Crestliner2008

I have several Shimanos and ABU Cardinals and also a Pflueger President and a Trion as well. The Pfluegers - in my opinion only mind you - are the best bang for the buck on the market today. I prefer the President over the Trion only because it "feels" slightly smoother and has more bearings to support the drive. Shimanos are quality reels, but they've jumped significantly in price as of late and I don't think they're as value added any more.

Interesting discussion. Back in the 60's, when off-set worm hooks first came out, the points were rather dull. Use to have to sharpen them before using them. Never had a problem setting the hook on many a bass back then and even through the years. Now a days, most hooks come already pretty sharp. Certainly sharper than the old ones we use to use. And Gamakatsu's are not all that expensive, so you can actually change hooks instead of trying to re-sharpen them. I just don't see any proof that there is an adequate ROI (Return On Investment, for you non business types) on the new Trokars. So, I'll stick with the Gammy's for now.

Be careful! Roland Martin might sue you for helicoptering a lure. He use to produce Helicopter Lures! LOL!

I agree with ww2farmer. Worrying about what smell your hands have to a fish is the very least of the problems you have to overcome while fishing.

I suggest you re-read my original post with picture. You do not need expensive O-rings. Goodies work just fine.

I usually use this presentation when on a deep water structure, fishing for smallmouth bass. Usually there is a chop on the water out there, so I would say that it would be a help to have a decent breeze.

Fishing magazines are going the way of our local newspapers. Into oblivion. There is so much information on the net (especially on this site) that it's almost a waste of time to read it in hard print.

Try a popper early am - at the crack of dawn. That'll get 'em. If not, then a wacky rigged Senko on a light spinning rig will seal the deal.

About the only lure mod I religiously practice is removing the center hook on any 3 treble lures. Safer for the fish and the fisherman. I also crimp down barbs on all hooks, with the exception of the ds hooks.

Thought: Why should it matter the size of the snap as far as performance goes? A small snap should be as durable as a large one, I would think. I'm probably wrong though.

As long as you are not fishing in a breeze and do not mind breathing in the repellant, I guess they work ok.

"I don't believe any fisherman, except for you and I.....and sometimes I doubt you!" LOL! Seriously, if the lake is up north and has some depth to it, chances are it contains some decent fish. However, (trust me on this) everyone's "interpretation" of a 10 lb. bass is DIFFERENT!

Amazing - the variety of baits folks deem to "THE" ds bait! Let me tell ya something folks. It has almost nothing to do with what you are using; as much as where you are using it. Figure out how to find the bait on a section of structure and if the water has smallmouths residing, you'll get bit. I don't really care what you are using. I've proved this time & time again. So, just use what gives you the most confidence. And focus on location.

What are you going to be using this rig for (panfish, bass, etc.)? What is the size reel and rod rating (light, medium or medium heavy action)? You may have a problem with the match up, which could be problematic for you. The suggestions here are good too. The usual method is to lay the spool down and wind the line on the reel the same way it comes off the spool. But that only works if the manufacturer filled the spool correctly. Fisher-O-men had it right. If that doesn't work, try some KVD on it as you fill the reel, spraying every so often. Of course, if you have a boat, it's a simple matter of letting the line out behind the boat for a couple of minutes while you move along at a slow speed. That's a guarantee that it will not have any twists in it. Just remember not to have anything connected to the end of the line when you do this. Not even a knot.

Wow! That brings back memories! When I was 13, my Dad bought me a Pflueger "knuckle buster" bc reel and tubular STEEL bc rod. We filled it with black dacron line. With my paper delivery money I bought my very first ever wooden Lucky 13 in red head/shiner white pattern. Did a lot of casting with that lure and caught a few bass and big pickeral on it as well. If I recall correctly, all lures back then were just the "cast out & retrieve" types, like the Spook, Jitterbug and Crazy Crawler. So that's probably how I fished it back then. Gave all my old wooden lures to my grandkids, or sold some to friends, so I don't have that one now.

Thanks A-Jay, I'll give them a whirl. Not sure I'm too keen on buying them at Walmarts however!

Not sure if this is true or not, but some of my partners have read where Japanese finesse fishermen (in Japan) will never even mention the Palomar knot in articles/lectures on drop shot fishing. The guys are telling me they hate this knot!? Anyone here have any feed back on that?

