Fishes in trees

I think that color makes a difference, so that is why I have lots of different colors in many different shapes of soft plastics. I base my color choices on what has worked in the past in similar situations OR I open up the worm bag ( or the craw bag, or the senko bag or the semko imitator bag or the brush hog bag or the lizard bag ) and which ever color screams out to me "PUT ME IN!!" = then that is the color I go with. As you can tell,this is a very well thought out and reasoned plan.

My guess would be that it was owned by someone who didn't fish very much. That is generally the case with vintage gear, i.e. the reason it survived to "vintage" status was that it didn't get used very often. It probably spend most of its lifetime stashed on a shelf or in the back of a closet some where. Be that as it may, it is a cool box.

For wading in lakes & ponds I think that hip boots are a better idea. You won't be able to get out as deep and very occasionally that is a good thing, i.e. you are less likely to do something really dumb. Hip boots will allow you to get off the bank enough that making parallel casts to the bank is doable.

When I was doing tournaments as a co=angler, I took a dozen or so rigs to the event. I was fishing southern Missouri Ozark lakes. I always had a jig/worm rod. I always had a flipping stick ( which doubled as my bubba drop shot rod.) I always had my carolina rig rod. (If your boater is moving fast & pitching, often dragging a bait behind the boat is your best option. For me any more than 6 or 7 rods became unmanageable, so I'd fill out the arsenal with whatever was seasonally appropriate. Depending on seasons, that might be a Ned Rig, or a slider rig (which in my mind pre=dates the Ned rig by a couple of decades) or a shaky head rig or a jerk bait rig or a spinner bait rig, shallow crank or deep crank rig. It was always a challenge to leave the wacky senko rig on the bank. If the lake had very many docks at all, I wouldn't do it. It depended on what I thought of the seasonal conditions and what I thought of the advice my boater was giving me.. I was never a strictly spinning guy or a strictly bait caster guy. If you are carrying a bunch of spinning rods - I'd have a rod sleeve for each rod. That will save a little bit of time dealing with tangles. My favorite carolina rig rod was a spinning rod with a braid/fluorocarbon leader set up. There is a learning curve to being a co-angler. In some ways it is harder than being a boater. Being versatile becomes more necessary

At every BPS that I've been in, somewhere there is a sign offering to purchase vintage fishing & outdoor gear. That would be a place to look.

I have no use for Big Game line. I've had too many issues with it in the past. Kinking - random breakages - easily nicked - uneven strength - you name it. If I used it for hanging pictures - I'd probably use ten strands, just to be sure. OK - big game rant over. Seriously - I like Seaguar Abrazx for jigs - jka rigs - most "feel type " baits. 15 or 17 lb is what I use most often. Specifically I use 20 lb abrazx for my bubba drop shot rig. I use 10 lb abrazx for throwing quarter ounce Brewer slider heads and 5" paddle tail worms.

75 feet isn't a superlative cast - but it doesn't suck either. How far do you think you need to cast? I don't have any suggestions other than work on being "smoother". When I finally figure out that I'm throwing shorter than I want to, it generally come back to a technique issue, i.e. I'm being too "herby jerky", trying to snap and hurry stuff rather than being smooth with correct technique. I'd probably re-lube the reel, just to take that out of the equation. Another option - when I know I'm going to be throwing cranks long for a significant portion of the day, I do to my distance casting rig. This consists of a 7' MH ( tending toward medium) spinning rod with an old Diawa 2600. (an old big reel with a large, long spool) It is filled all the way with 14 lb Fireline and a short (less than 15") 20 lb fluorocarbon leader. 50 yards is easily doable with this rig, longer if yoiu wind up and really sling it. The fluorocarbon leader is mostly for my own peace of mind, it makes me feel a little better smacking the lure into stuff on the bottom. I wonder sometimes how much effect it really has. Secondarily it is there to remind me not to reel the knot past the tip guide. The little bit of leverage helps me she in getting distance.

The top hook works well with 4 to 5 inch finesse worms. The old 6" Mann's Draggin Finesse worms worked also. They worked better after you got a hit or two and had to cut off the first 3/4" or so. I think that they come in one size, which is 1/8 oz. No experience with the lower jig head, I think it is more of a crappie spacific jig head. The Pro slider heads, mentioned earlier are a great finesse or semi-finesse jig head. I fish the quarter ounce size quite a bit using 10 lb Abrazx line and 5" paddle tail worms. I throw it on a Falcon Eakins jig special using a Chronarch 50 reel. Not a true finesse approach but lighter than your more commonly used jig/worm gear. Just has an aside, Brewer makes a number of bass specific jig heads - check out their web site. Which came first - the slider system or the Ned rig? Depends on who you ask.

A cautionary tale. Don't depend on the trolling motor - have an alternative source of power. The few places I fish where there are rental boats, the oars that they lend you are of modest quality at best. Buy your own set of oars. 7' oars work - 7 1/2' are better, 8' are better yet. It might seem like an unnecessary expense but the first time that you shear a pin on your trolling motor and you're half a mile or more from where you put in, a quality set of oars is a good thing. Turns a genuine hassle into a nuisance.

