Crestliner2008

Sorry it's been so long to have replied to this post. With covid and other family issues, I have not been out fishing much in 2020. However, being an old "codger" I've fished my way through the Berkshires and most of western MA all my life. If you are looking for "big" (of any species), I'd highly recommend the Quabbing Reservoir, hands down. The Oxbow in Northampton has produced some big bass and pike over the last several decades; as long as you're willing to contend with heavy warm season boat traffic. Other great lakes are Onota in Pittsfield and Pontussuc just north of there. There are other smaller bodies of water in and about the Brookfield areas that produce as well. Like any area, when it comes to fishing, you just have to put in your time on the water. And having a good sonar is a big plus as well. Good luck to you and let me know if I can be of further assistances.

One of the greatest fishermen. So sorry to hear this. In my early years I lived and breathed the Lindners. Ron will be sorely missed. God Bless.

Check out the B n' M rods at Grizzly Jig Co.. I have 6 of them (6' - 9') and they all perform extremely well. All my UL's are dressed with series #20 Pflueger Presidents and 2" test Fireline Crystal (with fluoro leader). Exceptional combinations that have performed well for me over the last dozen years. Just recently purchased a 7' Diawa Presso which I used a couple of days ago. I'm really impressed! A bit more expensive than the B n' M brand though.

After a water bath like you describe, I'd have a pro strip it down for a good cleaning & re-lub. NEVER wash a reel in water.

No. It appears over time and heavy use. Shimano was aware of the problem, which why they kicked up the price to redesign it.

Presidents all the way for me.

It's your choice to stick with Shimano. I use to be a Shimano die hard fan for many past decades. (My favorite was the old 750 for UL use.) That is until they screwed up the friction ring design and put several of my reels out of commission. Their re-design to alleviate that problem kicked up the price considerably. So, I switched to Pflueger Presidents for many applications now. Have never looked back. The 20 series is great for UL use.

I've caught a ton of bass on spinnerbaits over many decades. Started using them back in the 70's. I've always had some in my box and still rely on them. Like any other bait, you have to find fish first.

Here in MA the winter thus far has been very mild. Very little ice left on the ponds and no snow on the ground! Very unusual for us. I suspect that over the next week or two I'll be wetting line somewhere from shore.

Yep, got mine several weeks ago. You should give them a call.

Welcome to the club! Idiotic at best.

Remember one thing. Fish don't "think"....as much as we like to believe that they do. They are reactive to their surroundings and adapt in order to take advantage of feeding opportunities. Their main purpose in living to eat and reproduce. And if the water is pure chocolate milk, they can still find prey. This is why I spend most of my time on the water focusing on depth & speed control. instead of color of the water, color of my bait and anything else I "emotionally" feel. JMO!

I'm assuming their "Spring Sale" will coincide with one for their Cabelas stores - I hope!

Check out the VMC line up of "In-Line" single hooks for replacing trebles on cranks. I troll series 300 Bandit cranks and use a single #1/0 VMC In-Line on the rear hanger with excellent results. The bandits are a bit fatter than the Raps are, but you really need that wide hook gap to set well. JMO.

We do a lot of side pulling with a TM on the near aft side of the boat (Tracker). Wondering if using side imaging would work at all, or if there are particular concerns that need to be addressed. Thanks Folks!

Hard to believe, but you can all but say goodby to all the brick & mortar stores as far as fishing & hunting equipment goes. When I use to attend the Sportsman's Show at the Eastern States Exposition grounds, we use to go to Dick's right after. They'd always have loads of gear on sale. No longer I guess.

