the reel ess

Ghost of Osceola

The Lost City Of Gold Plating! El Dorado!

What paint would you use to duplicate a gold War Eagle spinnerbait? Is it specific to fishing tackle or will any old hardware store metallic gold work? Thanks.

Spinnerbaits (2) ,jigs (2), and frog (1) have accounted for my last 5 PB's. These baits also won't cull all the smaller bass so you'll get lots of action between new PB's.

I used the same worms you did, traditionally T-rigged. We settled on purple as being the all-around best color on our lake. My dad and I went from primarily crappie fishing to bass when they were within reach beating the bank. All we knew to start off with was the T-rigged worm. I later added a crankbait and spinnerbait to my arsenal. They were easier to set the hook with. Having been a panfish fisherman, it took me a long time to get the hang of setting the hook. Once I got that skill and a good bass combo, I was off to the races. Later came the C-rig for when the bass migrated offshore. I still never used any other plastics or jigs until maybe 10 years ago. To this day, if I had to fish for food, I'd have the worm tied on. Some baits burst on the scene, then get shuffled to the back of the pack. But the worm is maybe the oldest soft plastic bass lure and it's here to stay.

Did you get one? If so, what do you think of it?

If they were bigger and/or we were small enough, we'd be on their menu. LOL I have often thought about that and even when I get a picture, I limit the time they're out of water. I'll even hold them in the water if it's taking a while. I'm sure they feel some flight instinct and it must be unpleasant to not be able to get oxygen for a while, like having the breath knocked out of you. They also have no eyelids and they usually try to shield their eyes when there's total sun either with cover or depth. So I imagine that's unpleasant as well. I don't think you can attribute human feelings to them though. Their brain is basically one tiny stem of nerve. They're running on pure instinct. They just act and they have no thoughts as to why they do what thy do. If I was that concerned about their feelings, I'd probably stop sticking hooks in their mouths for fun.

There are smallies in the Broad R at least an hour away. I'd have to drive 3 plus hours for the others. Well, DNR stocks trout in the Lower Saluda below the Lake Murray dam during winter, but most don't make it to the spring. Stripers eat them. That's about an hour away.

I'll never own another one that you can pick up from the top while it's unlatched and dump the top of the tackle box all over the place. I can't tell you how many times I did that as a kid. Enough times that I put everything valuable in the lower trays.

I never use a trailer with my spinnerbaits. Sometimes I use a spinnerbait that has some longer strands in the skirt that mimic a trailer. I ALWAYS use a trailer hook though.

LOL. And check out that bait Apparently you have not mastered the art of keeping at least one mismatched combo so you'll ALWAYS "need" a new rod or reel.

A spincast reel would do fine with it. It could double as your crappie combo. Or you could make it your topwater combo and use most any new BC reel. How about this? http://www.mrcrappie.com/products/Lews/mr-crappie-fishing-reels.php Or this https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-crappie-maxx-mighty-lite-low-profile-baitcast-reel

I use this. It holds a min of 4 utility boxes. I have 5 in it. There's a velcro pocket on the front, zippered pockets on each end, a zippered pocket in the lid flap and a net pocket on the rear. It helps you carry a lot of plastics. https://www.cabelas.com/product/fishing/tackle-storage/tackle-bags/pc/104793480/c/104777280/sc/104619780/cabelas-pro-guide-tackle-bags/1934464.uts?slotId=6

That's a real steal. I use a regular Lightning Rod that's more than 10 years old for that very purpose. I find that action/power to be perfect for treble lures until they get to about 3/4 oz. I use Big Game 15# mono on it because i don't use deep divers much anymore. Too weedy or shallow where I fish. I use two old LR rods and I'd like to replace them with better, lighter rods, but they just won't break. LOL. They're fine for applications that don't require or benefit from the lack of sensitivity.

