Snakehead Whisperer

I don't paint mine black, but I do paint them a muddled green color. I turn my own marker buoys on a lathe and make them about 3" long and 1.25" in diameter, so they're small and hard to spot.

I'm assuming that you're talking about frogs. You will be able to set the hook on either type of frog effectively as long as the rod is at least moderate action. You'll probably get a lot of different opinions on this. I prefer a fast action rod, but many like moderate/mod-fast. In real life I use a 7'3" MH-XF rod for soft plastic frogs (like a horny toad, etc.) and I rig them with Zoom single frog hooks in 4/O or 5/O. For hollow bodied frogs (which I rarely throw anymore) I like a H-F rod slightly longer, like 7'6".

I'd probably use pop rivets if it were mine.

I'd really like to fish with Bill Siemantel. Duuude!

National Park Service runs the boat ramp in DC. It's free! (Free as in free beer not freedom, launch is closed from 10pm-6am.) As for splitting costs, it's rare that I go out on somebody else's boat. When I do I always offer gas money and try my best to bring food and drink that the boater will enjoy. I have friends who insist that I take their money, every single time that I take them out on my boat. This year I am going to put my foot down and refuse their money, as it usually exceeds the amount I spend on gas. One of my friend's rationale is that he is paying for maintenance and incidentals. My rationale is that I'd be out there whether he comes along or not, so these things are my responsibility. He sees it as a gesture that ensures that I'll invite him back, but I enjoy his company so that's not an issue. Bottom line is if you have a cantankerous personality, pay for gas. If you're an easy going guy who plays well with others, don't sweat it.

I can't make the switch. I use braid with fluoro leader on all of my jig rods, and for most of my finesse fishing. I tried YoZuri Hybrid on a spinning rod once for small jigs, and it felt like I had a rubber band between me and the jig. Went back to braid immediately and was able to feel every slight tick on the bottom. Fluorocarbon is marginally better, but doesn't outperform braid in my opinion (and it's more expensive, doesn't last as long, etc. etc.) The hybrid lines are great for leaders, and for fishing anything with treble hooks. For jigs I like zero stretch, and braid fits the bill. Use a leader if you're worried about visibility. The copoly would work well for that.

@Tucson To me it's more a matter of round reel vs. low profile for each style of presentation. For some applications I prefer a round reel. My crankbait and swimbait rods are both round reels (Shimano, but same difference) and I wouldn't dream of switching to a low profile reel for either. I also recently switched to a round reel for my frogging rod. They just feel more solid in my hand, no real reason other than that... especially with baits that I am chucking as far as I can. If you're trying to throw smaller lures (like 1/4oz and smaller) a newer low profile baitcast reel with a smaller spool size will be really impressive to you for these smaller more delicate presentations.

Thanks for the replies. I do not always say 'fish on' either, mostly only when I'm trying to taunt one of my friends. Usually I'm silent. I guess I was just more curious about the whole thing. It seems weird to say it when one does not actually have a fish on.

Fair enough.

Growing up I always used to term "fish on" when I actually had a fish on the line while fishing. As of late, I hear more and more people use it similar to the way you would use "carry on." To be honest, this bugs me and seems to be a misuse of the term. I see this a lot in the comments sections of websites/videos. Here's an example. Blah, blah, blah. Your video is the best! You da man. Fish on! I've always used the term to alert my companions that there is a fish on the end of my line, and they all use it in the same way. If somebody on my boat says "fish on" I will usually pull my line in and ask if they need assistance (net, etc.) How do you all use this term, or do you use it at all?

Not bad for your first go at it. When I started tying I was making small (size 16-22) nymphs. It took me several dozen before I got something that looked even remotely usable to me. I highly suggest checking out 'smalljaw' on youtube. Most of his videos are about tying bucktails/hair jigs, but the techniques are applicable to any type of tying. Here's one I found on feathered trebles. Not sure if you have a vice, bobbin and whip finish; but you could find inexpensive tools new for less than $20 altogether if you search around. It'll make short work of tying.

Thanks. That's why I joined too. Great community here. By PM I meant 'private message.' You can message people by hovering your mouse pointer over their name on the left. A box will pop up and you'll see a little icon on the bottom left that says Message (if you're using a regular computer that is. I'm not sure how it works on a mobile device, but probably similar.) Sounds like you're all set for the new year. There's only one way to gain that experience, and there's no substitute for time on the water when it comes to learning how to improve your fishing.

