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Choking point? Sounds like where my wife lands when I tell her I'm buying a new rod or reel....lol. Hootie

Ms. Shatner is here.

I returned a garbage rod that i bought at Cabela's (broke on first fish and about 90% of reviews said the same). i bought it on a whim because it was on sale and a 2 piece.... shame on me for no research before buying. Anyways, they were most helpful and provided me with a store credit for the rod. Of course I had to spend it right away..... the LCs and the War Eagles were on sale..... i'm a sucker.

I decided to take a shot at turning my own handle on the lathe. I thought it turned out good for my first try. Learned a lot about working with cork. Going to order up some more cork and make a long handle for a casting blank next.

I upload mine to Youtube and use their basic editing feature. I'm not trying to start a Youtube channel or make a fishing video so I'm not real worried about making a professional looking video.

It was on them though, not in them. Apparently there's a big difference

I've used senkos as well as knockoffs, all pretty much he same to me. I may use them only a few times a year, that brand of fishing doesn't excite me. A senko type bait is used only in emergency situation to avoid being skunked. If one is spending lot of money on their rod, reel and line why get cheap for a few bucks if you think the more expensive brand will work better for you. The object of the exercise is to catch fish.

Spent a good amount of time on the water in the last couple weeks. I tried some new "back lakes" looking for that one giant bite, but it never came for me. Went back to my home waters and put together some good days. Smallies and largies have all been shallow, so I havent spent much time deeper than 10 ft. I had a club tourney last weekend that I was able to win, despite tough conditions. It was tough on everyone. I was pretty disappointed with my bag, but it was enough.

When mine get in that condition, I take my scissors and snip about a 1/4" off the head of the worm. Clean head, worm a little shorter, and continue using it. Hootie

I'm thinking you'd be better off paying $19.99 to stay out of it.

Welcome friend and may I just add that you picked a great day to join us. For a LIMITED time only I'd like to subscribe you to the official, unofficial BR group text. For the LO LO price of just $19.99 you get the occasional hotspot fishing report and MUCH MUCH MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sound to good to be true? But wait there is MORE! This group includes everything from Sizzles to Tinbergs....

I've had one of those since right after they hit the market. I've used it for cranks, small spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, finesse jigs and light weight plastics. I personally think the mod-fast action is the most versatile. The idea that you need an extra-fast action rod for plastics and jigs is marketing propaganda. There's a reason a lot of the high end Japanese stick are mod-fast, or what they call regular action. I use this rod for finesse plastics a lot more than anything else.

Remember that a 3/8 oz jig weight isn't absolute and may vary, plus adding a trailer increases the weight about 1/8 oz. Dobyn's uses the numerical power system, 5 power is a good worm & jig rod rating. Tom

man, just go with 10-15 lb braid with a 6-8 lb fluoro leader. Power pro to red label.

Ahem... cough... look over here..,.

Fixed it for you I'm sure Bill is a great guy, but I can't stand to watch anything other than his bloopers. Obviously he was a great tournament fisherman in his prime, I just don't get anything out of watching a guy fish his private ponds week after week.

Round bend hooks are good with senko-style worms. No need to use a wide gap on a 5" senko. However, I like skip gap hooks best.

Lower profile to the rod. Set the gear "box" on the outside and voi la, you've got a low profile setup. I've been away from tennis for over 15 years. A frickin' lot has changed since I was in the game. LOL. Racquets, spin, it ain't a "take-yer-time" game any more. Fishing is still the same game, but the tools have changed. Can still catch on all the old gear, no problems, but like tennis, there are newer ways to do so. Not necessarily better, just newer.... My .02.

I purchased my first boat today. Its a 14' alumacraft mod.V, With a 9.9 Johnson outboard on it and a trolling motor up front. Its not much but im very excited to have it. I got everything listed on a tilt trailer for only $300! Right place right time with cash in hand.

Been using an offset round bend all year on my stick baits and havent had a problem. Ewg is a lot of hook imo for weightless stick baits. Hookup rate is also not a problem with the roundbend for me

I use owner twistlocks for Senko's and all of the knockoffs.

