avidone1

Excellent question. I guess I'm a creature of habit, because I have "confidence" spots and presentations. No matter what I say before the trip if my approach isn't quickly getting results, I revert to my confidence mode. I may still not have a great day, but I'm comfortable and I 'believe' i'm doing the best thing.

I can't imagine a better rod for under 200 than the g loomis IMX rod for 195.00 from monster. It is really a superior rod at an outstanding price.

am I missing something? when I saw IMX rods for $220 I jumped....but the Monster site I'm looking at shows all IMX bass rods for 295.........can you point me in the right direction?

Does it have to be a pflueger?

I use owner 4/0 offset worm hook. NOT the EWG. I find that I hold the fish better with the regular offset

I find all this glue stuff too messy. if my plastic is damaged too badly I toss it and put on a fresh one. If my plastic won't hold on my jig head, I get a different jig. There's too many good ones out there for me to fuss with one that needs glue

Like most anglers I love topwaters. My favorite type by far is a walking bait. I've had a number of them over the years including some of high priced Japanese models. I really like the Sammy from LC, but recently have returned to the original zara spook. It has a great shape, walks the dog like it invented it (oh, it did) and doesn't cost a fortune. the paint jobs may not be as exquisite as say a megabass but I think those elaborate paint jobs are more for catching fisherman than fish. What cha tink?

I'm not a big fan of zman baits but I do have some. It's not big deal if you have a 'fishing' shirt. I use a Columbia bait caster shirt. It has plenty of pockets so I just put the baits in my pocket in the original package. Every thing else is in the plano's Easy peasey

Some posts just don't deserve a serious response. Well done guys

My home lake has a few deep holes, and oh yeah, this is florida so deep is a relative term. anyway because the opportunity to fish a big lipped dd crankbait are so few and far between that's what I love to hit em with. I love feeling that rod throbbing so hard I have to hold on tight with both hands, and that's before I hook a fish!

I guess I'm different than most here. I like the product endorsements and ads. It's how I see new things in action. Of course I'm not naïve. I know why the guy is hawking the product, but in between all the raves and the HOOOOeeee's and crap, there is some useful information.

I don't know if you believe in this sort of thing, but it sounds to me like you used up your years supply of bad luck. Now go out with fearless certainty that all is well.

after looking at the video it seems like a floating worm on a t-rig would do the same thing without having to fuss with making a fiber weed guard. Yes, there are probably some subtle differences, but sometimes I think we give the bass too much credit. I still say the hardest part about bass fishing is finding the fish. Once that's done and given relatively typical weather for the season, I think good ole standard presentations appropriate for the conditions will work just fine.

Be nice Raul, (even if I was thinking it hehehe)

would kinda violate the no mention policy eh?

spinnerbait fished right over the submerged salad

Velly intalesting

Great question. I wish I knew the answer. I do recall talking to a conservation officer some years back and we were having a similar discussion. He said that if your lake is giving up a lot of 2# class bass then it is very healthy and will have much bigger fish as well. I don't know if this is true, but I liked the way it sounds and tend to believe it

Back in the day there was this lovely lake near me that held bass naturally but it was also stocked with rainbow trout every year. I knew exactly where they were dumped. the trick was knowing when. anyway, I would show up a couple weeks before opening day and fish "the spot" employing 100% catch and release. If the stocking hadn't taken place yet there would be zero action. so I would go home, wait a couple of days and do it again. then one day, BOOM. there he is!....and the fun would be non stop. A few people who knew what I was doing said it was unethical, but my answer would be "they are hatchery trout" for which I have no moral dilemma what so ever. so I say. Go for it. Oh, and that reminds me of a 'discussion' I had with a guy at a fly shop. He was one of these "trout snobs" of which there are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than bass snobs. So he saw that I had a mesh creel attached to my vest and was all 'how dare you keep trout" like they were sacred or something. I told him "I'm fishing a stocked stream".(during trout season) and I intent to catch my dinner"....He got all puffed up and irate. It was really laughable. I knew there was no changing the guys mind and I didn't care to make the effort or "be right" but I did kind of chuckle as I walked away. this stream get stocked three or four times every year with literally hundreds of thousands of fingerlings. Like I said, while I firmly believe that all game laws must be obeyed, I have no moral qualms about stocked fish.

Jigs are a lot of fun to fish, but they don't seem very popular in my part of Florida. I think because the water is generally shallow and the bottoms muddy. Can't speak for places like Kissimmee where there is lots of grass though If fishing were just about catching fish then we would all be using live bait. But there is a lot more to it than that. There are many reasons why a person might fish that are about the "fishing" and not just about the "catching" Being outdoors, bonding with friends, and so on. Another is confidence. Using the 'best' can add to that. Another is personal satisfaction. For example I really don't like spinning reels that vibrate or wobble. It's just a thing. Back in the day to get one that had virtually no vibration to it meant spending the really big bucks. Technology has advanced so that a "mid" level reel can give that same feeling. Other's may have different preferences, but while it's absolutely true that you can catch plenty of big bass with a stout cane pole and a live minnow, it's just not how I prefer to do it. (yes, I have done it, yes it is fun, been there done that)

1. active type bait....topwater, crankbait, spinnerbait etc. 2. Senko

Check another for "there he is"

LOL.........haven't thought about foodie spam in years. When I was a kid we called it 'welfare meat' I did try some a few years ago and it made me gag. But last week I bought a jar of pickled pig knuckles and Walmart. Also a little gaggy. Living near a super Walmart allows me the opportunity to sample the oddest things. Ask me about green pickled eggs.............seriously

I admire your intergrity, about leaving the law, but I have to wonder about this firefighting thing. It sounds to me that your doing it because your brother is doing and you don't want to disappoint. Personally I think that is the wrong reason. Perhaps firefighting is for you, perhaps not. You are young, but building a career takes time. Is this where your heart is telling you to go? Do you know what you really want but are afraid to pursue it, or unsure how to begin? I would hate to see you go into another unfulfilling career path. Take a deep breath, sleep on it. If you have a dream job then that's what you should try. If not, or you just don't know, then by all means become a firefighter. It is a highly valued and truly worthwhile occuapation

there's no greater wisdom than dockside truth