Logan S

Looking at that map, there doesn't appear to be any way to access that pond without cutting through someone's property. People that may have been 'cool' in the past might not feel the same way now, or could have moved out. The fact that 'steath' and 'undetected' are used when describing access should raise concern. There are countless places to fish from shore, canoe/kayak, and boat in the MD/DC/VA area that don't involve trespassing. I'm sure the residents there wouldn't be happy with someone on the other side of the country providing directions on how to sneak onto their property on a public forum. Maybe I'm wrong or maybe I'm just a buzzkill...But my advice to anyone reading this is think before you act and tread very lightly. Won't be surprised if this gets the lockdown.

I really don't give it much thought...Although my truck, boat, and outboard were all made in the USA and those are by far the biggest investments I've made in the world of bass fishing. Most of my rods are St. Croix's that were made in the USA. I didn't plan it that way but it's a nice bonus. I also use a lot of Zoom products. Also, if I add up the money I spend on gas, lodging, food, licenses, ramp fees, local tackle, etc, etc, in my travels up and down the east coast to fish tournaments every year...It comes out to a heck of a lot more than what I send to Japan to buy Megabass stuff....So I don't worry about it . Actually answering your question would go outside the realm and rules of the forum, as others have said .

I agree with this... Not only that, but there are many bodies of water where it's unlikely that it will produce at all...Even during the 'right' time of year.

Wow, thanks for posting this!...I just ordered the 7'3" XH. Was looking for a budget 'beef' stick, looks like this will be a steal!

Gaston is awesome...Docks are a big pattern for sure, but you can pretty much fish anyway you want to and catch them. Another cool thing is that in the past few years more and more spotted bass are showing up. I caught 6 during a trip down there this April, including one that was around 4 lbs on a practice day and a 2.5 lber on one of the tournament days. You'll also catch an occasional smallmouth. To expand on the water levels...it has 2 feet of variance that it's 'allowed' to operate in...So while the level remains pretty consistent, water is regularly moving in and out to maintain that consistency. You'll notice this the most around the bridges in the creeks, water will be rushing in or out. You'll like the bass fishing out in this area, lot of variety. The tidal rivers, especially the Potomac and James/Chickahominy, should be on your 'must-fish' list too.

If you look at the head on picture of the bow, you can see rust insde the winch assembly...The rest of the trailer is painted flat black. Could be that the trailer is rusted and it was painted to hide it. Should be easy to tell in person, look for the paint to be irregular/splotchy especially near the axles and under the winch stand. Boat could be great, but if the trailer is a rusted mess it will end up costing you money just the same. I agree that getting the newest you can afford would be a good idea...You can probably get a better value in Aluminum too, check out some 17' AL rigs. I bet $3K could get a pretty decent Bass Tracker/Lowe/Alumacraft/XPress/etc...

I love the hooks on the 110s, very good hook-up ratio for me. But, they are light wire so you have to treat them as such. I've read that the 110 was actually intended to be fished on spinning tackle and 6 or 8 lb line. I use the stock hooks and replace them as needed if they get torn up....I still use casting gear and 10 lb line but I do back the drag off and understand that I need to be careful on larger fish. The attention to detail and engineering that went into the 110 is pretty amazing. I'm not sure if they still do this, but the middle hook on all of my standard 110s is actually barbless. I looked it up one day because I was curious. MegaBass did this on purpose because they said it allowed the bait to rotate easier in the fish's mouth so that it could hook/rehook itself on the front or back treble.

I've been on that same pattern on Kerr . I was fishing flooded campsites...Picnic tables, benches, fire pits and even some road signs. I caught some good fish off the fire pits, it was near the spawn I was pretty sure they were using them as a pre-made bed. Nearly every fire pit that was in the water had a fish on it. Kerr is a lot of fun when the water is up like that .

This is excellent advice, don't rely on one single mechanic when it comes to spending thousands of dollars. You can also check compression in your driveway, testers are cheap and it's not very difficult. It won't give you the full picture, but at least you'll know for yourself if one or more cylinders is toasted without paying for shop labor.... My motor blew up a few years ago so I can feel your pain. I went with a new motor that had a warranty, but I was either fishing on the trolling motor only or on the back of other boats from May til the next March while I figured the money part out. I didn't owe anything on the boat so my decision was a little different...I really liked my boat, it's big, fast, and also handles and fishes very well...So I could either take the same amount of money and look for another used boat that I may or may not like as much as the current rig (and that could have it's own headaches)...OR re-power the rig that I already know/like and get the piece of mind that comes with a 5-year warranty . It sucks, but if you're in the game long enough it happens... Hope you can get it worked out.

