Hooligan

So what you're saying is the past few years, ponds have bass in them that act like bass? I mean, that's a general bass fishing assortment right there in the list form, really. Do I give up on baits? Generally no, because I wouldn't have bought them in the first place. Rarely do I pick up new "trial" baits to fish unless it is specifically to execute that bait in certain situations. I rarely buy the latest and greatest to play with "just because". Have i given up on a particular bait because of other reasons? Absolutely. Durability compared to catch rate. Fishability, or over-all quality.

A lot of the reason that they discontinued use of the Rig, though, is the fish care side of it. I'd say probably 80-85% of the fish I hook on the rig end up with a secondary hook somewhere in the body. That said, it's extremely effective for suspended fish, and for fish that are targeting baitfish on the whole. Fishing windswept points is fantastic with the rig. Anyhwere there is current it is effective as well. I would almost bet that you're not keeping it slow enough. The other thing is that often it isn't being fished deep enough. I've found the exact opposite of a few people here. It's a fantastic numbers bait, generally. It's not a bait that I really rely on to get big bites in tournaments. Yes, I've caught some big fish on it, but I'm far more likely to land a limit on the rig, initially, and then cull off either that presentation, or fish big fish baits. Very often, I'll follow the rig with a Hudd or larger swimbait and that is how I end up getting a kicker or two.

Table Rock Party this weekend. If yous guys see a gunmetal over red Triton 21HP between Longs and Kimberling, say hello.

Huge fan of Tatsu. I feel that it's the best bang for your buck fluoro currently offered in USDM right now. Some of the JDM lines are superb, and will outgun Tatsu. That being said, accessibility and price are the factors. I feel that Tatsu has the best combination of qualities out there right now for a solid all purpose fluoro.

They're really hard baits. The best thing to do with them is to trim them, rather than boil. Even then, they're just "OK."

Oh, there are tons of spinnerbait tournament wins in both the Elites and FLW as well as lower levels of competiton. The Central Opens for the past couple years have been dominated by spinnerbait techniques for the top ten anglers, with a kicker or two coming from another technique. The Northern Opens were the same last year and the year before. The top five of the Angelina River tournament in Orange, TX were spinnerbait fishing backed up with a squarebill and swimbait. Faircloth won an open on a spinnerbait... Frogs, generally, aren't very reliable money baits and very few people rely on them for tournament fishing. About the only person that REALLY does is Rojas, but that guy is gifted in that capacity, and I don't think there's another person out there that really can compare to his expertise with Kermit.

00 Daves with Watermelon Zoom Tube 01 KVD SK Jig + Unnamed creature 02 Yelas won with a Power Jig and a Frenzy Crankbait 03 Ike with a Manns Shadow and a Manns Augertail 04 Omori Bagley and a TD Lipless 05 KVD with a Rogue 06 Clausen with a Chatterbait 07 Duckett with a RatlTrap and Chigger Craw 08 Jones with a Booyah Jig and Craw Papi 09 Skeet with a Redemption and Crazy legs Chigger 10 KVD Red Eye Shad 11 KVD Squarebill SK 1.5 12 Lane Ugly Otter 13 Pace V+M Jig and trailer and Jackall Jerkbait I think those are pretty accurate.

Nope, Pace used a Squirrel and a Squad Minnow. Christy and Cherry used the Rogue and Vision. Initially, though, I think you're right. There was some debate but he said he didn't ever get the right situation to throw the P10 Rogue.

Pradco makes almost all of Bass Pro Shops hard baits. That's the same Pradco that owns Excalibur, Bomber, Heddon... BPS soft plastics are made by a pile of different companies from Table Rock to Southern Plastics, and everyone in between. That said, they make some great baits. I fish one of their cranks an awful lot. A handful of their plastics are dynamite as well.

A magic golden bullet. Or a jig/trailer.

Art doesn't catch fish? In clear water it sure does. Vision110 is probably the most reached for jerkbait that there is, anywhere. It is a combination of the action, the way the bait is made, the finish, and the durability. I've broken SO many of the knockoffs that I quit fishing them. They just aren't worth the hassle to me. Only 1 out of a dozen would actually run right, and even fewer would suspend. I gave up and sold all of them for about a buck a piece. The JDM 110 and the USDM 110 are said to act completely different in the water; I've never witnessed it. They perform the same for me, across the board. I've caught fish on both of them side by side, and had virtually the same catch rate as a partner throwing the opposing bait. They sound very slightly different, but not dramatically. The thing that the straight eye has, in my opinion, that the USDM doesn't have is a handful of colors. Worth it? Depends on the value you place on catching fish in tough situations.

