K_Mac

If I had a dollar for everytime this discussion came up in the last few years, I could buy that new GLX casting rod I want. ;D A spinning reel big enough to hold the very heavy lines needed for heavy cover and big swim baits prior to braid made spinning tackle a harder choice. With the new braided lines spinning tackle can be used for all bass fishing techniques. Fish Chris is a big bass specialist who fishes only spinning tackle. RoLo has fished for every fresh and saltwater species since the late Jurassic period , and uses only spinning tackle for bass. You should fish what you're comfortable with. Rusty I think a baitcast setup for the fishing you mentioned is a good idea if you're willing to spend a little time learning to use it. A reel in the $100 range will make learning easier. I usually recommend the BPS Pro Qualifier. It is a great reel for a novice. A Shimano Cardiff might be a better choice for big striper and musky. It has more line capacity. Good luck.

Wayne P. I think your solution to wacky rigging heavy timber is a great idea. I don't fish that kind of cover too often, but I may take a shot at making a few of your weedguard added hooks. Thanks.

I use the same hook in a 2/0. It is surprising how few hooks I loose. A round split shot crimped in the inside bend of the off-set is a great way to add weight to change the fall rate. Works well for me.

I pitch a full size brushhog frequently later in the season. A 4/0 or 5/0 EWG is what I use. I think that you are probably right about the little pecking bites. Bluegill are very ambitious, and will try to eat baits bigger than they are. Pitching is what your talking about when it comes to reel adjustment/backlashing. I usually have the spool tension fairly loose with not much braking, and use a lot of thumb. In flipping the reel only comes into play after the hookset.

This year a white, or white/chartreuse chatterbait has been the big favorite on my home lake.

1. Watermellon red flake 2. Junebug 3. Bull Frog Zoom colors are the benchmark used here.

I usually keep the rod between ~30-45 degrees (from horizontal). Shaking it while trying to keep it in place, and/or shaking it while dragging it along works well. Hop it, pop it , it's all good.

Some would say trout fed bass is manipulation. The share lunker program in Texas seems like a good way to maximize growth potential IMHO. It seems Japan has the edge right now when it comes to world class bass. While I'm happy for Japan I'd rather have the record come from US waters in the same way I wanted the US team to win gold in the Olympic hockey finals. Who knows what the future will bring?

I don't own the crankbait rod , but I have used it throwing a 100 series Bandit. I really liked it. It may not have have enough power for deep divers, but I think it would be fine for all others. Just my .02 based on limited usage.

With two hours and pre-spawn fish I would not limit myself to only one lure. With a M or MH, F or XF you could grab a chatterbait/spinnerbait, Senko or Trickworm-wacky or t-rigged weightless, and a jig/craw or t-rigged beaver. If one of those didn't find a fish or two, I would be confident that I had given it a good shot. If I could only have one, fishing my home lake pre-spawn, it would be a white chatterbait.

There are several good videos on YouTube that show how to remove a backlash. Someone posted a good one a while back that I can't find. This one is not bad:

Great advise. 8-) I read about it for a year or two before giving it a chance. :-? When fishing is slow it has become my go-to technique. Some will say that as a finesse technique it is more of a small fish bait. This has not been my experience. My biggest fish so far this year was taken on a Zoom Trickworm/1/8 oz Spot Stalker shakey head. Good luck.

I just picked one as an example. I assumed all 30# braids are similar. The math works in any case. 8-)

It's good to hear from you. We are all glad you're doing well. Thank you for your service Al.

I use them most often on a shakeyhead jig. Wacky rigged, and T rigged-with or without weight, are other options. One of my favorite plastics.

I didn't pay much attention to that sort of thing in school either. I took just enough math to meet the minimum requirements. Raul posted this formula a while back and I thought it would be useful to remember.

Same here Glenn.

There have been several cases in the St. Louis, Mo. metro area where eminent domain has been used to declare properties "blighted". The measure by which this was determined was how much tax revenue was generated for the local municipality. While I think there are times when eminent domain must be used for the greater good, one of our most fundamental rights is the right to own property. When the government can take that property simply because a new owner will give them a better deal, we have started down a slippery slope. BTW Bilgerat, I would have the same policy as King.

The PQ, according to specs, holds 120 yds of 10# mono. 10# mono is ~.012" in diameter. 30# Power Pro is .011" in diameter. 120x.012=1.44 1.44 divided by.011=131 The reel will hold ~131 yds of 30# braid.

The real danger is that she starts to spend as much on tackle as you do. Way to go man. My wife and I spend a big part of our recreational time fishing. She enjoys it as much as I do.

I find when I start to increase distance much beyond the 25' range I not only loose accuracy, but dramatically increase the chance of professional overruns.

Most regular lights (non-LED) are submersible, not waterproof. I think that means they are not water soluble :. After years of aggravation, I finally replaced them with LED lights.

Orlando you can run a search of this topic and find it comes up very regularly. The short answer is use whatever you're comfortable with. Many right handed anglers use LH reels and vise versa. Some use both. As for reel recomendations, the sky is the limit on a good baitcast reel. I think the Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier reel is a very good value, and very user friendly for a novice. They retail for $ 100, and can be found on sale for as low as $70. Good luck.

I suspect many from the Shimano posse will take issue with this. I will speak for the BPS China "junk". I have fished in the rain many times with Extreme and Pro Qualifier baitcast reels. I had three of each on deck this past weekend. It rained ~1/2" Friday afternoon. All six never missed a beat. The BPS Pro Qualifier at full price is a good value. I bought one on sale last week for $70. I don't think you can buy a better reel for the money.

I can't speak for Reel Magic. I have used KVD for the last couple of months. I was very sceptical, but after reading many good reviews from guys on this forum I decided to give it a try. It works very well.