Bassin for Walleye

I have one in the Bombay and Lime (knockoff of sexy shad). Havent caught anything on it yet but then again I think i've fished it all of 1 time(s)

I usually don't start off with a trailer hook unless I'm burning one. If i get a short strike I will but I don't like them very much because they have a tendency to get caught way down the mouth for me. As far as trailers I like just a curly tail grub.

Well Big O, I appreciate the excellent product and will have to try out some others from the rage tail line

Exactly. When I got my first baitcaster I could not figure it out and I told my dad that it would keep backlashing and he said I needed more practice. Well I thought if I had been practicing for 6 months I shouldn't be backlashing every cast. I pulled out probably 60-70 yards of line and BzzzzzzzzSplash No backlash!

That's what I do too I bite the last two sections off the body and toss it on the jig. Rage Tail's craw trailers work well too, but I figure, why buy both when you can use 1 haha. Wait until you start flippin' grass with a jig and you wait a bass dart out of the grass and nail your jig before it hits bottom. There's nothing more exciting! Ha, you bite it off!?! I can barely stand the smell of those things let alone get a taste in my mouth! But yeah I think the same thing cuz those things aint cheap so I can just t-rig the craw or cut a few sections off and slap it on the jig.

Yeah but I think one of the coolest parts about catching it is that after I got the hook out my rage tail craw (which I cut a few sections off to fit the jig better) fell off the hook into its mouth and as I reached in to grab it the fish bit down on my hand so I pulled out to watch the fish swallow that craw in two gulps with his mouth wide open holding him by his lip in mid-air! It just disappeared! It was awesome. And that craw was the only one I had and I never caught another fish after I lost the Rage Craw so I believe that is what caught me the fish and will be my jig trailer for a long time

Yesterday evening I decided to go do a little shore fishing from the landing but the river is up so high here where I'm at that the current takes anything you throw especially spinnerbaits and cranks so I had a rod hooked up with a jig and decided to give it a shot considering I'd never caught one on a jig. There was a rock point sticking out that I fished for a while with no luck so I pitched it right beside the dock and let the currnent take it under the dock. On my 2 pitch I felt a tap-tap and the fish started swimming away so I reeled down and set the hook but as the fish came up I saw that it was a small one that must of just had the trailer and threw the jig so I tossed back under there and maybe 2 casts later I felt tap-tap-tap and it got real heavy so I reeled down and set the hook and he wasn't moving so I cranked him out from under the dock so he wouldn't break me off on the rusty posts and out of the water came a nice smallie. As I got him in I saw that the hook came out just underneath his eye Man I hate when that happens. I don't think it ever touched his eye but I was easy as I could be on this fish and got him unhooked and held him in the water for a while until he started pulling hard wanting to go an watched my first jig fish, a beautiful 3 pound smallie, swim back to the depths

With many of the newer braids slick surface, a lot of knots have tendency to slip. I know the regular clinch is bad about slipping but I think the improved will hold better but I still like my trusty palomar just because it is quick and easy to tie even with cold fingers and I don't know if anyone watches North American Fisherman but on knot wars it was undefeated for like 2 years in a row but then was knocked down by some wierd knot

What's taxidermy got to do with hard baits ? At least stay on subject. Sorry I get in the zone and don't realize what I am saying some times... I was just throwing that guy out there because I am very pleased with his work.

Ok, I understand that but all I'm saying is just because they are cheap doesn't mean they wont catch fish. Sure they might break and crack but you can still buy 3 or 4 of the cheap ones that you can cast for a while and not worry about losing for the same price as 1 of the better named brands.

Here's what I use both for. Braid-Frogs, jigs, c-rigs, t-rigs, spinnerbaits and cranks (but only with a lower action rod to compensate for the non stretch factor) deep water, and some topwater. Mono-Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, topwater, and some t-rigs.

Do you really think that just cuz they are cheap that fish wont bite them. Can fish look at lures and say, "that lure is only worth a dollar, I'm worth at least a fourteen dollar lure." No they don't and I love the Cabelas grave diggers. In fact, in late July a few years ago we were trolling and catching nothing so I tied on a grave digger. First troll hooked a nice 3 pounder that we brought home to eat. 2 trolls later I hooked my biggest walleye yet and he is now on the wall looking great. If anyone needs a good taxidermist I know one of the best in the world. He in fact has a few world records if I'm not mistaken. Riverland Taxidermy in Stoddard, Wisconsin.

Got it, hate it, threw it...went back to PP

** edited ** I don't pay attention, I just throw what I think will work.

I've found I can't cast a buzzbait very far anyways because the blades spin in the air (and I can hear it) and the catch the wind and wont allow then to fly far

In faster moving currents texas rigged baits are too hard to keep contact with so I like spinnerbaits and crankbaits. In backwaters with slow moving currents just use anything you normally would t-rig, jig, c-rig, spinnerbaits, cranks, topwaters, etc....

I got the citica 201d and the cabelas prodigy and the shimano is better as far as smoothness but not by much. Couldn't tell you how the new citica is but I am happy with the prodigy because the prodigy is WAY smaller than the citica

Wow, congratulations on making it through all that stuff man. And congrats on getting the rods back. Glad to hear you'll be able to get back out there and get back to doing what you love. Tight lines my friend

well, you will want braid or mono and definitely NOT fluorocarbon.Fluorocarbon sinks and will affect the motion. Second of all a stiff rod usually works best for most people. I don't think length really matters but the longer lengths may give better action. Maybe get some friends out on the water and play with their setups and see what works

Trilene XL is very low-memory, especially for a mono. Don't get me wrong it will have a little memory coming off the spool but after a few casts it will straighten out. Powerpro is very good at not coiling up and as far as I know is the best low-memory line

The sharp ones...

You could maybe talk to a guy who would make you some or do a search on the internet and I'm sure you can find something

Before you go judging catfish, why don't you get to know them better? Sure channels and blues will eat stinkbait and dead cut up fish but a flathead almost exclusively eats live bait. Plus flathead is some of the best eating in this area. Just cuz it lives on the bottom doesn't mean it eats mud. Clean the fish correctly and take off all the dark meat and I guarantee you some of the best eating of your life.

Say no to Spiderwire. It sucks. I tried it and cut easier than grass. Fireline crystal isn't too bad but I have found it coils on my reels too easily. Now powerpro on the other hand is by far my favorite braid. It is so limp after a few casts and for me windknots are few and far between. I have 30 pound on my baitcasting reel and doesn't dig in to itself. I would definitely suggest power pro and you wont be dissapointed.

I'm 14 and leaned to use a baitcasting reel 2 years ago. One of my biggest problems is I didn't feel I was casting as far as I could so I would turn the tension down a lot and then I was knotted up. Just get down the mechanics and the rythymm and just slowly start releasing the tension knob and turning off brakes. One thing that really helps is make as long of a cast as possible then strip off about 15-20 yards of line and put a piece of electrical tape across the spool. This way when you backlash it only backlashes to that tape and you don't have to strip as much line off.