It sounds like you simply need some more time in the water and also a few more tournaments under your belt to get comfortable with all the stuff that comes with them...The time limits, competition, fish care, etc are all things that are distracting you, whether you realize it or not. You found a good pattern but it changed on you before the tournament...Happens to all of us! With more time on the water you will know when to scrap your plan and go with a backup or make other adjustments as needed. IMO you have a good goal of trying to put a limit in the boat...As a tournament rookie, I would set that as your first goal and then make progress from there. I still keep a goal of trying to weigh a limit each tournament day and I've got a ton of tournaments under my belt. If you don't put 5 fish on the scale, you're leaving weight out there, no matter how small. The caveat here for me is that I fish a trail with the ultimate goal of AOY, so a poor finish hurts an entire season not just an event. If you're fishing a single event for the cash only it can change the game.

General rule of thumb on Anna is that uplake is cooler and stained, downlake is warmer and clear...With midlake being in between (duh ). Downlake is warmer because that's where the water comes in from the hotside. Most people consider uplake as anything above the spilts, midlake as the splits down to about Sturgeon Creek, and downlake as Sturgeon Creek to the dam Fishing should be pretty good all over at that time with most fish still in shallow water. Many techniques work at Anna, but the big 3 for me are shakeyhead, spinnerbait, and flat-side crankbait. Shakey around/under docks, spinnerbait on stumpy or 'woody' points/shorelines (especially windy ones), and the crank pretty much anywhere/everywhere. If you don't get bit in an area pick up and run a mile or so down the lake, keep doing that until the action picks up. That's usually how I zone in on which section of the lake is the most active (start at one end and work up/down). Sometimes it's the same everywhere, sometimes one section is noticeably better (IE, Midlake could be better than up or downlake). I generally fish mid and downlake because it suits my style a little better than uplake, that's the cool thing about Anna...Big enough to have 3 distinct sections but small enough to be able to run to each throughout the day without burning a bunch of time/gas. Should be fun, good luck!

I think the Delta would be a great Classic site, just don't make them launch from Sacramento. Get rid of the 3+ hour round trip boat ride so the guys can get a full day of competition in. Sacramento would probably make a great host city, but that long run every day would really take away from what could be a fantastic tournament. Technically it could still be the host city, they would just launch from somewhere else. (Like Hartwell, they weren't launching in Greenville even though it was the host) Running is part of the game and many times there are many anglers making long runs...But in this case it would be the entire field making that run so instead of creating excitement (Like McClelland on the Sabine or the guys who make Venice run on the Louisiana Delta), you're just lopping off 3 hours of fishing from everyone. Lots of great fisheries out west that would be productive that time of year, I'd like to see it out there on any of them.

When my motor blew up I re-powered with an Evinrude ETEC 200. I'm happy with it and would recommend the ETEC line to anyone, very powerful and also fuel efficient. Of the choices you mentioned, I really don't think you can wrong...Find the best deal and roll with it (consider warranty too!). FWIW, I've seen every brand run perfectly and I've also seen every brand have issues, like it was said above maintenance is huge...The better you take care of it, the better it will take care of you.

If you try it and don't like it...Don't force it. Maybe come back to it later down the road when you have more or different experience...When flouro was still pretty new to the market (when it was basically Vanish or nothing) I tried it and hated it. Later down the road I went back to it and was much happier. The line didn't change, I was just more experienced at that point. I say this in every one of these threads, so I'll say it again...A huge part of the decision also depends on how much gear you have and can take on each trip. For me, all my gear rides in the rod locker so it's no big deal to have 15 or so setups to use as needed...If I was on the bank or was a co-angler my choices might be a different since the gear would need to be more universal. Something to think about... Personally, I use flouro on most setups. I use the other line types too when they are advantageous, but the majority of my line is flouro. Most of the guys I fish against are the same way.

I think it depends on how often you fish with jerkbaits...If it's something you do frequently you might find them to be worth the cost. If it's something you rarely do, you'll probably be happier spending your money on the stuff you throw more often. As to the durability claims, I've been using them for several years now and have never broken one. It does happen...but everyone I know personally that has broken one did so by banging it off rocks or something else hard. I've also heard multiple times that MegaBass will replace them for you if you mail it in. I like them, use them, and have success with them. To me they are money well spent.

