james 14

That's how I used to do it but by pulling on just one end you sometimes get a loop that can kink when you pull the other end. Not that it's NOT possible to do it correctly by pulling on one end at a time but its easier for me to make sure I've got it right if I pull both. It won't cinch down easily if the line isn't wet enough so you can tell when you've done damage.

Just curious I suppose and not attempting to make this a political discussion...but is this PAA thing the beginnings of a union for professional anglers? It doesn't seem that way right now but I'd hate to see it turn into something like we see with other professional sports organizations.

I love the PVC idea for some of our lakes with no offshore structure...especially the ones sticking out of the pot. I'd love to pull a crankbait through that during the middle of the summer. I'm curious, though, what the cost would be. It looks like its just a planter, cement and pipe. I guess the pipe is the biggest expense. How far apart should they be?

On the edge. The challenge comes when you've marked several and can't remember which side of the bed you placed the stick. To answer the OP's question. I would not throw the male back. That's the first time I heard of doing such a thing. Usually the male bites first and you can't get the female until he's gone. The problem you run into is when you already have a limit of fish and the male you catch isn't big enough to cull. Do you cull and lose the weight to try and get the bigger female and let him go and hope you can get the female before he gets back and frisky enough to go back after your lure?

I found one of these in 7'10" MH action used for $25 and its my favorite rod. I wish I had one for every reel save my finesse setup. I've used it for just about everything at one time or another and have yet to find anything I don't like it for.

On the palomar: Moisten very well and pull both the main line and tag together. If its moist enough you'll be able tighten it nearly all the way like this. Then a gentle tug on the main line to ensure its solid and you're good to go.

Do NOT buy Stren Fluorocast to try and save $$$

I've grown very partial to longer rods in the last year or so. I see no reason to go any shorter than the 8ft limit imposed in many tournaments with some good tip action unless I plan to flip. Of course there aren't many in that length available but there are plenty 7'6" rods out there. For the baitcaster I'd be using a MH rod with a whippy tip but solid backbone and 20lb FC. For the spinner I'd be using a M rod with 10 or 12lb FC line. Both rods, of couse, would be 7.5ft. As for the grammar. It drives me INSANE to see the degrading standards of proper grammar in our society but I'd never call anyone out on it in a forum like this.

I'm too much of a cheapskate for all that. We have a store nearby that sells used rods and reels for MUCH cheaper than new and I usually look there whenever I'm in the area. Perhaps one day I'll get into some big money tourneys and may reevaluate at that point. I definitely like some of my rods/reels better than others but every new purchase usually means another lure option to have on the deck rather than an opportunity for replacement. At this point I think I have enough so I might start considering which ones to trade out.

That's how we always did it. It gave us something to cast at when we backed off. Then I see these guys on tv sitting there watching the fish eat their lure. Its just another way to do it. I'd rather sit there and watch them but if they're skittish its best to mark it and come back in a few minutes once they've returned. We even put bobber lights on them when spotlight beds at night.

You mean...they didn't always have sponsors covering the entirety of their clothing and boats? They almost look like regular guys! I'm also wondering why Bo Dowden didn't just flip that fish over the bow instead of taking 5 minutes to finally grab him by the face.

I don't think you're going to notice much with the weight of the extra battery. I would certainly NOT get a lower powered TM. I have a 12ft jon with a 55lb TM and its just right. If I had a place to put the extra battery I'd go to a 24v system myself just to cut through the weeds when I need to.

This is great information as I'm considering my options for more serious tournaments in the future. My first inclination is to jump in as a boater because I like control but the last thing I want to do is drag some poor non-boater around without catching fish. One caveat to that is I wouldn't move into this process without first knowing I can hit fish in nearly every situation presented to me. Not quite there yet but I HAVE had the taste of victory a few times in my first year seriously fishing tourneys. I'm glad to hear you guys only pay/expect around $40 because I was imagining something quite a bit higher than that.

Geez I can literally HEAR you getting fatter! Name that movie.

I'm not sure what he meant about the gov't releasing the waypoints but basically took it to mean that GPS is not the best thing in the world for trying to find something as small as a brushpile. You either need to have something definite on shore to line up with or find the spot on your depth finder each time. I prefer to find it on my depth finder and then throw out a marker buoy. That's about the most exact way to do it.

