Fishes in trees

I have had bad experiences with Trilene Big Game. I have 4 or 5 spools sitting around the fishing shed, all 8 years old or older. If I was going to use that stuff to hang pictures, I'd quadruple up or quintuple up. I don't trust the stated strength of that line at all. That being said I agree with the OP that bargains can be had when you look around and be patient. A couple of years ago I noticed that Academy Sports had their own brand of magnum square bills that were slightly cheaper than the Strike King ones. Then one day I wandered into Academy and they were on sale at 2 for $5. I now have a nice set of magnum square bills - a dozen of them in several different colors. Last winter they put Ocho's on sale at $2 per bag and now I have a lifetime supply of echo's - 30 or so bags. A few years ago at Walmart, their entire stock of 1st generation Tungsten weights (Lake Fork Tackle I think) went on sale when some GED type went to town with the fifty cent price stickers. I was kind and left 1 pack of each size on the rack.

Several decades ago, I was a bank bound, meat fishing bush hippie. I get that there are compromises that get made when you're in that position. Didn't realize that's the position the original poster was in.

I was referring to the quality of reels that I prefer for spinnerbaits. I didn't give any thought to the price range suggested by the original poster. I think that if you spend $100 for a bait caster you get what you pay for. If you fish like I do and rotate between 20 or so different rigs, a C-note bait caster might last a couple of years. If you have fewer bait casters and use them more frequently I don't think that they are likely to last as long. By the same token I have 4 Calcutta TEGTs purchased 2004? 2005? and they are all still going strong. The Calcutta have been relieved from pitching/bottom contact duties because I've went to lighter reels for that, but for reaction baits, IMO, they still work great. I'll stand by my original statement, i.e. DON'T SKIMP OR SETTLE ON REACTION BAIT REELS.

I've used various Shimano reels for throwing spinner baits. I think that a 5 something to 6 something gear ratio works best for spinner baits. A few years ago I settled on Shimano Calcuttas as being a decent spinner bait reel, specifically the 250 TEGT. I really liked how it handled 17 and 20 lb mono/copoly, my favored lines for throwing spinner baits. This season I got the Curado 150 DC - specifically for throwing spinnerbaits and I like it. I like the low profile better than the round reel. The Curado 150 gets me noticeably better distance and accuracy, throwing half ounce spinner baits. Actually, right now the Curado 150 DC has became my favorite reel for throwing reaction baits - cranks, square bills, chatter baits/ spinner baits, what have you. I only regret that I only own 1 of them right now - so the Calcutta 250 TEGTs aren't retired yet. My advice for a spinner bait reel is DO NOT SKIMP OR SETTLE. Purchase the best quality reel that you can afford.

Split shot can slip on the line. So can those Carolina Keepers, even when you use 2 of them back to back. Even when you crimp the shot on so hard that it damages the line, split shot can still slip. Bobber stops can slip at least every size of them that I have tried so far can sometimes slip. A rig that you don't hear much about lately - the "mojo" rig, involved cylinder style sinkers that were pegged with rugged bands. This rig worked - sometimes - but still every so often the weight slipped. I think if you want to throw a Carolina rig and be certain that your leader will stay a certain length, then tie a Carolina rig with the leader/swivel/ heavy weight set up. Use glass or plastic beads as knot protectors if you want to or not. Now lets get into the rig you're throwing. A tx worm rig and a Carolina rig require different rod actions. IMO with a Texas rig, you're generally throwing to objects/specific targets and so you need a little tip on the rod, to help with pitching on the cast and sensitivity feeling bites during the retrieve. A Carolina rig requires a longer rod - to heave the heavier weight and associated leader & bait a long distance. Cast is more of a lob. Setting the hook is different. Get bit on a tx rig and there is no telling how you might have to set the hook, generally one tries to set the hook in the opposite direction from where the fish is swimming. Swimming towards you, one might have to take the hook set straight up. Should you try to use a straight up hook set on a Carolina rig, you'll miss close to 100% of your hits. In a Carolina rig hook set, you tighten up and swing to the side. OK, sorry, rant over. Just a few reasons why I wouldn't bother with the "instant Carolina rig" concept. Should you try it, you'll probably catch some fish. The issue becomes will you catch as many as you might should you use the correct tool? Me? . ..I'm a use the correct tool kind of guy and I have no issues carrying 20+ rods & reels in the boat, just so I have a better chance of carrying the correct tool.