Going in the morning so I bought 5 more sacks of Trick worms & Baby Brush Hogs!

Send Trey Kistler an email and ask him about it. He's been very reachable and most helpful anytime I've contacted him. A-Jay http://www.kistlerrods.com/fishing-rod/about-kistler/page10.html http://www.kistlerrods.com/fishing-rod/kistler-vip-warranty-protection/page165.html

Well quit being such a BA and get out there! Put them custom painted baits to work!

I fought the urge for years. Bought a MB Vision 110 and now I own several of their products. Quality is worth the price. IMO. The older I get the more i like the finer things in life. I kinda feel like I have erned it. Plus if i spend money on stuff and it works, why not!?

Pick one in a similar color and style to what has already worked for you and give it a shot. If you like it and it works, you'll know whether to continue down the rabbit hole. That's how I started, bought one Vision 110 to try out during a good jerkbait bite and I loved it...Now I own a bunch more MB products. The Vision 110 is probably the #1 gateway bait to the higher dollar stuff!

There is literally an entire generation of bass on my home lake that has seen nothing but creature baits, frogs and senkos, I have gone a little old school on them recently with ribbon tail worms, tubes, and swimming a grub.........they all still work, and work well.

Hard work pays off. Finally have upgraded my arsenal within my budget!!! not too shabby if I say so myself for a 23 year old...

I throw lighter jigs, t-rigs, weightless plastics, almost anything 1/4oz and lower with this rig. Shimano 15 Aldebaron HG Phenix K2 684 Custom

I like fishing spook type baits a good deal. always used the spook jr or Rebel jumpin minnow. Had read a lot about the Sammy and was skeptical at first. Broke down and bought one in a color I've had success on and it didn't disappoint. I don't even know if 15$ is considered expensive anymore which is funny in and of itself. Also you really have to try to lose a topwater which is a plus....

Keep tabs on that link I gave you. Nothing new as of yet but T Mac is at the meetings and he promised pics and info.

I'll be Looking HARD at these. A-Jay

Have you tried buzzbaiting with no trailer or stinger? Using a black/black Cavitron I've never felt the need for addons.

I think you were dealing with the exception... not the rule. Fluke crap happens sometimes. (take our 123lb flathead kansas record caught on an ultra light and 4lb test. Believe me when I tell you that a flathead can and will make undersized tackle look like a wet noodle if it wants too, no different than that shark could have popped that line in a heart beat.

