WIGuide

Congrats on the PB. It's always a blast to catch a bass on a frog and the fact that it was a PB just makes it that much sweeter!

Looks like a great time! I've had the opportunity to meet quite a few pros, and I've gotta say I've met very few who are really nice and approachable guys. Looks like your son had a great experience as well.

x2 I had wrote Gamakatsu about the issue and they told me it had been resolved. I went out and bought two packs of the new and improved ones and had the exact same issue. I think I threw the second pack away. Switched to Trokars and haven't looked back.

I haven't used the power shot's, but I use the spin shots all the time and they don't seem to mind it at all.

That's just one of the great things about St. Croix. It sucks when things go wrong, but they always do their best to make it right. I had an issue with one of their rods after the warranty expired. I called them up, because I was going to pay them to fix it and when I showed up to drop it off they told me they'd do it for free. Can't say enough about them.

The Avid X would be a great choice. Depending on how heavy of jigs you're going to be throwing, I'd probably stick with the MH vs the heavy as they run a little on the heavy side of the rating scale.

It's possible that last year there was a bigger hatch of one of those species you listed, and the bass were feeding heavily on those, but this year they aren't as prevalent and their feeding on something else. If the bait isn't hanging around where you are, it's possible that the bass aren't either. It's hard to say for sure though.

Welcome to BR Jake. There's lots of knowledge here. You shouldn't have any problem picking up some new information!

Welcome to BR!

Are the water temps similar to last year or are they warmer or cooler? Has the lake been productive the rest of the year? What's the primary forage?

As far as the trim goes, I had that happen last year. Being that it happened after it rained, I'd have to believe it'd be either your dash trim switch, or the one on the throttle. Mine was due to the front trim switch as it was replaced with an automotive switch before I bought it. The switch wasn't waterproof, and would allow water to in which connected the contacts and made the trim run. One of you're must have a crack in rubber cover. Inspect those closely. You can also test it while it's trying to trim down by disconnecting the switch while it's running. You can check the one on the motor as well by pulling the quick disconnects apart. If you disconnect the switch and it's still running, then the problem is in one of the other switches. Hope this helps.

Maybe you got a bad pack? That's pretty unusual especially for open water type application.

If the boat is also a Bassmaster Classic Edition, it should be the same year as the boat. That info can be found on hull identification number in the last two digits. Otherwise the sure fire way to know would be to check out he serial number on the motor as Way2Slow stated.

I love how he continues to ignore/disagree with one of if not the most knowledgeable BR members when it comes to outboards....as Bill Engvall would say, Here's your sign!

Most of my squarebills are silent. I've used them in clear water and muddy water and caught fish in both places and everywhere in between. Between the split rings and hooks clanking as well as the bait crashing into cover and the water it displaces it seems they can find the bait in any water condition.

I used to have a 10.2 and I left it stock. At the time it fit my needs. I could see where some mods would be nice though.

I've move to using Trokars almost exclusively, and I haven't had an issue with their wacky hooks or weedless wacky's either. I've been using Trokars for about 3 years now, and I've only rolled one point. That was on a flippin hook that got wedged between some boulders and I was trying to break my braid when the point rolled and bent the hook out a bit. Maybe it's just me, but I've been nothing but impressed by them. I used to use Gammies, but I don't see any reason to go back.

It sounds like you're on the right track with switching to braid. That should help you stick them on your hook sets. As far as them getting off when they jump though, you might be able to control that better by not letting them jump. When you see your line start to come up dip your rod tip into the water and that should help to pull them back down instead of letting them jump.

I use Yum Dingers almost exclusively. My top producing colors would be watermelon black flake, mardi gras, and black and blue. I have a lot of confidence in a bunch of other colors as well, but those are the 3 I'll usually start with and have the most confidence in.

Sounds like a good plan to throw them on there. You can twist wire too, and if you're set on keeping the color that's fine. The best part about the quick skirts for me is I can use one head and change the colors in a matter of seconds. Depending on where you fish that may or may not be a big deal. For me though I've got around 100 different lakes within an hour of my house so I need to be able to adapt depending on where I am that day.

If you know some information on the lake you're going to fish that can help. Things such as water clarity, structure/cover, and also depth will play a big roll in what you bring. Try to narrow it down to what you have the most confidence in. It's already been stated before, but narrow the number of soft plastics you take. Instead of taking a full pack, take half a pack. The more you fish some of these places, you'll figure out what's best for each lake and then you can pack accordingly to what you know.

I use the Plano or Flambeau 3700 storage boxes for most of my hard baits. I do however have a bunch of assorted ones in the 3600-3500 sizes as well as a mixture of others.

Go with Terminator instead. Or if you want a smaller profile bait that you can still cast, go with Eco Pro Tungsten.

Try the Terminator quick-skirts or the like. They have very few problems with them. They cost more originally, but they last far longer than a rubber band skirt and they also allow you to switch colors easily. In regards to OP, I've used all sorts of spinnerbaits, and unfortunately you get some every now and then where the blades go flying regardless of manufacturer. I think you'd be fine with using them again as the next one you buy could be in service for years.

I recently found that catching a rod under a tie down cleat is also an effective way to break a rod :/