You all probably know that I've been around fishing for most of my life. And I use snaps with most of my crankbaits/jerkbaits vs. direct tying and/or using the supplied split rings. (I hate having to re-tie every time I change a lure and I especially hate having a knot in the area of the split in the ring.) Early this spring I was in Walmarts and picked up a pack of inexpensive snaps. They were less than a buck a pack. I figured, you can't have too many of these things, especially when I carry as much gear as I do and usually end up having difficulty finding what I need, when I need it! A few days ago, my partner & I hit the Quabbin Res. We were not only jigging for lakers, but I did a bit of jerkbait fishing as well, on the breaks of shelves leading to deep water. Picked up a couple of decent smallies, along with 3 smaller ones. All on the X-Rap. Fine. However, around 9:30 am I got smashed by a big smallie that came up one time and then was gone! It broke me off - or so I thought. Now I take a lot of pride in tying decent knots, so I was very surprised at breaking off this fish. Reeling in I discovered that my knots were just fine. The snap had broken around the mid bend section! First time in my long fishing experience that that has ever happened to me! When I got home, I tossed out all those "el cheapo" snaps and dug out my Spros. I guarantee you this will not happen again! Have any of you ever had a snap break? What brand(s) have you used successfully. And what sizes are you using for jerkbait fishing. Why I'm asking size is that the one I was using was pretty small. Which may have led to the failure(?).

I Texas rig them with a light bullet sinker and fish them like I would a blade bait, with an on/off bottom retrieve. You can feel the vibes when lifting it off the bottom, just like with a blade bait. Very effective in vegetation for LM's.

Another vote for the Trilene knot. Been using it for many years now. I like the fact that two loops of line engage the hook eye, vs. only one loop for most other knots. Back about 20 years ago, I attended a sportsman's show at the Eastern States Expo grounds. There was a Berkley line rep there with a line test machine. He challenged anyone to tie a knot in 10# test monofilament, that could beat the Trilene knot. Everyone that tied their own 'ole faithful' knots, failed. Some by a wide margin too. Convinced me right then that the Trilene was the knot for me. I use it on all my jigs and terminal tackle now and can just about tie it blindfolded. Great knot.

I've used the Wild Eyed Shad in larger sizes for stripers in the river, as well as walleye. Never did great with them on bass however.

Use Permethrin spray on your clothing. Works very well for chigger and tick repellant as it is actually an insecticide that kills them. Works well for bank fishing. I also use Ben's 100% DEET lotion (not the spray) to repel mosquitoes. I put a drop on the back of my hands and smear it around. I do the same for my neck region. Tried the belt clip repellents. For me they do not work that great. Especially if there is any kind of a breeze.

To manually close the bail, you do have move that bail stop release with your finger nail. When you open the lever release on the bail, you also NEED to prevent the bail from snapping shut with your hand as well. This does two things. First it reduces line management problems and - more importantly - helps to increase the life of those fragile bail springs on the old Mitchells. I use to be pretty proficient in field changing those bail springs back in the day. Ugh! The drags on those bad boys was nothing to write home about either. I use to religiously lock the drag down tight and back reel with the anti-reverse lever off. Best suggestion was the one above, to keep it as a memento of days long gone by. Much better and cheaper options are available these days.

Welcome aboard! You are, as has been stated, on the correct forum for the most definitive knowledge base available on the net. Do not forget however, that a lot of folks here are not necessarily from your area. So, when you ask questions, it will get you more value-added feedback if we know some things, such as: 1) What KIND of lake you are fishing - Hill-land, High-land, canyon, or shallow. Reservoir, river, or natural lake. Depth and water temperature close to the time you intend to be fishing. Weedy, woody or sparse cover. 2) What is the predominant forage base - crawfish, gobies, smelt, herring, bluegill, etc.. 3) What presentations have you used and are comfortable with. Basically, the more information we have, the more pertinent information you will get in responses to your questions. What really doesn't help much is a question such as, "I'm going fishing tomorrow, what should I use?" You asked about fish behavior and patterns. Some good suggestions have been given with regards to books and articles here already. That'll get you started quite well. And remember this, age of information is not necessarily a bad thing. Knowledge is knowledge and doesn't deteriorate with time. Some the best reads are books out of the 60's through the early 70's when more scientific research catapulted our sport by leaps and bounds. Google the book entitled, "Spoonplugging" by Elwood "Buck" Perry. A quality read that will enlighten you as just what "structure" is and the basic behavioral patterns of bass and most other species of game fishes. Once again....WELCOME ABOARD!

Excellent as always.