the reel ess

Maybe buy several at the time. I have a Booyah that hasn't filled up at all and I've caught several on it. It's the only one I've used after another brand kept filling up. Lunker Hunt recommends superglue around the nose, but how long can that last?

I think the most important factor is unlimited baitfish. And then water quality.probably related. Good natural structure and cover helps too. Fish would prefer to ambush prey rather than casing it all the time. And the ability to get into cooler, oxygenated water will help their growth. A reservoir used for drinking water or as a backup source can be an awesome fishery. Also, and I have no stats to back this up, it seems that the less a smaller body of water fluctuates in level the better. Bass will be able to use the same spawning grounds year after year.

Taking me back to the Virgil Ward days.

I tried the Crazy Legs today in watermelon/candy color. I don't know if it was a coincidence or really mattered, but I didn't even get a bite until I pinched off the Crazy Legs.

Very true. But we already had an Academy that beat the doors off Dick's. I'm not sure I need to ride 20 miles more up the interstate just to get a tiny bit better fishing selection at Cabela's. Now, if it was hunting, shooting, boating or camping, maybe Cabela's wins out over Academy. For fishing, Academy usually has me covered.

Same here in Fort Mill, SC (near Charlotte, NC). It was basically BPS Lite. But I have a friend working there who gave me his 20% discount at a pre-Grand Opening Sale. I still managed to spend $200.

Since I usually use the kayak I take the minimalist approach. When I fish from my buddy's boat I take the whole bag. When I fish from my big boat I take the kitchen sink.

That is good stuff. I once left a bass with a face full of Super Spook because I got too excited after catching 4 on 4 casts to retie. I've felt guilty about that for 15 years. It might also explain why you occasionally see a topwater floating and wonder how somebody managed to lose it.

Smells like.......VICTORY.

Get a fast one too

I believe the Johnny Morris reels from BPS are jam-up BC reels. If they were Shimano or Quantum they'd be $200. I have one of the old ones and the drag is strong and smooth. You can feel the quality. Just spin the knob on the handle and it keeps spinning. Best reel I have and you can cinch down the drag, which is what you'll do with the frog, and you won't damage the reel.

How do you rig the Ultra Vibe size? I find them about too small for T-rigs. I ordered some thinking they were the 4". I have 2 bags I'm not using.

I'm in a big pond/small lake and will only be using 1/4 oz bullet weight. But if they slip, which they will with an ounce or more, I put two on. It's just really cool being able to adjust leader length (weight-to-hook) longer or shorter at will.

Yeah, it casts fine for anything larger than 1/4 oz. I use 15# Big Game for topwaters. It's better than alright. It's the right tool for the job IMO. The reason such a large diameter line is good for this application is that mono floats. Thicker mono floats better. This won't impede the action of the topwaters and the stretch won't rip hooks out of the fish. If you're really in love with mono and want it for T-rigs, use the best hooks money can buy and you'll land more fish. I love Gamakatsu EWG and straight shank worm hooks. I just switched my T-rig and C-rig rods over to braid because I wasn't feeling bites. Or, more to the point, frogs aren't producing in mid-day for me, so I took that rod for C-rigs. Braid with a mono leader. I don't "believe in" leaders, per se. But I use a Carolina Keeper on the line and it won't thread or stay on braid.

I'm certainly not in crystal waters. My purpose for the leader was to get some line on that I could thread the Carolina Keeper onto. I don't think it would hold on the braid even if I could thread it thru. And this way, I can simply cut the hook knot, slide the Keeper and bullet weight off and retie a T-rig and not have to keep the hardware on the kayak.

Do you use a double uni-knot? That's what I use to join braid to any other line. I also put superglue on to hold down the mono tag end.

After using the Chigger Craw a few more times, I prefer it. I've caught several nice bass on them. They smell like a seafood restaurant's dumpster. Fish won't drop them even if they feel pressure from you.

I just put a 15# leader on my pitching rod to use it for a Carolina Rig. I put about 6' on it and used a Carolina Keeper to hold the weight. How long do those of you who do this prefer the leader to be?

I prefer as fast as I can get. But I use a 5.3:1 Johnny Morris reel because it's the best reel wit the best drag that I have. I can tighten it all the way down. I have a 7.1:1 BPS Clunn series reel, but the drag is weak to the point I use it for treble lures like topwaters and cranks.

The craw works well for me in spring. It's the first craw lure I ever had.

I have read that they'll still bite it with one flipper. Maybe even better since it looks less defensive.

I got another 5.88 pounder on this bait Saturday. I discovered how easily Powerbaits get chewed up when fish are biting it well. If they don't completely tear the hook out of the nose of the bait, you can flip it over and rig upside-down. Like putting money in the bank.

I have a friend I just got hooked on bass fishing. He used to never catch anything, but he would drink beer in the back of the boat and have a general good time. He caught a big'un that broke his rod once. I gave him another rod to use but he sat down and took pics and started texting the pic to everybody he knows while talking smack to me about having the big fish of the day. As we came back to the landing, I threw out a Rat-L-Trap once and caught one bigger than his, which disappointed him. I told him you won't catch any fish without a hook in the water. I've gotten a lot better in the last few years at figuring out what to do during the day. But mostly I just TRY HARD. I record my trips in a journal and make mental notes for future. I have a nearly photographic memory of what I caught, how and where. And I'm never afraid to try something different. If they aren't biting, what do you have to lose? I also use advice from others, but I don't take it as Gospel. I've caught some of my best fish ever this past season when my other buddy says bass "aren't biting".

For my birthday, I'd like something I don't have and is so expensive I probably wouldn't buy for myself. Like a +/-$20 Matt's Bluegill swimbait. Something along that line or a gift card/certificate to someplace I could get it.

My best is Pop R-type popper. Get them all because there'll be days when they'll hit one and not another. My favs: Chug'n Spook, Jr. Frog Chug Bug Pop r