Bassun

Wow -- I have never had anyone step foot on my boat. Maybe its a local thing, but, never had that issue. It could end up bad if I'm fishing solo and come back with some jackhat digging through my boat -- as if I'm solo, I'm carrying. That being said, I generally reply to the how ya did honestly, and go from there. if they are polite and talkative, we will probably talk more about it... if they are rude, then they generally get the blandest of answers. I am one of the guys who generally asks everyone "how they did" at the docks, or if they come close in their boat how they are doing. But, I cannot remember ever asking what they caught em on unless we're really talking fish. Now that being said, I will eyeball every rod I see and pay attention to where boats are when I'm running. Hey, it's all part of building a pattern :-) Now as for people (invited) on my boat, things change. If it's on the boat, it's fair game for them to use. Usually they say, "oh I don't want to lose your lure" etc. Which gets the same canned response, "I bought the lure expecting to lose it, don't worry about it..." I've literally caught fish, and handed over the rod as is to help put them on fish. I have as much fun seeing other people catch fish as I do catching fish. Now, that's not to say if I have an experienced angler on board there wont be some friendly competition, lol.

For line - I would suggest getting an 8 or 10lb test (meaning it will fail with approximately 10 pounds of force) monofilament. Don't get the cheapest you can find. Spending a little on line will go a long ways. But, you don't need the best there is. Don't get too caught up in the brand right now, but stick to something like Stren, Spiderwire, Berkley etc. Good line, but not the "best" in the business. (Asking which is the best here would probably cause a war, lol) With line, *generally heavier line will be thicker and more forgiving... lighter line will be more subtle, and you can feel more (usually) but much less forgiving. 8 or 10 pound line will let you throw a variety of weights and still have some safety in the strength. I also highly agree with Yeajray231 on adding grubs to your arsenal. And here is a simple fix, wal-mart usually sells a cheap grub kit. Lots of colors and sizes and a mix of jig heads. Perfect for just getting started. And they are dead simple to use, work everywhere on multiple species, year round. Just cast them out, and reel em in basically. :-) Welcome to the addiction, and rest assured - the only limit to the information you can get here is the amount of time you put in researching. But, and I cannot stress this enough... K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple Sam) Don't fret over learning umpteen different styles, fall victim to the color debate, or believe that this lure, or that rod will make the difference. Take your time and get confident with just a few presentations. Then slowly add to that repertoire. The good, and bad thing for you is that you are starting in the fall. Bites could be good now, but will be slowing over the winter --- which means you can get your feet wet, so to speak, immediately --- then over winter you can take your time and read and learn tons. Next spring, you can apply that new knowledge with your experience from this fall and make great strides over the next year! Oh, one thing to keep in mind. Lure companies are trying to sell humans lures. Fish don't care who makes it... and honestly rarely care about the 50 different shades of color available. It's easy to get caught up in hype, and hyperbole over the next great lure. Start with the basics and you will do fine. Here is one tip that seems simple, but really makes a big difference when you are fishing. Generally ---- Smaller lures will entice more fish, but usually they will be smaller. Larger lures will often entice larger fish, but much fewer bites. So if you are having trouble getting bit, sometimes you can just go smaller and start getting fish.

