HeavyTackle

I think the 7' mh/fast rod is the best choice for toads. Im gonna be using my avid 7'mh/f this season for stanley ribbits and horny toads. Just cant decide which reel Im gonna use. I really like my daiwa tdz 100m but not sure if its gonna be too slow. Maybe use one of my fuegos instead ? not a long enough rod. 7'6'' H or MH. Also you want the fastest gear ratio to pick up line. I use the Zillion hyper speed and the Abu Revo STX 7.1.1 but any 7.1.1 will do or any reel with 30 inch per turn

The rappahanock is unfrozen, I stopped fishing for smallmouth a couple years ago, so I don't know if the bite is any good but knowing smallmouth I am sure you will get bites if your persistent. Also the tidal rapp is unfrozen but I never have fished there.

State Record size fish are outliers, there aren't a lot of them and conditions have to be perfect to catch them. Plus only during the spawn do you have a chance to break the record. Kansas state record was broken in 2008 and the second most recent record broken was in 1999 along with a handful of others in the 90's.

weightless skinny dipper. 13-14inch ribbontail worm. soft plastic frog. Yamamoto Kreature or a Reaction Innovations Double wide sweet beaver.

Get a 7'6'' H fast action baitcasting rod with 65+lb braided line. Then get 5/0 and 6/0 gamakatsu monster hooks, plus owner 11/0 hooks. Get Reaction innovations skinny dippers(been using these for since they came out a couple years ago great bait) 6 and 7inch senkos. Horny toads/gambler cane toads or what ever soft plastic frog you like. 14 inch ribbontail worms. And a flip bait like the yamamoto Kreature or reaction innovation double wide beaver. That covers everything you need to whack a bunch of fish and big fish.

Case plastics has a color called natural and it is a brownish color with no flakes. Comes in senkos and a few other baits. I don't throw case plastics anymore but really did not find any difference in the natural color than watermelon, pumpkin or even junebug for that matter. Color is overrated etc. etc.

Elephants eat peanuts, Snakes eat rabbits, ants eat grasshoppers, kids eat their vegetables, etc etc etc Bottom line is this, big bass love big bait. Always have, always will. And to reiterate, i'd rather fish all day long for a big bass and not catch any (which i hate to admit i did the other day) then to catch a bunch of dinkers. If i wanted those, i'd go to the local pet shop, grab the little green net, and scoop a dozen minnows. You talk about how you throw big baits so, I am curious, what are the big baits you use most often? I consider big baits as 7 inch+ senkos, 14 inch+ ribbontails. I would be interested in your definition of big bait. Yeh, i think your along the right lines heavy. I never go under 7 inches. Matter of fact the closest i came was a few weeks ago in our NOVA tournament and i went down to a 7 incher but in general, it's just not worth it to me. I must say, when you get a bite with a lure that is huge, your heart drops and just the sheer anticipation of it gives me the rush. Even when bass are finicky, i just can't put on a bait smaller than 7 inches. It might be a psychological disorder. Huh? Did you downsize to a 7 inch senko or down size to a 7 inch ribbontail? A 7 inch ribbontail is a tiny bait, I have only thrown a ribbontail worm under 14 inches three or four times in my life.

the platnium i am looking at is at my dicks sporting goods on sale right now for 5.97 do you all think that they are worth that?? Sure, I'd get it. But then again, you can just continue to take other peoples' word for things and not learn for yourself. I tell you what, try it, if you hate it, then you know not to pay 25 for one. If you like it, then you got a great bait for inexpensive pricing. What's this fishing tackle section for then if you can't ask for advice on the value of lure? True, but then again one should still remain objective. I could say that soft plastics are the worst fishing lures ever. Everyone would then get mad and go crazy. Truth is, I don't like em. So in that case everyone here would be wrong, for my style of fishing. All I was saying is when you are getting mixed results like this then why not try it for yourself rather than just put something to the wayside because people say so. Level.

I'll be pond hopping wednesday through sunday in nova. Haven't fished in nova in 6 months so should be interesting/grueling.

Never used that rod but I like using the heaviest tackle possible. For jigs and larger worms a heavier and longer rod will definately help you out more in hook-up ratio and getting bass out of cover.

Elephants eat peanuts, Snakes eat rabbits, ants eat grasshoppers, kids eat their vegetables, etc etc etc Bottom line is this, big bass love big bait. Always have, always will. And to reiterate, i'd rather fish all day long for a big bass and not catch any (which i hate to admit i did the other day) then to catch a bunch of dinkers. If i wanted those, i'd go to the local pet shop, grab the little green net, and scoop a dozen minnows. You talk about how you throw big baits so, I am curious, what are the big baits you use most often? I consider big baits as 7 inch+ senkos, 14 inch+ ribbontails. I would be interested in your definition of big bait.