I could probably manage a pickerel around here. We have 2 species in SC, but nowhere that I currently fish that I'm aware of. I can catch smallies about an hour from here in the Broad River basin. And there is a state record for muskie but it was ages ago and in a mountain river. There are trout in the NW corner of the state.

I'd like to catch all the "black bass" species that I can and make a trip to a Mexico trophy bass lake. I've never caught a smallie, trout, pike, muskie or any of the northern species, really. I like to kayak fish and I want to retire early enough to still enjoy it.

I have a ZX frog model. I like it. It's very light and durable. It takes a beating dragging bass out of weeds. It's at least 3 years old. I don't see the ZX of their site anymore. Hmmmm...

Since I spent over $1K on a kayak about a month ago, I just went onto Amazon Prime and put a few things it the cart and told the wife to put them under the tree or in my stocking.

I use BG 15# for all my baitcast trebles (including topwaters) and spinnerbaits/buzzbaits/chatterbaits. Reaction baits that I want the fish to get a really good bite on before I set the hook. It is very tough stuff. I also use about a 5 ft. leader of it for my jig rod for low visibility-my main line on that rod is 30# braid. I caught my PB on the aforementioned spinnerbait rod and I've had to literally drag big fish as heavy as 7 lb. out of heavy brush and from under a dock with the jig rod. Since it's so cheap, I usually change it out twice a year. I also use it for a cheap backing on my reels that I use braid on to save $$$. Also, keep a check on the end of it when you catch multiple fish. If you store your rods where it can get really hot/cold or near a heater, check it before heading out. It can get brittle from the elements. I use the clear line. Since I'm using it mainly for moving baits, I'm not concerned with the sensitivity. I use 20# braid on my spinning combos. But I will still use a leader of BG sometimes.

My mom used to tell me how easy it was to please me. Just a quality lure every now and then was all it took. My sister wanted clothes, clothes and more clothes. Mom said I would go around in rags but my tackle was top notch. Really, how nice did I need to dress to catch bass?

IDK, man. Sometimes people will ask me a question about bass fishing and I'll start talking only to see their eyes glaze over. I'll know then I'm giving them too much info. We have a joke around my house that I'm more addicted to fishing equipment than I am fishing. There is some truth to this because I will get a technique on my mind and I'll just have to pursue it until I achieve some measure of success. You don't HAVE to spend a ton on it to catch some though. I do it from a kayak though, which, to me is a much cheaper compromise between the bass boat and being bank bound.

Jeepers! You almost can't go wrong with that budget. I know pros that use cheaper combos than that. Sensitivity is king. Find yourself a high quality technique specific jig/worm rod and whatever reel you like. I'd start with the ol' T rigged worm and/or craw. It's easier to master than the jig. Once you get used to the feel of the bite you'll be ready for the jig. What did was I went from a T rigged craw to a plain weedless Arky jighead with a Berkley Chigger Craw. That gave me confidence in feeling the bite without a dropoff in number of bites. But the average fish got bigger. Then i went with the skirted jig and craw. Nothing but the jig on that rod. If you're going to be using it for jigs, put some good, heavy line on it. I use 30# braid with about a 5' 15# Big Game mono leader. Tighten that drag down while using the jig around heavy cover. You'll be horsing them out. It's an addictive technique. I made the decision I was going to get better with the jig no matter what this year and I haven't tied on a T rig all year. Don't forget to loosen the drag a bit when you go back to the T rig. A big'un will bend the average T rig wire hook.

I don't know if that means physically too large or file size. If you're using one from your phone, you can email it to your personal email, then save it to your pictures folder on your computer. It should give you the option of 3 different file sizes when you try to send from your phone. Basically, the larger the file, the better the resolution. It has been my experience that if I choose the largest file, it may not load on this site. Choose the middle or smallest one. Resolution doesn't matter much for a tiny profile pic. Hope this helps.

My buddy caught an 8 pounder trolling jigs for crappie.

Academy's brand of tungsten is very affordable.