Turkey sandwich

It's all feel and personal preference at this point. Are you looking to lob the spinnerbaits for distance? Are you looking to make tighter, more accurate casts? Are you going to use them to feel structure/cover? Are you concerned with short strikes (stinger hooks are a great way to fix this problem, btw, without necessarily changing the rod)? Realistically, you can take advice from some of he best spinnerbaits fishermen on this forum, but if they don't match your style/use of the rod, you could be miserable with it for spinnerbaits. What is important, is noting the lure weight ratings and feeling which rods feel most comfortable (grips, reel seat, trigger/no trigger, etc). Some lures really benefit from a specific rod type, others are largely taste. Spinnerbaits are a matter of taste. Drastically over simplified break down with some generalizations: Almost all major manufacturers have good rods in that price range. - softer tips may increase casting distance, though faster tips typically help control accuracy - faster tips help you feel the bottom and are typically more sensitive. - softer tips can create a cushion for hook sets (again, a trailer hook on a faster rod can help, too) How do you fish spinnerbaits? What do YOU want out of the rod?

My .02... I think of baitcasters like I think of fly rods - learning on something cheap is difficult and can ruin your experience. Buy the best option you can afford. It will be worth it. A cheap real that's hard to control/has a cheap brake will leave you spending a lot of time picking backlashes. Which brings me to line... Backlashes are much worse with high memory line. Also, the backlashes themselves along with the process of removing them will beat up your line. The lowest memory, most resilient lines are going to be braids. They cost a bit more, but they'll make your life easier. Thick diameter mono lines will have much, much more memory, and the mono will take a lot more damage from the friction. If I could go back in time 15 years, I would have bought a better reel and run braid. Also, much like casting flies, casting a baitcasters takes some practice to get the basic casts down. Find an empty field/park and spend a few hours working on your basic casts, learning how to use the brakes, and and learning how to use your thumb. After this stuff becomes second nature, you can learn how to adjust brakes for wind, and ultimately learn how to cast with little/no brake. And you know what? Even if you become a pro, you'll still have the occasional backlash.

First - to troubleshoot for you guys having trouble getting the lure to run true: Any crankbait can get out of tune and often even new crankbaits are a little off out of the package. With a pair if needle-nosed pliers, bend the line tie right or left to "true" the bait until it runs well. I've fished them a bit and actually really like them. That said, I view them as a pretty specific tool. For example, I'm not going to throw them into branches/cover the way I might a square bill. The crazy side to side action is awesome, though, for covering flats, heads of pools below ripples, etc because it works so wide to each side with that "hunting" or "fleeing" motion. Walleye guys seem to also love trolling them over the tops of grass beds. That said, I would LOVE to see a rattle version added.

That's incredible!

A good start would include twister tail grubs, tubes, some basic spinnerbaits/Crankbaits and some top water standards like spooks, pop-Rs, Skitterpops, etc.

For $150 there are some great options, but the best Rod is all about preferences and knowing what you want in the rod. Do you like micro-guides? What are you using it for/what areyour preferences as far as action/blanks? Do you prefer cork or foam handles? Have you felt St. Croix's composite/neoprene/next generation grips? Do you prefer exposed blank or full length handles? How important is warranty/customer service? For that price range, I own a St. Croix Rage and I like it a lot. It's reasonably light, has the SCIII blank (usually reserved for rods in the $200-$250 price range) and is built with microguides and a base level next generation handle that's pretty grippy. The downside? Other than the blank it's made in Mexico. I'm very happy with that rod. That said, your tastes might differ. The good news is that now, more than ever, there are tons of great quality rods made by lots of manufacturers beginning at around $100 on up. The best suggestion I can make is to at least go to a Bass Pro Shops/Cabela's where they'll have a huge selection and at least feel/compare some rods if there's one reasonably close.

Sometimes, it's just a matter of making them angry or forcing them to defend the eggs. You know they won't eat out of hunger much, so tie on something that'll mock crawfish, salamander, small panfish, etc that are a threat to the eggs and just keep it that bass's face.

I could imagine what she weighed a week or so earlier with all her eggs. Great fish!

The CNN story was pretty infuriating. The DEP response and the pressure that's been placed on the Clean Water Act since the early 2000s has made it almost impossible to protect the lower Susquehanna from farm runoff. (See bottom for rant on Clean Water Act/EPA/DEP/politics). The thing that really made me angry were the yokels they interviewed - one sitting on an overpass, another attempting to cast a fly rod lined with monofilament - who joke about fish with lesions/catching a three eyed fish and then go on to explain that the Juniata is clean because it doesn't look muddy like the main branch (we should assume that likely neither of these gentlemen will be piloting the next generation space shuttle). They followed it by going on to interview three other random anglers sitting on the side of the river who claim to not eat fish because of pollution levels. 1. Fish with cancerous tumors like that are an anomaly. It's a sensational event, and it was broadcast for shock value. 2. The lower River has had issues with farm runoff, while the North Branch has actually seen a huge turnaround from the late 1980s/early 1990s and is still a great fishery in recent years. The problem is agriculture/farm runoff, but even where the entire river is now, it's still better than it was 30 years ago. It's not waste water/radioactivity from nuke plants or manufacturing waste or horribly untreated sewage - it's PCBs and nitrogen rich fertilizers from farms. 3. Instead of actually consulting a biologist, professional angler/guide, or even reporting any new information, CNN made a science/politics story about emotion and interviewed arguably the least knowledgable sources possible. 4. The Susquehanna, problems aside, is still a fantastic freshwater fishery. The problem is that it may decline down the same path it was on 40 years ago before the Clean Water Act. The reason for the decline is that anytime there is a strong Republican congress, there's a push to deregulate industry, and the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act are usually amongst the first to be threatened - either through cutting funding to the EPA/DEP and making it impossible for them to really do their jobs, or through outright attempts at repealing the acts themselves. The current breed of conservatives aren't the classic conservationists they paint themselves as every election year.

