FryDog62

Thanks Blue, that could definitely work... I'll order some up today ?

A-Jay great review, thorough... I think you answered many unknown questions about the boat. You'll have to let us know how it handles 2-3 foot waves when you encounter - same as a glass bass boat, better/worse, more like a multi-species hull, etc...? Also, since you have been fishing out of it already, how is it skipping lures from the front deck - too high in the air or an easy adjustment? And is it too far down to lip bass at boat side in the front? Thanks again, looks like a great rig!

I switched this year to Kalin's Wac-O-Worm after using Yamasenkos for years. Yamasenkos work great but they fall apart easily and are quite expensive. Kalin's are about 60% of the cost, plus they last 2-3 times longer. Stronger salt/garlic scent seems to work well too. A little denser and faster sink rate. I will rig weightless in calm, still lakes and with a 1/16 oz VMC wacky hook in river current. I used the O rings to preserve the Yamasenkos better... maybe helped a little. I don't use them with Kalin's since they last longer and I don't have to hassle with putting the O rings on all the time.

About 20 years ago I fished with a Texas-rigged, 7 inch, curly tail worm in the lily pads. The unique part about this set up was that instead of a sliding bullet sinker in front of the worm, we used a round, floating "gumball" head to keep the rig buoyant. I think the worm floated too. Worked really well and I'd like to teach my son to do this. What I'm trying to find is the hollow, floating gumball head for this rig, and maybe a worm recommendation too. Does anyone know if these still exist and where to find them?

A-Jay just wondering how the new rig is and your impressions of everything including deck height, shallow water draft, big water wave handling, etc.. ? Hope it's meeting your expectations

One sweet rig. Nice to see a Tuffy with the occasional Yamaha. Congrats!!

I posted a couple days ago that I really like rigging it backwards for skipping under docks... It really scoots forward on the fall and triggers strikes. However I can't seem to get any type of realistic retrieve this way, it curly cues back to the boat. Anyone rigging it backwards with a good retrieve method?

I use flukes on darter jig heads a lot and really prefer spinning 6'-8" MXF for pick ups on the down stroke. Better sensitivity for bites when floating before ripping....IMO

Thanks Punch, I agree - I catch more of the bigger pike by accident than anything else. Probably when I start to target them is when I'll catch a walleye or trophy LMB... or a Carp! I guess we're very lucky in this part of the country to have such a good multi-species opportunity.

If I get a chance to sneak out and fish like 5:30-9:30 am this weekend (before the pleasure boaters are out) What is the nearest lake to the Twin Cities with big pike? Am willing to drive 1-2 hours in any direction if that helps...

OE, Punch, gimruis, dsidle, etc ... Those of us in/around the West Metro should consider a lunch, happy hour, etc to compare notes, ideas, etc... I Spent 20+ years going to Canada every year on walleye trips but don't any more. Family cabin in Hayward, Wi has been sold 5 years now. Have spent learning the local Minnesota lakes area the past 3-4 years almost exclusively for bass. So I'm a bit of a transplant of a different sort you might say... Always lived here but fished elsewhere.

I have a Fat Ika rigged up on a rod I use to skip under docks, overhangs, etc. Works great for that... I rig it "backwards" so that once it stops skipping, it skoots forward like a crayfish and travels further under the cover. However, as well as it works rigged this way to "swim" forward, I notice upon retrieve that it curly-cues back towards me - not a natural swimming motion like your standard tube does. Any secrets in rigging it backwards but getting it to retrieve back to me straighter or more natural swimming motion?

Wondering if it's just me, but after spending a fair amount of time fishing Tonka the last couple years - I think I'm going to focus elsewhere this year. Nothing wrong with it, but it seems to have a lot of fish but mostly 2-3 pounders... an occasional 4, but anything above that seems rare. I'm always on the quest for something 5+ and think chances are better elsewhere...

I had a similar day last week, and was expecting much better. I went back and looked at water temps records I kept from the past few years and that might be part of the reason. My best spring success around the metro area for smallmouth anyway has been water temps of 62-72. Last week I was out, temps were 60-ish at daybreak so maybe that was part of the reason the morning was slow. By late morning, the sun came out and got a lot warmer. May have only risen a degree or so but I ended up catching 4-5 around 11-Noon. I do think the rising temps will help, but then again I'm not crazy about catching fish when they are on their beds and doing "their thing" might be a narrow window here for awhile...

Slonezp, when did you get your Pro-V Bass and any other significant learnings after being on the water?

I guess I'm just "Slysdexic"

I missed opener, bad weather anyway.... Yesterday was beautiful so I skipped work in the morning. Water temps on the river 61. 4-5 smallies between 15-19 inches. Kalins wacky worm, baby bass color seemed to work best.

Had a couple questions for those that have been on the water in the Pro V Bass, since I've only seen one at a boat show so far... Photos I have seen on the water appear that the front deck is quite high off the water compared to a traditional bass boat. Maybe due in part that the hull is made from a slimmed down version of a deeper V boat (The original Pro-V). This could be a positive and a negative in different ways. Now that some of you have been on the water with the boat: 1) Is the front casting deck far enough from the water to make it tougher for instance, low trajectory skipping or lipping bass at boat side? 2) The front may be higher off the water but indicates a front end that might be better equipped to handle rougher water, and waves than the typical bass boat? I hope to get a test ride this summer, but until then interested to get initial input from others. Thank you -

Worth noting is that the reason I decided to buy 20 lines for the stretch test is because I "sensed" that fluorocarbon stretched so much that I was having difficulty getting good hook sets on longer casts which adversely affected my ability to catch fish. ... I wanted to go beyond just sensing and objectively do some testing to determine if what I thought I was feeling was true --

As far as visibility is concerned, when in open water I think how you are positioned in relation to the sun makes a bigger difference in terms of the fish seeing the line. For instance, if the sun is behind you and the fish in front of you - and you cast beyond the fish and the sun is shining on the side of the line in the view of the fish it's pretty visible. If you can try to position so the shadow side of the line is what the fish see then it's less of an issue. If in and around cover or shaded areas I think line color makes much less of a difference.

Now THAT's a football at 7.24 pounds!!! http://www.***/outdoors/***/story/1664862-angler-breaks-sd-smallmouth-record-on-quest

I'm up North too and my guess is that the fish are still in the deeper areas and just starting to migrate inwards. Remember things warm up faster in rivers than in lakes...

Only thing I would add is, in high percentage spots try: either on top with a Skitter Prop, or let it sink slowly with a Senko rigged wacky style.

Sorry if I offended anyone, I know this is a family-friendly site. My dad is the greatest human being I've ever met and probably could have been a Pastor. Have never heard him swear or flip the bird in my life... but I think the photo captured his sentiments and those of our entire family ~