KC Bass Fanatic

My advice is forget locating the brush piles and fish the docks. Throw jigs, big worms, spinnerbaits, wiggle warts, topwaters around the deeper docks. That should get you on some fish this time of year. Good luck.

Ended up 3rd in the tourney. Caught most of my fish on the deep side of points or on ledges in 10-20' on brush hogs and power worms. Caught a couple on a drop shot once it got hot.

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Usually not until I really NEED a replacement due to wear. I'd say every year or two I'm putting a new one in the rotation.

My only problem with Walmart is that they don't carry the 300yd spool at my local store. Other than that you are getting the price break because of the volume they buy. It's the same line.

7' BPS Nitro rod, Quantum Energy PT 6.3:1, 50lb PP with a 8-15lb P-Line Pure Fluoro leader depending on water clarity.

Fishing big worms is an art form completely different from fishing normal or finesse sized worms. When and where to fish them depends on the lake. I'll provide some instances when I'll be tossing one 1) Weightless or light weight (1/8oz) around heavy stuff like coontail or milfoil 2) Slow dragged around points and ledges in summer 3) Swim them through submerged trees when bass suspend in the trees in summer 4) Any time you are night fishing 5) Flip/pitch them to standing timber or laydowns when bass are tight to cover Again, some lakes are better than others when it comes to the big worm bite so you'll need to experiment with what is working on your water. For instance, I throw one on a local lake with awesome results but when I fish another lake just 60 miles away I have to go finesse. Don't forget that your hook is the most important tool when fishing a big worm. Some guys will tell you to use a 4/0 or 5/0 offset or EWG. You can do that but you are going to miss some fish that short strike it (just grab the tail). I ONLY use Owner Oversize Worm hooks in 7/0 and 11/0 depending on the length of worm. Hope this helps and good luck!

I've literally ordered hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars worth of tackle from TW and never a single problem. I think (and hope) that you are the exception to the rule. I'm sure they will make it right though. Good luck and sorry you had a bad experience.

I've been using Yum Garlic for years with good results but like others have said it's all a matter of personal preference. I like JJ's and Carolina Lunker sauce too but they are too high maintenance for me so I always resort back to Yum.

Ha, yes I check the weather but our t-storms here in the midwest are so darn spotty that the forecasters can only tell you a 50 mile radius that there may be a "pop up storm".

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Cheddar cheese cracker combos....hands down 2nd: pork rinds

Yes, I've caught a couple monster frogs on Spro's and Scumfrogs. They will viciously attack them and take them under!

Oakley offers all their models with polarized lenses on their website. I've had a pair of XX's for over 10 years and they are almost like new. The lenses don't scratch easily, the frames stay tight, and the finish doesn't wear off. I know it's a lot of $$ to drop but they are a great investment for years to come.

Tourney this Sat - need a CURRENT report guys! Thanks!

I've had my best luck on Bodarc, Bluestem, and Catclaw. Like VoiceSayZool said, making a trek will be worth your while. If you have waders or don't mind getting your feet wet - do it. You can fish the shore line and the laydowns better from just inside the water line. T-Rigged plastics are a good choice always out there but I've caught them on just about everything. Make sure to hit all the visible wood. Good luck.

A while back I asked for some opinions on these and you guys as always gave some great feedback. I took the plunge and bought a 7'H Nitro for froggin and flippin my local lake which is loaded with coontail moss and lay-downs. On my first trip I was flipping a jig and got hung up behind a rock. I gave the rod a jiggle, and when that failed a quick snap. That wasn't the only snap. The tip broke off. I returned it to BPS and they exchanged it no questions asked. A couple weeks later I was flippin some flooded trees and got hung up. Same scenario as last time, the tip broke off while trying to free the lure. Back to BPS, exchanged it, back to the lake. I've been using this 3rd rod for over a month and caught a ton of fish on it with no issues. The takeaway from this review is - don't jerk on your snagged bait with a stiff rod and 65lb braid...you'll break it! Overall a great rod if you need tons of backbone and the eyes hold up well with braid. A good bargain frog rod for $100 on sale.

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I guess I'm a nerd but I keep a log of all my fish for every lake on the tournament trail. The log includes (among other things) what each fish was caught on. In 2009 I caught 33% of my keeper LM on plastics, 30% on jigs, and 37% on everything else (spinnerbait, crankbait, frog, etc).

25+ lb carp, several 10+ lb catfish, two giant bullfrogs (ate a scum frog), and one 4ft cottonmouth (ate a plastic worm)

Last night I got caught in a thunderstorm/monsoon rain that lasted about 45 minutes. There was no where to take shelter so I just beached my trusty Bass Tracker and rode it out on the bank. I figured that was better than staying on the water. Lightning was striking VERY close and very often, the wind was up to 35mph sustained and it rained about 3 inches in 45 min. Pretty scary but I made it through, finished the tournament and placed 2nd. I'd love to hear your guys tales (tall or otherwise) about getting caught in a storm.

Really? did you go through the eye twice? I go through the eye twice, twist 4 or 5 times, go through the bottom and back through the top... I mainly use Spiderwire stealth 20, 30, and 65... never had an issue. I've straightened hooks and even broke a rod.... No I wasn't going through the eye twice. An update after a lot of fishing - I've been using a double palomar and the Berkley Braid Knot and neither has failed me. Thanks guys!

Zero. I've broken 2 jerking too hard on a hung-up jig though. Both of those were with braid. I don't jerk hung lures anymore!

I've been using a BPS Nitro 7' Heavy for my froggin this year and I absolutely love it. For the price it's hard to beat and it has backbone to spare. 50 or 65lb braid is a must. PowerPro is my favorite. Stay away from P-Line braid, it is garbage. Use a high speed (7:1) reel too. You'll want to ****** them out of the cover in a hurry. Otherwise you'll be hauling more grass than fish.

My general rules: Frogs: braid and nothing else, no less than 50lb Flipping and pitching: see frogs Open water jig/worm: fluoro 15-20lb Crank baits: mono 8-15lb Spinnerbait/buzzbait: mono or fluoro 15-20lb