Finally, Braided Line is your friend. Tangling with even 2-3 pound LMB is that stuff is an All Out - No Drag - Tug Of War. And I suspect there may be several specimen in that lake that are much larger. Good Luck. A-Jay

If I'm reading this correctly, you lifted a three pound fish completely out of the water using just the rod itself? This would be like boat flipping/high sticking and is most likely the cause of the break. On another note, I don't ever store my rods with that much tension on them.

If price isn't a big factor then Sunline Diefer Armilo Nylon is excellent mono, smallest lb test is 11 lb @ .010 diameter. If price is a factor then Sunline Super Natural mono, available in 4 lb to 25 lb. Tom PS, McCoy Mean Green mono 6 lb is .010 diameter, same as Sunline 10 or 11 lb, diameter matters, not misleading labels.

Raider participates in watersports..no boarding tho.

Generally speaking, a faulty blank will fail early-on in its career, while a rod that's several seasons old was probably damaged. Based on your description though, it sounds like you were "high-sticking", which definitely puts tremendous strain on the blank fibers. Most of us found out the hard way too ;-) Roger

Terry's web site is down but he will gladly take orders by phone at 512-406-1588! Thanks to Steve (Big-O) Parks & Terry Oldham

It was my favorite spread for English muffins, but then I lost my taste for it

Still got that sense of humor going I see, I got a good laugh out of your post, hehe... By the way, nice avatar!

You can spend countless hours fishing Hydrilla or you can save your self some time & learn the above!

There is only three ways to fish that stuff. Over the top with shallow topwater. Fish thru it with a punch rig or heavy weight presentation. Fish the outside or inside edge staying out of it.

I've been fishing wish a long slender home made float, similar to a Drennon Crystal Avon. Has a long stem, keeps it standing better in wind. 6 or 8 gram floats usually work best, however if it's calm I would rather fish a 4g

Dirty jigs finesse football jig.

Ya its always been good fishing for me some 6+ lb lmb and 4+ lb smb the average catch for me has gotten much bigger since the state upgraded the launch, selfishily I wish they never did the launch was really bad before scared a lot of people away. The reason they did the upgrade is they started to stock the lake with trought about 8 years ago. The lmb are on the docks since there are no weeds in the lake its there best cover I have lots of luck with big boys under swim floats in 8-12 ft of water. The smallies tend to get caught in just 3 different places its a small lake look for some hidden rock piles in about 20 ft of water.

Well...........you've stepped in about a 4' pile of doodoo. Be prepared to spend a few thousand on new gear. It is easy to get carried away. Now that you know you love a b/c reel the Bait Monkey has you by the you-know-what. I'd concentrate on a few quality set-ups and buy once. Voice of experience from many of us. On reeling: It isn't hard to use either hand, but some feel it to be awkward to use both while a very few find it impossible. Only you can determine which camp you fall in. Switching the rod: I was totally against this at first. I have had a few strikes the instant the lure hit the water. Some switch while the lure is still in the air. I prefer to wait for splash down for better control. I'm not the caster many are. Now my reels run about 50-50 LH / RH. If a fish hits instantly, you can always use the thumb on the spool to try for a hookset....but unless fishing for money I don't see what the big deal is about missing one or two fish a year. Heck, we can lose more than that with the rod already in the correct hand. Working the rod: At first I was most comfortable using my dominant right hand. Now it doesn't bother me to use either hand. I can throw as far with either hand, but accuracy suffers on the left side. Pros: Being able to use either hand reel means 1.) you don't have to pass by a great deal on a reel because it isn't in you cranking hand and 2.) there are still quite a few reels that only come in right hand. Cons: Can't think of any for being able to switch hit other than spending too mch money.

Well its not fishing tackle but if I was at Bass Pro I would have to get some fudge....

Dirty Jigs Swim Jig (for weed-probing, not swimming) Roger

It was probably aiming for his sweet jorts and just missed.

IN resident here and so far Ive had a GREAT year fishing. The key for me has been to stay off the major lakes and reservoirs. Google maps is your friend! Some private lakes have been ridiculous this year, football shaped smallmouth ridiculous. There are some serious rural lakes in the northern third of the state holding big bass that aren't pressured. Again, utilize google maps to find new bodies of water, look for a boat ramp, and make it happen!

You will probably get lots of suggestions for Mettle. I like Lew's brand stuff, but like I said, I would buy used. Better yet, wait till they start to clear stuff off shelves sometime between winter and next spring to make room for new ones. The BPS Spring Classic sail paired w/to and reel trade in can be killer. Personally not the biggest fan of Pro Qualifiers, but one of those for around 50 bones would be a little bit better than Black Max or American Hero. You may have your heart set on getting a casting setup NOW, but even in today's society, patience is rewarding, and good things come to those who wait.

No one told these guys that jerkbaits are for cold water, and that I was fishing for bass. Released a bunch, kept a few.

This morning is the two year anniversary of my current PB (the fish in my profile). Not sure of the size, but it was around 5lb. The scale I used was an old junky spring scale that overestimates weight a little bit, and it read about 5 1/3 pounds. So I just call it "about 5" and I figure my next confirmed 5er is a new pb. The length was "about 20", but I didn't get a confident measure of that, either. So, this morning I returned to the same lake, armed with a shiny new -- and confirmed accurate-- Rapala digital scale in search of a.... ....well, sorry, no new pb happened today, but a few decent fish, anyway. The first of the morning, 2 pounds, 4oz on a mojo-rigged junebug baby brush hog: Second fish, about 10 minutes later 1 pound 12oz on a texas-rigged junebug Mag II worm: Next cast, same worm, same spot, came the biggest of the day: 3 pounds 7oz: An hour and three dinks later, another 2lb-er on t-rigged rage craw (blue craw), 2lb 6oz: This "having an accurate scale" stuff is kind of neat!

5" Bull Shad is only 1.25 oz, with 2 treble hooks, so you can fish it using a crankbait rod. The big difference between a crankbait and a swimbait is the speed you retrieve the lure...swim it! You can jiggle it out of a lot of snags when fishing it slower. Keep in touch with the lure, feel the line rubbing objects before it hits the snag. I fish nearly all my swimbaits using 25 lb Sunline Deifer Armilo Nylon line, 300 series round reels and swimbait rods rated for 1-5 oz and 3-10 oz, 7'11 and 8' rods. My advice; Invest in a swimbait rod and reel and a good lure retriever. Tom

only if you want to catch bass

I pretty much use 16lb FC Sniper for everything. I love that stuff and have no intentions of trying anything else except maybe tatsu

I have not used what you asked about. I used 15# Invisex for a few years until I tried 16# Sniper. Have no plans to switch to anything else. Mike

We have Red Swamp Crayfish on the Tidal Potomac. Not surprising a Red Shad ribbontail plastic worm is a good producer. Check out Dirty Jigs "Black & Red":

Us fisherman are certainly a gullible lot.

I've got a buddy that lives on a private lake out there with tiger bass in it, frog fishing heaven.