Ratherbfishing

Don't give up on them yet! I can't believe that a bait I've had such tremendous luck with can do so poorly for someone else. How and where are you fishing them?

Nope, no problems with mine. And they have become one of my very favorite springtime baits.

Agree with reel ess. The first hit will often open up a hole and the second cast, if placed in the same spot, will often produce a hookable bass. Sometimes they will hit as often as 3 or 4 times.

More than likely, they conducted an interagency feasibility study spanning several years and and costing many hundreds of thousands of dollars to determine their various options. Then, a new regional superintendent would cancel the study.

When it's really hot/humid and the fish aren't biting I ask myself that very same question.

sometimes a newer braid that is a little stiffer doesn't wrap so easily. But it IS definitely a pain sometimes.

Scratching my head on this one. I've had bass that didn't seem to give a hoot and on other days, it mattered a lot.

I went a little crazy this spring on Rapala Shadow Raps 'cause Field & Stream had them on sale and I caught a TON of bass on them.

There is always a learning curve for every new activity and bass fishing is no exception however, since you are pretty new, please allow me to provide a few thoughts: Just about any idiot can catch some fish in the spring. Summer is often tougher. Remember this. Since you are pretty new, you don't have a strong frame of reference (successful outings) to sustain you through the tough periods.

Small original floating Rapala. You can catch all sorts of fish with it-not just bass.

Yer welcome. I was going to say "ducks" just to be a smart aleck. : )

Aerators

plenty

Oh, sorry. You can either use a backing of monofilament BEFORE you tie on the braid OR you can tape the braid down to the spool. Either way will keep the braid from slipping on the spool.

If it was a quick dunking, a general oiling should be sufficient as grease tends to adhere to parts better. I'm still unclear as to why you changed your line. It all kind of "clumped together"? The line was "spinning on the spool"? Seems to me, after the dunking, the line relaxed and was no longer "gripping" the spool (aka: ghost drag). That can be easily remedied.

they are poo poo heads. (you wanted my opinion)

the gods must be smiling on you.

Wow! If all bodies of water were this packed, I'd find a new hobby.

A follow up question. My tires have been scalloping a bit (hence the need for new tires) and I'd rather not repeat this on new tires. Does anyone know what would cause this on a trailer?

With the exception of bullheads, catfish are among the hardest freshwater fish I know of. I can't speak for river walleye but the lake walleye I've caught were only so so fighters at best. This isn't to say I don't like catching them. Northern Pike don't keep up a sustained fight very well BUT a big one will practically rip your arm out of its socket when it hits. THAT by itself makes it worthwhile.

That's a big honkin' pike! Nice job!

I see trailer tires and rims sold at places like Farm & Fleet and/or Rural King but I really only need new tires. Is it "better" or cheaper to have new tires placed on the existing rims? Do most tire stores carry trailer tires?

I do, sometimes, journal about my day of fishing but I don't keep a log. Who's got time for that when there are fish to be caught? But in any event, I doubt that what I have done has improved my fishing any. I store my knowledge in my pea brain more than on paper.

It probably doesn't happen often enough to me (i.e., I miss a few bites).

Errr...don't know a lot about the plumbing on a boat but when my buddies boat filled up sorta like you described (came VERY close to sinking), it was because a hose clamp had rusted off a hose going to the live well.