steelslinger86

To anyone newer to bass fishing or at least newer to trying to learn bass behavior, I would suggest to not limit yourself to just info. on the forum. Not that it is bad info., but bass resource itself has an amazing article section. You can find good reads covering a lot of topics, including seasonal patterns and behavior. On another note I agree with the above poster, I would love to see the regional posts narrowed down a little more. I think you would also see more posting if people could have conversations in a section dedicated to their state.

I have used standard hooks with the tag end for the drop shot weight, standout hooks, and the spinshot hooks, and they have all worked fine for me.

Convergence in my opinion. It will run you about $15 more, but it has the lifetime warranty and the sellus does not. I know it's not a $300 rod to replace, but for the small difference in price I would go with the convergence. I have a 7' medium weight moderate action convergence for cranking, and it is awesome. If it ever breaks, I go to my local shimano dealer, give him the rod and he hands me a brand new one, no questions asked. Between the rods performance and the warranty, it was a no brainer for me, but that is just my opinion and what suited me.

Lew's speed spool on a shimano convergence. Rod has lifetime warranty also.

Thanks guys, I appreciate all of the feedback. It looks like the closest two would be the brush jig or the alien head. I'm gonna try to find all of the terminators that I can in 1/4 oz. in my color choices, and then I will decide which of the recommendations to try.

I am looking for a jig with a head style similar to the terminator pro's top secret jig, or the spro k-finesse jig. I have used both in the past and like them very much, but they are getting harder and harder to find, especially in the colors and weights I want. So I am looking to find another company that makes a jig with a similar design, that I can order from whenever I need them. I am mainly using them for flippin and pitchin, and I really like the recessed line tine. I have also been told the old RC jig head design is similar, but they are hard to find too. Any help is appreciated. P.S. they have to be available in lighter weights; 3/16, 1/4, 5/16 and available in these colors; white, green pumpkin, black/blue

bwell, do they have a website? I have been fishing a club further south this year, but I just joined the Champaign- Urbana bass club and gonna give them a try. I am kind of searching around for a club that I want to fish full time next year. What do you guys do about the $50 sticker at Mattoon? Do they give you guys a one day pass for the tournament, or some kind of break?

7 for me, there have been times it wasn't enough!

I have used toothpaste for years, but have recently switched to a wonder bar.

I am left handed, so I do all of my casting, flipping, and pitching with my left, and I reel with my right. The rod never leaves my left hand, and it doesn't matter if it is baitcasting or spinning equipment.

Hey bwell, what tournament was held on Mattoon? Was it a club, and if so, what club? I grew up fishing Mattoon, and haven't fished there much in the last so many years, but wouldn't mind getting in on a tournament there.

You can fish quite a few lures on those set ups, but there is definately certain lures that would be better suited for a different setup than you have chose. I do a lot of my fishing with rods that are 6'6'' MH, fast action or extra fast action, paired with various reel speeds. But, I definately prefer to fish cranks on my 7' M, mod. action rod, also I like to fish a shakey head or drop shot on my medium action spinning setup. So, your chosen setups will cover a lot of choices, but are not the best choice for all lures. Also, remember people's opinions will vary some, so you can start with what you have, and make your own decisions on future setups as you go.

You could try a seine net.

I'll go with a hunting story. Try climbing into your deer stand that is 20' off the ground, about an hour before daylight, sit down, it's completely silent, and pitch black, and wait for it........... a screech owl perched about 3' away from your head starts screaming!!!! Great time to have a safety harness on.

palomar

I did it quite a while ago, and it didn't take too long to get the first pack, 3/0 EWG, but the second pack took a long time, 5/0 EWG. No complaints here, free stuff is always great.

The thing to realize is, that jerks exist in all forms. Whether it be bass fisherman, crappie fisherman, recreational boaters, bank fisherman, or any other category you may encounter while enjoying the outdoors. My favorite is when I'm waterfowl hunting, and fisherman get too close. If I see an approaching boat, I make it highly visible that we are there, this is a blind, not a mound of grass, and that these are decoys and not real ducks. Yet I still have the occasional guy come right on in. Some play dumb, some argue, but as soon as I tell them the pictures I just took with my phone were for proof of his presence and documentation of his state boat ID number, they usually get pretty apologetic. Around here, you will be fined for being too close. But anyway, stupidity comes in all forms, and can be dealt with properly.

Lipless- Strike King red eye shad- Blue/ Chrome, Sexy Shad - Rattle Trap- Blue/ Chrome Square Bill- Strike King KVD 1.5- Chartreuse/ Black Back, Sexy Shad I catch more fish on those 5 crankbaits than any others I have ever thrown. I do have a ton of them, but those are my most consistant producers. You can cover a lot of water with a lipless and fish it as deep as you want simply by counting it down. I favor a SK RES for its action on the drop, but favor the RT on the retrieve. I mainly use Blue/ Chrome on sunny days and SS on cloudy days. The KVD's just flat out catch fish. They have a great action, and I havent had to tune a single one out of the package. I fish them shallow, mid depth, and over deeper water, and they will draw fish to them throughtout the water column. I fish the Ch./Black in stained or muddy water, and the SS in clear to lightly stained water. These are just my opinions, and what works for me.

I doubt you are setting too hard, I cross their eyes, to make sure of good penetration with the heavier wire hooks. You can try thinning down your brush guard, or try some jigs with a different angle on the eyelet. Sometimes the wrong eyelet angle can cause the hook to roll or just pop the fishes mouth open on the hookset.

Laser sharp, Gamakatsu, and Trokar- all in EWG. I think I have a higher percentage on hookups with the EWG. I like the idea of having more space for the plastic to go and clear the hook on the hookset.

Buddy of mine bought a C400 and another ardent that i'm not sure of the exact model, and both are awaiting repairs with less than a month of use.

Shimano convergence or clarus would be my opinion. Lifetime warranties.

No, the pure poison is more of a chatterbait style, where this has a fixed blade fused with the jig head, more like the bill of a crankbait. Think of a scrounger head, but metal, and more horizontal, and all one piece.

I tried some when they first came out, and never really had any luck, I think I still have one somewhere. Someone can correct me if i'm wrong, but I think these came out before the chatterbait craze hit.

I would stick with a quality mono, and just don't go too big. Most spincast won't handle large diameter line very well, and a quality 10lb. mono will handle most situations.