Spoke with DVT today and told him a story of what happened to me in a club tourney, he said I have to post it! Lol but first I'll share something that happened a few weeks back during practice for a separate club tourney. So I was on Cobbeesecanti (spell check) in Maine. My secondary clubs tourney week. Beating a bank with a Megabass knuckle squarebill and wham! Pike eats it. A swing him in the boat, grab him by the back of the neck like I always do with pike. Grab my pliers and as I try taking out the front treble he thrashed enough for him to slip right out of my hand. Unfortunately the rear treble drove straight into the top of my hand with the pliers. Fish still hooked flipping violently I drop him down kneel on him get the hook out, throw him over and tend to my hand. Surprisingly just missed the vein but it was all the way in. My boater rushed me to shore and at some point I blacked out so being in Maine not knowing too much about the area he called a Ambulance. They came said my insurance won't cover them as a private company and due to it not being life threatening we skipped on the ride. He brings me to ER in Augusta and they didn't have a tool strong enough to cut the ring on the bait, the o ring or the hook. 5 shots of novacaine tetanus shot in arm antibiotic shot in leg all from a smoking hot nurse and a hour plus on waiting for someone to bring in bolt cutters. First they tried cutting loop on bait but couldn't get a angle on it. (Hope it doesn't fail I put new hooks on it lol) they finally cut the hook. Where it went in there's 2 ligaments it went past barb in first one and poked the second so they ended up pushing it back up and out making a second hole. Picked up script and got rest and was back on water next morning for additional practice before tourney. Definitely sucked, story would be better if I won tourney the 2 days after or lunker. Ended up in like 7th or 8th with a 4, 2 3s a 2 and a dink. Lol I would post the pic of it but I'm not sure on This sites policy on wether or not it may be too graphic. If a mod requests it for whatever reason I'll post it lol... Ok so that out of the way now for my personal best story lmao Last Sunday I was on Bantam Lake here in CT for a club tourney. I'm drop shoting in about 8ft right at a drop off to 17. I feel a little machine gun bite so I raise the rod tip feel the weight and start reeling. It felt like a dink so I went to tighten drag and bam fish ran Cumara and Stradic Ci4 go over board. Mind you grip in my hand has been kinda off since the hook incident. I scream like $,&!(@:$ ME!!!! My boater is like what happened I'm like I just threw $500 in the lake. He's like quick throw the marker buoy. I grab it toss it over. He said calm down and tie on a crank bait. So we circle the marker buoy for a hour or so and no luck. I tell him I appreciate the help but we don't have to try to get it back I'll come back tonight with my friend who is also in the club. He caught a 6+ on his second cast so he said screw it. He's confident he got lunker so we can keep trying to get it back. Now here I am blessed to have a boater that is willing to do this for me but feel like a ass for killing the tourney for him. All of a sudden a fish jumps 100 ft south of us so we drift a bit cranking 20 mins later a fish jumped again now 200 ft north of us. So we go up there and crank as we drift again. He said chuck the anchor he's done working the trolling motor. So I toss the anchor and tie up a C Rig but instead of a hook I put a snap with 3 shakey heads on it. I'm fanning the area for another 20 mins or so and as I cast towards the back of the boat a d**n canoe rear ends us. The boater flips out on the guy, me as well, I'm like stop!!!!! At the top of my lungs because the marker buoy was wrapped on his oar. The guy has no clue what he's doing I had no idea he was even in the area. He came out of nowhere. I was so focused on casting in hopes to snag my rod. That's when just to the right of the canoe I feel weight. I'm like I think I got it!!!!! I reel in as slow as I possibly could and sure enough the but of the rod pops up on the surface!!! Yay!!!! I hooked the stem of the reel. I reach over grab it and there's like maybe 2 turns of the handle worth of line on it. So I start reeling up all this slack line in all my glory I got my favorite combo back. As soon as the line starts to tighten drag starts peeling. FISH STILL ON!!! I tighten the drag up a bit and play the fish out. Got him to the side of the boat and cradled him and pulled him in. 4.7lb smallie! My little size 1 mustad drop shot hook was right in the roof in front of his throat. Popped the hook out culled him. In the live well he went. 7lb Sniper if anyone is wondering. A little over 2 hrs this whole ordeal took me. Never got my 5th but still had a decent bag with 4. Someone else had a 5 so I was in 3rd for lunker. This is the story I'm gonna have to tell my grand kids. Hope you all enjoyed it! Edit: as requested WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE BELOW ----------------

I picked this rod up today during lunch at Scott's house and casted it in the yard for a little while. All I can say is WOW! Independent of the insane craftsmanship, this rod casts so easily. With the extended butt and weight of the reel, the balance point is perfect. The true fast nature of this rod allows for easy short quick casts, but also loads up when you have 40+ ft. of line out. I found this 11wt. easier to cast than some 7 weights I have (and that's even with having that 12 inch streamer on the 11wt). I can't thank Scott enough for creating a work of art that possesses the functionailty any fly fisherman would dream of having. Now I just need to hold up my end of the bargain and provide Scoot with a hero shot.

Hit the Chattahoochee river yesterday in search of some stripers and came up empty handed on that front. However, it wasn't a skunk day. I managed to land my first shoal bass! It was a fun catch too on my ultralight setup and a small topwater popper!

