Cgolf

I promote on social media the brands like crazy only because I believe in them. I would never rep a product I don’t believe in and have turned down offers I hadn’t tried. Unfortunately too many will rep any product just to get a discount or free product. To me the forums where I am offering advice, I want to be honest that I like a product, but here is not a place to promote. Both because it is against the rules and it would hurt my credibility which is why I mention other options that would work. I was just happy to get a product I would buy anyways at a discount far better than any of the recent sales. I never seeked out a sponsor they offered to me based on my posts. I will admit my situation is unique because I fish for fun. Pros are a different ball game, they need to put food on the table. A good example of a pro taking the check in golf was a home state boy Steve Stricker switching to Taylor Made for the check back in the day. I believe his golf game took a dive with the new gear that was different than his old. Thankfully fishing isn’t that gear particular regardless how much we imagine it to be.

Making a leap here that you are looking at the Jerkbait page. That is the day that page goes live with sale prices. Day 24 has a similar message with a Dec 30th date.

I am field staff for a company and whenever I mention the product on the site, I always mention 2 other options with it, one of which I have used in the past and one that is a site favorite. I just checked my messages with another member on the site and when I suggested this product as something to use I was open with them I was on their staff and gave other options that they could use as well. I got my two staff positions for the social media reach and an article I wrote a couple of years ago and because I used and believed in the products before I said yes. I never push the products on here or other forums I have been on, that is not what these sites are for. I am an ok stick, but refuse to tourney fish because my competitiveness will take all the fun out of fishing for me. Curious what photography forums you frequented. I just started shooting manual this year with my Cannon 7D and picked up my first full frame camera. Those are sites I could learn a ton from lurking, other than good pictures I wouldn't have anything to add. If you could PM me with them that would be awesome, thanks.

I like the technique videos where they catch zero or maybe one fish. The most informational jig fishing video I ever watched the guy never caught a fish. The edited videos where folks are reeling a fish in every cast are so unrealistic it is laughable. Or the guys on social media that catch 6 lb smallies all day lol. When I post fish pics on social media I include the little ones too, they happen. The skunk can also happen, now matter how hard we try. Looking at a tourney list is a good idea, especially when you see guys like KVD, Ike, Crews, Seth, etc struggle and even blank. Also used to be on a forum where I was doing something wrong because I wasn't catching 20" smallies every river trip lol. The internet can be a great resource and a great platform for fishermen to inflate their stats even more than the days of word of mouth.

This,^^. Bass fishing is unlike most other hobbies, the silly fish have enough of a brain to screw us over. Being that each body of water will be different depending on unknowable factors, like pressure, and which baits have been thrown so much on that body of water that the bass won't hit them, but on the body of water next to it, the fish prefer the same bait. Fishing is one of those hobbies that takes minutes to learn and a lifetime to become proficient at. I never served, my dad did, and thanks to all that are serving and have served, but I can relate to the hating failure. Growing up I learned to learn from my failures and dismiss my successes, not sure how much this was my parents pushing and how much is how I was wired. I still haven't learned to enjoy success, because I always look for failure. I guess on some levels in my time I have learned to accept it on some levels to keep me on the straight and narrow and not angry all the time, but I do wake up angry a lot, but it keeps the blood pumping. I think some of us are just wired this way, because when I explain it to my wife or coworkers they just don't understand it at all.

I can't exactly tell you the magic, bait, but I can relate to having a competitive streak, with myself, my wife, another boat I can see off in the distance etc. Early this fall I did a 4 day trip up north and got my a$$ handed to me by a warm front that shut the system down. I kept my chin up enjoyed trying different stuff and was content to go home with a bad trip, just knowing I enjoyed the time on the water. Due to us being the last ones in the cabin for the year they let us leave late the last day, and I got in one more morning trip and I put the bite together remembering that a warm front in the fall equaled a cold front in the spring/summer and had a very good bonus hour of fishing. In that one trip all the frustration was gone and I was stoked. The days I have struggled are the days I learned the most. The days I catch them on every cast are fun but I don't learn a thing. All the hits I did get along with the warm front info led me to tying on the spinnerbait and having a great last morning. That trip reminded me why I fish, it isn't about numbers, it is to learn so I am better next time out. Don't know if this helps or not. If I had a lure for a pressured water like a pond it would be a ned rig, spinnerbait, or even a 2" twister tail. A 2" twister tail caught me a whopper as a kid in a Florida pond when we were on vacation, will never forget that hit.

I agree 100% with Tom. Having done a lot of deeper water fishing for walleyes where you are fishing a 1/32 oz jig in 25 to 30 feet of water with a cheap spinning reel and a fiberglass rod (all we could afford at the time), there was no feel just line watching and knowing when to set the hook when the line moved in a way it wasn't supposed to or stopped or slowed down before it got to bottom. That has carried over to bass fishing and helped me with all my soft plastic fishing, slider heads, ned heads, or a traditional bass jig. There are times I don't even know why I set the hook, but the lizard brain recognized something and triggered a hookset before I could process it.

