clr9933

I'll usually have a rod rigged with a senko or some other really subtle plastic bait, especially when I'm fishing topwater. Last summer one of my best days was had fishing near grass edges with a spook. If I didn't hook up with them the first time they blew up on it I'd toss the senko out there and get them nearly every time. That was a good day, nothing huge but the action was non-stop. Clear water smallmouth COME ON!

Haha dang it, put me in my place why don't ya! How long have you had it? I've been looking at some aluminum boats this past year... A lot of manufacturers are starting to produce them. I can't afford one too soon but it's my most realistic option down the road. I've looked at Tracker, Ranger, and Triton. Some of them are so nice!

That's an awesome sight bob. At least now when the right day arrives you'll be out on the water without any hassle from the boat or equipment. Someday I hope to have a backyard that is half fiberglass too.

Yeah, I figure the advantage it has is with pulling in slack and fish from cover quicker rather than actually moving a lure that much faster... 9.0:1 is mean

My first thought was using it for pitching in thick stuff and maybe for a Carolina rig; having to move all that line and the weight on a hook-set might be easier with a burner reel. I haven't thrown Carolina rigs too much though so maybe there would be a problem that I'm not seeing.

That is one beast of a canoe, I'd say it's ready. Good luck this weekend. This weather is making everyone pull their boats from the woodwork... I love it!

That's got to be a great feeling bob. Feel free to post a picture after you've gone through the car wash so we can all live vicariously through you while the ice melts. There's a solid snowbank blocking my boat in right now, another two weeks or so and it'll be out (then to the marina for some quick work... hopefully).

I've never wanted rain so bad in my life. We lost a ton of snow/ice here in Burlington with the Sunday rain, need a bit more though.

I suppose it should count... The biggest bass is the biggest bass no matter how it got that way... I don't necessarily think that's a great way to do it. I DO think that Mac Weakley's 25lb 1oz bass is the eighth wonder of the world though (dag gone foul hooks!).

That's what I bought, Mega Strike, I'll have to make an effort to use it more. And yes, just an extra hook-up or two makes it worth it, especially on those tough, slow days. One is better than none.

Do you use any kind of scent on your plastics when you're fishing that slow? I bought some a while ago but haven't used it enough to know if it's making a difference.

That is good news Mainebass. My first club tourney was April 28th last year out of St. Albans... Hopefully some rain will help open things up quick.

Spent about 40 minutes driving along the nearest river to me today (currently in Burlington, VT). I was hoping to fish, but realistically I was just looking for areas that seemed like they might be open soon. I wasn't able to find anywhere to actually cast but there were some spots that looked like they'd break loose real soon. It was partially exciting to see how close we are to open water and partially just torture, it made my "bass itch" worse, that's for sure!

Nev and Shane, how did things go on the river this morning?

Some good smallies in that area!

That's is awesome for $60. I have never used one but I hear of more and more guys switching over to Lews. I actually just had my hands on a couple of them a Dicks today, they're definitely smooth, even the less expensive models have the "9+1" bearings which is nice. I hope it's in good condition for ya!

Good luck tomorrow, I'm jealous that you have water to cast to, might have to make the trek home soon to fish the river to keep me sane.

Anyone have any experience with the Rage "twin tail menace?" The appendages on it look a bit different than some of the other Ragetail plastics, wondering how the action is on it... I like the look, sleek and compact, looks like it would go through thick stuff nicely.

I've been looking at those also. I like the look and the idea for sure, it's one of the more original ideas that I've seen. I think it came out of the umbrella rig craze; since those things are so bulky and not allowed in so many places Live Target came up with a way to get a "school of fish" look out of traditional baits. That's just what I came up with, I could be way off. Keep us posted if you get one!

I would be satisfied if I were fishing big water by the first week or two of April. Hopefully some of the smaller ponds open up sooner than that, a few days of mid 40 degree weather could speed things up nicely.

Right on Maine! That is awesome. It's nice to see a post of a recent catch on here, makes me want to get out even more than I already did. Were you jigging or using bait?

I have a similar set up for froggin'. A 7.1:1 reel with heavy braid on a 7'3" MH fast action Veritas rod. I know some people use heavier rods, even 8 footers, I just can't justify using something like that. That seems like the kind of thing you might get if you can keep it in your boat all the time, but for fishing from shore or from other peoples boats or smaller boats it becomes more of a pain. I use a 7'3" MH fast Veritas for flipping/pitching too and haven't come across any situations yet where I felt like I would have benefited from having a heavier rod. What are other peoples setups for heavy cover fishing?

That's awesome, I did the exact same thing today, traded in an old rod and reel and got a sturdy combo for setting fat frog hooks. Can't wait to use it!