My input is slightly off, as I am not retired - but I have discovered something about me and fishing. I love to fish, but I've found that I love to fish with someone else. I used to go solo in the creeks, or to the lake - but now I find myself less interested in fishing alone. I never thought I would be that way, but over the years I've discovered I have so much more fun when there is someone else around. Now if I lived on the lake, I would probably go solo for a few hours quite often; but I have to travel about 45 mins to the closest lake. Firstly, I hate loading and unloading the boat alone with a passion. I feel like a goober having to back in, get out, drag the boat around, tie it off - LEAVE IT, go park, come back -- and do it all again when I leave. But really, I just don't have as much fun alone. And as I'm getting older, I am beginning to recognize (or maybe revalue) certain risks with fishing solo. For example, I was on the water (with a friend) when the deracho hit few years back. Solo, that could have been much more of an issue... The point I am slowly getting to is that whether you fish more, or less, fish for the fun of it -- as long as you have fun then you probably wont burn out. Now, as for your question about how it impacted retiree's -- every single avid fisherman I know who has retired did immediately fish more. Often a LOT more - but then it slowed down. Most ended up only fishing occasionally, and only at prime times. Interestingly, their stories are never about recent trips - it is always about trips from years back when they had to work fishing in, vs being able to go at will. I think part of it is how fishing has changed, but I think part of it is that it meant more when you took that weekend and had an amazing catch vs going whenever and catching fish. Moments are special, if you can fish 24x7 I feel things lose a bit of their special-ness as its just another day -- vs that one fall weekend with your buddy way back when, where you decided to drive all the way out to Lake X and slayed the bass.

Hey folks -- I was rigging up for this weekend, and tied on the standard green pumpkin senko for my throwback, and realized I didn't contemplate the color - I just did what I've always done. Well, not always, it used to be a black worm -- but for a long time it's just been a senko, usually wacky rigged. I've always used a dark color, thinking the contrast with the sky - either white or blue, would make it easier for the fish to pick it up visually. Same with using a chunkier bait vs a small finesse style. But as I was tying it on, it occurred to me - I never change that color. Do any of you try to match the throwback color to the color you are running? Chartreuse popper gets a chartreuse senko, white for white, etc? I've not personally, but I guess it kind of makes sense to, as the fish "may" be keying on that color. Or maybe you contrast it completely? I don't know, it occurred I was making a decision out of habit - so I figured I'd ask y'all what color you throw and why?

Oh lord -- talk about a can of worms! I love catching carp on 4lb set ups. Amazing fight, and resilient fish. So that is my big, freshwater junker. I wish we had those pike minnow carp locally, they would be a ball! Small freshwater junk fish is the Green Hybrid sunfish, which are annoying at times, but if you just want to catch "fish" they can be a ball. But, my favorite - is an annoying, pesky, toothy abomination in salt water. The lizard fish. Find a nice flat, grab your light gear and bunch of 2" grubs and you can catch these crazy things like mad. I don't know why I like them so much, they don't fight that well - are ugly as sin, and take no real strategy to catch. Maybe that's why I like em, lol. Kind of like the bluegills of the sea. To be fair, my first experience with them was with a good friend and we had a ball with them, so I'm certainly jaded. In fact, before my wedding - we went fishing. And we went just to catch a bunch of those little guys, so I guess they have a special place with me.

Sounds like you answered your own question :-) I, personally, do not like a short ultra-light set up, but a longer one is fine with me, and will work fine for multi-species fishing - a short one, IMO, does not lend as well to bigger fish. (Of course Ice Fishermen will tell me I'm crazy, and would win.) However, I prefer a long, slow, light action for lite work. One piece of advice I would offer is to learn back winding with a spinning reel, if you are not confident with it yet. A fish broadside, or fighting down current will pull like a tank (especially a Smally!!) If I'm running 2 or 4 lb line, I generally plan on backwinding to control the fish better. It feels really odd at first, but after a few fights it becomes second nature and you can really control the entire fight much more smoothly, which to me is key with light line fishing. The best tip I can give on it, for anyone who doesn't do it often, is to not flip the switch until you want it. ie don't leave your reel with the anti-reverse turned off. Too often you end up trying to set a hook, and bam -- things go wrong. Get comfortable flipping it during the fight, only when you need it. Don't be afraid to use it on bigger reels too! Drag's are great --- but if I'm fighting something big - I like that extra give of me backwinding and controlling the tension how I want it, vs a static drag pressure. I kind of consider the drag a safety feature on spinning reels. I'll let it handle the "shocks" while I handle the pulls.