You're welcome. We are neighbors. Congratulations on the boat. The Potomac above DC is not easy to navigate in a prop driven boat, unless you know the river extremely well. Lot's of rocks, shallow areas, etc. There are many stretches where you just can't run anything but a jet boat. Good starting places would be Big Slackwater which is maybe 30 miles or so from Frederick and safe for your boat, and the tidal Potomac down my way. Big Slackwater has about 7 miles of deeper channel that you can run up (it gets shallower once you get to the gun club.) I run my glass boat up there several times per year. The tidal Potomac is also safe for your boat, and quite a bit more diverse as far as fish species go. I fish the stretch in DC several times per week. I don't fish the reservoirs much in Maryland due to electric only restrictions. Make sure you get all of your safety gear in order and take a boater safety course before you get on the water. I also highly advise getting a comfortable life jacket that you will be likely to wear 100% of the time. I like inflatables, but a conventional style is nice in colder weather. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to be safe out there. I promised my wife that I would wear my life jacket full time, and did... then months later I had an accident in cold water. I wouldn't be here today had it not been for the life jacket, and I can swim very well. Not trying to be a buzz kill, but I just want to share my experiences. I've found that having respect for the water and responsibility in boating is plenty, the rest is all fun. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Welcome to BassResource @Worm Man 2020 It sounds like you're describing a fastach weight. If so, here is a video with some info on rigging.

I don't think fish can see water, but they can see things suspended in the water. We can see the same things in the air. Smoke, smog, dust and any other suspended particles in the air around us probably look similar to turbid water for a fish. The air around us is a fluid, so it's also subject to fluid dynamics like water.

Some small businesses only ship on certain days too. The folks you ordered from may only ship one day per week, unless you pay extra for expedited shipping.

Best post I've read on this site in a long time.

Not sure if you have any programming skills or not, but troutresource.com is available for $449. Sorry, but salmonresource.com is already taken and not for sale. Let me know if you actually launch a website at troutresource.com. I'll be sure to join. Once I do, I'll post about how disappointed I am that it's 99% trout related.

I'm not much of a Scotch drinker. I'm guessing that's a Speyside Scotch. The only ones that I really know are Glenlivet, Balvenie and Aberlour. I drink the stuff when I hang with my brother-in-law, and he has good taste so it's usually something that I like. Went to a good store the other day and picked up 1 bottle each of Four Roses Single Barrel, Wild Turkey Rare Breed Cask Strength, and Jim Beam Bonded. Drinking the Beam as I type this. The Rare Breed is my favorite of the 3, and I'm considering switching back to the Wild Turkey 101 as a daily drink. They're all great bourbons though.

This guy knows the deal. I just spent 4 hours driving from Arundel Mills to DC this evening due to the 1" of snow we received. 295 was completely iced over and I passed dozens of abandoned vehicles on the way home. Only saw 1 salt truck the entire time. Hopefully we'll get our act together by Friday.

Hard to beat Costco, if you're a member.

I can't imagine needing more than 55lbs of thrust on a 12 inch or a 12 foot jon boat unless you're fishing in some serious current. Is the trolling motor the main propulsion for the boat? If so, the 80lb may get you to your spots marginally faster. As @BrianinMD stated, your battery life will be much better with a 24v system, but it will double your battery weight. edit: Just saw your most recent post. Is this for an electric only lake/river? You can get a good used gasoline outboard in the 3-10hp range for about what you'd pay for a new 80lb trolling motor. I'd keep the 55 and buy a gas motor, if you're not restricted on your home water.

On the tidal Potomac there is a 15" minimum length March 1-June 15, and 12" minimum the rest of the year. No closed season.

Just go over everything thoroughly. You say you ran a new ground and replaced the plug, but you didn't mention whether that was on the trailer or the tow vehicle? You should check both. If you have a multimeter, you can actually check voltages and verify ground at both plugs. It's probably something really simple; just make sure to go over the wiring on the tow vehicle too, especially the ground wire. I'm assuming that your tail lights on the tow vehicle are bright as they should be, and that this is isolated to the trailer.

Snakehead fishing up here in DC is almost non-existent during the winter months. I keep meaning to head down that way and get into those bullseye's, as well as all of the other great fishing you all have down there. Nice work!