Fishes in trees

I agree that a careful application of super glue should solve this problem.

I'm not a big fan of the BPS cranks, tuning issues more than anything else. I fish square bills more than all the other cranks put together. It is hard to get a Timber Tiger out of tune. I did like the BPS Balsa Boogie when I needed to get a little deeper than my DC8 would go (even though its made out of plastic, its a copy of a balsa bait), but it is discontinued now, at least it isn't in the 2014 Master Catalog.

I'm not going to go this year, got to work. Don't think I am going to miss anything. Went last year, the past few years actually and each year it seems to get worse and worse. Fewer and fewer booths selling stuff I might want to buy. Boat dealers who don't really want to deal even when the weather sucks so bad that there are more people working the show than there are attendees due to weather. In 2007 I went to the St. Louis sports show and I thought it was a much better show. Lots more dealers selling fishing stuff. Electronics dealers showing off the new stuff and offering real discounts - Imagine that. A couple of the dealers last year, you had to wipe the dust off the bag to see what was inside and then, after that, they wanted full retail, just what you'd pay if you went by their brick & mortar on any given day.

When I throw weightless soft plastics, I use spinning gear with braid and a 10 to 20 lb fluorocarbon leader.

This anecdotal research is all well and good, but shouldn't you make a few phone calls to large soft plastic manufacturers? This would probably give you a more comprehensive national and regional perspective on what colors sell the most. Just saying . . . reminds me of the old Zen Koan, where a guy rushes into a pottery shop, and inquires of the owner, "I need the best pot you got, for a present for my future father-in-law." And the shop owner turns, waves his hand around the shop and explains, "They are all the best."

The red & black BPS tackle backpack is on sale now for $40 The blue BPS tackle back pack is on sale now for $30. More if you want the boxes. Either one of these will hold more than enough for a day of co-angling. Get yourself a rod back to make transporting rods from your vehicle to the boat less of a hassle. The cheap nylon rod bags help a lot for keeping the rods untangled, especially spinning rigs. The previously mentioned idea of hook bonnets on all your crank baits is a great idea. Successful co-angling really comes down to planning for current conditions and communicating well with your boater. You are always varying and adapting your gear. In the 5 years I was co-angling I don't think I ever took the exact same amount of gear. Every tournament was different and I tried to be prepared for current conditions. Another important thing I had to learn as a co-angler was to save all receipts. If you ever win a big co-angler prize, say 1st in a BFL or place in a regional, there will be a tax bit unless you've got plenty of expense receipts to offset. At the end of the year, doesn't matter if you hit a big win or not, it will scare you how much you spent on fishing.

I've had the 2014 Master Catalog for a few weeks. I got the 2014 Spring Angler catalog yesterday. Seems like I got a Marine one not too long ago as well. I did send BPS a pretty polite E-Mail about how I wasn't always at my computer when I had my catalog out and was ready to buy stuff, but I was sure that the people on the other end of the line would be patient with me as I asked lots of dumb questions, that could have been answered with more print information. I never buy rods or reels via a catalog anyway, so missing that information doesn't bug me as much. I've got to touch and feel a rod & reel before I buy it. Thank goodness that Cabelas and BPS are within a reasonable driving distance and Rogers is right on the way to work.

Those Lucky Strike finesse rigs, they make them in lots of different sizes. Anyway, in the 3/8 and 1/4 oz sizes they are a great option for pitching 10" worms in timber, where for the most part you want to peg the weight anyway. Also, with the pointed head and in-line pull point, they work good in grass & weeds. I throw the 1/4 and 3/8 oz ones with 17 lb fluorocarbon, or if I pick a different jig rod I might throw 15 lb. I just noticed that the Lucky Strike Finesse rigs only go to 1/4. Lucky Strike also makes, or used to make a very similar rig in heavier sizes, which I referenced above. Both of these rigs are kind of bubba versions of the Brewer Slider rig. Go to the Brewer web site and you'll see a bunch of different weight/hook options. You can also go to *** and they will have dozens of similar designs. The Owner sled head referenced in the post #13 by WRB is one of those. Like lots of other fishing tools, I think that the tx rig jig has its time & place. Me, I own lots of different variations, but I probably use the Brewer slider head more than all the rest of them put together.