Can't beat a nightcrawler around here... course, you may end up with something other than a small panfish, and we wouldn't want that, lol. But, artificial wise I have the best luck for gill's with flies. Popping or any floating really, work amazingly well. For spinning gear, I prefer tiny grubs. 1 to 2 inch works well, scale size vs numbers, and mix up colors. White, yellow, pink are the three I toss the most though. Perch will nab the 2" variety pretty well too, especially white. But, honestly, I do better with small thin baits like a countdown rapala etc for Yellow Perch. Crappy, well, I'm a crappy Crappy fisherman. My best luck has always been minnow shaped, silver rubber. (Live minnows are king locally though.) 2" rubber minnows have done the best for me, occasionally I've done well with rooster tails, but tend to loose too many brushing the cover. If they are hungry, you can catch some slabs on bigger grubs though.

While it's not a lock, I generally start with suspending jerks during the spring, and floaters during the fall if I'm in deeper water. If it's shallow, then I almost always use floaters. My thinking is the bass are more active in early fall, into late fall thus will be triggered more often by the rise. In the spring, I feel they are a little more lethargic and will more often go ahead and eat that lil fish which just keeps setting there ringing the dinner bell. I know all things equal, they should react the same --- but to me, it seems to work out that way. *Could just be me falling victim to confidence and missing more fish though...

I personally have the Ascend D10T. It's way over your starting budget, so I hate to say too much about it --- but going with the thought of getting something "decent" to begin with, without breaking the bank, is a good idea I feel inclined to mention it. Plus, why spend 250 on something you will hate... save longer and get something you can use and love. First, I would look for used Kayaks if you are trying to cut costs. Also, the add on's add up quickly, but they for sure make things more enjoyable. If you can get a used fishing yak at a decent price, you will probably save a ton by having it already rigged on top of the used price cut. Having a "solid and stable" yak is kind of a misnomer as they just are not designed to be super stable. But, the more stable the better for fishing, in my opinion. The D10T is about 450 and comes pretty plain. It's kind of like a big barge, so you wont be the fastest on the water - but she tracks very well to be so wide and is more stable than most kayaks out there (without outriggers etc). I did add a few add-ons immedaitely. Two rod holders and an anchor trolly were two keys. I did add a few extra goodies, but meh, not needed really. If you are down to rod holder vs anchor trolly decision - Take the anchor! You can get a low priced kit with a tiny anchor which works great! You can always strap down rods, but you can't keep the yak still on a spot with any wind or current without the anchor. I do have one complaint with the D10T though. If you run up on a stump, most yaks will just slide off to one side or the other - and keep going. The channels on the hull of the D10T can kind of trap ya on a rock or stump, especially if it manages to get stuck in one of the sculper holes. That can get annoying, and potentially dangerous in swift water. Almost a second complaint is the weight. It weights a ton. So single loading etc, can be hard. It's only about 70 pounds rigged, but its a difficult 70 pounds to maneuver compared to a sit-in 35 lb sun dolphin about the same length. All things to consider. However, for fishing - I would ONLY suggest a SOT (Sit on Top). But, that's just me. I will deal with the extra weight and just ask my buddy to help load it :-) Good luck and welcome to a whole new world!

I had a problem almost identical to this once. Boat idled fine, revved fine etc. But, when I throttled out of the no wake cove where I launch -- major power loss at full throttle. Long story short, the engine was just getting hot because of a bad impeller. (and one later from a clogged water line that I didn't notice at the dock.) I thought it was fine the first time after I piddled around on it and it ran fine on a short distance. Really it had just cooled down, and once hot, it thermaled and limited power again. Glad the engine was smarter than I was!

