VolFan

Get a place on the upper end of Tellico lake in TN; you can fish for a multitude of species, and the scenery is great.

Look for any dents with creases in the plastic and any gouging. Check to make sure none of the hardware screws are stripped. Other than that, those boats are basically Tupperware. The low temps shouldn't affect it much. I had a Dagger Delta that spent alt of time outside in VA, CO, and TN with no real adverse affects other than some sun fading. And some resident spiders.

1. Identify the spots that can hold big fish, from bank or from boat, you can access them. And at the right time. 2. Approach said spots with great stealth, and place your casts with the same stealth. Don't cannonball a swim bait right on top of a bass' head. 3. Fish the exact"spot within the spot", the prime area where a big girl would be if she's there. Before all the others, have fun. Because if you're not having fun, what's the point?

Then get the 9 inch.

Pretty sure this is a troll..."I kept it out of water for 5 hours then put it in the sink and then on ice to filet...but then I decided to release it"... Zombie smallie?

9 " is actually a good compromise and a great bait. You'll still get some smaller fish on it, but smaller will be 2-3 lbs. great great baits for waking, fishing over shallow submerged grass, and pretty much any where you'd use a square bill.

I think maybe my guesses are backwards...3.5 in your hand and 5.2 on the ground...

5 lb 4 oz in your hand, 3 lb 2 oz on the ground. I think people are waaaay overshooting this.

You can't put lipstiick on a pig...also known as trying to polish a turd...it's just an inferior product. Since you've been on here a while, I'll take it off your hands to give you more room in the boat. I'll even pay the shipping. All sarcasm, just in case anyone isn't sure (but I'll take it if you're giving it away)

It's really hard to keep lit, and the buzz isn't that great.

Toad! And from a kayak no less?

It's certainly not going to explode in your hands if you throw 1/4 oz lures on it; it just might not be the perfect tool for the job. Abu's weight rating would suggest it's not, but I find moderate actions to be much more forgiving with regards to weight.

Never had problems you speak of with any grade of ammo as long as it was stored correctly. An occasional primer fail on cheap stuff, sure. But what you're having is almost certainly mishandling or a big bad batch of ammo.

I know several people who use several different lines of Cabelas rods, and none of them have the problems I had with my Prodigy. I didn't want that to sound like an indictment; I really like most of their rods.

I have rods from the Prodigy and MagTouch lines. I wholeheartedly recommend the MagTouch. The Prodigy....not so much. Poor build quality and a much slower action than advertised were my issues with the Prodigy.

I have had several of the Pappy line, and all are worth the price of admission.

Yep, I think the Army 10 Miler was last weekend and the Marine Corps Marathon is this weekend.

I need to come fish with you! I like the cut of your gib.

Pick a pflueger or shimano in your price range for a reel. Pflueger Presidents and Shimano Saharas have long and loyal followings including me. For a rod, cabelas has their MagTouch rods, as well as Shimano Clarus on sale right now for $79.99. That should get you a very capable combo for under$150. If you want to go less money, their Tourney Trail rods are perfectly fine at $39.99. For normal largemouth bank fishing, a medium or medium heavy will be perfect.

Kiss arise. Spellcheck/filter got me...

Sleepy Happy Dopey Doc Sneezy Shimano

The river's been high and muddy. I fish jigs or creature baits around the big rocks up there. Watermelon w/blue or green pumpkin with some red or orange. The largest seem to like to be in cracks or under over hangs, and you never know what's going to bite up there. Oddly, I haven't seen the shad back up the creeks yet.

Forget that. Chain saw. Then take them hand to hand like a man.

Electric or gas? Moisture's a little more of an issue with gas. I have gas and stick a spoon in the door for drying fruit and sweet potatoes. It drops temp by about 10 degrees. I'd try that if I were you, and open a little more/less based on what the meat does. If it goes grey, open the door a little more. If it goes too slow, close it.

Might be a little tingle, yes...