What kind of boat are you putting the trolling motor on? Are you doing a bow mount or a transom mount? What size trolling motor do you need/want? Me, I tend to favor MinnKota for a couple of reasons. Once, I've met the regional Minn Kota rep a couple of times, and he was nice to me when he didn't have to be. Once when I was a rookie co-angler doing BFL, he took me practice fishing for a day. Secondly, I was co-angler at a tournament on Grand Lake once and the day was spoiled when my boaters trolling motor broke (it was a Motor Guide) When I bought my boat, I put a MinnKota on it. Minn Kota trolling motors will break, especially when you leave the motor down as you attempt to drive the boat onto the trailer. Other than that, I've smacked my trolling motor into countless obstacles and it still works.

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the 55 power drive a 12 volt system? I know the Edge 70 is a 24 volt system. Hope you upgraded your batteries. Were you running 2 batteries in parallel for your peer drive 55? Sometimes things make me say "huh?" Don't worry about the Edge being a 5 speed system,you'll get along fine until one of your buddies gets a variable speed trolling motor and then you'll want one too. If you're buying new, that feature adds $150 - that being the difference between a 70 lb thrust Edge and a 70 lb thrust Maxxum (2014 BPS Master Catalog, I keep one right next to my computer)

I've got pretty simple goals this year. Stay employed and try to fish once a week. I know I'm going to take a week in early October to fish the Fishing for Freedom event at Truman Lake. I'd like to get a couple more multi-day trips this year. In a perfect world, I'd only have a dozen or so rigs spread out on the deck, but I'm pretty sure that isn't going to happen.

For me , it isn't a matter of talent, more of a question of "want to". One of the reasons I go fishing is to hang out in my own head for a while, be away from the rest of the world, so to speak. This was easier to accomplish in the pre-cell phone era, but the advantages of the cell phone on the water outweigh the disadvantages. Anyway, when I am planning to go fishing, I am not in the frame of mind to want to teach anyone anything - that is my time, my mental health therapy, so to speak. Several years ago, I was asked if I wanted to take some neighbors teen ager fishing and I declined. I have enough confidence in the younger generations that if they want to find their way fishing, the path is lit well enough that they can find it on their own.

I think I try to have hooks & weights & stuff for whatever fishing situation I might run into, plus some stuff for when fishing is bad and I decide to experiment with other different stuff. Just off the top of my head, here is an incomplete list of what is in my step bin and the bottom of the big bin in my boat" Worm weights - mojo weights - Florida style peg weights - internal tube weights - stick on weights - various sizes nail weights - various sizes of stainless & brass screws ( used to weight wacky worms & Ikas) Tx rig hooks - drop shot hooks- wacky rig hooks - bubba drop shot hooks (rig & tx rig) - sling blade flutter hooks - swim bait hooks & I know I am forgetting some A couple of boxes of replacement spinner bait skirts - an assortment of split rings & swivels - several spools of fluorocarbon leader material. O ring tool for wacky rigs. church key & tool box. That's a partial list, I'm sure I am forgetting something - oh yeah, I've got a good set of zoom binoculars in a waterproof case that is always in the boat. . … tool box . . .more stuff

Yeah, when I fished BFL as a co-angler it happened from time to time. Sometimes it is unavoidable, sometimes it isn't. You try to be versatile and adapt. Once, on Bull Shoals, enough was enough and at the end of the day, when we got to the dock I packed up my stuff and made sure that it was all out of the boat. He had fish and I didn't. Anyway, when we got to the weigh in area, I just walked away and refused to sign his weigh in ticket and he didn't get credit for any of the fish he caught that day. It was an uncomfortable situation, but I felt that enough was enough and I wasn't going to let him get away with it that day. I'd reiterate that was a one time deal for me and the vast majority of the boaters I drew when I fished BFL were great guys and I still stay in touch with a couple of them.

