Tokyo Tony

Slimedart = pickerel

Correct me if I'm wrong, but by offset shank hook do you mean that hook point and the shoulder are not directly in line, and by EWG do you mean the hook point and the shoulder are directly in line? IMO, the first kind of hook is better if you're going to be flipping heavy cover with the whole hook point embedded in the plastic, because the point is pointing more directly outwards so it can pierce the plastic and the fish's mouth more effectively. If you used the second kind of hook and totally embedded the point, it would be pointing straight forward instead of a little outwards so it's not quite as effective at piercing through the plastic. But when fishing near cover instead of in the thick of it, I like to t-rig plastics with the second type of hook and with the point exposed. I think you get less twist that way and it's nice to have the hook point parallel to the bait, especially for senkos. Some people use straight shank hooks (no shoulder) for flipping, which seems effective, but I've never been comfortable doing it. Anyone use straight shank hooks?

x2 I switched out all the jerkbaits I use with them, and I love them. Workin on switching out all my cranks.

I haven't tried the larger skirted ones, but I have used the smaller ones without the weedguard, and I did catch a few fish on them (mostly slimedarts). I'm looking forward to trying out the large skirted ones in the slop this summer. I do think the action, especially on the fall, is incredible 8-) Oh, and the mini-sized ones are good for bluegill.

The newest episode of Lindner's Angling Edge did half the episode on the split shot rig, and it was very informative. Definitely something to add to my arsenal - I've never tried it before A good point they mentioned is that it's NOT to be used as a search technique, but moreso when you know there are fish there but they're being finicky.

Thanks, and good luck to you as well. I'm jealous : By the way, are you taking your rods down, and if so, how are you transporting them? When I went to FL last summer they were gonna charge me $100 each way to transport the rods, which was ridiculous, so I ended up buying a cheapo down there.

Nice, at least you got a few. And I hope that rod wasn't one of your nice ones I assume it wasn't or you probably would have crapped your pants instead of wetting them ;D

SRV and Jimi for sure (but there are a lot of greats I'm not familiar with) Recently, someone who has really impressed me is Eric Krasno, with Soulive. I've seen him live a few times and he's just 100% filthy 8-)

Don't worry baitmonkey, this thread applies to people only. We're just very impressed that you can even use a computer. Don't worry about spelling and grammar, and keep up the good work

Granted a Mac will always be more expensive nobody can argue that fact. The benefits of a Mac: Not having to deal with a M$ operating system. No spyware Very few viruses I got a Mac my junior year in college and will never go back to a PC. Haven't had a single problem after several years (after going through two PC's in as many years), and the operating system is so much more user-friendly and practical. Unless you're big into gaming or need a laptop that's compatible with software from your job, you'll be much happier with a Mac. I have Virtual PC on my Mac also, so if I need to use software that's not compatible with Macs, I can still use it. Pretty good deal ;D Oh, and Macs are prettier :-*

Good post senile 1. I think all the shortcut talk originated with AIM and text messaging as a way to communicate more quickly with friends/family. The problem arises when kids start depending on that type of communication and bringing it over into other areas such as this forum, or even worse, schoolwork, without being aware that they are butchering the language. There's no problem with communicating in the "shorthand" way, to put it nicely, as long as you're aware of the fact that you're not speaking correctly, and as long as you do know how to communicate correctly. On this forum, opinions vary as to whether the "shorthand" lingo/grammar, or lack of grammar, should be acceptable. I personally don't care too much about the grammar/spelling of others, but I would also be embarrassed to post if I didn't know basic spelling and grammar. That said, it should not be acceptable to point out the fact that someone doesn't know how to spell or use correct grammar. This is a bass fishing forum where people come to learn about bass fishing and interact with other people who also enjoy bass fishing, without worrying about whether someone is sneering at them for not typing correctly. It's not anyone's job here to correct grammar or spelling, IMO (is that abbreviation acceptable? : )

This is what I do, and you can try it if you want: Fill the spinning reel all the way to the rim to make sure you have enough line, fish with it, realize there's too much line, then waste time on the water cutting off the excess line you put on while cursing to yourself, every single time. Works for me.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't see how any spinning reel could prevent line twist better than the next. If a lure on your line is twisting, no reel can prevent the line from twisting. To answer your question BASS fisherman, I recently bought a Stradic FI, and although it can't prevent line twist, I have noticed that it manages line much better than any other reel I've used. I use braid 90% of the time, and usually I'll get a loop every once in a while that I have to pick out. However, in probably 30+ hours of fishing with this reel, I haven't come close to getting a loop in the line. Retail for the reel is $159.

