desmobob

Don't be afraid to throw B-I-G baits! Last summer, there was a huge pike (I mean trophy size) that kept showing up in one of my favorite morning spots, and she was eating a lot of my lures. On a whim, I decided to bring along a saltwater spinning outfit and a giant saltwater jointed jerk bait so I could try to "un-pike" the area before bass fishing and hopefully raise my PB for northern pike at the same time. On the first cast, I caught a largemouth that was smaller than the lure. Second cast brought in one about two pounds that was a bit longer than the lure. Those darn bass aren't afraid to eat big! Tight lines, Bob

When I looked quick at the thumbnail, I thought you somehow had it wacky-rigged! Glad you don't... I don't believe the wrench will have the right wiggle on the drop for that. Hope you torque a couple of big ones! Tight lines, Bob

I got out my old Bass Pro Shops "IM6 Tourney Special" pistol grip bait caster a while back and put a reel on it. It felt nice and smooth, and a bit soft, like it would make a good cranking rod. Every time I casted it, my left hand reached for the non-existent butt section for leverage. Without that to provide some extra casting oomph, it made me feel like I had a weak wrist. Tight lines, Bob

Well, I just rummaged through my tackle and found a new spool of 12-lb. Trilene XL. I just spooled up a new Orra 2 Winch and put it on my Kistler KLX 7' MHMod.Fast cranking rod. Hopefull, I'll get a chance to try it out this weekend. I'll stock up with a better selection of lines so I can make some comparisons in the future. Thanks again very much for all the insights and advice. I appreciate it! Tight lines, Bob

I like throwing bigger stuff, too. I did pretty well throwing a Bill Norman Big N in "Bull Bream" color last weekend. Those are some chunky baits that are inexpensive and work very well. Tight lines, Bob

Good food for thought, Tom. I think you hit the nail on the head with line bow. I was using an old reel on the new cranking rod until a new reel arrives, and I'm not sure what pound-test mono was on it. I'm betting it may have been heavier than I need for cranking and thicker line means more bowing. I'll try some 12 lb. mono, co-polymer or fluoro. I've been given plenty of recommendations for products to try by the good folks here on the forums. Thanks for all the advice! I hope it get a chance to try out a few lines before the water freezes up here in the northeast! Tight lines, Bob

I once saw some neat underwater footage of a bass hitting a spinnerbait and was shocked to see he ate the ENTIRE thing (and spit it before he got hooked)! I grew up fishing with in-line spinners and spoons. I don't think I knew what a jig was when I was a kid. When I saw my first spinnerbait, I immediately thought, "What a dumb lure! The fish will eat the spinner blades every time... it will never catch one!" Boy, was I wrong! :-) Tight lines, Bob

Nope! Tight lines, Bob

Remember, he has to go back through a TSA checkpoint on his way home. Imagine what a non-fishing inspector might think when he or she looks at several packages of soft, slippery rubber thingies labeled "Fuzzy Beavers." Or worse yet, "D-Bombs." :-) Glad to hear you dad enjoyed himself while in the states. Tight lines, Bob

I don't want the males to hit, I want the BIG MOMMAS! Pink is traditionally known as a "feminine" color, so why not? And like Raul, when I'm in the sporting goods store, I'll ask for "bubblegum" color. ;-) Tight lines, Bob

That's why I bought the slower action Kistler... for treble hook baits. You're correct Dwight, it's a Moderate-Fast. I guess if I step down to 30lb. braid, the small diameter will offset the buoyancy of the line and keep the crank baits running somewhere near where they are rated. I fish primarily in shallow water and getting lots of depth has never been an issue for me anyway... Thanks for the replies, gentlemen! Bob

