vtspinnerb8t

I hope Catt and the rest of the gang are OK after yesterday's....that storm was brutal. It blew the front door off of the Toledo town motel! My partner and I were in Housen and hunkered down in a cove, had no idea it was that bad, I think I'll take Catt's advice and wait for the summer patterns too!

I haven't bought a cranking reel since the old shimano 200 5.1:1 reels. The zillion crazy cranker has to be good because the rest of them are fabulous.

What is it that you like about them? I haven't tried the zillion rods, however I have a bunch of the reels, which I am a huge fan of. The 7.1:1 Zillion weighs the same as a revo stx and feels more solid, not to mention over time. How does the rod hold up over time? I have TD-S and L&T rods that have served me for a number of years. Any thoughts would be appreciated as I am looking hard at the Zillion. I probably just need to break down and buy one!

You won't regret using Line and Lure....it is fantastic on light line flourocarbon with regard to memory. Memory is death to light line as most know. Look at using KVD line and lure on braid also, it will make it last longer by protecting the factory finish will should help reduce fraying.

Bass fishing homepage can be pretty good for fishing reports and some information. Other than that, local tackle shows and the old standard bassmaster.com and reviews from the icast show can be helpful to let you know what is out there.

I think that the Red hooks work well when fishing within a school to help sustain the schools activity or increase the number of fish you catch from a given school(shallow schools). In other situations, just because you use red hooks, doesn't mean you will catch more fish, but I agree the fish I usually catch on red hooks tend to bite more aggressively, which usually helps land more fish.

Also, try baits where the line tie may be placed differently on the bait. Placement can make a difference when the grass is thick as to how the bait comes through the grass.

In my experience, when fishing shallow grass flats, I try to vary retrieves as with most retrieve baits, but I find more importantly when it comes to equipment setup, a 7' medium rod with a light tip allows you to pull through heavy heavy grass better and may give you an advantage for getting bites. It is a fun bite to get, they absolutely hammer it. Be sure to experiment with different baits due to the overall size differences from various manufacturers. Not all 1/2oz. lipless baits are equal. Also, try I agree with keeping the rod low when you fight fish, as I usually rip to the side also, as opposed to vertically. You may find it keeps the fatigue down at the end of the day and when you are cranking fast in a schooling situation this works well because you already have the rod low and in position to set the hook.

Louisiana is about 3.10-3.20 for Regular. You would think since we make it down the street it would be cheaper but nope. I have a 150 Carb that doesn't use a ton of gas, but I consider myself lucky it isn't any larger, not t mention the boat is pretty light, so it helps when towing. My trips usually vary based on the level of competition. Club Tournaments (Local): Truck Gas = Usually $10/day (include Prefishing and Tournament Fishing) Launch: $2/day Boat Gas: $10-30/day Oil:$5/day Larger Local Tournament(BFL/BASS Weekend):1-2 Days Usually 3+ hours drive Truck: 20+ Gallons= $60.00-$120.00/ trip(usually no more than three tanks per trip , approx. 24 Gal tank Boat: Same $30-40/ day Ramp Fee: $5-10 Oil:$5/day Out of state license? Usually ~$20 buck for temp. It never hurts to take someone and be a guide.. It pays when someone else pays