NateFollmer

Absolutely, Tungsten is 200% better I was amazed at how much more I felt with a tungsten weight. It's something you can't even describe until you use one for a few hours. It's almost like your hand is in the water feeling the bottom haha. Another advantage is the smaller profile. Tungsten is roughly 40% smaller than lead (profile... not weight). They don't get stuck as much because of their size. Yes, there expensive, but you'll lose less rigs and I have actually saved money because I'm not buying hooks and baits as much anymore.

Man this could get long because it depends on my mood haha City Limits Fishing Strike King Pro Journal Facts of Fishing Bill Dance Classic Patterns Gettin Schooled

I'm glad I'm not the only one confused. It seems like it depends on the company as to what offset means. I always thought offset was talking about the hook in relation to the shank. I'm so used to buying hooks with the z bend that its almost a standard for me and I don't call it anything haha. If we are speaking of the hook point in relation to the shank, what is the benefit of an offset hook point? I know it "increases hook ups" but wouldn't it keep the bait from running straight?

http://www.rapala.com/products/lures/x-rap/ Get those, I use all the sizes for smallies. The XR06 is really good when they are sluggish (post spawn or winter), but I use all the sizes any other times. Best colors for smallies for me are Glass Ghost, Silver and Olive Green. But again, you'll have to figure out what types of forage your body of water has and match accordingly. I know Raindow Trout works awesome in rivers that have trout, but my main rivers don't, so they are useless haha.

Got a photo or a better description? Does it look more like a traditional jerkbait (long and slender minnow style) or is it more like an X-rap or crankbait style? I have some great suspending rapala's that look like crankbaits that I use like jerks and they are about a size 4 or smaller...

Largemouths (I find anyway) tend to get more active when the water heats up. Smallies, on the other hand, are a cold water transitional species and like the cooler temps. more. So I fish for smallies in the morning and evening and Largemouth in the afternoon. I think it was the Bass Professor that I heard say "some of the biggest bass are caught between 10am and 4pm" or something close to that...

All the baits mentioned are great producers so I'll cover where to look for fish. Right now the fish here in central pa are still in a post spawn mood and aren't very aggressive. I find it best to find fast water that is right beside very slow to almost no current. Those fish are going to be holding deeper inside those slack waters. Look for eddies also. I don't know if the river you'll be fishing has them, but look for fish dams too. The Juniata is full of these rock pile dams haha and they just plain hold fish almost all the time. By the time you get to fishing though, they may be starting their summer pattern. That's when the topwater is going to produce all day. Just fish a river like it's a narrow lake haha. Find the same stuff you would in a lake and fish it. You also have the current to produce a good fishing spot now too.

Where did you catch that beast? Was it out of some Nuclear Power plant drainage? HA Nice fish!

I don't normally target panfish so I don't know too much about them. But I have a hunch: I think they were finishing up spawn (which crappie and bluegill would be this time of year, crappie first though I think) and the quick temperature spike put a little too much extra stress on the already stressed out post spawn crappie. I could be wrong though, but I don't see any disease targeting JUST that fish... who knows but I hope they recover!

I never used that worm kit, but the ring worm kit is pretty good. Its only 4 dollars so you can't beat it. There 4 inch curly tail worms are my favorite for finesse fishing. I also tried there 4 dollar craw kit and its produced some good smallies. Edit: @SoFlaBassAddict - get some worm oil from one of the tackle making sites (like www.bearsbaits.com or lurecraft.com) or even some gulp spray scent. Toss those worms in either and let them in a few days. They will soften right up.

I don't normally keep bass so "opening day" usually doesn't mean anything to me haha (just an excuse to fish) Anyway, how did everyone in pa fair today? I went to Walker Lake and got skunked. Nobody was catching from what I saw/heard so I don't feel too bad. There were TONS of dead crappie in the lake so I hope nothing is wrong... everything just seemed off at Walker though. I may head out to the Juniata River tonight for payback! I need a bass today haha!