One of the more unique catches was one of my nieces fish. Simple worm and bobber fishing for fish. Bobber drops, she sets the hook and the fight is on. About 30 seconds later we have a fish hanging out of the water, upside down. I thought she had somehow foul hooked him. But no... he had been caught before and swallowed the hook. Previous angler had cut it off and let it go. He'd passed part of the line and still had some inside of him. She SNAGGED THAT! So, the poor fish had literally been drug in by his butt. We trimmed off the line, and let the feller go. Now, for one of the more entertaining fish catches - I was bank fishing for cat's with a couple buddies who did little fishing. I had brought my net just in case. Well, I hooked into a nice carp. Probably 20-25 lbs. He fought like a giant in the current, awesome time! But, when I got it near the bank, my buddy decided he would go net it. Ok, cool... except he had never netted or apparently seen anyone net a fish. He goes towards the bank, and then... just keeps going. I was trying to get him to stop, but had to keep moving around to keep the line off him --- and he apparently thinks I'm saying "GO! GO! GO!", not "NO! NO! NO!"... so he starts chasing the fish. I'm dying laughing, and trying to get him to stop - which doesn't work, and hes running up and down the river like a mad man trying to net this fish. I'll give him credit, he DID finally net the thing! I don't know how we managed to pull it off without breaking the line but luck was on our side. After I could quit laughing, I gave him a few "tips" on how to net a fish lol. It's the times like that, which make me love spending time on the water with friends. I've had more fun catching small fish, or missing fish even, with friends than I've ever had out by myself catching nice fish.

Wow --- I missed this burn against youtubing lol. I think this could have probably ended with the first, if you don't like it -- why watch it? I mean really -- it's kind of like TV. If you don't want to watch CSI, change the channel. Don't whine that people are acting like they are solving crimes on TV only to have people watch commercials. Hello...? As for the different youtube personalities - yes, some know their stuff. Some don't. Some are quite funny, some are dry. Some are HAWT. That's the great thing about it, you can pick and choose and watch what you want - for the reason YOU want. Not everyone is going to like Bill Dance, Shaw Grigsby, or Roland Martin (etc etc). All 3 of those are AMAZING fishermen, but that doesn't mean you want to watch them. Maybe In-Fisherman TV is more up your alley, or going the opposite maybe Hookin' up with Mariko Izumi is what rattles your jig. But the big question is why come on a forum, (with a very notable youtube fisher at that) and start whining that everything is dumb and because someone takes care of their boat you can fish better etc. It's as if you think the world is designed to cater to you, as if you feel entitled and that things must be designed for you or its wrong. To be a man in your 50's you kind of act like my nieces and nephews -- only they lack the experience of reality to offset their own entitled ideologies. To quote someone, "Suck it up, buttercup." If you don't like the channel, change it...

When things get slumpy I move two directions: Smaller and Slower. Downsizing opens up more "fish" opportunities - and slowing down usually makes since as if they were aggressive you would be catching fish. Then it's just a matter of putting the bait on the fish. Sometimes you just need a fish, any fish, to get things going. Don't be afraid to go ultra-light and grab a bluegill just to get the skunk off, lol. Bass wise, if I'm really struggling I will generally look for a favorite point with cover and deep water structure. As an example, there is a great little secondary point in a cove - it has some cover at the bank, sloped down with a steep drop on one of the sides and leads to a creek channel in a 90 degree turn. It covers about 1 foot to 20 at the bottom of the creek channel. You wont always find a fish on it, but usually there's at least one somewhere. Give's a little incite to where the rest of the fish are. Other wise, I just start at shore cover and work out to the deeper structure. Sooner or later, you will pick up something. Good luck, and tight lines!

Rock Bass, Red-eyes - what ever you want to call them. They hit like they think they are something, then once they realize they are hooked they just lay on their side and let you reel them in while they glide on the water.

Kind of a different spin on it --- maybe it's just a matter of timing. It's summer. It's hot. Maybe try going a little earlier, or a little later and get going on a topwater bite before (and after) the sun's up and cooking things. I love a good topwater bite in the dark. Ton's of fun, and you're not fighting the heat!

