flipin4bass

TW just got the new LC Wake Bait! The RC version of these baits were top water killers for me the past couple of years. I was really disappointed when they discontinued those, but now I can stock up.

BOOMER SOONER! and that's all I have to say about that.

That's right, keep using it until it tears. By the way, the tails on those Jelly Worms make good jig trailers.

I bet your heart was pounding when you pulled her out of the water, she's a wall hanger for sure!

Oh yeah, froggin in the slop...lets rumble! If this setup is the result of budget contraints, then you do with what you got. I'll never call myself an expert either, but I've pulled my fair share of hawgs out of the slop fishing frogs. When it comes to my frog combos, I don't care about looks or the graphics, I want muscle. I don't think you'll go wrong with your choice of braid and frogs, but if you really want to rumble in the jungle, I'd reconsider my choice of reel and rod. This is what I look for in a rod and reel that I'll use for "froggin." Rod: Length - 7'6" minimum, 7'10" prefered. Power - XH (I can accept a Heavy power, but I prefer the XH for a quick submission.) Action - XFast (I want that tip to load up fast.) Reel: I have just one requirement, that baby better have a minimum of 15lb of drag, and I mean measured drag. I never take a company's claim as gospel. I always measure the drag myself as soon as I get home with a new purchase. If it falls short, it goes back. My next frog reel will probably be one of the Revo reels. They're claiming drags between 20 and 24 lbs! After 30 plus years of froggin, I can tell you what that hawg lying just under that slop is saying when he sees you stepping into the ring, "Are you ready to rumble?" Best of luck on your quest for a good frog outfit, now go get em champ!

I smother my baits with the Hawg Sauce gel and its made me a believer.

I own two Sahara reels and other than an occcassional noise, they're good reels. I've always considered these reels to be Shimano's mid- priced reels and I don't think that the noise you hear is serious. I learned a long time ago that when it comes to Shimano and quality you have to be willing to spend the dollars. I've always been a loyal Shimano user and there was a time when I said I'd never spend over $100 for a reel, however, I'm fishing with their upper-range reels today and don't have any regrets. Their Calcuttas, Calais, and Stellas are the smoothest reels I've ever used and I wish I would have pulled the trigger on reels like these years ago.

I'm always cutting and retying my baits, so when I see the reel getting low (seeing the spool through the line) then I respool. I think I'm one of TW's prefered customers when it comes to line.

Ooops, didn't see this before I posted, now I feel as stupid as the guy who couldn't fork out the $10.50 for a license. Moderators, please delete my post.

You've honored your friend Roger with this article. A moving story and tribute. Thanks for sharing John.

Trilene !00% Pro Grade and KVD Line Conditioner for me.

You're right Wayne, I take back what I said and restate that it is my humble opinion. I think I also stated that I use fish finders, but once I know the water where I'm fishing I turn them off. You're right, I should listen to a company who sells sonar, who better would know if sonar affects fish than a company that sells sonar. The marine biologists in my family will be shocked to learn of this new revelation from Lowrance. Why, I'm going to burn all those books I paid a lot of money for in college, how dare all those biologists and scientists who've lied to me all those years. Seriously though, when I get up in shallower water, it seems like I catch more fish when I have my sonar turned off. Thanks for keeping me straight on the facts Wayne.

I've been a loyal Shimano user for years and I'll be the first to tell you that I've fished with junk that had their name on it. Over time life got better and I could afford to pull the trigger on a Calcutta and it was then I discovered that the more you spend on a Shimano, the more you get. That reel works like a fine Swiss-made watch. I eventually purchased another and along the way I picked up 3 Calais reels. I can't speak for other brands, but when you are willing and able to fork over the bucks for Shimano's higher end reels you do get what you pay for.

I use topo maps when they are available and when they are not, I will use sonar to get a picture of the bottom and to get depths. Once I know a lake I will not use sonar because I know it has an effect on fish behavoir and I catch more fish without it. However, I totally disagree with the assumption that it takes away from the enjoyment of fishing. Having knowledge of fish behavoir and knowing how structure and lake topography affects fish behavoir means the difference between a successful and enjoyable outing and just going out and "playing the slots," for lack of a better term. If you have a problem with spending the money on a good sonar unit, then by all means, learn to get by without it, but don't knock those who do use it.

This is the link to Hummingbird's Youtube Channel. They have a lot of videos that might help. http://www.youtube.com/user/HumminbirdTV

I've got more jigs than what I know what to with, but if I had to make an order I'd probably go with G-Man. Not that he makes a better jig, I've never used Northstar, but I like how his pull down menus allow the mixing and matching of head colors and skirt colors. That probably doesn't matter to the fish, these options attract the angler more than anything, but it is a neat option just the same. I did pull out one of my Big O football jigs that I used last summer and the paint holds up much better than the mass produced jigs I'ver used in the past. That's one quality I like when it comes to smaller, tackle-specialized operations. You get more attention to detail and pride in workmanship.

I now have four Champion Extreme 704C rods and IMO they're the best on the market. If you can afford to go with the Extremes you will not regret it.

I'm using a lot of homemade jigs these days, but I do have some of his Big O football jigs. I've landed some wallhangers using them and I like the construction. He also carries a lot of color combinations.

I'm picking up another yak this spring and I'm torn between the Ride and the OK Trident. I got to test the Ride this past November and man, is it stable. The thought of being able to stand up and fish is attractive, however, I like the speed of the Trident also. I have a Trident 13 now and it gets me across large lakes in short order. If you think you'll spend a lot of time on larger lakes you'll need to consider how the yak will perform in high winds. I got caught in a 30+ mph sustained wind once in my Trident and although it a little scary, it plowed right through it with no ploblem. Get with J Francho for his advice, he has a lot of time in yaks and knows a lot about hull design.

I was wondering just how far he would be able to cast that thing, it must weight close to 12 ounces. Give it time, someone will try it.

Sorry, had problems with the pic, should be there now.

Now this is insane! http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c279/risto7/arigmadness.jpg"]http://

I use a 5/0 for the 9" and a 6/0 for the 12" and have no problem, the bass suck those jellyworms right up. Oh yeah, save the tails of those jellyworms when they get torn. The last 4-5 inches make great trailers for those jigs.

I think it's the best source of information on the planet. There must be thousands of years of experience on here if you were to add up all the members who share their knowlege. I don't think there is another forum out there where you see the moderators engaging and participating with members like they do here.

When I first started fishing our local wildlife refuge, where powered boats are not allowed, I used one of my kids backpacks we'd purchased for school. Picked it up at Walmart for under $20 and would carry everything I needed. 2-3 Plano 3700 boxes, one for top water lures, and one for crank/jerk baits. It had a smaller compartment in front to carry a smaller Plano with terminal items and had enough room for a few packs of plastics, a camera, and a small first aid kit. You don't need to carry the kitchen sink when you're "backpack fishing," so plan your trips carefully. You'd be suprise at how much of the water column you can cover out of a couple of Plano boxes. Scoggins Outdoors-http://www.youtube.com/user/ScogginsOutdoors?feature=mhee