Felix77

Makes me want to buy my 1st Ambassador.

In dirty water I up size the hook and lure. My favorite right now is a 3/0 EWG with a trick worm. For something with more action may I suggest a Recon worm (ribbon tail) and slowly reel it back consistently. Also 4" Keitech shads

For any given tournament I use 6 rods. 1 - jig/punchy stuff 2 - trig plastic 3 - top water 4 - drop shot 5 - weightless plastic 6 - spinnerbait

Just Google Texas rig. There are a million pics if you aren't sure. Good luck. Post pics of your 1st T Rig Bass.

Short answer you already know is "No". The trick worm will get you fish just by throwing it on a hook. Once you can afford more then add more items to the arsenal. To keep things simple here's what I would recommend. 1 - Texas rig. From the bank buy 1/8 - 3/16oz bullets and add that on to your line before the hook/worm. 2 - Split Shot. Size #2 or #3 - Simply crimp them on the line 12 - 18" above the hook for a finesse carolina rig of sorts. That should get you started.

I still remember the happy tears when I found out. Enjoy the moment.

I love red hooks. They go on sale more often.

Marty is spot on.

Isn't that the guy who Eric Young went out with on his Extreme JetSki fishing episode? Just checked. It is. Episode 104. But his doesn't turn into an ATV.

That is cool. I just discovered another one and posted about it before seeing this post. LOL

I can already imagine one of these puppies rigged up with a Talon, trolling motor, fish finder and rod holders. Very cool ... LOL

Any day of fishing is a good day of fishing.

Awesome article! As a co-angler I find this even more important if that is possible. Why? Because you need to take advantage of what the boater doesn't see make the most of those opportunities. In two tournaments this year it made all the difference in the world in my placement.

Boca customer service rocks. I replaced bearings on an older baitcaster that was given to me. They helped me through the entire process.

I enjoy the Max series of reels. I have all 3. Black, Silver and Pro. All are good. Silver is my favorite though.

Spinning is more forgiving. I started fishing from a bank using a spinning setup. I found that it made me more proficient at skipping under cover to catch fish. I switched to a baitcaster and feel it's doing the same for me. IMO the baitcaster is tougher to fish from a bank if you are hiking into places to fish. There in lies the challenge for me. Open areas it doesn't matter.

You need to heal. A little time away could turn into a very long time away if you make your injury worse. I had a friend who dislocated his shoulder and decided to "pop it back in" and ignore it. He reinjured it a week or so later and ended up having surgery to repair it. According to him it's never been the same again. Stripers will be there when you are healed.

Thanks guys. Curbed my bait monkey from an extra purchase. Just have to wait for the new Rage Baits. LOL

All, I'm not looking for manufacturers but ideas about what I should be looking for in a reel that one would dedicate for drop shotting. Reel size (30, 40, 60?), line capacity, reel speed, inches per turn, drag? Thanks

I have been very curious about these reels. They look great! What's the benefit of these over a low profile baitcasting reel?

Cant wait for the new DB Craw! Perfect 1 - 2 punch with the original Rage Craw IMO. Subtle DB Craw when the bite is a little slow. Lively regular Rage Craw any other time.

Awesome! LOL

I am beginning to love RoboWorms. I catch so many d**n fish with them. In my last tournament I caught my 3 biggest fish on it. So far my favorite ways to rig it are. 1) Drop Shot 2) Split shot/Mojo Rig

In general it was a dud for me. I watched every episode for entertainment but found myself doing other things while watching the show. Lacked something for me. I think they needed to do more actual "skills" based challenges and less of the crazy off the wall challenges. My favorite challenge was the one which Melanie won by tying a fly out of household items. To me that was a perfect challenge which put their angling skills and their ingenuity to the test.