RyneB

You could always fish cooling lakes. They produce some decent fish, and im sure theres a 10 swimming in a few of them. But they dont get 10 lbs by being stupid and getting caught. Us guys up north have to deal with the winter and the bass dont feed nearly as much. I fish a private strip mine that has some big bass in it. I have caught 1 8lber and several in the 4-6 lb range. I have seen some bass that look to be in the 10 lb mark, i have just never seen em on the end of a line. The guy who owns it is trying to make it a trophy bass fishery. 3 years ago he stocked it with trout and a lot of them made it through the winter. The water is gin clear and deep (50 foot max depth). Before the trout stock, bass average about 2 lbs. I would do some research and find the closest fishery to you that stocks trout, that seems to be the baitfish of giant bass. The amount of fish caught has dropped, but the size has gone up. Good luck on your quest.

great thread. I will be heading to the Outer Banks NC in october and have never surf fished in my life. I have a few big rogues, a couple swimbaits, a few flukes. Im gonna try to catch a saltwater fish on a jig as well.

The bait monkey is evil.

I said superior in a sarcasm way. I guess its hard to understand that over the computer. I was more or less throwing gasoline on the fire lol. I started the topic because i was trying to figure out why it seems that only Shimano owners feel there reel is far superior than all other reels. Then this thread went crazy and i find it very entertaining. Maybe, just maybe, there was a Shimano fan who rubs it in everyones face and read all these posts and decides that he will stop bashing anything other than Shimano. If that happens, this thread was a success.

Im on my way. I have read a lot of travel documents and emails. But i can honestly say that yours makes me want to travel to Florida more than those yuppys.

I agree with him, go get yourself a 7 lb smallie. If that doesnt get your blood flowing, you're not a bass fishermen. I have caught a 8 lb largemouth, and a 5 lb smallmouth. I will take that 5 lb smallmouth over that largemouth anyday. I understand you are asking about largemouth. But think about all the smallmouth waters around you in wisconsin. GOLD MINE. I fish Wisconsin a lot, and there is a few lakes that i can catch an average of 20 largemouth at 3lbs. To me, that is decent day on the water. I have found with the northern waters like Minnesota and Wisconsin, people target northern and musky. In reality, bass arent really pressured. But if someone had a gun to my head and told me i had to catch a trophy bass, i would head to Florida, Texas, or California.

I used to race cars. I spent $14,000 for my 2004 GTO. I put 6 grand into it and ran a 10 second quarter mile. Everyone talked down to me because i had a Pontiac and not a Chevy, Dodge, Ford (yet i had a chevy motor). In the end, my car ran faster for less than most fords, corvettes and dodges. Thats how i look at me Revo Ss'. I spent $99 on all 6 of them, and they do just as good as the Shimano Core. I just find it wierd that someone would pay $370 for a Core, that a $100 Revo can do. Thats like saying "im going to buy a $40,000 corvette because its a Corvette, yet this 2005 Mustang GT with a blower is twice as fast and fun for $14,000." I guess it comes down to the fact I dont like the entitlement that i feel Shimano owners ask for because they own Shimanos. I just love seeing the Shimano lovers on this thread trying to defend themselves to the fact they spent twice as much for a reel that does exactly what a Revo S does. Not that i care about reels, im just tired of hearing about how i am a low life because i own a superior, yet cheaper priced product. Can i have another Revo S and Veritas rod for $200 please? Still $150 cheaper than a Core 50. ABU FOR LIFE

Im the OP, and noone had a clear cut answer why SOME Shimano owners are tools. But it is very entertaining reading all the posts. I was showing my wife, and she cant understand how us grown men can argue about fishing reels. I told her its like ice fishing, some people would never understand.

i fished LaSalle back when i was 12. That was the last time i was there. I have been wanted to go, but everyone tells me its always packed with people, and i dont like dealing with a packed lake.

Everytime i bring up the words Abu Garcia around a Shimano fan, they look at me like im an idiot. My uncle has 20+ shimano setups and he tells me im an idiot for having all Abus. I just want to know why Shimano users and fans talk like its the only real made and that everyone should use one. I have had 2 Shimanos over the years and hated them, thats why im an Abu Garcia guy. But if someone talks up there Shimano, i dont degrade them. I have been in the car show and racing scene for awhile, and BMW owners act this same way. Is it a sense of entitlement that they have a Shimano? Sorry for the rant, and sorry if the moderators erase this. Im just baffled on why these grown men act like children when it comes to a fishing reel. I have seen it at boat shows, fishing shows, on here, at the ramp, on the lake. Its really annoying. I asked a guy at a outdoor show who was making fun of my Abu Garcia sweatshirt, he said "its a Shimano thing".

Are you referring to the Live Target frogs? If so, i love them. Try the mouse, you wont be dissapointed.

Rage Craw. Its so versatile. I can swim it, work it slow, hop it, work it like a topwater, jig trailer. It just always catches fish and i have extreme confidence in it.

i know exactly where pontiac is at. We used to play them in baseball all the time. Im in LaSalle.

i used to fish for them all the time on the Illinois River, but then the asian carp took over this stretch of river and the white bass are non existent. I used to be able to have 100+ fish days. I have gone 2 years only catching 1 single white bass. Where are you at in central Illinois?

i live near a stretch of the illinois river that is considered one of the most populated areas for asian carp. On 90% of my casts my lure bumps into them. All the other game fish have all but dissapeard. This area used to be called the "sauger capitol of the world." Now it is just a mud puddle FULL of asian carp. Being the resourceful fishermen that i am, i didnt want to spend hundreds of dollars on a bowfishing setup. So i bought several snagging hooks, its a fun way to way an afternoon after work. I have caught over 100 fish in a day, with a average weight of 12 lbs. They are a fun fighting fish, just sad how bad they can turn a fishery. On sunday afternoons well go hang out at the ramp and theres always people with black eyes, broken windshields, etc.

here in illinois we call them rock bass or croakers

what hook are you using?

I have had some good days in the middle of summer when its 100 plus out. I find scattered weeds and cast it out. Then just lift my rod1-2 feet and let it flutter back down. When i feel it caught on the weeds i give it a hard fast jerk and it usually pops out cleanly.

Mustad Triple grips are on all my baits that i throw regularly that have trebles. Especially my flutter spoons.

Veritas, i love mine

I agree with Kirt. I plug in my Navionics at least once a week and everytime i do the chip uploads new data. You only get free updates for 1 year, but it is still nice to have it update everytime you start your computer.

i have a Mattlures gill and i have had some success hear and there. The one thing i can tell you is it is not a bait i can throw all day. I can throw hollow body swimmers all day but not the matt lures. I fish real clear strip pits that have some vegetation and the mattlures is useless in summer and fall. But spring is where it earns its keep. I will find beds off in the distance and slow roll the gill to the beds and let it sink to the bed and if there is a bass there, it will smash that bait. If you fish a weedy and an area with a lot of cover, i would go with a hollow body bait. But if your in the open water, a mattlures is a solid tool in your arsenal.

thanks for the responses. I know all about the water cooling the motor and such, i just didnt know what PSI its supposed to be at and such.

I recently purchased a 2000 Ranger R81VS with a Mercury 150 EFI on it. This is my first real bass boat, i previously had a tracker with a 40 merc. What is the water pressure guage for? Also, would anyone know what size gas tank i have. I cant find it anywhere in my manuals.

I got my chips from Bass Pro. They only had 1 East chip left, and when they brought it out the package was opened. I didnt really want an opened product, but they knocked off $50 and i purchased it.