I agree 100% that a fish will eat any size lure, if presented in the right situation. Case in point, years ago I was just piddling around fishing tiny grubs (1" and 2") , midsummer, catching a bunch of gills. All of the sudden, out from under a dock rolls a massive bass. I had 4lb line and was in the middle of a mess of dock pilings and logs so had no chance of landing her - so I just pulled it away quickly and watched her. She stopped dead, then turned back and went to her shade. I thought, heh -- kind of cool. Fast forward a few hours, and I'm doing the same thing over a lay down. Out comes the largest bass I've ever seen in my life -- on a mission! This hog was an easy 10+ and just inhaled the grub. I set the hook, but it popped right of her mouth. I tried for about 15 minutes to coax her out again with a variety of lures (and with bass gear). Nada. I left her alone, and came back about 30 minutes later and still no luck. Maybe she moved, maybe not, but there was a huge key in catching big bass. It's not always about the size, or type of lure, but its about getting that first shot right. I always tried to make my first cast in a potential area count -- after seeing that, I was convinced on just how important it is. After some reflection - I had always, in my opinion, over worked areas for fish - trying to coax bites out of fish that probably just we not going to hit. That's not to say I haven't aggrivated a few into hitting, but the time spent on those could have probably been better spent on a fresh spot. Now, if I'm looking for good fish - I don't dwell in one spot too long. The results? More fish in the boat. Fishing is easy -- it's just catching the little buggers that's hard...

So, I know you are not looking for "Oh, that looks awesome!" and moving on -- So, I will try to be constructively critical. First, the line...It really has to be there. It's just way to bizarre to have the lure with no line. Option B - give the lure it's own life and remove the line tie completely. Shop out the tie and split ring and just leave the body and lip. I don't like that idea personally, but it would potentially be less "off". Same for the comments on the hooks. They need to be in action as well - or you could try removing them again going for a "living lure" look - but again I think it would look kind of funny. The other thing which feels off is the lighting. I know with the abstract angles it kind of make it odd, but it "feels" like there should be more light on the rear, at more of a "left hand" angle so to speak. Having said all of that, the quality is superb, and I think you have a great eye for astethics -- a few minor tweaks and I think you have a fantastic shot. Good luck!

That's a huge yes! In fact, I actually go one further. I put my plastic bags in a gallon plastic bag - then label it with what type of plastics are in it. Flukes, Grubs, Finess worms, chunks, etc. Then, when I'm on the water - I don't have to dig through 100 bags looking for that white fluke, I just grab my fluke bag and know that it's in there. Edit -- then I noticed fish4 made the same post lol.

+1 for finding another fishing boyfriend. To many fishermen have non fishing mates, lol. But -- as for catching fish... Regardless of "what" lure you use, try to think about where the fish may be. I don't know where you are, but you can kind of use a simple rule of thumb -- fish don't like to be too hot, or too cold. So spring and fall, they are often more shallow -- summer and winter they are often more deep. Even during the day, same thing may happen. You could find bass shallow early in June, but by mid-day much deeper, etc. Once you have a general idea - look for "anything" that may attract a bass (or other fish). A tree, a dock, a rock, a ledge, etc. Most often fish relate to some sort of cover or structure. Once you start getting a feel for where the fish are, the rest will start to fall in place. Oh, and when you're just not finding fish - try down sizing your lures. Something smaller opens up more of the food chain, and can often give you hint's on where the fish are etc. Granted this is probably the most over-simplified advice I could ever give - but K.I.S.S. There's no point in learning the most advanced techniques until you have a good grasp on the basics. Time on the water is huge...time on the web learning is very good too -- but doesn't hold a candle to actually doing it. Good luck!

Whatever you get - I would down size it. As mentioned above kids need action. Most would rather catch a dozen dinks, over one really nice fish. So focus on numbers. I would even go so far as looking at really small stuff like bettle spins, and 2 inch grubs. Great for any small fish, gills, perch, etc. and dink bass will thrash em too! And, I don't know why, but some lunkers will suck up those tiny grubs too lol. Definitely reaction style baits, small cranks, small spinner baits and definitely throw in some topwater stuff if they fish any ponds at all.

Sorry for the delayed reply - works been crazy. Surprisingly no, no officers at all. And Briery is definitely on the radar as well! :-) Great news! Thanks for the heads up! I don't know how soon I will get to head back up there, but it's definitely a trip I will be making at some point.

