Jolly Green

I don't use any strictly walk-the-dog lures but I do OK on a Storm Chug Bug. It has a cupped mouth so it creates a little more ruckus than a Spook, but it walks easily and you can learn to vary the spitting/chugging/walking action to a surprising degree. I should branch out more, but I prefer buzzbaits for topwater because I fish a lot of areas with moderate lily pad cover and I can pull a small buzzbait right through the pads with no problems, something I can't do with a treble hook bait, and I LOVE watching the pads explode on the strike.

I fish from shore and I used to hate having to lug around a pack full of every single thing I own, so I beat this problem by making a rule that if I brought it last time and didn't use it, it stays home until I decide that it absolutely WILL be used next time I take it. Sometimes I wish I had something I didn't bring, but never so much that it ruined my outing. I realize that this is somewhat apples and oranges because in a yak you're able to access a wider range of depth and cover than I fish, thus you probably have use for a wider range of tackle, but I think the principle can still be applied. I know it seems arbitrarily limiting and it's not an approach for everyone, but I fish out of my camera bag now and enjoy juggling less and fishing more. Pack lighter and focus on using what you do bring to its fullest potential.

I get it, but I still wish I had the option to buy certain lures with good stock hooks. I'd pay a little more for a Rebel Pop-R that came with a dressed treble that I DIDN'T have to throw away.

If the stock hooks are worth keeping, they're worth sharpening, and I always check new ones and touch them up if necessary. Chemically sharpened hooks are more difficult to bring back to a needle point for some reason, so you might just replace those.

Leash up the bait monkey and cruise the clearance bins. Assorted 5-packs of Gammy worm hooks at 50 cents each? Thanks, local Walmart. Fetch, monkey, fetch!

Me too. I add The Broom for sweeping snow off of and away from my west-facing front door before one of my kids opens it and lets in a small avalanche. These winters can suck but they keep the whiners out.

Another vote for the Alberto knot for your leader. I like the Pitzen knot for tying to the hook or lure when using fluoro. I can't seem to keep a palomar from burning/weakening fluoro as I cinch it down, no matter how wet I get it, love it for straight braid though.

Don't know anything about the guts of that reel, but generally speaking, breaking it down, cleaning everything, and re-lubing it properly should work. Recently posted demo of the concept: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/128193-stock-vs-clean-reel-video/

Another similar discussion from a short while back: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/126984-using-braid-as-a-backing/?hl=%2Bbacking+%2Bwith+%2Bbraid

1. Trash. It is unfathomable to me that some people are that lazy. I do get the occasional snort out of finding the package for a DT-20 laying on the bank next to a max of 2' of water full of snaggy cover. Lost that one on the first cast, didn't ya, dipstick! 2. Dogs off leashes where they shouldn't be. I love dogs, just not when they're ramming a snout into my crotch while I'm playing a fish. 3. Ducks and geese. They infest a lot of good shoreline and crap everywhere. I know now why so many people shoot them. P.S. - What's a buckethead?

I've read a couple of books by A.D. Livingston, all of them good. His book on luremaking made me aware of how many variables have to come together harmoniously to make a good bait, and will make you look at commercially produced tackle with a more critical and educated eye. I just finished "Bass On the Fly" and I now have a serious jones to try and learn how to use one of those noodle rods next year! All of his books on actually fishing (as opposed to his numerous books on cooking fish and game) were written between the 70's and the 90's but there's still plenty of good stuff in them, you just lightly skip over the sections about boron rods and the like.

lol I use the Rapala Original Floater size 11.

I think what people want to see in a local tackle shop is YOU, especially if you're not right next to the water. Owning a business is often an all-consuming time commitment anyway, but I feel that your presence is the number one thing you can offer to set yourselves apart from Wally World. If that same kid from Walmart is behind your counter, I'm less likely to make a special effort to shop at your store. Good luck!

Northland Buck-A-Roo bucktail jigs, fished naked, were a surprise winner for me this late season. After a week of fishing them normally, I saw a guy fishing panfish with a little marabou jig under a bobber, and decided to mimic his setup with a 1/4 oz. bucktail under a much bigger float. It actually worked great for picking off less aggressive fish... as well as a couple extremely aggressive pike.

So your next question should be, "Did I bring anything that resembles these crayfish?" Sounds like it's jiggin' time!

I use an Alberto knot to join braid to fluoro. One thing I've noticed is that when tying it with brand new braid, it can be tricky to get it to cinch evenly if you have too many wraps going on. I get away with five up and five down on new line; line that's broken in some gets more.

I keep the knot off of my spool, just personal preference. I use an Alberto knot with the tags trimmed to non-existence, and while I can feel it going through the guides, I've never had any actual problems with it mucking up the cast. Whether the knot is slowly being weakened by going through the guides I don't know, but I've never had my joining knot fail (other than purposely breaking off) and I generally fish the same leader until it's used up and needs to be replaced.

How did you lose them? To fish? To snags? On the cast? As has been stated most knots will work fine if well-tied, but if you're banging a heavy hard bait through heavy cover on 2lb. test... Mostly palomar and pitzen knot for me. Except... ... I do use a loopknot for poppers and chuggers to give them a little more loosey-goosey action without adding a split ring. I also use one on this little sinking hard bait, I want to say it's a Rebel Raider, which comes with a split ring that I removed to lighten it up as much as possible. Crappie love it.

Yup, he was all of 5". Snagged him trying to rip my 1/4 oz. Bitsy Bug free of some weeds.

What? I didn't catch that; I was busy trying to finagle this high E string into a wire leader...

A lighter spool starts more easily, less inertia to overcome. Also, once it's spinning you don't want the momentum of the spool feeding line faster than your lure is carrying it off or you wind up with backlash. At least, that's my understanding.

Thanks! That makes sense now.

I don't know why you would do this nor why you would achieve greater casting distance by doing so. If I had a spool's worth that was too old and beat up to keep fishing, I suppose I might use it for backing, but I can't feature wasting perfectly good braid for such a purpose. Is this video something you can link to?

X2 You may not get that spectacular topwater strike, but you may at least get bit.

I use 20# Power Pro on my spinning reel tied with an Alberto knot to a fluoro leader for abrasion resistance. Wind knots do happen but they can be undone and I find that overall line management on spinning gear is easiest with braid. I fish flukes and and the like with this setup and while it's true that using all fluoro will give you better sensitivity, especially in a slack line, I think the delivery of the hookset for such baits is best done by braid. I don't do any frogging but if I did, especially around lily pads and other thick stuff, I would undoubtedly use braid if only for its vegetation-mowing properties.