I'd have to guess it is somewhere close to the 4500 mark. Were I to measure it by weight volume, it's got to be somewhere around 1200lbs of plastic.

What DVT said is straight away. Drop shotting is a technique, from ultra light weights and small rigs moving up to 1 ounce plus rigs. It all depends on what you're wanting to do and where and in what capacity. For most finesse dropshot fishing, I tend to fish a 6-8 MXF. It's versatile enough to be used for dragging a dropshot, and for casting it. If I am strictly casting a shot, I tend to fish a 7-2- it allows for more line take up and slightly better hookset power. Then again, I am just another yuppie, usually with a few "egg beater reels" on the boat of the deck, so what do I know.

Sure, but you aren't going to feel as much as you would with a new stick. Case in point, pick up an old Loomis and a new one. The difference is amazing- you feel things in the new rod that you wouldn't previously. Ever see the video Glen Lau did with some really, really good crankbait fishermen? He was filming them underwater and showed at least two dozen times throughout the day that they got bit and didn't even realize it. One of the guys swore up and down that he made that tape in advance. There were times that a fish had wholly engulfed the bait, and they didn't feel it at all. He did the same thing with a couple of guys fishing jigs, same results. I would bet a dollar to a dime, now, that if he did the same thing with todays rods and reels, a full 90% of those fish would at the very least be reacted to by the angler, if not actually caught.

Uhhh... no. Methinks you're paying far too much attention to a detail that should mean nothing.

All that being said, there are a lot of stills and some fan video of Randy culling fish with a different lure than the Livingston. It almost looks like an Old School Wart. I wish I could find the picture I saw yesterday that showed the bait really close up in a fish's maw- it was definitely not a Rapala, and the sequence showed him culling with that fish. Regardless- Bobby, you're still a nutcase. And you make terrible goo that none of my tournament opponents should ever use. Ever. Particularly not when it comes time to throw swimbaits post spawn. Or at all., ever...

For the money, the Grass Pig is probably the best bait I've ever fished around here. I can honestly say that I've caught more fish on this bait than all other soft plastic hollow or solid swimbaits combined. There's just something about it that is amazing. It's got the right fall rate, the right tail movement, and the right body movement. It's been a superb bait for me, period. As far as hok styles, big football heads, to weightless EWG hooks to Hardhead style rigs. They all work.

WHat do you want to know? Super reel for the money, well built and has excellent control. Lightweight, manageable, and has good spool capacity. Smooth, easy to adjust, good torque and very light in hand. I've zero problems with the half dozen I own.

Tend to agree with Tom. The baits you mention are a little fragile for Muskies, really. Now, if we're talking small stream fish that you're generally looking for at sub forties fish, it's not a big deal. If you're looking at the chance of anything bigger, any chance at all, go with Slammers, Punker, or Muskie Snax. The Bubble Popper isn't bad for Muskies, but not generally a bait that I would fish. The Plopper is a SUPER bait for Mooskies, and for big Green Fish. It's also a stellar striper bait.

Right there with you.

The vast majority of those that I have broken are directly behind the line tie. It isn't alarming to me, really. Look at Bagley baits, Poe's, other thin lip high floating baits. It happens, for me it's an expectation. I know I'm going to go through a few of them every time I fish Bull Shoals and Table Rock, and I deal with it. I just buy extra.

I've been fishing the Dobyns 743 for Spybaits. Setup with 6# Tatsu on a 3000 size Sustain. It works.

Sometimes those browning borons go for extreme amounts to the right collector.

If you are applying undue pressure to the rod, it isn't normal. Dragging a five pound fish through slop isn't going to be the issue- taking that rod blank beyond 90 degrees is what is going to do it. And, if you think they can't tell from the blank what occurred, you'd be wrong.

When a rod fails, usually, yes it will be in the first few times. However, it isn't just about the blanks. Reel seats, for instance, can break a year into owning a rod for no known reason. There are instances, as well, that a rod will redistribute the resin within the blank causing a weak point- that falls out of wear and tear. Guides- if a ring pops or a tip top breaks away from the frame. Not all warranty issues deal with blank failure- that's also part of what you look at. Regardless, it is far more than what the warranty states, going back to the initial post. The companies in question have the expectation that their retailers are going to deal wih these returns. It isn't the retailer making the implication or doing a service. It's the expectation of the dealer agreement.