So, it's no secret - if you have the internet - that Sandy River Reservoir is a prime location to do some small boat, big fish work in Virginia. I've been wanting to take the trip for years, and finally had the opportunity to head up there this year. First trip on my kayak, first trip to Sandy - and sadly, first trip of the year. (Work pays the bills, but sure hurts fishing time lol). If you are unfamiliar with Sandy, she holds tons of great sized bass for a Virginia Fishery -- and has structure unlike most of my local waters. Namely the standing timber over a couple of large portions of the lake. We arrived Saturday, a little later in the morning than I would normally want, but it's early spring and I knew I would be wet - so, was glad to start a little late and not freeze. In hind site, it was so warm that it would not have mattered. We drop off the yaks and immediately notice a pungent dead fish smell. We assumed someone had left bait on the shore and didn't really pay much attention to it. Load up our gear and shove off. This was actually a comedy in and of itself, as neither of us had kayaked before and it was entertaining to say the least to watch my buddy almost roll his yak in about a foot of water. But, quickly we figure it out and off we go towards the trees. On the way, immediately we notice dead shad. A few here, a few there - then as I looked around, they were everywhere! Literally, hundreds and hundreds of dead shad across the expanse of the lake. I know it's not odd to see a few, but never have I seen this many. It was quite foreboding. We continued our way to the standing timber where we were expecting to see some spring bass action unlike any before. I could run through the day, the selections, the techniques -- but let it suffice to say, we threw the box at em. After hours of fishing, I managed to hook up on one dink. Needless to say, we were extremely disappointed, and frankly, questioning our ability to find and catch fish on what by every account I've heard, is a superb fishery. Naturally we watched others as well... and it was the same for them. Everyone started out searching, finding nothing, slowing down, going deeper, slower, smaller, etc. Points, channels, structure, flats, etc. We, and others, were all over the place trying to unlock the key. As we passed by, each of us always asked how the other was doing --- and the best anyone did was 1 fish - by the end of the day. We continued working different areas of the lake and finally called it a day and paddled back to the launch. Naturally, leaving one of the premier fisheries we have with one dink was a major disappointment. As concerning was the massive number of dead shad. I had suspicions of what was going on, but not until I got home and did a little research did I find the proof. Researching the shad kill, I found an article posted by the Farmville Herald on the Thursday prior - detailing the massive shad kill off... http://www.farmvilleherald.com/2016/04/warmer-water-kills-gizzard-shad/ So, we happened to come to one of our top fisheries for the first time, on the full moon, heat of prespawn/spawn, and managed to do it a few days after the water temp rose so fast it killed off thousands of shad, and obviously distressed the entire fishery. We managed to see the lake at its worst, when it should have been at its best. How's that for luck... On the positive, it was a beautiful lake. Once we got back in the trees, it felt like we were fishing much further south, and I can certainly say it "looked fishy!" And while it was much different fishing from the yak vs of the deck of my Skeeter - I have to say - it was completely a ball! I have a greater respect for those exclusive kayak fisherman, as it is a totally different game and adds a whole new level of challenges. All in all, it was a good day - got out on the water, in a new place and that's always a win. Just my luck to manage to find the worst possible time ever to go, lol.

