Teal

Love this post. To the OP, that is a good set up. It looks like you did your homework and found a rod/reel and line combo to fit a need. Kudos. Continue to research as you grow as a fisherman. I encourage you to also try the YUM dingers too. They are inexpensive, can be found in any walmart and perform great.

Well said. I understand that they are HUMAN and humans will have disagreements and negative opinions. However, they are Elite Series anglers. They should be held to a higher standard than other anglers and should be more professional. They should take care of their dirty laundry in private. Rojas should have been man enough to go talk to Alton personally and not say anything negative to a camera. He doesnt have to sing altons praises to camera but she shouldnt talk about him in a negative manner. But ill say that the network and BASS may have something to do with it too... this kind of stuff creates buzz...

Welcome Pete! Where you from in NC?

Heres the link to the thread with the info on the Powell rods sale that Adam posted. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/114975-powell-rod-special/

What i use for a general purpose rod is a Powell Endurance 723 7'MH. I actually have two. i have them both paired with Lews Tourney pro. Retail, the Powell is 170.....Rippin Lips posted a thread with info for a tackle shop that is selling them 100a bucks or so. The Lews Tourney PRo retails for 199.99 but can easily be found for 150 or less on E Bay. The lews tp is a LIGHT high quality reel for an exceptional price (even if you had to pay full retail, its one of the best values out there)

It changes from day to day...i change the presentation until i get bit, then i repeat it and fine tune as i go. As far as your question goes...what is MY FAVORITE? I would prefer to make short pitches and flips, and just let it fall and get bit on the fall... but that would be in a perfect world.

X5 .. kvd line and lure, RELIGIOUSLY! It makes life a little easier.

Hey and welcome. First off how come you feel that your Black Max and Vengence are not the best for that technique? A 6'6" - 7'0" M / MH rod and a 6.3:1 reel are pretty standard for worms and jigs. The vengence and max are not the best quality rod/reel on the market but if its what you can afford then it can certainly fit the bill. Alot of guys on this site use the Black Max and the Vengence an$ Vendetta rods. IMO, a 6'6-7'0 M rod is great for worms and jigs as long as you dont plan on anything heavier than 3/8 or so. I have a 6'6M rod that use for skipping docks withs worms, light jigs, senkos ect... i like a M action worm rod, i can really skip alot better with a lighter action. If you plan on being able to use heavier stuff then a MH might be good too. 8-14 line is pretty standard. My line is choosen based on the cover and water clarity in my lakes. Thats something your going to have to figure out. As a rule of thumb, i always use as light of line as i can get away with. I use 30lb braid on most of my. Worm/jig/spinner bait rods...with leaders from 8-14 lbs. On my dock skippin rod i mentioned above, it is lined with straight fluoro, 12lb test I use braid because my three local lakes are Full of vegetation, rocks, and boat docks.. I could get away with 20lb braid, but again its a personal choice...20lb braid tends to dig into my casting reels... If you starting using flouro or a braid/fluoro combo along with tungsten weights, it will great improve the sensitivity that you have. Braid/fluoro/tungsten is a game changer.

The highest temp ive seen on Gaston is 48 and the average temp is around 46...this time last year, the water temps were much higher ...but its been so cool... Its gonna be soon, but its still just a bit cold...

1/10 solution of simple green or any degreaser type chemical worrks well for me. Ive done it a number of times. Myy dishwasher doesnt harm my tupperware containers so i would think plano boxes could stand up to the heat.....but i havent tried it.

Very good post!! Very thoughtful. This will probably help alot of guys on this site.

Texas rigged pegged or weightless. Lift and drop or "yo yo" works well. And if there is a snag, just give it a slight rip and let it fall much like you would with a lipless crank. Thats pretty effective for me...we have a bunch of hydrilla and milfoil here.

I havent used YOZURI but 12lb is sufficient. Ive caught them on on 8lb test with a spinnenait. If your using the typical 6'6-7'0 MH, 12lb is fine. If i didnt use braid, 12# would probably be what i use....(its what i typically use as a leader) Ive heard nothin bit good things about yozuri....u should be good to go.

Congrats! He already looks like a good co-angler!! Theres nothing in this world like being a daddy...enjoy it!!!

I have used stinger hooks on small swim baits...but not on a fluke... i dont imagine that it would mess it up too bad... worth a try...

Peanut butter sandwiches and bananas are a good choice if u dont wana bring your micro wave. Protein bars are also a good choice.

Ive used scrap pieces of braided line, silicone skirts strands, and the actual pegs and bobber stops on the market. Skirt strands work pretty good. I like the bobber stops the best. I do keep some pegs around to so i can do it on the fly...

Literally just laughed my butt off! Im more worried about setting the hook and missing, thus turning my weight into a bullett thats flying at me than the usual handling of lead. To be honest, ive never really thought about it.

Thats another reason i said no to calling in sick....thats my kinda luck

No. I have a hard time sacrificing my integrity (that took years to build up) by lying about being sick and then fishing. Its too easy to switch shifts with someone at the last minute or use vacation time at the last minute. I id rather be upfront with the boss and tell them that im not coming in and that i have person x covering for me while i take a "mental health day" at the lake. However, to play along... if i was to do it, it would probably be a week long down at the Big O

I remember you were saying a few weeks ago that you didnt know why we changed them because you never had a problem with them.....i was thinking to myself that it was only a matter of time. Sorry your fish got away.

I own 2 Powell 723s. That is my go to rod for spinnerbaits and swimjigs,chatterbaits, hollowbody swimmers, ect. I have the 725 also and use it mainly for frogs, heavier topwaters, and sometimes a jigs and big rattle traps. The 725 will do the job but a the 723 will have alot more castabilty on lighter spiinnerbaits and 1/4 oz swimjigs. I use 30# braid for spinners and swimming jigs and it is perfect on the 723 as far as great a good hook set.

Looks good...very good... I'd throw em

Awesome! Welcome Hobie

Kryptonite. I have a weakness for the wife, hard to say no to her.