K_Mac

Slonezp my notion of selling out is a little more liberal than some, and my opinion is worth what it costs. I think that Legend has an interesting marketing plan, and if you had chosen to participate how is that selling out? You pays your money and you takes your chances; good for you and Legend. It gives a little more incentive to buy their boat and focus on winning, which is good for them and you. You win and $10,000 will buy you a lot of new clothes; good for everyone!

Yep. I usually keep mine a little deeper than it needs to be so when the wind picks up I don't have to mess with it. It does make the prop a little more vulnerable though.

JT I live a couple hundred miles south and went fishing Saturday at Kinkaid just as the cold front blew in. We did not catch a thing, and just about froze to death before we would concede defeat. We have had 3+ inches of rain with a little sleet for variety thrown in since. I can only talk about fishing and fishing related things for now-I still haven't completely thawed from sat...

Rooster I use a lot of knock-off brands for budgetary reasons, and I am a huge Netbait fan. With that said, if you are only going to buy a bag or two, I would go with Reaction Innovation Beavers. The difference is small, but if money is on the line I will use RI. Just my opinion, worth what you paid for it.

Talking is what we do here JellyMan. The question is asked why would a company pay to have a pro endorse their products when I may wear their stuff and pay for the privilege. No one gives a rip what I am wearing or using. Many care what KVD is though. He has earned the credibility by performance and the products he endorses.

If I like the logo and have no ethical reason not to do so, whether it is GLoomis, Megabass, Nitro, Cabela's, Ruger, or Burger King I may wear it on something or put it in the window of my truck. You may have St. Croix, Shimano, Ranger, Bass Pro, S&W, and Hardee's on your stuff-or nothing at all. Life is too short to stress about such things in my opinion.

I agree with ww2farmer on this. I don't know why they work as well as they do. I think it is a combination of profile, subtle movement, and material that works together somehow. I don't know why a fast moving rattletrap or chatterbait in cold water works either, but they do. There are times when a smallie works better than a regular one, and vise versa. There are definitely times when one or the other will out produce any other plastic in the boat in my experience.

I think that someone endorsing a product that they do not really use lacks integrity, and many do it. I don't blame a pro who is trying to make a living for selling his name to something he uses, even if he is not its biggest fan. Without credibility a pro has little to sell though, and that is something that is hard to come by. I have no problem with someone wearing a shirt or jersey with the name of a product they like, whether they own it or not. I have several National Guard caps that I wear much of the time when I'm fishing. I have not served in the Guard. I have many t-shirts and sweatshirts with logos of all sorts of organizations I don't belong to, and products I don't own. I have an assortment of Cabela's and Bass Pro branded articles of clothing, that I have purchased. I have a Tackle Warehouse t-shirt that I received free with an order. I wear them all, though not one of them has offered me a dime for my endorsement. I'm OK with that.

Shade-tree is what I am! Thanks for the heads up. I just have the owners manual for my outboards, which as you know are not that helpful beyond general maintenance.

Yes, it will probably bite again. Make sure you have a good strong, sharp hook sized for the bait you're throwing, and rod/line heavy enough to drive it home. Now go catch that thing!

I'm afraid to take pack elephant steroids!

Years ago my brother and I were fishing on a cold, clear early spring night on Bull Shoals Lake. At the top of the bluff on which we were fishing (and catching good fish) was a cabin. The resident was on the porch/deck talking on the phone telling someone how he could not believe anyone was silly enough to fish at night so early in the season. Sound caries real well under such conditions. I will never forget how funny we thought his smug dismissal of something he did not understand. If night is all you have, fish at night-you never know. Good luck.

My wife is as good a partner in fishing and life as I could hope for. With that said, when nature calls we go to the bank, or the porta-potty depending on her need. I, on the other... hand have had my large, white butt hanging over the side for the world to see more than once. A man has got to do what a mans got to do.

Jellyman I live at the other end of the continuum when it comes to gear, and would likely have to build an addition to "warehouse" rods, reels, and tackle if I had the money. It's all good. Just enjoy the process. FWIW I used the same MH-F rod for cranks and spinnerbaits until last year. Like you I didn't see the need for a dedicated crankbait rod. I lost the biggest bass I've ever seen up close using a Bandit 100 series crank last spring. If I had been using the glass rod I now use I would probably have caught a real trophy fish. Slower action rods are much more forgiving when it comes to treble hooks-esp small ones.

Just an update: 6 hours of fishing x 2; 1 bite each, I caught mine. He missed his. Water temp ~45-49 degrees, air temp ~60, stained water ~3-4' visibility, pressure dropping, wind 15-20 mph SSE. We know some guys who fished the lake yesterday and did real well. This is a lake both of us know. We expected good things. Maybe we are not as versatile as we think we are?! I started using a chatterbait-so as not to lose a cup of coffee . 30 minutes into the day caught one just short of 18" in 5' of water on a long gravel secondary point. My partner missed one a little later pitching a beaver in a similar spot. We threw an assortment of baits including; chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, cranks-with and w/o lips, hard and soft jerkbaits, jigs, and plastics. We fished muddy water up in the creek, to main lake points. In the teeth of the wind and completely sheltered spots, shallow to deep (20'). 2 bites total, one fish. In retrospect we probably should have spent more time on the secondary points FWIW I don't think a chatterbait is any more a niche bait than a spinnerbait, but I only caught one fish on lake that was supposed to be hot- so I could be wrong. I'll do better next time...