Once upon a time I was thinking about going musky fishing and realized that I didn't have much gear that was suitable. I called Shimano and asked them if a Shimano Calcutta 250 would be adequate for musky fishing. Basically they told me that there were better Shimano reels to go musky fishing with but if that was all I had, knock myself out. Basically the customer service guy on the phone told me he didn't think that there were very many muskies swimming around that cold tear up a Calcutta 250 and if it did, at least I'd have a great story to tell. He told me that in his opinion I could throw 2 ounce in-line spinners all day for months and that the reel would hold up great. Anyway, muskie fishing or not, I'd buy a Calcutta 250 for $50 even if I didn't need another one.

I have a couple of Fenwick Aetos rods and I like the ones I have. I've got the 7'2" MH rod smalljaw67 mentioned above. I like it. I got it toward the end of last year and I've used it for throwing 3/8 to 5/8 Jika rigs, mostly in 10 to 20 feet of water, occasionally shallower. I feel like I've stuck nearly every bite I've gotten. Had my line snapped twice - that could have been a catfish. They will occasionally hit GULP baits bounced along the bottom. Whatever fish it was, it put a SERIOUS bend in the rod and I think I would have controlled it had the line not snapped. I'm pretty certain also that I had my drag set tighter than necessary as well. In addition to that rod I"ve got the 7'9" Heavy Action/Fast tip rod for throwing A-rigs. It works good for that. Early last spring, I had a 7foot something medium action one that I used to throw square bills, and it worked great for that purpose and then there was operator error and I broke it. I've decided that I don't need a higher dollar, very lightweight rod to throw square bills. They swapped it out at the store and that is how I got the 7'2" jig rod. So anyway, I like them, the 2 I have anyway.

I've used spinning gear for jerk baits for years, mostly because it always seems to be windy during prime jerk bait times and the spinning gear is just easier for me. I use a 6'3" Shimano rod (I forget what line right now) I know it is a medium action with a fast tip. I use a US Reel Supercaster 240 reel, because I like the extra wide spool, and it comes with an arbor so that it doesn't take a huge amount of line to fill it up. Yes, I know that the reel doesn't say Shimano on it but it was pretty cheap and it works - for me - currently. When I've made my cast and I'm jerking the bait down to where I want it, I kind of like the loosey/goosey feel that the reel has - or anyway I am used to it. I've used 14 lb Berkley Fireline Crystal for the past few years. I generally use a short 18" or so fluorocarbon leader in 10 or 15 lb test. I can throw a half ounce Lucky Craft pointer a long ways with this rig. I can throw an adequate distance into the wind with this rig, so I don't have to be anal about boat positioning or always have the wind at my back, like back in the old days using a bait caster for jerk baits. Lots of times, the bait will be around 100' away from the boat and 5 or 6 feet down and strikes will be very obvious. With the Crystal Fireline, you will see the line move way before you will feel anything, kind of like using a strike indicator when you are fly fishing. The 14 lb Fireline has the same diameter as 6 lb mono. I think that if you used straight 8 lb fluorocarbon I think that your bait would dive about the same. It might be a little more stealthy. I think hook set ability would decrease some, but I don't see that as a deal breaker. With the 8 lb fluorocarbon your rig could also function as a back up shaky head rig - something to think about if space is a premium on your boat. Fishing jerk baits on spinning gear is a trade off. If I went to a longer rod I would get more distance, but every time I jerked I would be slapping the rod on the edge of the boat. If I found a shorter rod (less than 6') that I could get the same distance that I'm getting now, I would probably switch, but that really isn't a priority this year. So anyway, that is the synopsis of how come I use spinning gear for jerk baits. Oh yeah - one more thing - this rig invites tangles with other rigs on your boat. When you aren't fishing with it I STRONGLY recommend using a lure wrap to cover the jerk bait and a nylon rod sleeve to cover everything else when you are transporting it or it is idle in your boat.