Fall has been a mystery to me again this year here on southern Lake Champlain. This end of the lake is very shallow, with the only deep water being in the narrow main channel (the lake is more like a river at this end). The water is very muddy --clay silt-- and the weed growth is limited to shallow water. The bottom in about ten feet of water and deeper is just smooth mud. As the water temperature dropped through the 60's, fishing started to get tougher for me. Last week the surface temps were down to 56* and I had a couple of one-fish days. I have a very capable sonar on the boat (Garmin 93SV; love it!) and did a lot of looking around for these famous congregations of fall bass on bait, but came up empty. I motored a ways to fish the only deeper water structure I know of (mostly along rock bluffs and sloping rock ledge) and caught two dinks. Then, yesterday, I caught bass in the same places I catch them in the summer: on the outside of (what's left of) the weed line, up in the shallow weeds where there a still some remnants of lily pads, and in shallow water along rock rip-rap. What would your game plan be for this kind of lake? Tight lines, Bob

After getting into bass fishing and discovering the wonders of braided superlines, I started to really dislike monofilament. I love mono's easy knot-tying qualities, slack line feedback and cost, but that's where it ends. The stretch is the deal-breaker for me. I love the sensitive rods I've invested in and using them with braid lets me feel everything going on at the end of the line. I've even spooled my light and ultralight spinning set-ups with braid. But for cranking, knowledgeable fishermen recommend mono (or fluoro?). I tried using mono on my nice new Kistler KLX Crank, Rip and Twitch rod and it feels like I'm fishing with a rubber band. I'm sure the slack-line feedback of mono would be an advantage some times, but I crank a lot more than I rip or twitch. Should I just try to get used to mono again? What are your opinions on the very best non-braided line for cranking? Does anyone crank with braid? Thanks for any insights and advice, Bob

That's what they make .338 WinMags for. And there are rifles for bears, too. ;-) Tight lines, Bob

I think you said it far better than I could have, and I see nothing "strange" about it at all. I have the one-ness with my old Ducati. I'm almost there with the fishing gear... just need to start acquiring my first premium rods. I just can't seem to make my checking account become "one" with a couple of NRXs! Tight lines, Bob

Younger years... you make a very good point. I'm not too sure I would have done it then, either. It's easy to forget how our values may have been a little bit different when we were younger! Tight lines, Bob

I have a mix of 6.4:1 and 7.1:1 reels for most everything and a 5.4:1 reel for crank baits and doing things s-l-o-w-l-y. I have trouble fishing slowly... I could use an even lower gear ratio reel! Tight lines, Bob

I sat home because of the wind today, too. It's supposed to lay down a little tomorrow, then be fairly calm Sunday. I hope so... I need to fish! :-) Tight lines, Bob

To be honest, if I had only been on that job for a month, I would have shown up sick and let the boss send me home (or not). Tight lines, Bob

Tarpon, permit and bonefish top my list at the moment. Tight lines, Bob

There IS a difference between inexpensive polarized glasses and top-quality polarized glasses. Most of it has to do with the quality of the lens coatings, as well as the lens materials and design. It's a lot like the difference between a Kodak camera lens and Leica camera lens. Or between a pair of Tasco and Zeiss binoculars. Or between a Bushnell and Swarovski spotting scope. If you think the only difference is the price, you're kidding yourself; there is a performance difference as well. Tight lines, Bob (saving up for some Maui Jim polarized sunglasses)

My new Symetre started binding the second time I used it. Instead of going straight to the friction ring fix, I tried relubing. I used MiliTech grease on the oscillating parts and it seemed to do the trick (so far). I really like the reel and was pretty disappointed when it started binding almost immediately. I'm glad a simple lube change may be the solution. Tight lines, Bob

You're using the process of elimination to find the leak. If you plug off the live well inlets and outlets, then put the boat in the water and it doesn't leak, then you know it's not the hull that's leaking; it's the live well plumbing. If it still takes on water with the inlets/outlets plugged, you know you have a leak in the hull. Tight lines, Bob

Congratulations! Achieving first success jig fishing is mighty satisfying. Wishing you continued success and fun with all the techniques you try, Bob PS- I used to own a '68 Camaro convertible; 327ci w/Powerglide. My first car was a '69 Camaro 350ci.

I have a few MHF rods in that price range: Kistler Carbon Steel, St. Croix Premier and Kistler Magnesium TS. I like the Kistler Magnesium TS the best of the bunch, but would much rather spend a little more and get the KLX series rods. The Premier is a club. Tight lines, Bob