I would be careful of the cheaper ones. I got one that ultimately is mostly for just rods, at Menards for like 20 bucks. And it was decent for a year or two but then broke at the seam where the 2 posts between the base and the part that holds the rods. Thankfully I was holding on to it at the time and there was no rod breakage. It turns out the section that joins the two was just plastic with a screw and a nut embedded in the plastic. Being cheap, I bought some screws and 4 metal brackets and I was able to brace it back together and it is now probably way stronger than it has ever been. So ultimately do I like it, yeh but I got really lucky it broke when I was around to catch it and not my wife. I have mine in the master closet so it probably gets bumped once in a while. Not empty nesters yet so I don't get to steal the 3rd bedroom quite yet.

I also just got my tracking info. They are trying. I also think California has stricter COVID rules so they may be running with less staff than normal.

Well I learned something today. That it looks like my TW order is boxed but not shipped out yet. I will take a different opinion than others. I got my order in around 9 am today, I am impressed they got it this far along. Judging by the website traffic they got slammed and I assume they didn’t have anyone working yesterday. Not sure what everyone expects. I mean we recently ordered from Lands end on a big sale and it took 3 weeks to get our order. Bigger company and they were super slow when they got slammed during their sale.

I didn’t get the confirmation email either but am not worried about it, it’s TW. They are better than a site where I got a musky rod from with communication. That site I got the rod in 4 business days and never got a single email from them.

Fixed it I wasn't clear lol. Took about an hour fighting the site and my brain to get the order done, guessing the email was a matter of minutes.

So I get the blame on this one. I forgot to check our spam folder and there it was. I think our provider changed settings on us, as TW has never gone to spam before and emails from Costco and Outlet bait and tackle are 50/50 inbox vs spam. The whole reason I was concerned was the site dumped on me when I hit submit order. Now I can relax for the weekend with all my shopping done. As for time on the site, I had 50 things in the cart, and took about an hour to get it entered, part of the time was me was deciding if I needed a second new reel or tackle more, tackle won out this year.

Completed my order about an hour ago, and no confirmation email yet. Guessing it is due to the high traffic. I have never ordered on Friday before, usually Saturday night due to family travels that didn’t happen this year for some reason.

I have to say TW was still good to me this year. Most of my stuff was only available on their site, so I maybe paid more for 2 items, but that wouldn't have qualified for free shipping on another site so I just got it from TW. Lots of spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and a few plastics for me. I did pick up the Flambeau Blade krate for 25% off from DSG for 15.81 with tax and no minimum free shipping. Thanks to @RichF for pointing the lower price out a while back.

Yes but how about when the did the extra 10% on certain brands like strike king, did that show up the night before to? I know that extra 10 shows up on the main page and the extra 20 showed in the cart. Holding out hope they do the extra again. I will wait till the official time tomorrow as none of the stuff on my list is must haves.

I know I am dreaming, but the 25 and 20% off don't stack like the TW extra 10% off has the last two years, or do they? My list is sadly anchored to TW. The other sites don't carry the baits I have on my list. DSG has the blade krate at a good price with the 25% off, but the rest of their prices are so high, it doesn't really help me out. Maybe tomorrow they will do a free ship on any price which would be great because the box is all I can find from them. This was the year I had the freedom to shop all over and still back at TW lol.

I haven’t but I have seen a few on here that really like them so I figured I would pass it along when I saw it.

Academy has their terminal box on sale and free shipping on 25 or more I think at https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/h2o-xpress-premium-terminal-tackle-utility-box#repChildCatid=7840503

Surprised we aren’t seeing more yet. With COVID I thought they would start early to spread out store traffic. I know stores like Target did. Also has anyone heard if TW is planning on doing the extra 10% off certain brands? Last couple of years my list has lined up well with those brands.

The definition of too expensive, I can live with it, cheap, and won’t touch that varies by region. I live where I have seen Musky stroll away with 2 jerkbaits in 2 trips and countless other lures over the years. Topwaters I am a little bit more open to spending more with maybe a 15 max. I have some Jackall ReRanges I paid like 10 for on sale. I will definitely buy more expensive lures on sale though, I look only at out of pocket cost. Ranges below for hardbaits. No idea how to rank softbaits, just glad Senkos don’t suit my fishing style. With exception of topwater too expensive is 12 and up I can live with it 8 to 12 Cheap (cotton cordell baits and bandits, and other known brands) 4 to 8 I won’t touch this price isn’t the issue here, but the ozark trail, BPS house brand lures and unbranded stuff on Amazon or other sites.

Thanks for doing this. My father in-law got my order in and I get to see it in about a month:)

I fish rivers a lot so I rarely fish slack line and set the hook at the hint of a hit, and this carries over to flat water. It is rare for me to deep hook a fish, and most are hooked on the upper lip.

Forgot one bait that is dirt cheap but is one of the better lipless baits. Cordell spot. Once I finally tried it I was super impressed. I think they can be had for 3-4 bucks and in the Wally World bargain bins.

My number 1 crank the Bandit 100 is the best squareish bill I have ever thrown. Fish just keep eating that thing. My top 3 plastics Yum crawbug, tube, and Kalins 5” grub are very thrifty baits. I won’t get a Vision jerkbait, but my two best are the shadow rap, cheaper bait, and the Provoke, a moderate priced jerk. My most expensive jerk the ReRange catches fish just not as well as the other two. Also a lot of people swear by the old husky jerks which are really cheap. I have them, just haven’t thrown them since I learned how to properly fish a jerk. I think there are a lot of cheaper baits that are rockstars, you just have to be willing to wade through a lot of junk. This is one time it pays to stick with known brands.