Call up Berkley & find out maybe?

My arms are different lengths. Makes getting a fishing shirt that fits a pain. When I bought guide wear woven fishing shirts I'd take them to a tailor. With the spa 50 knit shirts it is a little different ( easier ). I just roll the sleeves to an appropriate length and use a wrist band to hold it snug. In addition the wrist bands keep my hands drier, I can use them to mop my face when necessary and if they get too wet, dirty, whatever, just put on another one. I get a whole bag of them at Walmart for $5 more or less.

Those would work - however don't ever knock it over and spill it. That would be a mess. I think that is probably why I don't use a bin system like that. I have a fairly large fishing shed. All along the north & south walls I have shelving and I prefer using the plastic shoe boxes with the attached lids. Colored duct tape makes good labels that don't fall off in a year or so. So there is a shoebox for spare weights, one for spare Carolina weights, one for spare hooks, one specifically for spare wacky hooks and so on. Right now, I'm not really concerned about taking up space. I have room for a couple of hundred more plastic shoe boxes before space becomes an issue. Basically if it is a spare item that I use often enough that I don't want to waste time looking for it, that item gets its own shoe box. For instance, Falcon weedless K-wacky hooks, the 1/16 oz weighted ones, get their own box, even though I've only got 7 or 8 spare packs. Tungsten weights are stored separate from other weights, and so forth. For jigs & hard baits, often Plano boxes offer better storage options and over the years I've acquired many spare Plano boxes. A few times a year, the plastic shoe boxes with the attached lids go on sale at Walmart of Home Depot for $1.80 or so each, so I just bite the bullet and buy a dozen every time I run short. From this discussion so far, you might get the idea that my fishing shed is very organized, that is far from the case. I'd define it as ultra-cluttered, with an extra dash of dust & debris. In the past I've worried about what is going to happen when I die and some one else has to go through all this stuff, then I just think that it will be funny and pop another top. Back to the original post, I wouldn't ever use a part storage bin like that unless I had a method to stop all the boxes from spilling should I tip it over or drop it when I decided to move it.

I still have the first "nice" spinning reel that I bought - a Garcia-Mitchell 300. It is retired now and hangs out in a plastic shoe box with other retired reels. It has never occurred to me to pull that reel out and fish it again because, well, I own many better reels now. If I ever got an indoor man cave, I'd probably put I on a shelf to display

Where I live, here in Missouri, I don't think that just one rain suit is going to cut it because no matter how you layer it, there will be times when you'll be too hot, too cold, too clammy, and none of those feelings are conducive to good fishing. I get by with 2 suits - a set of Frogg Toggs and a set of Cabelas Guide Wear. Both of these sets are in my truck the majority of the time and by adding or removing layers I haven't found a weather condition yet where I'm not at least relatively comfortable. (40 or so degree rain & wind and you won't be comfortable no matter what you've got on.) As a previous poster mentioned, I prefer the lighter grade of Frogg Toggs. In 90 degree weather, when a sudden downpour happens you're not soaking wet and it breathes so you ain't that miserable when the rain stops and it is hot and you know it will rain again the moment you've taken off and stowed your rain suit. Early spring & later in the fall I don't think that you can beat Guide Wear. Whatever rain wear you get - be sure and try it on. For me, there was a significant difference in fit between the Guide Wear and the BPS 100 MPH suit. Remember how many pockets your suit has and check them when you stow the suit. I've had candy bars, in zip lock bags, last 6 months, just because I forgot to check all the pockets. The Guide Wear in particular has many inside pockets.

I don't like snaps. They are more trouble than they are worth. I find its easier to tie a good knot than it is to manipulate a tiny snap. I throw in line spinners from time to time and I've installed an appropriate sized ball bearing snap swivel on these because I think it is easier to deal with the snap swivel installation at home, with proper lighting at my project table than it is to deal with line twist on the water. Should I decide to change spinners, I cut the line and tie on a different one (with the ball bearing snap swivel already installed).

I didn't like the regular P line at all. I'm not going to give them a chance to burn me again. Nope, not gonna do it. I'm more or less happy with Segaur fluorocarbons, specifically Invizx & Abrazx. I haven't tried any of the fluorocarbon lines specifically made for reaction baits.