I said $100, but if one option was to catch a PB (not close to PB) that would have been my choice. Also, $100 and not catching any fish afterwards would be kinda tough. Anyway, I would take the c-note to Cabelas, buy a couple Lucky Crafts.. then go snag carp all afternoon ;D

Nice carp there IMO the carp's fighting ability is under-appreciated in the States. They really are strong fish. I just wish you could catch them on artificials.

You have any luck Bassn Blvd?

I've actually had the Uni knot slip a couple times with braid, so I don't use it with braid anymore. According to tests I watched, Palomar is the best for braid - it won't slip. And if you think about the mechanics of the knot, it makes sense that it won't slip.

Well I wasn't able to wake up early enough Sat or Sun to go to those trout rivers I found on Google Earth, but I did fish for a half hour below Wilder Dam, and it was open (except for the floating chunks of ice). Didn't really come close to getting bit, but twice I at least believed that I got a hit (it was a rock). Gave up after losing my Silver Buddy. Oh well : I'll be up there next weekend also so hopefully I'll be able to fish the Pemigewasset (sp?) as long as it stops being zero degrees outside.

When are people gonna realize that Dane Cook is not funny. Just because you talk and act like a teenage girl and flail your arms around like an idiot doesn't make what you say funny. Anyway, a movie I've always loved is Cable Guy with Jim Carrey. He, unlike Dane Cook, IS hilarious ;D

I like to roller skate in beach towns sporting a banana hammock and Avid sunglasses 8-) Seriously though, I like how the title of the thread is "DID you have another hobby...," as if to imply that since you have gotten into fishing, obviously any other hobbies have taken the back seat ;D

The ducks are probably fed often, so they thought you were throwing food. That happened to me a bunch when I was fishing golf course ponds in S. Florida. I have a bunch of Slug-Go's, but rarely use them. I prefer the Fin-S around cover, and if I'm fishing open water structure, I'm almost always throwing a hard jerkbait. I like the profile and lazy action of the Fin-S. A great color for me is white/pink back, 4", weightless. You can use it as a topwater or subsurface. You have to rig it perfectly though, otherise the action is less random. I'll have to break out my Slug-Go's this year though and give them another shot 8-)

Lol, I read that too, that flouro will stretch but not return to its original length. So would it be possible fight a big fish (with the drag set close to the line's strength), lose her, then as you reel in your lure you have way too much line on the reel and it overflows? I know as it stretches, the line becomes thinner, but it's still a funny thought ;D As for stretchy line being better for treble lures, I have read that many times, but I'm not sure I agree with it. I personally don't see how using braid on a rod with a soft tip is much different from using mono with a stiff tip, and I've landed plenty of feisty smallies with braid and crankbaits without losing any that wouldn't have been lost had I been using mono, IMO. I also doubt the conventional wisdom that says mono is better for cranks because you won't pull the lure out of the fish's mouth when he hits it. If your lure is in a fish's mouth, and you set the hook, you're gonna hook him whether you're using braid or mono, and I would argue that you'd hook him more often if you're using braid (as long as you don't overdo the hookset).

Granted, the kids were being total idiots, but let's not forget that five kids just died, and these kids all had families. How do you think family members would feel after reading a couple of these replies? Most of us have done a lot of really dumb-azz stuff, and in a lot of cases, due to luck, nothing bad happened and we can laugh about them now. If the kid didn't lose control, it would just be one of those really stupid dangerous things they did in their childhood. Yes, they were being idiots, but they didn't "deserve" to die.

Avid you'd rather catch a bass than a snook? Man, I'd take a snook over a bass anyday ;D I caught a few last summer during my trip to Miami. We took a guided trip out of Flamingo in the Everglades and were catching the snook that were cruising along the beach in the surf, then we got some on the grass flats. It was pretty freakin awesome 8-)

It seems like there are two schools of thought, the "toon" and the "yak" ;D I want to get a toon/pontoon boat/kickboat this year, and Dave, the one you posted looks awesome. It looks like you can stand up and pitch/flip very easily in that. That, IMO, is a huge advantage over a kayak. Another advantage is that if you have flippers with it, you can easily adjust your positioning as you cast or fight a fish. You can work down a shorline and work the whole thing without having to paddle. On the other hand, it seems that a kayak is faster, easier to deal with (just put it in the water - no inflating), and safer for longer trips (you can even do camping trips). The thing I don't like about kayaks is that to move you HAVE to use the paddle, which seems like a hassle, especially on windy days. Do you yakkers find that to be a problem?