You want a 'pro-staff' title, patches for your jersey, and a small time discount? I'm sure if you write a few letters and present yourself professionally you can achieve that. I can't see how that is going to help you 'make it' in any meaningful way, but that's just me. If you want them for the 'coolness' factor that's OK too...Fishing is about enjoyment so if that's part of it for you, go for it. Nothing wrong with that. You want to be a semi-pro or pro angler? Worry about fishing. Win a club/local/regional AOY title, those show more than individual wins. Fish different types of water. Tidal water, non-tidal rivers, reservoirs, natural lakes, power-generating lakes, etc. Go look at the BASS Open or Rayovac schedules, those are littered with all different types of waterways...And that is the road you need to take to 'make it'. Throw all the different seasons and weather/water conditions into that mix too. The other side of the coin is that pro-fishing, unfortunately, is very much a pay-to-play sport. Boats/trucks/tackle/gas/lodging/entry fees/etc all add up. Nobody is going to foot any those expenses for you until you've proven yourself (Nationally, not locally) and even then, VERY few get even half of that stuff paid for...Which means you're own your own for quite a while. Unless you are fortunate enough to be born into money, you'll need a job that can support all that stuff while your starting out. For the OP, don't take offense to criticism...Most of what I've seen here is constructive. Personally, I have dreams of fishing at a higher level some day too...I've had them since I was 15. I chose to take the hard-work to afford the boat/truck/tackle and work my up route. Bought a boat at 15 and have been fishing tournaments all over the east coast as a boater since 16 (on average, 13 per year). It's a long term plan, you're never really too old to be a 'rookie' in this game. At 29 now, I feel that I am an extremely good angler, won many tournaments and multiple AOY titles, but I still don't think I'm quite good or consistent enough for the top ranks. Never had, nor cared to get a 'pro-staff' position...I've worked hard and can afford what what I need for the most part, small time discounts don't mean much to me in the grand scheme of things. I'm still focused on gaining experience. There is no substitute for experience and it's the number one commodity in bass fishing. Take it or leave it, just advice from one guy who shares a similar goal (I think).

In the top level tournaments the drop off in winnings from 1st to 2nd is huge, while the difference from 2nd thru 10th or so is not as significant (still a lot, don't get me wrong...Just not as drastic as the 1st-2nd). Points wise, it's only 1 point per place (I think). He had made the final day already, so he had a great overall finish for points and also for cash in the bag already. Being 8.5 lbs back I'm sure he knew he needed to take some chances to have a shot at the win. If he was leading the tournament on the final day he may not have risked loosing that 4 lber. All I know is that I would have probably been on autopilot trying to get that 4 lber in the boat ASAP so I wouldn't have even thought about going for the double up until it was over!

It's a great line, the best value in FC line IMO. I've used it nearly exclusively for my FC needs the last 4 seasons. I've found that it's downfall is longevity, it wont last nearly as long as some of the more popular and more expensive lines before getting coiled and unmanageable...But I replace my line very frequently so this doesn't concern me. If you spool up once a season and want it to last all year, it might not be a good choice for you. When fresh, it is on par with many of the more expensive lines. I buy 4000 yards of it a season in bulk (2000 yards of 15# and 1000 yards each of 12# and 10#) and then filler spools as needed of 20# and 8#. I could do the same with a more expensive line, but I don't feel the difference in performance is enough to makeup for the $200+ difference in price it would cost per season.... It's a good line at a good price. Not the best, but the price to performance ratio is the best in the business. My experience and opinion only, YMMV.

Notice the weights they were using with their plastics? Lots of 1/16 and 1/8, some up to 1/4 or 3/8....So that tells me they weren't flipping/punching heavy cover, but probably casting or pitching to beds or other cover A lot of the guys were fishing in areas with current, wind, or both so they probably wanted the benefits that flouro can provide in that situation. This is paraphrased from a post I made yesterday, but it fits here too. In order to feel anything with any line you need to have at least some tension on it. Fluoro remains 'sensitive' at lower tensions than braid..This is why you will hear the misleading term of 'slack-line sensitivity'. Meaning that where you would lose feeling with braid, you could potentially still have it with flouro... Personlly, I like flouro for most things for those reasons....I will use other lines where advantageous to do so, it's all about using the best tool for the job to me. (Most of the time that's flouro IMO)

Braid is the most sensitive, but there is some gray area. In order to feel anything with any line you need to have at least some tension on it. Fluoro remains 'sensitive' at lower tensions than braid...Which is important to many people (including me). This is why you will hear the misleading term of 'slack-line sensitivity'. Meaning that where you would lose feeling with braid, you could potentially still have it with flouro...Even if the quality of that 'feel' is less. Braid/flouro-leader is a very versatile option for sure (I use it frequently as well), but it can't replace everything that one or the other can do. IMO anyways .