These days, I don't leave the dock without at least one drop shot rig ready to go. Strip pits in Kansas though, where you're at, I don't know. Strip pits are their own animal and experience on lowland reservoirs or Ozark type hill land reservoirs only kinda applies. Given that the water in those is generally pretty clear I'm thinking that a top water and a wacky senko is probably all I'd throw. The previous suggestion of a ned rig is a good idea. Back in olden times, we called that a "Slider Rig" and used Charlie Brewer Slider jig heads and 4" worms - very similar to the ned rig IMO. Back in the day with my first boat ( an 8' Water Scamp ) I fished strip pits quite a bit - primarily the Finger Lakes State Park north of Columbia, MO. That area is a series of strip pits- a few individual ones that require walking in and dragging a boat. The primary water there is a group of strip pits that, back in the 80's the Conservation department bull dozed lanes connecting a dozen or so of the pits and then built a dam that raised the water level of the whole place 10' or so. It was a difficult place to figure out - but there were a series of shelves where the lanes connection the series of pits happened. You could generally pull a fish or two off each ledge with a jig. I think that the best way to think of strip pits is like they are miniature canyon reservoirs - there just isn't a lot of fish holding structure there, so you spend your time finding what is there and when you do you have a good spot.

Bank fishing bag - boat fishing bag - co-angler bag = three different things. Don't bank fish much - but when I did a back pack was much better than some bag with a shoulder strap. The primary rule for bank fishing gear is that it weighs more at the end of the day than it does at the beginning so pack accordingly. Boat fishing bags - I have many for storage. My boat doesn't have lockable compartments so I transfer most of my gear from fishing truck to boat. Bag for cranks, bag for jerk baits, bag for jigs, multiple bags for soft plastics. The large size Cabelas bag works great for storing a decent number of cranks. In olden times, BPS sold double sided crank bait boxes, which had a v-shaped slot to them. Magnum bag holds 4 or 5 of those double sided boxes and that is a serious amount of cranks - enough for me. There is also room in the bag for specialty kits, i.e. a box of lipless cranks, box of spooks & poppers, etc. Soft plastic storage is simple, just buy as many cheap canvas duffle bags as you need. Go to the tool bag section at Harbor Freight and they have a variety of sizes - much cheaper than BPS or Cabelas. Co angler bag - I have a medium sized Benny Brauer bag I got at Cabelas and I just pick and choose what I think I'm going to need that day in the back of the boat - being very aware I can't bring nearly as much stuff with me as Ido in my boat. Make a few decisions on what you think will work that day and stuck with it.

If I'm skipping docks, more than likely I'm throwing a wacky rigged senko. Green pumpkin with small purple & green glitter. 9-10-301 - I think that is the number, but I'm not going out to my fishing truck to find out.

Back in the day, I did a lot of bank fishing. In my case, it was seldom an "open water" deal. Walking across fields with chest high weeds, overgrown banks, where you had to stomp out an area where you could get a cast in were common. For me, bait casters were not a real option because the chances of catching something on the back cast and getting a back lash were real high for me. With spinning gear I could do a pitch or a roll cast and keep the bait and rod tip in front of me - more or less out of the way. Here is what I'd get, if I had it to do over with a reasonable amount of funding. Two 7 or 7.5 foot spinning rods, one MH and the other M. MH for jigs & worms, M for all reaction baits. I'd recommend the Fenwick AETOS, just because that's my current favorite line of rods. Get the same reel for both of them, If you buy a reel with spare spools included that gives you four line choices. I'd recommend Shimano reels - just because that's all I use. Back in the day, I had a Garcia-Mitchell 300. That was back in the days when Shimano was more well known for bicycle parts than fishing gear. I don't know where you live, but for me, braid with fluorocarbon leader would be at least two of those choices. You're going to be walking through vegetation so make sure you get rod socks ( that fit) for each rod. Get a medium sized back pack to carry whatever gear you need. Buy stuff that you don't mind getting dirty. I found back in the day that bringing along a machete was worth the weight. I didn't always need it but it came in handy when I did. I've always thought that the most important piece of equipment were my hip waders. These allow you to get off the bank a little bit and cast parallel to the bank easier. Lastly, have an ultra safe spot for your car keys. You don't want to be out fishing, slip and fall a few times and then get back to your vehicle and ask the question "Where are my keys?" For me, one of those magnetic boxes that you hid somewhere on your car was the answer. Make up your own mind on that one. In my days of bank fishing, no one had a cell phone. These days, I have a waterproof case for mine. I get that getting all this stuff at once probably isn't doable funding wise, but if you get one piece every few months it is. Start with the hip waders and make sure that you get one that fits with a couple pairs of heavy padded socks. Walking any distance in hip waders without decent foot protection ( like a couple pairs of heavy duty socks) will cause some serious foot blisters and that ain't good. One more thing, I lived in the midwest, specifically Boone County , Missouri when I was a meat fishing bush hippie bank fisherman. If I lived where gators or mega snake populations were any kind of an issue at all, I'd rethink the whole bank fishing experience. I'd make a serious effort to get to know guys who had boats who didn't mind me tagging along.