Wind blows plankton which the shad feed on. Look for places in the lake where it'll collect...windblown points, coves, etc. It can be very good in the summer when oxygen levels are low and the sun is bright. The wind churns up the water to add oxygen and the ripple cuts down on light penetration. I won a tourney this fall on a BAD windy day. Water temps had just dropped into the 70s which triggered a shad spawn and the wind was stiff out of the East for a couple days. We hit the west bank with traps and shallow cranks and SLAYED the bass pulling 4-5 pounders out of 4ft waves. The rest of the field stayed out of the wind and got skunked. Won by 13lbs. The wind is good for fishing but bad for boat and lure control.

I used this technique today to secure a win in a tournament on Lake Kissimmee. I had planned on punching some mats but never found any that I really liked. I hit a few with no success and then we decided to run to another part of the lake I figured would have fish staging to spawn. I had planned on trying a few other techniques but when we got there I found the exact type of mat I was looking for. We pulled in two fish in about an hour and then had to leave to weigh-in. One was a fat female. If we had been on that spot all day we would've slayed em but it turned out that wasn't necessary since the tough bite we had was much tougher for everyone else. The mats were clear underneath...either hyacinth or floating debris...NOT topped out hydrilla I didn't feel the bites at all. I set the hook and was surprised both times to hook into a fish. I pulled up and the lure was caught on something. Since the mats were clear underneath there was nothing for them to catch on except for a fish...SET THE HOOK! 1+ oz tungsten weights are almost a necessity. Both fish hit on the fall...but that could be different on any given day. The first one actually hit after I pulled the bait up to bottom of the mat and let it fall again. These were THICK mats. The first fish I ripped out and she just laid there on top of the mat without sinking in. Thicker mat = a better "blanket" = a LOT of fun getting a bait in and a fish OUT. On a side note - 4 of the top 5 in the Everstart series on Lake O this weekend were punching mats. Tis the season. This is a specific new technique for me that I will be trying a LOT more in the future...especially in prespawn.

FLW decided to allow the rig for this coming season. I like the explanation they gave and agree with them. The main jist was they don't believe this lure is the great equalizer that will end all innovation and allow anglers of all skill levels to compete as equals. I concur...the lure is not THAT special.

It depends on what # test you buy. I was just at BassPro and it was $35 there for 25lb...$30 on Tackle Warehouse.

Has anyone tried using a cork to keep the bait suspended and rested over a bass's bed? I know the dropshot has become a new favorite tactic and that's gotten me to thinking if the same thing would work in reverse. The way I see it is it should allow you to sit farther back to keep from spooking the fish and give a better indication of a stike (if the cork moves at all set the hook).

Well...just to be fair...I'm pretty sure KVD gets a new boat every year so longevity isn't high on his list of concerns. Not that I wouldn't mind a new Z9 myself.

I wish they would've given it one season to see what happened before they pulled the plug.

Look at the average temps for your area on weather.com. Once the averages start to reach 70/50 you'll start to see activity pickup...especially with a warming trend. It looks like the end April for TN depending on the weather you're experiencing. I don't live there so I can't say for sure but I'm just comparing that to the averages for my area and when I see spawing activity. They're going to be on fire down here in Central FL by next weekend...and I have a tourney on Saturday. I can't decide if I'll be sight fishing or doing the spinnerbait/frog thing.

Things that break down oil: Think "CarWASH" (I used to do maintenane at a popular fast food chain) Carbon - little bits of fried food. Filter the oil after use. Water - water also prevents a sear so make sure you meat is dry and free of ice if possible Air - Store in a sealed container Salt - self explanatory, however, I prefer to salt my stuff before its cooked Heat - can't help this one but chances are the others will get to your oil before this one does.

I've had good luck with Seguar Abrazx, Trilene Professional 100% and Spiderwire Fluoro. All three have proven to be stout lines. I even bent a shaky head jig hook out when it got hung on a brush pile in 25ft of water when using 12lb Spiderwire Fluoro. I thought for sure I was going to break...but it wouldn't break. The Abrazx is $35 a spool so I'll probably not use it again. STAY AWAY FROM THE FOLLOWING! Stren Fluorocast - broke off 3-4 times in one day with this stuff. Cost me a tournament. Berkley Vanish - breaks well below the line's rating according to my personal testing