That time of year is probably the best time to fish the river, at least IMO. I actually have a tournament there on the same day, different ramp though. It's a crowded fishery, so don't expect to have anything to yourself. Pay attention to the tide. The tide for that day is not the best, but it's decent. You don't have to go crazy with it since you're new to the river..But remember the basics. Generally speaking, the fish will follow the tide up as it rises and out as it falls. For a very general example, as the tide begins to fall, the bait and fish will start retreating from shallow grassy/woody areas so you can try to intercept them on the outside grass edge or first drop off of about of foot or so. The fishing is usually best for about an hour on either side of a tide change. That means you want to be fishing (preferably on a good spot) during that time. If you are running up/down the river, eating lunch, or otherwise not fishing during that time you're really hurting yourself. It's a huge place, so picking out spots can be challenging at times. Generally speaking, it's pretty basic. You want grass/wood/rock, and combinations of these are usually better...But the predominant thing is grass fishing. A typical day could be spending a good chunk of time fishing in grass, then hitting specific hard cover targets at various points during the day. The overwhelming majority of bass are caught from less than 5 feet of water, so don't go looking for 'deep' stuff. All your standard shallow water and grass baits will play. Texas rigs, jigs (swimjigs especially), spinnerbait, chatterbait, shallow cranks, buzzbaits, frogs, senkos, etc... The best for a given day is highly variable so just be ready for all of it and go with your gut. I'm not one to give out really specific stuff outside of my club, but hopefully this can point you in the right direction. It's a fun place, hope you enjoy it! If you see a red/black Stratos Extreme with an ETEC that day, that's me...Stop and say hi .

MegaBass Sexy Shad and MG Wakasagi are the two colors I use the most....They have both worked everywhere I've thrown them. Smallmouth really seem to like the Wakasagi color around here. I have several others that I really like, but those two see the most action in my boat. One piece of advice when picking out colors on MB baits...Sometimes they can look different in person from what you see in pictures online. One personal example of this is the Table Rock Shad color, it is much brighter in person than it appears on TW...I still like/use it, but not quite what I expected. Sometimes I will do a google search for a color if I haven't seen it person just to get a few alternate views before buying.

It certainly tells you something about the Vision 110, huh? Still, I wouldn't feel bad about buying the KVD jerkbaits...IMO the entire KVD/Strike King line are quality baits with a good price. I haven't tried the jerkbait myself, but if it's anything like the KVD 1.5 Squarebill and Red Eye Shad in terms of quality/value, it should be a solid bait.

They probably just don't sell at your store. Our local one used to have things like LTB's and Cumara's but they never sold. I remember the same LTB casting rod sitting in that store for well over a year. I knew it was the same one because the of the placement of the tag on the grip, my buddies and I joked about it all the time. I eventually bought it when it went on sale for a great price... Felt like buying the Charlie Brown Christmas tree . Ever since that big sale there's not much above the Avid/Crucial level. The store does have high end reels, but I doubt they move many of those either.

If there's a loop/coil of line on the ground/deck/water at your feet, you're not going to feel anything no matter what line you use. There has to be some tension in the line no matter what in order to feel anything. The amount of tension you need to feel varies with the line type...With flouro requiring the least. Flouro transmits vibrations better than both mono and braid. I've read that it's because it is much more dense than both. The fact that it sinks also means that the surface bow in the line will be less, meaning less distance between you and the fish....So the advantage is two-fold (better at transmitting the movement and less distance that transmission needs to cover before reaching you). I'm sure someone can get into all the scientific reasons why, but it's logical to me and my experience confirms it...So I've not put too much more thought into it. You don't need it to catch bass, as other have pointed out. However I believe it maximizes your potential for many techniques. FWIW, I use all 3 line types, each when it is most advantageous to me. Back to the test, it's a good starting point but not the ultimate answer...The OP did a great job with his testing parameters, maybe he would string it up again with different weights? Also, I'm not defending the 'stretchyness' of flouro since I've already known that it does in fact stretch, but I do believe it is generally less than mono at lower stress levels.