BrianSnat

I have a 5' 6" Ugly Stick Tournament Classic ML that I really like. I use it for fishing spinners, and smaller topwater lures and crankbaits. If I'm taking only one rod with me it's usually the one I choose. I also have a 4' 6" Fenwick UL and a 4' 6" BPS UL that I use for trout fishing. Mostly in streams but I also use them for casting small spinners and tiny crankbaits in lakes.

I see no reason not to. Heck, I learned flycasting at 10 and that is a bit more complicated than using a bait caster.

Anybody have experience with Bass Pro Shops Micro Lite series of rods? They are inexpensive, but I was wondering if they are any good.

For most of my life I've been using a basic clinch knot. Not even the improved version. I can tie it in seconds blindfolded. I've learned other knots over the years but always go back to the basic clinch knot because it's so quick and easy. I know the clinch knot weakens the line more than many other other knots but I can't think of too many instances where a failed knot was the reason I lost a fish. What knots do you use to tie on lures, hooks, swivels, etc? Do you vary your knot depending on what it is that you are tying on? Or do you usually stick with one knot for most applications?

The ice has completely left the local lakes as of last weekend. In a few weeks the water will warm and bass fishing will be like shooting fish in a barrel, but I've always had a difficult time catching anything right after ice out. Do you have any tactics or secrets you'd like to share for this time of the season? I should add that just before ice out (and pretty much all winter long), I was catching some bass through the ice on a shiner or jig worked 2-3 feet above the bottom in 15-25 feet of water, but nothing doing when I try to fish there now.

Just let me know the next time you bring your stuff to Goodwill.

Most rivers stay open, at least partially. Rockaway, Ramapo, Pequannock. Not much in the way of bass other than the occasional smallie, but there are trout to be had.

In central Jersey try Round Valley Reservoir. Plenty of big bass there, but few people fish for them. Most go after trout. Saw a guy pull in a 7 lb bass from the shore last summer. Spruce Run Reservoir is also a good choice. In north Jersey try Green Turtle Pond. Plenty of spots along the shore to fish and the lake is full of bass.

I have a huge tackle box without an empty slot in any tray. A lot of my stuff is dups though. When I find a bait I like I will buy it in multiple sizes and colors and will usually have at least 2-3 of my favorite colors. There are a few lures in there that I very rarely use, but I hang on to them simply because I have room for them and ya never know when I might use them. Though my trays are generally sorted by type, a tray of spinners and spoons, a tray of topwater lures, a tray of crankbaits, a tray of jigs, I have one tray that has a few of each. If I'm going light, either shore fishing, in my canoe, while camping or otherwise traveling I take out the mixed tray and bring it with me. So most of the time, when in my bassin' boat, I'm a walking tackle store, but I can and do go light when necessary.

I used to do some bass buggin' with my fly rod. My problem was that I would try to set the hook as if I was using my spinning rod and broke off a lot of expensive bass bugs. Haven't done it in years, but I may give it another shot one day.

It probably means the time of the year when the cooler water is on top and the warmer water is deeper.

He did say he tried a soft plastic lizard.

I think most of them had the belly hook stuck in their gills or outside of their mouth.

They were a mix. 3 were pretty small. Under 10 inches. The other 3 ranged from about a pound to 3lbs.

No kidding! In NJ when I catch the occational 4lb'er its party time lol I'm from Jersey too. Pulled in a 4 1/2 pounder last week and it was camera time.

I always have my iPod and mini speaker along when I'm fishing. During the day and early evening I'll usually be playing music. The type depends on my mood. I listen to basically everything but death metal and modern country. One dusk descends and the lake surface gets glass-like, I usually turn the music way down or totally off. I want to be able to hear if something strikes my popper or jitterbug and I also enjoy the quiet of the lake and sounds of nature at that time.

I was out fishing last night and pulled in 8 bass. Very good for what is usually the slow season around here. Got 6 of them on a Rapala Skitterpop. Every one caught on the Skitterpop was foul hooked outside the mouth. What's with that? Were they going to swallow and changed their mind at the last minute? Were they attacking the bait with no plans of eating it? Anyway I found it interesting to say the least.