It was 3 degrees this morning when I went out to get the paper - around 5 am. Moderate snow pack covering the ground. Most water ways are solid ice. What to do? Besides going bonkers, there are many excellent videos on YouTube and here on this forum, to occupy your frustrated hours & days, until spring arrives. However, if you are semi-OCD (not sure there is such a thing!) as I am, you just can't sit still that long. Not only that, but what follows could give you the confidence in your gear to make a significant difference come spring. I start off with removing lures, hooks and jigs from all your rigs. Put them in one of those plastic food containers for later when the "itch" becomes unbearable. I am very fortunate to have a local guy that specializes in cleaning, lubing and repairing reels at a reasonable cost. These 75 yo eyes and arthritic fingers just can't do what use to be a very pleasurable winter activity for me in years past. If you are a bit younger and dexterous with your fingers, then by all means, this is the time to disassemble, clean and re-lube your reels. The rods are what this post mainly focuses on. They look a mess, don't they? At least mine do after a season of catching many crappie, perch, bass and whatever else comes my way. Once the reels are off, break apart the two piece models. Clean the rods thoroughly with paper towels and Dawn dish detergent (use whatever your wife has, with her permission of course!). Don't bother with the cork at this point. Focus on the blank and rod guides. Rinse and dry. This next step is very important. Take a Q-tip and run it around each rod guide. If you have any "hangs" of the cotton, replace that guide immediately! That can make or break a day on the water. Now that your rod blanks and guides are in good shape, the cork handles come next. If you have synthetic handles, skip this section, obviously. Some of us old timers will never renege our prized cork! Get yourself a pack of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. Wet one and rub the cork lovingly. This will clean your handles back to near pristine condition. Let dry thoroughly. Next, get yourself a jar of U-40 Cork Sealant. This is available for about $10.00 on Amazon.com (shipped free if you're a Prime Member). I use a folded paper towel to dip and spread this stuff lightly over the cork. Will seal and protect your cork for the entire season - and longer in most cases. I reapply it - just because (OCD remember!). Let dry thoroughly over night. Finally I take a spray bottle of AmorAll and spray/soak a piece of old t-shirt with it. I coat the rod blanks, eyes and yes, even the prepped cork handles with the stuff. I do this a couple of times before declaring the project to be complete. Now the rods are rip rarin' to go! Before I put the reels back though, I usually replace the line. As some of you may know I'm a staunch believer/fan of Fireline Crystal. It will last several seasons, with only a leader change to start the season off with. However, I don't like the "looks" of it sometimes, as it gets "dingy" looking to me. And again, Amazon.com comes through for me with excellent pricing, so I just do it. Now you're all set up for the coming ice out and spring thaw. It just makes me feel better doing all this and it occupies those long, cold days of winter for me. Try it.....you'll like it!

Agreed....switch to jigs, small spoons & spinners instead.

Not quite sure why the negative-ism appears often when associating bass and spinning gear, but I can guarantee that if you try it, you'll like it! I've used both casting gear and spinning over 60 years of fishing and there is little that a baitcaster can accomplish that I cannot do as well with a proper spinning setup. Especially when it comes down to light lures and presentations. JMO folks!

I rarely use a dropper less than 3'. But where I fish, the bottom algae is at least 8" - 10" off the bottom and the drop shot is really the only way to approach this deep structucture (20'+). I've offen used 4' droppers with little ill effects. Especially effective when you see the fish off bottom or suspended on your sonar. I am not a big fan of casting the drop shot. I prefer vertical presentations when approaching deep structures. So I may not experience the "tangles" that some folks say they have when attempting long drop lengths.

Thank you for this post. I frequently purchase items from Amazon, but when searching, I always start from the worst reviews and up from there.

LOL! Brings back memories! That bait was offered by Herter's Inc.. They certainly didn't mind breaking the mold on many advanced products and techniques. As a boy, I use to spend hours with their catalog. Sorry they folded.

I want to wish each and every one of you fine folks the very best of this Christmas season. My 90 year old brother sent this to me and I figured I would pass it on to folks who truly deserve an uplift. God Bless you all. https://youtu.be/Yt83CS1DxGI

I can probably give you some insight on your last question. If the water is <40 degrees and you are fishing water >15' deep, then it's a natural phenomenon. What happens is the bladders don't have enough time to decompress in the cold water. Solution is that if you are throwing them back, then force them head first back into the water. For whatever reason, this keeps floaters to minimum.