I used to have a fiber-net. It was the one where the net stored inside the handle and you would slide a handle up to tube to deploy the net. It worked great. The net didn't catch hooks easily and when it did they were easy to get out. That is to say that it worked great when there were two guys in the boat - one to deploy the net when it was needed. When I fished by myself, which was most of the time it didn't work as well. If you left it deployed, it took up space on the deck. If you left it folded up, is wasn't available when you needed it and it wasn't practical to deal with a fish on the line and deploy the net at the same time. Sooner or later I'll get another net - maybe probably. The fish landing tool that I use when I'm fishing by myself is a long handled gripper. It is a gripper that is 30" long. Works great - deal with the fish until it is at the boat side - then reach out with the gripper and get it anywhere around the lip and lock on. The fish isn't going anywhere. BPS used to carry them - that's where I got mine but I haven't seen one in their catalog for years.

I am not a fan of P-line. I quit using it years ago because I didn't like how it handled. I won't even buy it when it is on Walmart close out. I did once, ( buy it when it was on Walmart close out). I gave the last 3 spools of it that I had away to an artist friend of mine, who uses it to make mobiles. Apparently it works ok for that purpose.

Timber Tigers come in a DC1 that runs very shallow. That's what I use if I want a smaller wake bait, that or a minus 1. This winter I got the idea that if a little does a little good then a lot will do a lot of good so I bought one of those SPRO rat baits - the medium size which is still way over an ounce weight wise. You reel that bait kinda slow with the rod tip up and it wakes ok. That is the wake bait I'm going with through June this year.

You're in college - you're addicted to fishing - and you don't know any professors who are addicted to fishing? Shame on you. My advice would be to find out which professors in your school are addicted to fishing and make friends with them. Believe me when I tell you that many professors are on the look out for students who fish. You might have to do some work, from time to time but it is worth it. When I was in school - as a meat fishing bush hippie - I found several other professors who liked to fish. They taught me how to fish out of a boat. One guy who I'm still in contact with, ( I'm 63, he's 70 something now) taught me to use a bait caster. I frequently borrowed his gear - even when he went on sabbatical he left gear at my house for over a year a couple of different times. Anyway, that would be my advice, i.e. get to know some professors at your school who are into fishing, help them out and they will help you out. College tournament fishing wasn't a thing then. I met the first couple of guys through a Communiversity fishing class and another guy who was the back yard neighbor of a hippie friend of mine who lived across town.

When it comes to weedless wacky style hooks, I've found that the Falcon K Wacky ones work best for me. The weighted ones with a 1/16 ounce weight molded to the shank of the hook have worked better for me than the unweighted ones. I like the slightly faster drop speed.

I frequently use spinning gear as my deep cranking gear. My current spinning set up is a 6'11" Kistler MH spinning rod. ( The blue one, Argon I think, probably discontinued by now} For a reel I use an old, but in perfect snap Diawa 2600, which is a pretty large reel. Spool is filled with 14 lb Fireline and a 2' or so 15 or 20 lb fluorocarbon leader. Casting distance is practically unlimited with this rod. The diving cranks that I throw with this rod are at least a half ounce and more likely 3/4 oz. Works for me

I wouldn't get too worried about it. The Butt Cap is just cosmetic. I would be embarrassed returning a rod just because the butt cap fell off, If you glued the cap on and it fell off again, next time make a wiser and more reasoned glue choice. Easiest solution is to go get a chair leg cap that fits and install. You can also take this opportunity to put washers/quarters/what have you to tweak the balance of the rod if you want. I've done this a few times with rods even when the butt cap didn't come off - just wanted to tweak the balance point some. For re-installing the cap, I think that electrical tape works better than glue for this purpose. Option # next would be the Performix liquid plastic handle coating. Both these options have color options. I like my rods to have different color handles because it saves time a little bit wen I'm looking around the deck for a particular rod.

I didn't know that Zoom made that bait in any other color than Green Pumpkin. That's the only color of Zoom lizards I've even used. As far as I'm concerned, lizards are made for dragging on the bottom.

IMO - Senkos work best for wacky rigging. I don't often use them for tx rigging because they are too soft. the BPS Stickos are in the mix for tx rigged stick baits. I switch back and forth quite a bit, so it is easiest to carry both a wacky rig and a tx rig.

If yo think that bead door makes a difference, the a craft store like Michael's has a bunch of beads - glass & ceramic. I use different colored beads when I make my jika rigs - for aesthetic reasons more than anything else.

Good advice - flip or pitch the bushes. When you grow weary of pitching bushes, throw a spinner bait or a Timber Tiger DC4 around the bushes. After a dozen casts or so, go back to pitching bushes.

If you can't skip, Road Warrior's approach might be the next best thing, i.e. rig some bait that will dive away from you. Perhaps you recall the old Alex Langer "Flying Lure"? That was designed for this situation. The IKA - previously mentioned works ok for me. A tail weighted senko style bait tx rigged works better for me. Didn't Ike design a bait in the Berkley Havoc line for this purpose? I seem to remember that, but I can't recall the name of the bait or if it lasted very long on the market. Anyway, - now you've got options to try.