I got down to Truman last week for the Fishing for Freedom event. Got there a couple of days early to fish and re-acquaint myself to running around of that lake. Finally got a rod that I like for fishing Biffle Bugs and had some success. Caught several keepers and several shorts with one in the 5 lb range. I missed 10 or 12 fish, so I'm finding out that there is a learning curve to fishing Biffle Bugs, but the early results seem promising. It is a crank bait that always stays on the bottom if you let it.

I like 17 or 20 lb line for lipless cranks. Brand depends on what is on sale each spring.

If a Shimano 150 DC doesn't bust your budget, that's what I'd get. I have one now and it is just a matter of time before I get another one or two.

I use spinning reels for jerk baits because when & where I generally throw jerk baits it is windy and for me (assuming I pay attention to wind knots and such) spinning gear works better in the wind for me.

I must have a jika rig rod I must have a 10" worm rod I must have a wacky rig rod I must have a stick bait pitching rod I must have a pitching rod for other baits besides stick baits. I must have a Biffle Bug rod I must have a finesse jig rod I must have a heavier jig rod I must have a square bill rod I must have a deep diving crank rod Another crank rod for baits like a Minus 1 is nice I must have a lipless crank rod I must have a magnum square bill rod I must have a spinner bait rod I must have a square billl rod. I must have a bubba drop shot rod I must have a finesse drop shot rod I must have a ned rig rod I must have a shakey head rod I must have a spinner bait rod I must have a chatter bait rod I must have a buzz bait rod I must have a top water rod for poppers & walking baits A rod dedicated to whopper poppers is nice. I must have a lipless crank rod. I'm pretty sure I'm missing one or two . . . . Just remembered . . I must have an A-rig rod I must have a frogging rod I must have a finesse frogging rod I must have a spinning rod for throwing weightless stick baits & fluke type baits I must have a jerk bait rod. and I'm still sure that there are some that I'm missing or forgetting. 10/17 edit . . . I have dedicated Brewer Slider rods ( spinning & bait casting, depending on the wind ) I have a Neko rig rod I have a Carolina rig rod that I rarely use. I have a dedicated wacky senko rod. . . and I'm pretty sure that I am still forgetting some .. .

Be mindful that there is a learning curve when it comes to throwing a cast net. It isn't nearly as easy as it looks. Should you actually get some shad or other bait fish, they die pretty quick unless you've got the right gear to take care of them. If you're going to seriously get into live bait fishing, get a bait cooler and take care of it. If you let bait die in it and a few days or more go by before you clean it, it can create a stench that doesn't easily go away. I respect guys who are good at bait fishing. It can get just as technical and small nuances make a difference, just like in bass fishing. Some of the bass gear you've got now will transfer over can become adequate bait fishing gear and some can't. Your flipping stick is nearly worthless for bait fishing - unless you're fishing in gnarly cover using heavy line and 6" or so shiners or shad and balloons for bobbers, etc. Then it is just the ticket. Here's another example. Once upon a time I got a 10' Predator Casting rod and a 2 speed Abu Garcia 6500 Bait casting reel. Just the ticket if you want to make 100 yard or so casts, throwing a 2 or 3 ounce slab spoon into tail race waters. Not a lot of other bass fishing applications. A bubba float & fly rig doesn't work very well and is kinda silly. Distance casting doesn't have some applications for catfish and other species, so I do fish with the rig occasionally. Bottom line is that pretty soon after you get into fishing live bait, you're going to find the need for live bait specific gear. There is some cross over with bass gear, but not a lot. Some bass gear is a liability in bait fishing, a good for instance is the extra fast tips I like on my shakey head rods. In casting live bait using a rod with an extra fast tip, you're going to throw off some bait until you get your cast down. Moderate action, more "tippy" rods, work better for live bait fishing. So, bottom line, if you decide you're going to get into live bait fishing and you decide that you want to get good at it, get ready to spend more money for appropriate gear.

Let me offer my opinion. You can buy fishing gear. You can't buy fishing time. If more/better/technique appropriate gear gets you more fishing time, that's the way to go. Your only limitations really are how much gear can you carry successfully and how much do you mind tying knots when you switch gears, so to speak. So, for me, I "need" a Ned rig set-up and a wacky rig setup and a drop shot set-up. In addition I always have a Brewer Slider rig ready to go and more often than not another shakey head rig. You never know. I'm just doing my part to keep the tackle industry going, at least that is one of the ways I justify it to myself.