SS the chatterbait is great example of a bait that was very popular for a while and now you don't hear much about them. That is not to say many (including me) are not still using them effectively. I am leaving in a few minutes to fish my favorite public lake, and I promise a chatterbait will be thrown and will bet you a cup of coffee that bass will be caught on it. It was popular for a reason, and just because it is not the latest and greatest now doesn't mean it was just a passing fad. I'm not disagreeing with you that many of us buy tackle that will never be given a real chance to produce. Some of that is just part of maturing as fisherman and discovering what our strengths are. Some is about being willing to learn and improve our skills. There are many that find a thing our two that works much of the time in some situations, and that is good enough. Some fanatically pursue the science and art of fishing to be best they can be. Most of us fall somewhere in-between. While I am a lot more careful with my purchases than I used to be, if I die with a few unused new-fangled baits in my boat that ain't a bad thing...I'm going fishin.

Learning to use and trust a jig is a rite of passage in bass fishing IMO. Jigs may not always work best, but it is rare that they won't work at all. What they do really well is catch the bigger fish quite often. Catt could probably catch one on a jig in my wife's goldfish tank. As mentioned the reason a jig works in so many many conditions is its versatility. BoatlessB throwing a jig into, over, and around a brush pile intended to hold crappie has won a healthy percentage of tournaments on many lakes. Read everything you can find on jig fishing and just do it! Good luck.

Congratulations on a nice boat Trapper. If more of us followed your example of working and planning ahead to fund a major purchase we would all be better off. I have great respect for anyone who has the discipline to do so. I hope you have many years of fishing with your Dad. Well done.

CPBA you can believe that excelling at fishing a Senko or any other bait is not possible if you want. You are entitled to your opinion. The Senko (esp pink ones) is one of those baits that some think is for those who don't really have much in the way of skill or understanding of bass. My experience is that most any bait in the hands of someone who knows that it works, is confident in its ability to catch fish, and knows how and where to use it, will almost always find some fish. While I think fish become conditioned to seeing the same baits, they are not capable of higher order thinking. Catch one 20 times on the same bait and it might not bite on the 21st. Come back 3 hours later and it likely will bite that same bait again if presented in the right spot with the proper technique. Captain I think the answer to your question is yes. We have confidence baits that we know work in some conditions. When we find those conditions (or sometimes even remotely similar ones) we confidently throw them. We pay more attention and keep them in the water longer. We are more meticulous in every part of the presentation, and as a result we catch more fish-giving us more confidence...

An interesting post SS. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and experience. Point 1 is very true in most cases. I did not believe for a second that big bass could be caught pitching to heavy cover in very shallow muddy water when the water and air temp was about hot enough to cook the fish and the fisherman, until I saw it done and did it myself. On the other hand, I knew from my reading that wacky-rigged Senkos caught fish in pre-spawn and spawn conditions. My first trip using them my partner told me I was out of my mind throwing something his child might rig. After a day of out fishing him by a big margin, he started to believe. That is not to disagree with number 4: One size does not fit all. While the above techniques have served me well, there are times when they won't work or more importantly IMO, something else will work better. I like the challenge of fishing new waters. That is not to say I won't be skunked when fishing them though. I still get skunked on water I know well at times. This summer in the middle of a record heat wave, my partner and I were skunked in a local tourney on water that both of have fished for years. That is part of fishing. Reading and acquiring knowledge by experience though is an important part of fishing. I would guess that the club fishermen who fished the RM tourney would likely compete given a little time to understand the local conditions. Understanding seasonal patterns, knowing the bait, studying maps, and having the tools and skills to use them are universal components of consistent success in all waters. Which brings me to point number 5. I love what Fishes in trees has to say about this. I am also inclined to think more is better. Like Fishes if I had a bigger boat and for me, more disposable income, I would have more gear and tackle. Having a wide range of choices is a good thing, unless it interferes with the ability to focus on and analyze all the information available. I have friends that give me grief about having a bunch of rigs on deck when I am looking for fish. For them one or two rigs and a handful of baits is all one needs to catch fish. Sometimes they are right. Many times though they will end up using something that I have found to work, or work better. I don't always figure it out, but I am generally confident in my ability to analyze conditions and find something that works. Finding exactly the right tool is a wonderful thing. If my fishing partner is killing them on a bait that I have and won't throw because of ego or self esteem issues-shame on me.

The difference is the shape of the bill. Look at the rounded corners on the 100, then compare those to a square billed bait. The sharper corners of the squarebills are designed to deflect off of wood, making them a little less prone to getting hung and provoking strikes when they dart to the side. They also sit at a little steeper angle that keeps the hooks away from trouble. I am a big fan of 100 series Bandits. I have caught some very nice fish on them around wood and rock. They are a little more likely to get hung in wood, but they don't run too deep and you can usually get them back with a little work. Have fun.

Well said Hooligan.

The first couple of years I used Senko/knock-offs wacky rigged I used spinning gear to prevent throwing them off during the cast. Most of time though, them I pitch them so I don't need a big overhand cast for distance. I now use a PQ baitcast reel and a 7' M/XF PQ rod most of the time for this technique. It has been a long time since I have had to contemplate life's mysteries as I removed a professional overrun as a result of early release of a Senko. Not that there is anything wrong with that...

I just like the challenge of finding an offshore spot and fishing deeper water. I completely agree that finding fish as they relate to structure is the key to success.

I agree with J Franco. I am a structure fisherman. I love finding an off-shore spot that is not on most fishermen's radar, esp in deeper water. The last couple of years I have fished a lot with a guy who grew up fishing a river system, and his strength is shallow water pitching and flipping. Between the two of us we can usually find a fish or two..