I personally keep all my plastics in their original bags, and put the bags themselves into a duffle. I keep the majority of "normal" stuff in the main compartment, then the bag also has two decent sized sections on each end. I put my grubs and creatures in one side and flukes in the other. I go to flukes and grubs quite often so it was handy to keep them separate. In the middle, I bagged similar style plastics into a gallon ziplock and labeled it. Finesse, craws, large worms etc. Super easy to find exactly what I want, and everything stays clean and fresh. Hard plastics live in 3600's basically. I separate out for cranks, deep divers, jerks, etc. so that I can grab one or two boxes and have most of my lure type right there in front of me. Each box is labeled on the end in sharpie so its easy to grab what I'm after. I also have a bigger box for "large" lures, a spinner bait box, and some small boxes full of smaller stuff. I do, also, keep a couple small boxes with just 1 and 2 inch grubs. I have a ball with them and its so easy to just grab that box and pluck a bunch of perch or 'gills for fun or cat bait on the occasion. Hooks and weights are also in their own separate small boxes and one full of misc terminal gear. The one thing that helped me out, especially when I was fishing tournaments, was keeping a "used" box. I'd start out the day with it empty, then every time I pulled off a lure instead of going back to the original box, it went in the "used" box. It was much quicker and it gave me a snap shot of what I had been trying and what wasn't working. More than once I pulled the box and just looked at what wasn't working and it gave me insight as to what to try. At the end of the day you have no lures in your main box with line on them, and you can easily clip and reset for the next day. It also keeps you from putting deep divers in with your shallow cranks, or jerks with top-waters etc. Everything has its place, and its super easy to keep it organized. It is also super handy when taking a friend out. They ask if you have and "X" and you can just grab the box and they can find what they are after. It all goes back in the used box in the end, so you don't have to worry about someone putting the gear in the wrong place. A nice little bonus. As a side note, I do keep a complete live bait / catfish tacklebox separate and only bring it if I know I will be doing fishing of that nature. Super handy that way since I may end up on a river bank, or who knows where instead of just my boat.

If you have the disposable income to literally throw away $250 bucks, then no - it is not too much. If you don't, then yes it is. I don't mean to sound harsh, but the reality is you cannot buy a lure and plan on using it and not be willing to lose it. I fish with a lot of different people, many end up borrowing my tackle and they are always worried about losing a lure. I tell everyone the same thing, "I didn't buy them to look at, I planned on losing it the day I bought it." The trick, which I didn't learn early enough, is buying the "right" lures. For example if you fish small streams for smallmouth and redeye - you don't need to buy a dozen 3/4oz jigs or 8 inch jerkbaits. However, a couple J7 Rapala's would be a great choice. If you fish for panfish, you don't need those spooks and flukes, but a beetle spin and some 1/16th oz grubs would be great. I would personally suggest starting with smaller lures. I know, I know - big lures catch big fish. But when the bite gets tough, we down size. If you don't have smaller, more versatile lures, what do you down size to? Another reason I suggest going with smaller lures is two fold. First, they "may" be cheaper, secondly you will generally have better catch rates on smaller lures. But, at the same time - smaller fish more often. Which, to me, is ok. Especially if you are learning how to use artificials. If I were to start fishing today with no tackle, and just learning I would look at the following as a starting point (assuming you are fishing mixed species water with a variety of sunfish): I'm in SW Virginia and fish a mix of streams and lakes. Most notably, I would NOT buy ultra high end lures. I would start my "core" hard plastics with quality gear, Rapala, Strike King, including the cheaper Bandits and Rebels. But I would avoid stuff like Livingston and Livingtarget where to cost is just so high. (But they do work!) Grubs - I would get a mix of 1/16 up to 1/4 or maybe even a couple 3/8 oz jig heads and a variety of sizes and colors up to 2 inch. They will flat out catch anything that swims. You could stop here and catch TONS of fish. Crankbaits - I would get a few smaller ones, and a couple larger - all shallow to mid running. Maybe buy 1 or 2 deep runners if you have deep enough waters. Great search baits that catch tons of fish. Spinnerbaits - no need to buy a box of these on day one. 1/2 oz white, with willow leaves. 1/2 oz "bluegill or perch colored" with mixed Colorado and willow. 3/8 black and blue with big Colorado blades will get you through a lot to start out. And they are hard to lose, so you don't "have" to have so many backups. Jigs - I would get a few jigs, notably a 3/8 oz black and blue, and a back up of the same. Then maybe something a little smaller like a 1/2oz in pumpkin seed etc. These, for me, are super easy to lose lol. remember, a grub on a jig head is a jig too - so if the jig bite is on, and you lose your big guys - you still have options - get creative. Soft Plastics - By plastics I mean worms / flukes / senkos etc. Great thing about these is that you can use many of them on the same hooks. So getting a couple dozen hooks and a variety of soft plastics gives you a ton of options and offers great success. I personally opt for 3/0 Extra Wide Gap hooks 90% of the time. Small enough for dinks, but big and solid enough for bruisers too. Sometimes, I will down size, or sometimes I'll jump up to even a 5/0 depending. But 3/0's are my staple. Flukes and Super Flukes are killer, 4-6" worms, senkos, etc. Don't forget terminal tackle like swivels, weights etc. Soft plastics can be as versatile as you want them to be from floating on top, to dragging the bottom to anything in between. Draping a worm on a football head jig can work wonders at the right time. Top Water - I would get a couple top water guys like a zaraspook and/or skitter pop, and a good ole fashioned el cheapo popper. Then from there I would do two things: First look for sales. You can often times find a good deal on a variety of different lures with big box sales. it's a great way to supplement your collection, and build up different colors and looks. And don't be a snob. Sure, those $20 lures look great and do catch fish. But so does that $2.50 Rebel you just found on sale. Secondly - Look for used stuff - yard sales, flee markets, friends selling off stuff, sometimes even ebay. If you look around, you never know what you might find. Now, I can guarantee if you ask 10 people, they will give you 10 different answers on what they would spend $250 on -- but that's where I personally would start. But, keep in mind -- $20 worth of grubs can be just as much fun as $2000 of too many options to choose from. Sometimes it's easier not having so much... Oh, and having the same lure in 18 different colors is nice sure --- but to start out - not really worth it. Color is important, but starting out I would look for a few simple combinations. Natural, bright w/ chartreus, darker. And that doesn't mean that you must have three Rapala's of every size in that set - but a bright Bomber Fat Free shad, a Natural looking Rapala DT6 and a dark Normal Little-N would be a simple starting set of cranks. Tight lines!