This may not be exactly what your looking for but I use my Motorola Droid as a gps along with a free program called My Tracks. If I can hit about 8 gps satellites (which is easy to do until I get into dense tree cover) its accurate to 1 meter. If I only can hit 5 or less it says its accurate to 10 meters but its usually closer than that. If you have any Android phones (like the Incredible, Eris, Droid, etc...) be sure to check that program out. It stores markers and notes so I place a marker and notes about the area and any fish caught there. It also tracks all kinds of other info too.

Never used the Gambler hook but the Tru Tungsten hook is my pick anyway. I always have had trouble rigging a frog with a dual hook, but after you do it a lot, it will become second nature to you. The tru tungsten hook does a good job of keeping the frog (or other topwater soft plastics) from flipping. Buy some cheapo frogs and practice rigging with them. I push the eye of the hook up through the head and just skin hook the frog in the upper butt region haha. Depends on what frog you are using though, that doesn't work on all model frogs.

How is that possible in Erie? There's two types of Smallies in Erie, Eggs and Monsters. Smallie's eggs in Erie are the size of chicken eggs and as soon as the fish emerge from the eggs they are 20 inches long.... Ok so I'm lying, but I still don't think it's possible to catch a small fish in Erie

How lightweight are we talking? Personally, I would use a spinning set up for anything 'lightweight'.

Medium vs. Medium Heavy is the action of the rod. I usually use a Medium because I'm using braid about 90% of the time. The lighter action is good because the braid has no stretch. It puts a little more, 'give' in the whole set up. I would only use Medium Heavy for throwing really big lures like hard swimbaits or hefty jigs.

I would even argue braid is a must to learn how to use a baitcaster. If you throw mono, flouro, or copolymer during your learning phase, you'll spend more time cutting line off than you will be learning to cast. Braid is simple to clear when it backlashes. I throw 20lb. Spiderwire braid almost all the time, it has just enough 'teeth' to keep itself from slipping on the reel, yet it's still pretty smooth. As far as the actual rod and reel goes, I'd go with the Daiwa or the BPS. You didn't list it but the Quantum Bill Dance combo is my pick I learned on it and am still using them today.

I like Luck E Strike 4" curly tail worms and there Ring worms too. I guess I'm just a cheap guy, but they work so I don't feel the need to 'upgrade'

Meh, they say it's going to storm here in PA about every day and it usually doesn't. As long as there is no lightning, I'd go fishing. My favorite time to fish is right before it starts raining and if your lucky, right after (if there is a fog or mist coming off the water). If it's a cold rain, downsize and slowdown.

Lurecraft, Bears Baits and Del Mart Molds are all very helpful sites/people. I have been throwing around making my own soft plastics for years, but never want to spend the money. If I were you, id just buy the plastic compound and not re-melt plastics. You can do that, but if you read on tackle underground, it can get hairy and toxic. You can heat up the compound in the microwave even so no need to mess with the stove.

Do you have more success pegging your weight? I never saw the sense in it, I figure if your going to peg your weight, just use a jig? Maybe I'm just an idiot though

Good, there is no reason they needed that many fish! I don't care if they thought they could take their "week" limit (its called daily limit for a reason), 5 people do not need that many fish. I find it funny that can't buy a license in 34 states anymore either, especially in their home states...HA

The only bigger prop style bait I'll throw is the "Crippled Killer". The big one in black is awesome, I think it doesn't get spotted as fake because it has props on the front and back. This probably makes more turbulence, thus making the bait harder to see. Anyway, Tiny Torpedo's are the perfect size for smallies so I'll stick with them!

I used to think color didn't matter, but then I watched Dave Mercer use a Rapala with 1 red hook and 1 regular hook. The fish hit the red hook just about every time. Honestly, I'll use whatever hook I have, but I think the red does have some effect on fish. Maybe they are like bulls and it makes them mad I like buying those Luck 'E' Strike worm boxes that come with hooks that are the same color as the worms, blue hooks just look neat HA

It's imperative that the tube makes bottom contact. Texas rig that baby and it will dart around wildly in the water. I catch a ton of smallies and largemouth on tubes. My favorite colors are from El Grande Lures (there Bluegill pattern works great for largemouth and I use the watermelon copper for smallies). Some people use tubes like swimbaits also, but I haven't had much luck doing this.