In the early 90's Fenwick tried marketing a line of rods geared to women. They were called LadyHawk I think. I don't think that they were HM blanks, but the next step down in blanks, whatever that was at the time. They sold for between $60 an $90 at the time as I remember. The rod grips were shaved down a little and the guide wraps were a teal/magenta combination. I got one on close out because at the time I had a girl friend who thought she might want to fish. I put a medium priced Diawa Gold cast spin cast reel on it and it worked OK. She appreciated the no-backlash aspect to the set up.

For drop shot fishing, I like a 1000 sized, smaller reel, mostly because I like my drop shot outfit to be as light as possible. My Shimano Spirex works for me in this application. For Bubba drop shot applications, I used to use a Calcutta 50. It would handle the 20 lb Abrazx that I normally use. Last year, I switched to a Curado 50E for the same 20 lb Abrazx and I like it a little better because it is a little more free spinning. For what it is worth, if you're using either of these bait casters with 20 lb line and you do something stupid and cause a backlash - A - It's your own fault. & B - Get ready to spend the next 5 minutes or so of your life untangling the backlash, cause it is a mess. I understand that using a larger reel might lead to fewer back lashes with 20 lb line, but I like the lighter weight of the smaller reel on my Bubba drop shot rig.

I think that the short answer to your question is yes. Yes, water color is a consideration when you are choosing a bait color. Yes, forage coloring is a consideration when you're choosing a bait color. We can't just pick a color, that would be too easy. We need some kind of justification as to why one color might work better than another. Now you've got 2. I've no clue which line of reasoning is more better than the other. Just pick one.

If you're using an Alabama Rig, I think that split rings on jig heads is a great idea. On a couple of occasions last year, I lost one bait off of an A-rig rather than the whole rig because I used a split ring connection. If you're just throwing a jig, I don't think that it does any good. Perhaps if you're throwing some kind of scrounger type jig head, then the looser connection might help the action somewhat, serving a similar function to what the snap does on a chatter bait. Really, I don't know. I don't think I would go to the trouble on just a ball head jig/grub type connection.

Most of my spinning reels have pretty shallow spools and I can shim them up even more using electricians tape. So I go with straight braid. It doesn't effect spooling at all IF you keep the electricians tape straight and tight and even. I just don't like to mess with backing. MY US Reels Supercasters come with several different arbors specifically for this purpose. . . . . . Yeah, I know, some of my spinning reels don't say SHIMANO on them and that is just my lower case "t" to bear.

If you've got to pull the batteries, then that is what you've got to do. A previous suggestion, to get the OPTIMA or a similar type sealed battery would cut down on the spillage issues. Maybe some kind of hand truck or cart if you have to lug the batteries up & down stairs. People forget that back in the day, we had to pull batteries and lug them to the basement or porch for charging a lot. I'm pretty certain that will a little bit of thought and throwing money at this problem you could come up with a pretty slick set up. A 2 bank charger with some kind of quick clips is a great idea.

There is a subdivision lake I used to fish in the Mid-80's east of Columbia. It was a 30 acre or so lake, kind of weedy, no big deal. Anyway, whenever I went there and before it was time to go and if I didn't have enough fish for dinner you would walk over the dam, down to where the drain pipe led to a small pool 40'x 40' at the most. This little pool was dammed off and another drainage pipe let to a small creek. That little retention pond was always good for 2 or 3 or 4 fish, however many you needed for dinner. Over the course of several years, I probably took 20 or so fish out of that little area and I wasn't the only one who knew about it either. I guess every time the water got high in the primary lake, several fish went down the tube to the retention area and competition for food was intense. I never had to spend more than 20 minutes (including the walk down the dam and back) to get the few fish I needed for dinner.

To echo what papajoe 222 wrote - get a good set of split ring pliers.. I got a pair at Cabelas made by Texas Tackle because they were recommended by that tackle evaluation site - Tackletour.com. They weren't cheap - $16 dollars or so. All they do is split rings. But they do split rings very well. They make any hood or blade changing chore easy. I was always the guy who put off messing with spinner bait blades or changing hooks on cranks because I thought dealing with split rings was a pain. Not any more. Get the right tool and it is simple. I also think that what Glenn posted was correct. Using a snap swivel on a spinnerbait to make changing blades easier isn't a good idea. It attracts too much gunk.