Scott F

Depending on what part of the country you are from, and where you get your information on bass fishing, spinning tackle has always been popular. I’m in a smallmouth club in Northern Illinois and the majority of our 300 members use spinning gear. We have more guys who use fly rods for bass than use bait casters by a wide margin. Now the guys who follow the professional bass tours and emulate what they see the pros use, will be the ones who use bait casters most often. Now that the pros are using more spinning gear, their followers will add more spinning tackle too.

$250 to solve a problem I don’t have doesn’t seem like the right solution for me. When it’s time for a new reel, if they’ve come down in price, I’ll consider it.

Boats can be set up in so many ways but it all depends on who is using the boat and what kind of fishing it’s going to be used for. Keep it simple. Don’t invest a lot time and money in that boat. Personally, I’d put in a couple of seat bases and boat seats. I’d pass on any casting deck, just a low, flat floor to stand on. For my own use, I’d never consider a power pole that costs as much as the boat is worth. An anchor with a winch to hold the line will do the same job, in any depth of water for a small fraction of the price. I’d also skip the live well. If the boat doesn’t leak, I’d spend my money making sure the trailer is in good shape. Good tires, rebuild the wheel bearings, and inspect and repair all the wiring.

I’ve been using almost nothing but Quantum spinning reels for 30 years. Right now, I have 3 Smoke models that are my first choices on which reels to use. The next spinning reels I buy will be Smoke models too if they keep making them. It sounds like the one you bought must have a problem. Maybe that’s why you got such a good price?

In Fisherman published a book “Walleye Secrets a Handbook of Strategies” where they break down the seasons into 10 calendar periods and discuss catching walleyes during each of the periods in natural lakes, reservoirs and rivers. It’s the basis on which many walleye anglers learned to catch ‘Ole marble eyes.

I’m over twice your age so you aren’t getting any sympathy from me for turning 30. As for what music you are “supposed” to listen to, you should listen to music that you like. Country, rap, classical, whatever you like doesn’t matter what age you are.

Don’t give up on it before you actually fish it. I use a Triumph ML for river smallmouth and throwing 1/16 oz Ned rigs. You aren’t going to be able to throw the light stuff as easily on a stiffer rod. You’ll be able to handle light lures and strong fish more easily than you think.

There is no question that that transducer is too big to mount on that trolling motor. I have an older Power drive sitting on a shelf and the same transducer mounted on the transom of my boat.

Years ago, a pro walleye fisherman named Mike McCLelland, put out a small book entitled “Crankbaits A Guide to Casting and Trolling Depths of 200 Popular Lures”. In it, he described how he tested the running depth of lures. These were the days before fluoro and braid, all he used was mono for testing in 8, 12, 14, and 17 pound tests. The lures were trolled 120 feet back and tracked via depth finder in a boat that was being towed, 120 feet behind. While doing the testing, they caught fish. All of them were caught on the 17lb test line. They could see on the graphs when fish hit. The person holding the rod never felt any hits while trolling the lighter 8-14 lb test, but felt all the hits on the 17 because of the greater amount of stretch of the lighter mono filament lines.

I used 8lb braid for years. I only stepped up to 10 when many of the newer braids came out and didn’t offer 8. 8 lb braid breaks at more than 8 pounds as a rule and is strong enough to handle any bass you will ever catch. If you set your drag properly, and don’t fish it like it has unlimited break strength, it will work just fine.

I order several rods a year from Cabela’s and they all come in stiff, cardboard tubes. Combos however have been shipped in more flexible, cardboard boxes. None of them have ever arrived damaged.

What size post does the base take?

Bass Pro sells them. Look up Twist Lock Rod Rack

I specifically bought a truck with the 6.5 foot bed so my 7’ rods will fit inside hanging from a rod rack inside the cap. It’s a little hard to see, black carpet lining the cap and a black bed rug.

I use 20lb Suffix 832 on all my baitcasters except for one I use if I ever musky fish. I don’t punch, flip, pitch or throw A rigs. I never have had it dig in while throwing topwaters, cranks, lipless baits, spinner baits, in-line spinners, chatterbaits or spoons. I can cast farther, and my lures run deeper. I see no advantages to using heavier, thicker, line than I need to.

I was actually done fishing for the day but I was still lakeside when the coolest thing I’ve seen happened. I met Al Lindner while I was at Rainy Lake in Minnesota. He was just coming back to the dock from a day of fishing with a friend of mine. He was so nice, took pictures and we talked fishing. It is a highlight of my fishing memories.

“Obviously “? Not at all obvious to me. I fish up north a lot in very clear water. I never even consider the visibility of my line, or choose natural colors. Bass don’t read Bass Resource or watch YouTube videos so they don’t follow the rules the people who post follow. Successful fishermen are successful not because of the lures they choose, but because of where they use them.

I don’t bank fish much anymore, but when I do, I use an older version of this Orvis sling pack. It holds a couple bags of plastics, and a few small hard boxes along with my pliers, & line cutting tools. It swings around to my back when fishing, and around to the front when I need to get in it.

Most of us don’t eat constantly throughout the day. Fish don’t eat all the time either.

I had an older, 2 piece, St Croix Premier spinning rod that I’d been using to throw a small jerk bait. The action of working the jerk bait caused the two pieces to separate on occasion. One time, I didn’t notice the pieces were barely together when the tip of the bottom section cracked. It still worked well enough if the pieces were fully pushed together but I retired it. Last year, I threw it in the truck with me on my trip to Northern Wisconsin and took it in to the St Croix store in Park Falls. Even though it was long out of warranty, they gave me a new one for $55. I broke a St Croix Avid spinning rod twice. Once while unloading gear from the truck. I set it down and kept unloading. The next time I looked it at, the top 12 inches was broken off. It was replaced while I was in Park Falls. I broke the replacement on an overzealous hookset and replaced it again. Having the St. Croix store near where I vacation, & the fact that I like the rods, keeps me sticking with their rods.

I have used it and I’m not a fan. My palomar knots held just fine, and as long as I’m diligent about checking for loose loops when I close the bail, wind knots were no more of a problem than with any other line. My issue was that the line would shred as I tied knots. I only used 10 pound test on my spinning gear.

Making friends who already have a boat is by far the cheapest and best option, especially if they already know how to fish. Fishing clubs are a good place to meet other fishermen.

I use the Whopper Plopper frequently. I find the hooks that come on the bait work just fine. Do whatever you think you need to do to give you “peace of mind”.

Even with the sharpest hooks, best hooks, you will not hook every fish that takes a swipe at your bait. Sometimes, they just miss the hooks.

I suppose it depends on where you buy them. When a friend had a bearing problem on the highway, he had to use a complete, pre-greased hub. It lasted about a month when the housing broke apart and damaged the axle. If you can do it yourself, you can buy quality parts, take your time, and assemble it.