Years ago, a guy who was a better fisherman than me told me that if there is a top water bite going on, there is probably a better sub surface bite happening at the same place at the same time. His bait for this situation was a home made one, was making his own swim bait heads and swimming large flukes and other bait fish imitating soft plastics as slow as he could, keeping them a foot and a half or so underneath the surface. A few times I ran into a situation where a top water bite was going on, and trying to practice what he preached, I didn't have any swim baits (not a real common bait in the Ozarks circa 2000 - 2003. I threw a Minus -1 , and tried to keep it moving so as to get it as deep as possible, and I got slammed with keeper size fish several times. So there are a couple of options. Swimbaits are much more common now. I have a set of Sebile Magic Swimmers in the boat currently and I want to see how they work in this stiuation.

I got my latest spinnerbait rod at Academy Sports. They are the sole distributor for All Star Rods ( so they claim & I've no reason to doubt them). They make several different levels of rods, all reasonably priced (to me at least). The Academy store in Kansas City currently carries 3 lines. The basic one ( blueish grey ) and then a purple one and then a neon chartreuse one. Can't handle the neon chartreuse color, so I haven't bought any of them. They market a 6'10" Spinnerbait rod that compares very favorably to the old All Star Zell Rowland spinnerbait special that they marketed when the All Stars were made in Texas. On the subject of discontinued rods, the AETOS line of Fenwick rods used to contain a 6'8" MH rod that worked great for spinnerbaits & square bills , again in my opinion. Keep looking, and you'll find one that you like.

In the places where I buy tackle, go in and ask for "hula grubs" and you'll get a quizzical look before they realize and say, "yeah, we've got some Chompers." Conversely, you can go in to many of the same shops and ask, "How many different brands of Chompers do you got?" Then they'll mention that they have the original, maybe some Yums, Yamamoto, Berkley, and down in the Ozark there will probably be a couple of different hand pours that you've never seen before. When I saw the title to this thread I thought, "Hula grubs? . . .oh yeah, Chompers". To me Chompers is the generic term, kinda like Kleenex.

This isn't a fix & forget question, in my opinion. Different tournaments happen on different days, in different conditions, on different bodies of water and in different boats. MY suggestion would be to bring a bunch of different stuff and make your cut down selections the evening of the tournament, post tournament meeting and after you've met your partner and had a conversation about what his/her plan is for tomorrow. Be mindful that different boats have different amounts of room available. Some boaters are more considerate of the co-angler experience than others. I fished BFL's as a co-angler for several years, with mixed results. Met a lot of nice guys and a few jerks. While I caught fish on a number of different baits throughout the years, my top bait was an Eakins jig (the heavier version, not the 5/16 one). I wasn't in charge of moving the boat and the heavier jig got to the bottom quicker and gave me more time to drag the jig per cast. Secondly and third, most productive baits were a bubba drop shot rig and a trick worm on a quarter oz jig head. In my tournament experiences, there were only a couple of times where reaction baits were the ticket.

Slider heads are designed to be used with a worm of a particular thickness, i.e the slider worm. Should you be using a different brand worm that is significantly thicker than the slider worm, I can see where hook up issues might happen. I use BPS paddle tail stick-o's a lot on quarter ounce slider heads. I skin hook the plastic and while I miss fish from time to time, that 's my fault and not the fault of the bait.

In my experience, stainless steel screws, of an appropriate size & weight, heated with a lighter a little bit before insertion, hold in the plastic better than the insert mushroom head lead weights. I have both. Also, I think the stainless steel screws make a slightly different sound when they clack against hard bottom stuff. I got the screws by going to ace hardware, in the specialty fastener aisle. I brought my small postage scale with me in my back pack, pulled it outset it up level and started weighing different sizes of screws. It attracted some interest, but after a short while, the help realized I was harmless and left me alone while I went through their fasteners. It was an interesting conversation. .. "Can I help you?" " I don't know, do you know off the top of your head how much the various sizes of stainless steel screws weigh?" "no, are you nuts?" "Maybe, definitely probably, but I want to know how much the different sizes of stainless screws weigh and you have most of the different sizes in one place. " "How about these stainless steel screws over here?" "Nope, don't need self tapping ones." When the help busts out with "What is a self tapping screw?" I just start laughing. The teenager stood there and watched me the entire time I was in that aisle - watching to make sure I didn't pocket any screws I guess. When I left the store, he was probably thinking "some geezers are just nuts."