I would not suggest trying to get a rod and reel for both big catfish and carp, just 2 very different animals IMO. Carp you'll be better off with lighter line and a high capacity reel and lighter rod to play them out. Carp are very sensitive and can be very line/pressure shy when examining/taking a bait while catfish (flatheads especially), could generally care less and sometimes will react even more aggressively when they feel pressure because they think their food is trying to get away. Plus, carp have very soft lips that you can easily pull a hook from with a stiff rod that you'll want for catfish. For cats in that 40lb range you'll be able to find good options in the 7 or 8 foot rods. Make sure it has plenty of backbone to move a fish quickly away from cover where you'll generally find flatheads or you're going to get disappointed a lot.

my store has a bunch, what colors would you like. I can send a few your way... all id ask is if you cover shipping. I like stuff that gets discontinued especially my favorite baits. I can stock up and it gives me an edge over other people if the conditions were right. I work for BPS and i can tell you they discontinue ALOT of there own brand stuff that seems to be good sellers, Like the Tourney Special rods It is pretty annoying for alot of people. But this market is driven entirely on new and "improved" product on a yearly basis. Even BPS has to keep up with the retail trend.

I'm from arkansas also and the temps hit 100 for a few days the lake water temps are in the 90s and the fishing is slow. The river has been better but with all the high water flow we have had its made fishing the obvious places harder. If you are fishing the river and can hold a boat in the current off the the rock jettys pitch a heavy jig as close to the undercut where the water pours over. They are there ite just getting a bait down to them that's the problem. I've also had luck extremely shallow wherever there is the slightest shade throw a shallow crankbait. The river is starting to calm down and the temp is getting better but there for a few weeks it was brutal pretty much did me in after three weeks of daylight to dark fishing days. We have quit lake fishing until the temps come down the ones we fish have been dead but falls coming.

I originally thought about using pvc pipe. I thought I might mount a platform on top with fishfinder attached and the pipe would fit in rod holder. Would make removal of whole unit easier. I settled on mounting the metal base on the outside of the rod holder. Thought I might still be able to use rod holder but have been using it for the extra cable storage. I can see that you have seen my pic a few posts back. I have yet to mount anything where I would have to puncture into the plastic. I would like to mount my paddle to the outside with a paddle holder but I just cannot get my nerve up to do it.

Except maybe shooting the cats with the Bug-A-Salt gun? I joke! I joke! I keed! I keed!

Are you planning on targeting mainly flatheads or are you going to be chasing blues as well? Around here we find them in pretty different areas and where I can get away with a little lighter gear for blues because they tend to relate more to open water and baitfish, the flatheads hide around the nastiest stuff available and even a little 15 or 20 pounder can give you all you can handle on undersized gear. I fish a couple rivers that have the capability to produce 100 pound fish, and one of them does every year (Missouri and Kansas rivers), add into the equation the fact I'm dealing with current and it requires some pretty stout equipment. I personally prefer heavy baitfeeding spinning rods for blues and casting gear for flatheads but that's just my personal preference. My gear ranges from 7' XXH custom built flathead rods with Penn 309s loaded with 130lb PP, to 12' H surf rods with Okuma 65 and 90 size baitfeeders with 65-80lb PP.

I suspect Senkos have accounted for more winning bags in local amature tournaments than all other liures combined. Why settle for "secong best"?

If you can't visually locate where they're taking on water, fill your sink with water and submerse the lure (without hooks). Holding the lip and the rear of the bait, attempt to twist the body. If there's a leak, you'll see an air bubble escape it. I only have a few 6XDs and have never experienced this. Over the years, I have had maybe three Deep Little N's develop a leak, but that was after a full season of banging rip rap with them, not just one day. Hopefully you'll get an answer and or replacements from them. Let us know their response.

When I'm at daycare or any pond for that matter and the bucket folks come up asking if I'm catching anything I always lie lol I just say nah theybaint biting

10-4!! I hate snakes, haven't been seeing many so far this spring/summer but I'm always watching where I walk.

I totally agree with you on Grove, I have fished there several times and only caught one fish ever. But, the one I caught was a giant. Its just enough to keep me coming back LOL!

I love the Mann's Stone Jig, it is my confidence lure. Any color, any weather, I love it. I cannot find it in any stores in my area, and TW is the only place I can find it with regularity. The only problem with TW is that when I go to order $30 in jigs, I end up spending $300. It'skind of like going to Costco for milk.