Lampreys are the stuff of nightmares, man, and that almost definitely looks like a lamprey left it's mark.

One thing to consider is long term. A cheap stiff Rod (fast, or extra fast) will chuck heavy lures without a problem. However, if you want to make sure you're feeling the bottom, pieces of cover, and subtle hits, it's worth it to invest a little more if you can. A big part of finding fish is feeling, and a good rod is a good investment. I use a 7'2 St Croix Rage for fishing jigs and soft plastics, both casting and flipping and love the SCIII graphite blanks. They sell for around $150, but offer a lot of the same features as $250 rods at a fraction of the price. If that's still a bit pricey, the Mojo Bass or Premier series are still great rods for around $100/apiece.

There's a lot covered, as the intentional the book seems to provide a lot of broad information. That said, it does give some attention to specific species and the information is useful. The information regarding how things are seen at depth over distance is helpful, as well as some of the information about how/why fluorescents are as visible as they are. Seriously, give it a read.

It's available as a Kindle version via Amazon.

It's an awesome reel. I keep mine spooled with braid and it casts everything from the light stuff (1/8th oz or so) to the heavy stuff (full sized spooks, large Crankbaits, etc) without a problem.

As for lures - finesse soft plastic worms, floating worms/shaky head, plastic crayfish, and probably Senkos would be great options. To stay stealthy, pay attention to shadows, wearing dark clothes, etc can help you on the shoreline, but those things don't matter if your casts are landing super heavy on spooky fish.

1) force yourself to fish jigs and plastics. 2) get out with someone who does well fishing them 3) ask SPECIFIC questions, watch videos, etc 4) have the right gear - having a fast or extra fast action rod and low-stretch line is a game changer. 5) put yourself in a position to gain confidence quickly - learn about colors, leader length, trailers, weights, and when to use which. The quicker you start landing fish, the better for your confidence and patience. 6) take advantage of time off the water to learn as much as you can so that time on the water isn't wasted. Soft plastics and jigs are my most confident baits. You'll find that once you get the basics down, they're great not just for numbers, but also for big fish.

I noticed a bunch of threads on here over the past month or two about color choices and lure selection in different water clarities and figured I'd post about this. The book Why Fish Don't See Your Lures: How Fish Vision Affects Intelligent Fishing Tackle Color Selection. Lake Fishing, River Fishing, Sea Fishing. By Greg Vinall covers everything from color visibility at depth, color visibility at distance, how well fish can focus in varying water clarifies, different light conditions, and lots of other super helpful information for lure selection. The book has been really helpful for me. I've known some of the basics for a while, but the book really helped me understand the "why" beind a lot of the things that I do. Similarly, the book has also helped me spot some bad habits I've developed over the years. Anyone else read it? Thoughts? Also, what are some other books/instructionals that have been helpful for you guys?

Yo zuri hybrid is probably the best bang for the buck. I use both that and Invisx and the Hybrid has done well for me over the years.

Great fish!

SCIII blanks are a big step up. Combined with flouro or braid you'll feel pretty much everything. My next rods will almost definitely be Avid or Avid X series.

He puts on a great show. I saw him live and then got a chance to hang out with him a bit after back around 2002-2003.

The SCIII blank (Avid, Avid X, and Rage rods) is a huge step up. I still like my Premier and have fished Mojos that are good rods, but after buying a Rage, I really noticed a huge difference in sensitivity. The blank is really, really good.

Bingo. There are some days when you're going to want two different kinds of soft plastics, or two different cranks of the same size but with different color/action ready to go. The thought of no re-tieing, as glorious as it sounds, is impossible without keeping a dozen rods on the boat.

Bass tend to strike up through pads, duckweed, etc (surface vegetation) usually without a great look at the lure, but based on seeing and feeling the movement anticipating something (frog, mouse, whatever) moving across the top. You can get hits flipping all sorts of weed less baits on top ranging from frogs/mouse baits to light t-rigged 7-10" worms to even light weedless jigs with big trailers. I've had 4lb bass blow up pads for jigs and weedless spoons drug across the top. I like working edges with topwater whenever applicable, but most of my edge fishing is jigs and Texas rigged plastics.

I have a Rage that I really love. I've been a St. Croix fan for a long time, and might be biased, but follow me.... I've owned or fished Preimier and Mojo rods in the past and have really liked their blanks for the money. The Mojo series is one of the best options for $150 or less, without question. Great feel, great action, well built, and a company with fantastic customer service. Then I bought a Rage worm/jig rod. The SCIII blank is in a whole different category. There's a ton of backbone, fantastic sensitivity, and a great tip. The SCIII is the same blank used in Avid series rods starting at at $200 or so and going up. Getting those same blanks in he $140-$160 price range rocks. Similarly, I'm likely going to pick up a ML action for fishing finesse and it'll likely be a either a Rage or Avid X because I like the blank THAT much.