buzzed bait

Oh yeah I would research ahead of time myself but I'm thinking of those situations where there's maybe only one of them in the store and on clearance or something like that. A thing where it a great deal as long a nothing's wrong with it and you feel like you just can't pass on it...

Didn't catch a fish or even wet a line, but I got $150 in Bass Pro gift cards for my birthday! Now I just need to figure out how I want to spend it.... Any suggestions on a rod to pair with my new Lews speed spin 300a? I would like it to be a good all around soft plastics setup. Thanks!

Rods or reels that are on clearance in a store? Are you ever worried that something is wrong with them that you're not seeing?

Not true...... I had a lengthy conversation with the last bass that I caught and he said he checks the site daily to figure out what's hot and he knows to avoid that if it falls in front of his face.....

Interesting stuff here guys. I've been strictly mono and braid up until now and I just spooled my new Lew's speed spin with 12lb flouro. and of course i tied on my go-to Palomar knot which it sounds like was a bad idea??? I'm using this rig to fish soft plastics mostly and wanted the flouro for the better feel on a slack line. Sounds like i need to learn some new knots and start using them on the flouro....

your closest smallie lake would be lake james. from where you live that's probably about 1.5 hours. fontana is probably the best smallie lake in nc, but it's a good drive from south charlotte i'd say like ~4 hours. my mom lives in morganton about 5 minutes from lake james and it's a good lake to fish.

If you change out the treble hooks on a lure, do you run the risk of weakening the split rings? I replaced some treble hooks on a couple crank baits last night using a split ring plier. Afterward, it seemed like there was a slightly noticeable gap in the split ring. So I’m wondering if that may weaken those rings, or even if I just did it wrong altogether. Or perhaps they’re just lower quality split rings to begin with.

any day i can put my rods to use rather than rigging them and tinkering in the living room or the garage.... I can honestly say that getting skunked does not bother me, some skunked days i just start exploring which leads to better fishing the next time out.... also, i say any day that you catch something aside from a bass.... i mean bass fishing is what it's all about, but if i catch a trout and a crappie and a catfish all while targeting bass it just gets me excited for that day's prospects

if so you may want the DNR on standby for a new record....

as shown in the before and after photos... the bigger the beard, the bigger the fish

interested to see how it turns out, i work in the home improvement retail business and many companies that stand by their product are often willing to provide free promotional material (decals in this case) as it helps to spread the word. you may not buy something based off one person having a sticker, but if you pull up to a boat ramp and see the same sticker on a dozen trucks and the boats they're putting in you may feel more compelled to at least look into that product. often times companies have funds set aside for promotional/marketing expenses, and just like their products they often update their giveaway materials. you may not get the newest and coolest graphic, but perhaps they will give you last years decal for free....

LOL.... that's why i've been stockpiling for the last few months. i'm getting married in november so I've got to get it now....

Thanks for the input guys! I took it out after work today and was able to cast it a few times before it started raining on me and the mosquitos carried me off. But I have to say the thing is silky smooth. It casts so smooth i could barely feel the line coming off the reel. And contrary to the other spinning reels i have, it pulls in the slack pretty quickly. I spooled it up with 12lb mono and it really felt great. Now I just need to catch a nice fish and see how the drag is!

Anybody out there fish the Chattahoochee near the metro Atlanta area? Thanks!

Fair assessment LC! I was leaning toward the 7' myself because I like the longer rod for casting and to keep the tip up when need be. I like what you're saying about the sensitivity of the rod. I currently have a couple of cheap shimano combos that get the job done, but lack on sensitivity. I've been wanting a good rod that had more feel than i currently have. I feel like my fishing with soft plastics has started to slowly improve, but i feel like a quality rod and reel are my next move in terms of getting better at it. Hopefully I can give the reel a good test this afternoon when I get out of work.

LC I will gladly report back. Thanks for the input, I was eyeing one of those lightning rods. If it were you would you prefer a 6', 6'6" or 7'. And would you prefer medium or medium heavy? Just looking for thoughts on the right rod for the plastics and dock skip/pitch approach. Thanks!

I’ve been in the market to get a nicer spinning setup, but not spending too much money at the same time. Last night I went to the local Dick’s Sporting Goods and found some killer clearance items, the prime one being a Lews Speed Spin SS300A. Now I’m sure in the world of spinning reels I could have done MUCH better, but this reel is nicer than any of the spinning reels I currently own. Also it was on clearance for $29.97 so I figured I really couldn’t go wrong. Last night I put it on my cheap Daiwa Samurai Medium Fast rod and am going to be slinging it after work. What rod would you suggest I start looking for to pair with this new reel? I would really like to make this a good spinning set up that could be an all-around soft plastics combo and allow me to start pitching plastics under docks more in this summer heat. Thanks!

Get on YouTube and watch BassResource (Glenn')s videos on how to throw/setup a baitcaster. VERY Informative.

check out Bass Pro Shop. Look at the Ascend line of kayaks. You can find the Ascend FS12T (sit on top) for $499. i got a FS10 sit in kayak and i really like it. Very well made and thought out for fishing. Honestly if i could do it again i would have probably got the FS12T sit on top, but at the time i wanted the smaller kayak to fit on top of my car. Afterward i realized i could have done the 12 footer, but may have been a little tougher to load considering it's heavier. I'd also check craigslist as you can find some pretty good deals on there. Good luck!

haha that's funny and plenty of supporting evidence to nail that crook!

nice fish, she's swollen up nice!

nicely done! that's a beast

doesn't get any better than a frog fish!

VERY nice! Hope it was a nice sleigh ride in the yak!

Cool, nice article.... helps to get the reminder to pay attention and not just be on the water, but focusing on what's going on around you