Marty

There are countless crankbaits which catch fish. You're going to have to be arbitrary and buy a few from well-known manufacturers in the depths that you'll be fishing. I wouldn't worry about color too much. Something muted, like shad or bluegill and something bright, like firetiger, are all you need, in my opinion. For what it's worth, my favorites are the original Rapala balsa, non-rattling Shad Raps.

My partner Jeff caught a 6.75# one last week. He thought he had his best-ever bass until it got close. Here's a not-that-great picture.

There's another alternative that I used just today while shore fishing. My lure ended up in a tree and I didn't have anything that I could wrap the line around. I tightened the drag and walked backwards and pulled with the rod and line in the same line so the rod wouldn't break. I got my lure back, along with the tree branch.

Ditto to Flechero. Who cares what they look like, they catch fish!! I use the Super Fluke only, and probably use Bass Assassins even more, but they're the same size as the Super Fluke.

I can't answer your question. But I bought a pair of glasses this year and didn't have as many options as most people, because I needed a pair with bifocal readers. Nevertheless, I had a bunch of questions about various things and e-mailed a few companies and got lots of information that way. You might try the same. As far as retailers, Cabela's was very helpful and always responded promptly. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd think you need large lenses, such as the classic aviator style, as opposed to something like smaller, rectangular shaped lenses. The larger the lens from top to bottom, the more the lens bottom will be in contact with your cheek, thus blocking at least some of that glare. Perhaps wraparounds will help too. But these are not facts, just suppositions on my part. Good luck. I'm sure there's something out there that will help you.

I've never been in a kayak. Last year I bought a canoe, a wide tandem model which I use solo, because I bring too much stuff for a kayak. On a busy pond that I often fish, I see more kayaks than canoes. A solo canoe, as far as I can see, is relatively narrow and would be less stable than a wider canoe, with less storage, but with greater paddling efficiency. How it would paddle compared to a kayak, I don't know. You have to consider how far you want to go from the launch; my wide canoe is suitable for short distances. How much stability do you want? How much gear will you bring? How heavy a boat can you handle by yourself? Lots of questions, no easy answers, but think before you buy.

I don't get to target crappies very much, but when I do I use an ultralight outfit with 4# line. A full variety of appropriately sized lures will work. For me, I favor small jigheads with grubs or small crankbaits.

I have had a pair of those for 6 or 7 years. They're excellent, particularly on small-to-medium-size split rings.

I don't use a leader. As far as I know, it's not really known whether a leader helps catch more fish or not. Try it both ways and fish with the way that gives you confidence.

Raul nailed it, lure aerodynamics are a key element. For example, a 3/8 oz. Senko, dense, long and thin, offers very little resistance and casts a ton, compared to, say, a 3/8 oz. skirted jig with trailer, which offers a great deal more resistance and won't cast nearly as far.

Chatterbait-style lures are very good fish attractors for multiple species, not just bass. I don't try comparing them to buzzbaits, they're two different lures.

Congratulations on your purchase. I don't know anything about that particular canoe, but Mad River is a good name and if the boat meets your needs, such as for length, width, weight, and all the other canoe characteristics, then it will serve you very well. I bought a canoe last year. There are more comfortable boats to fish from, but they can sure get you to where some good fish are. Good luck with it.

I never fished a river. But Shad Raps (the original, balsa, non-rattling ones) are my favorite crankbaits. I don't need a reason to use them, if the conditions allow me to use crankbaits, I'll use them.

I use 10# on one spinning reel. It's OK line, but I can't see where it's worth the premium price.

I don't have any specific brand recommendations, but there is a wide variety of inexpensive rods that will do a very nice job. I've fished almost exclusively with $40 rods plus I have one that was $60 and another $85. They cast, they fight fish and should satisfy a large segment of the fisherman population. You don't need expensive equipment to enjoy this activity.

I've shortened the handle on a couple of rods just by sawing off the part I didn't want. One was just this year and I put a rubber butt cap on it that's sold by Cabela's. The other one was a few years ago and my butt cap for that one was a rubber chair tip from a hardware store.

Well, I'm not from New England, but close, as in a bordering state. I think it's fairly cut and dried; you fish it as often as you can until you learn its characteristics and patterns. If you see any visible cover or structure, fish it thoroughly. In addition, cover a lot of water since there can be things going on that are not visible to you. Try to fish at higher percentage times, such as morning, evening and overcast conditions. Don't rule out any types of lures; use whatever seems appropriate for the cover, depth, weather, time of year, etc. I don't have any ponds with the limited access that you describe. However, small ponds can be gems. Nine of my biggest ten bass have come from shore fishing small ponds. Good luck. Let us know what you find out.

Jitterbugs are my favorite treble-hook topwaters. I know they have a reputation as a great night bait, but I don't fish at night. However, I do use them in low light situations and also during the day under sunny skies. It's surprising how many topwater bites I've had during the day on these and other surface baits. I generally use a steady retrieve. All my Jitterbugs are modified. Throw away the hooks and hook hangers, add screw eyes and split rings to attach your new hooks. I also take out the screws holding the lip to the body and put a drop or two of super glue in each hole before replacing the screws. I get a kick out of the irony of such a great fish attractor being made with such cruddy components.

You've answered your own question, do it with rod movement, up/down/left/right. That just is not true, as my partners and I have caught countless fish where the lure wasn't hitting anything. I'm not saying that hitting something won't possibly increase your chances, but one of the things that happens when you hit something is there is a change in direction and speed, both of which can be done with the rod and/or reel.

I don't get twist with those lures and I'm using spinning which is more subject to twist. The Swim Blade has not caused me problems with the split ring. The fact that it has to be fished more slowly than the Chatterbait doesn't make it a worse lure, it's a different lure. The Chatterbaits have good action and draw strikes, but I don't like the fact that the hook is very prone to rusting, the skirt slides down and it doesn't have a trailer keeper. The Boogee Bait would probably be my bait of choice except for the fact I don't like the flexible hook. Both it and the Swim Blade are better made than the Chatterbait as far as I can tell.

If you do a Google search for "aquatic vegetation" you'll get a lot of hits and some of those sites are very educational. That's how I learned what little I know about the plants I see in my waters.

Not all buzzing frogs and toads are created equal. For the baits I've had personal experience with, the Ribbit doesn't roll over nearly as much as the Horny Toad or Sizmic Toad, presumably because the Ribbit's top and bottom are relatively flat.

http://www.powerpro.com/press/news/details.asp?PP_PRESS_NEWS_ID=23

Polarized glasses can help you see into the water better than with the naked eye. Low end might not be as good as high end, but they still can see into the water better than your eyes because of the polarization. But whatever you get, at any price, make sure they offer full protection from UVA and UVB rays.

My experience is that smallies fight much harder than largemouth.