I've read a lot of good things about the St Croix rods. Are the Premier and Triumph that far below the rest of their line? Would they be a significant improvement over the low end Shimanos and Ugly Sticks that I already own? After I use my Crucial my cheaper rods feel like lead weights in my hand. I'm looking for something that might not be such a shock when I switch rods, but hopefully will come in around $100. The Crucial is my absolute high end price wise, but if I can find something cheaper that can deliver similar, albeit slightly less performance I would want that.

When I started fishing the Garcia Mitchell 300 was THE spinning reel. It didn't only seem to be the best spinning reel around, it was the practically the only reel that any serious spin fisherman around used. My first reel was the 300, so was my second. Some years later my rods were stolen out of our boat along with my beloved 300s. I bought another 300. I think it was just Mitchell then, the Garcia name was gone. So seemed to be the quality. It wasn't quite the same. I soon became a Shimano fan and never looked back. Last weekend I was at our old lakeside cabin where there has been an old rod with a GM 300 on the wall since the early 70's. It's my dad's old outfit and has been used by anybody who visited our cabin and needed a rod and reel. Let's say it received a lot of use and abuse. I hadn't used a 300 reel since I converted to Shimano in the early 80's and I never gave the old 300 a 2nd glance - until last weekend. I saw the old reel and decided to give it a "spin". Loaded it up with fresh line and put it on my one good rod (Shimano Crucial). Ya know what, it is still a very nice reel. Smooth drag, solid feel. The only downside is the clicking noise when the anti reverse is engaged. Heck, I don't think the thing has been oiled in 20 years and it still is going strong after all of these years of use and abuse. It was also an inexpensive reel. I could afford one by saving up a few months allowance. I wonder if the inexpensive reels we buy today will still be working so well in 40 years. After taking apart a few Shimanos and seeing the plastic inside, I doubt it. Anybody else still using an old Garcia Mitchell 300 or have memories of using one?

The Crucial is heads above the other rods on your list. Get it , you'll love it. I do have one Crucial rod (6' 6" M/XF) and love it. The considerable difference between it and my cheapie rods is the reason I'm looking to upgrade the rest of them over time, but Crucial is really pushing the high end of my price point (as is the G. Loomis GL2). I was hoping to get something that was head and shoulders above my cheapie rods but not quite as expensive as the Crucial.

I'm starting to replace my Ugly Sticks and other cheapie rods with better rods. All of my rods are Med or Lt action and I want to start with something with a little more backbone. I want it to be a versatile rod, mostly for fishing plastics along with some dropshotting, topwater and the occasional crankbait and I don't want to spend over $150 (lower is better). Here is what I've come up with so far. Any comments about these choices? Preferences? Am I on the right track? Any others I should be looking at? Shimano Crucial CRS-66MH MH/Fast 8-15lb Shimano Compre CPS-66MHB MH/Fast 8-15lb Fenwick HMG GS 66MH-F MH/Fast 8-17lb St. Croix Premier PS66MF M/Fast 8-12lb St. Croix Triumph TRS66MF M/Fast 8-12lb Abu Garcia Veritas VRS66-6 MH/Fast 8-14lb G Loomis GL2 SJR783 MH/Fast 8-15lb

A few people mentioned they found fishing a Senko boring. Just wondering how it is any more boring than say fishing a crankbait or jitterbug. You toss and retrieve. If anything is boring that can be. Personally I find it hard to be bored by anything when I'm fishing and that goes double if I'm catching fish. I catch more fish with Senkos than anything else.

I'm fairly new to the Senko thing (when I say Senko I mean the real McCoys and knock-offs like the Yum Dinger). I first learned about them here. Previously when I fished plastics it was a T or C rigged Manns Jelly worm or Mister Twister. Now I fish them nearly exclusively for one reason, they catch fish. I don't get the disdain for them. I mean we are on the water to catch fish, aren't we? The idea that it takes no skill to fish a Senko is absurd. You still need to find the fish. Tossing a Senko in the shallows won't do a thing if the bass are in deeper water, nor will it work if the bass are holding close to cover and you're tossing one in open water. They catch fish, often when nothing else is working, that's all I need to know about them.

Mornings I nearly always start with a floating Rapala. Rarely fails. When it does I go to plastics, a T rig Senko or Yum, or a swim Senko.

I look for natural colors. Perch, shad, trout. I don't know if they are better but they catch my eye in the store.