I use a mix of tactics for my gear depending on the situation. I've actually changed from Plano to the Zerust line from Flambeau, I don't know that it helps - but I figured I'd give it a try. On the boat I keep a mix of gear in multipe sized boxes, each dedicated to a type of bait. I used to store them in a large tackle bag, but I've stopped and now keep them on the boat in a storage compartment. I keep all terminal gear and hard baits in a mix of boxes, mostly 3600 and 3700 sized. Spinnerbaits go in a spinnerbait box, and I have two progressively larger boxes for bigger gear for stripers etc. I keep my plastics in their original bags and in a 30" multipocket tacticle bag, along with all of my normal tools etc in the pockets. One thing I started doing years ago was keeping an "empty" 3700 labeled "used". Everytime I took off a lure, instead of putting it back in it's box I would just drop it in the used box. It made it easier to see what I had tried and helped to figure out patterns. It also helped me to realize when I was simply trying the wrong things for the situation. If I'm bank fishing I have a smaller (I think 18") tacticle bag I use. I will just drop in whatever boxes and bags I want and off I go. Now, if I am catfishing seriously, I have an old Plano 7771 box that I still use. I keep plastic gloves, filleting knife, heavy terminal gear, etc. etc. in it. I use it both on the boat, and on the river bank. It doubles nicely as a seat, lol. If I'm wading, usually I have my wading vest on with one or two small boxes of small gear or flies for the creek depending on what type of fishing I'm doing. On the rare occasion I will just have spare rapala and a pair of pliers if I'm doing a quick dip - or if I've stopped off on the way home etc and using the travel rod. Needless to say, I tend to be "prepared". I hate to get into a situation where I don't have what I need, and tend to carry a little extra especially if I'm fishing with a friend who doesn't have as much gear. They all know if I have it, they are welcome to use it. The funny thing is, although I tend to keep a mix of lures even wading - 95% of the time I'm fishing the same lure in the creeks. J-7 Rapala in Silver and Black. I just love that thing! (And keep a few spares!)