Hanover_Yakker

Best news heard all day. Congrats!

That would be a serious chunk - congrats! HW by chance?

I have had both and can tell you that the lens quality on the Costas are better but the price point is what scares many people away. The one caveat to this whole discussion is that in actuality, the manufacturer is not the limiting factor in your decision - your own vision is. The amber lens from Oakley, Native Eyewear, WileX, Amphibia, Hobie Polarized, Maui Jim, Ray-Ban, Costa, Smith Optics, etc are not equivalent to one another. Your best bet is to find someone that has a lens color you like and go out on the water and see for yourself. The other factor to consider then is the fit. Although the lenses for Costas are far superior to Oakleys in my opinion, none of the Costas fit my nose structure or face comfortably. The nose pads on the Oakleys just sit better for me. Your face may be different. It's a shame too, because I love the Costa designs and the inshore green lens color. Heck even Hobie Polarized (whom I have a Pro Staff deal with) doesn't have a frame or nose/bridge configuration that fits my face without giving me a splitting headache. Forget the brand and go for fit first, then worry about lens color.

Why not just buy the Flambeau or Plano Marine Dry Boxes? Serves the same purpose, and they are built for it already. I have one I use when I live bait fish in saltwater.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/121564-looking-into-getting-a-kayak/#entry1330025 Try this thread. A lot of your questions may have already been answered. I posted a reply that has almost every thread for the last 6+ months asking the same question you asked.

Thanks guys - yeah, getting caught out that far is more of a risk out on the open water like that, but on the otherhand, you can see trouble brewing a lot easier and farther way. Unfortunately, that storm cell formed right on top of us with no warning, not even from the National Weather Service. They activated the alert system right as it was bearing down on us.

PowerTeam Lures JP Hammer Shad in 3.6" and 4.8" in the Spicy Goby color.

Try this..... http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/121496-ribbit-frog-weighted-or-weightless/

Lowepro makes some cool one shoulder bags you might consider. We have one we use for my wife's digital slr.

Welcome aboard!

No cooperation from Mr. Brown Suit (aka Cobia to the un-initiated) but we had fun. Went out to Blue Fish Rock outside of Grandview in Hampton, VA and set out our chum slick north of the tips and dropped out live croakers on FF rigs. I filled my time waiting by chasing anything that would bite. Ended up with over 40 croaker (ranging from 5" - 12"), a couple small spot and several 10-12" roundheads. As you will see, the cI4 and AVID I purchased from two BR members got quite a workout. The first storm passed east of us and nailed the Eastern Shore. The second one grazed us to the south and soaked us to the core, but the last one hit us dead on with no warning from the National Weather Service and marine radar. Enjoy the video!

Its all part of fishing...... Oh yeah. For the uneducated, its no longer referred to as a skunk. Its called "scouting".....

Welcome aboard.

I like the idea for some of the small one-person skiffs people use in the saltwater or jon boats but even in my Pro Angler, the additional effort to remove and install the device before and after every trip plus the additional weight factor would negate any operational benefits for me. I'll stick with my 6' and 8' YakAttack Park-n-poles like flyfisher said. That way I can pole about and get a better anchoring position relative to the current when I need to use it.

Welcome to the addiction. Congrats on the new PB.

This is how I was always taught to make the nylon rope lure for gar.... 1. Cut a piece of 3/4" nylon rope 12-24" long but you can use shorter lengths for smaller presentations. 2. If the rope is braided, undo the braids then comb it out using a wire brush (just think Santa Claus' beard) 3. Run the frayed rope through a barrel swivel and tie and overhand knot. You should end up with about 6" of rope on either side. Super glue the knot 4. You can add scent if you like or even inline spinner components and beads. Add a slip sinker if you want to fish it sub-surface. The trick to using a frayed-rope lure is to let the gar take it 2 or 3 feet before you try to pull it in. That way the gar has plenty of opportunity to let the nylon get tangled in its teeth. Not sure if this helps or not.

I'll keep it short and sweet...... 1. Your budget is not very realistic given that you will need other things. 2. That price is going to limit the quality and reliability long term of certain brands 3. Seat time seat time seat time 4. You'll most likely find out that the money you saved initially in going the cheap route could have been saved a little longer and used towards a better kayak With that said, try these threads that may have more content regarding this topic area..... http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/121104-need-kayak-advice/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/120956-bass-fishing-on-a-kayak/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/119680-kayak-question/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/119567-basics-of-kayak-buying/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/119235-looking-to-buy-my-first-kayakplease-help-bps-d10t-sot-kayak-pelican-icon-100x-etc/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/117084-which-kayak/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/118110-question-about-mini-x-kayak/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/115057-bps-ascend-d10t-kayak-vs-malibu-mini-x-kayak/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/117387-need-a-light-kayak/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/114350-looking-to-buy-a-kayak/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/114014-buying-a-kayak-this-spring/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/110213-first-kayak-purchase-please-help/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/110674-need-help-deciding-on-canoe-or-kayak/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/110096-kayak-recommendations/

Lastly - invest in a plug knocker or make one. Anyone who fishes moving baits around cover can tell you how invaluable this little accessory can be. May not seem like a big deal when tossing about $2 Wallie World Cotton Cordell or Rebel clearance CBs, but tie on a Lucky Craft, Koppers Live Target, some of the JDM cranks, etc. and you could have mild cardiac palpatations when one becomes snagged and the hooks don't budge or bend.......

If you are using the standard sized Ribbits, I use a 4/0 Mustad UltraPoint or Zoom Horny Toad hook unweighted. If you are going to use the Bull Ribbits, you will need to step up to the 5/0 size. Some people prefer EWG hooks, but I do just fine with the Mustad and Zoom ones. One rigging tip though on the Ribbits - they do tend to flip wrong side up or belly up on the cast, so you can do a couple things here. One, on the cast, start your retrieve before the frog hits. Two, keep your rod tip up during the retrieve. Three, if the belly up still occurs, a little twitch and lowering of the rod will sometimes right the frog. Lastly, and possibly the best tip in my opinion, is to rig the frog with a slight bow in the back not straight like a tex-posed fluke or worm. The arch in the back helps the Ribbit right itself during the retrieve. Oh, and per your original question, I have tried the Stanley weighted frog hooks and all they did was collect every piece of debris and algae/grass floating in the water. I use them now primarily with flukes, large power worms or stick baits for a weighted presentation during deep drop casts and jigging. Last thing, when rigging the frog, apply a little scent to the hook shank then work the shank through the body of the Ribbit a couple times. The plastic on the Ribbits is a little firm, so the first strike or two may result in a missed fish even if you do everything correctly simple because the hook didn't budge. Hope this helps!

I have both of the ones you mention, and my preference is the Bull Shad. The action is more realistic in my opinion. Others opinions may vary or differ even.

As long as they both catch fish, does it really matter? Now, with respect to the original poster's question which asked specifically about the BBZ-1 and the Bull Shad, the SPRO is a more finished looking product and is more marketable, but the Bull Shad looks more realistic in the water. If you want to get into swimbaits, then you need to be ready to spend some $$$ regardless of what you choose. The other thing you need to consider is rod and reel combos to cast these things - the re is a huge difference in the combo setup necessary within the same product line. Are you talking the original 6" BBZ-1 or the newer 4" or even the 2.5" baby baits? For the Bull Shads, are you talking the 5", 6" or the new 9". The line and gear requirements might be slightly different.

It was saltwater but I went 20 casts in a row and caught a speckled trout ranging in size from 14-18". Fun for sure.

I enjoy watching it every year. I love watching the effort and struggles in the mountain stages. Its a shame that PEDs have tainted this event.