the reel ess

I have a vintage 1986 Mercury Black Max 135. It's the same in the morning. It seems some direct sunlight or heat source really helps if atomize fuel. I don't use it much but when I did, I would take it over to the lake, launch, run it long enough to get it to operating temp, then dock it or beach it till the morning, when I wanted to fish. It would crank on the first turn of the key. I'm certain a little fine tuning of the carb(s) by an expert in the field would help a lot. The trick with mine when it was cold was to choke it until it fired the first time. It usually didn't catch and run then. Then I would turn off the choke and crank until running and use the fast idle a full minute or two. It was like an old carbed car. There was a combination to cranking it and anything else would usually end up flooding it.

I caught a bass that had an offset shank worm hook in the roof of its mouth that was rusting away. But then there are stainless steel hooks that would last a lot longer I guess.

I've got some shrink tubes. 1/4" diameter will do for Trick Worms. But I would go a size bigger for Senko-type worms.

Watch CraigsList as fall approaches and some people decide they want other toys more. They'll unload them cheaper. But you might have to sift through a bunch to find one specifically for fishing that meets your needs.

Some hard baits that have continueD to work for me in summer are Rat L Traps & Topwaters. Other than that, not much.

Rapala floating jerkbait F11 or F13. You don't see this one mentioned much, but I have decent luck with the large floating, jointed Rebel minnow in chrome/light blue when fish are active. I like the Bandit Flat Max around shallow wood. I bought an H2O Xpress bluegill swimbait, but no luck on it yet. The reviews are good though, with some people saying they're good for big bass. A topwater if they'll bite it. Something small like a Pop R or Torpedo.

I bought one for my daughter and one for myself from Cabela's-their store brand for $35 I think- when we bought her kayak. She has a short back support on her kayak. I got home to discover that the flotation in the back of mine interferes with my seat's back support. I would just say look out for that. They make some with a mesh back or thinner material in the back specifically for this application. It would be good for fishing in hot weather too. Don't just accept what some kid at the store hands you. They all float.They aren't all comfy. I will probably buy the inflating type some day.

No, I'll still watch ol' Bill catch fish on a worm on a private pond as long has he does it.

NASCAR on water

If it's morning, I start with a topwater. Maybe a buzzbait or because you cover water fastest with it. I try a reaction bait because if they're chasing you can catch them faster that way. If they won't hit that, I'll throw a T-rig. Then I'll go back and forth with the reaction and finesse style baits until I settle on what's working. If it's evening, I do just the reverse and try to end up with a topwater. But usually the topwater is a frog, popper or walking type lure. No real reason for that, just seems I get more bites on those than the buzzbait late in the day.

Yeah, this is about the only lure I've found that bass WON'T let go. You can't shake them off when they want it.

A lot of times, it turns into a boat infomercial right in the middle of the show. Aren't there already enough Ranger boat and Evinrude Outboard commercials in that 30 minutes? Do you need to spend 5 more minutes of the show giving us a boat show? DANG! There are a couple TV show pros that are horrible about this. Ranger pros, both.

I have considered that too. I'm just wondering how to hold a rod, cast and paddle. I've thought about how you have to put the paddle down to cast. Seems like a lot of bending, putting down and picking up stuff.

It hurts my lower back worse to stand all day. But I do understand if you own a Triton, you don't leave it at home in lieu of an exercise machine.

I say an $8 frog should not need gluing or tuning to get it to work well. I like the realistic looking legs and it did get bites. But not for long before it was waterlogged. You can squeeze it out but you only get a few twitches before it's full again. And water doesn't flush out of that hollow body like air will upon getting bit. Also the hook points are up against the body. The Booyah was $6 and caught a 3 lb bass on the 3rd cast. I did trim the legs unevenly to get it to walk better. I'm still learning that technique but getting better. The Booyah hooks are in the right place right out of the box. I see no need to spend more.

NBC Sports has Bill, Roland and Jimmy. I also have World Fishing Network on Dish. I like Scott Martin Challenge, Timmy Horton and Kayak Bassin' on that channel. But my favorite is Lun*kerville because Mike D's just a normal guy who sometimes catches fish and sometimes doesn't.

I did just that.Trion Reel, Med action 7' Lightning Rod. Instant $70 combo. Lightning rods are very light, but not incredibly sensitive. So I use this setup for lighter treble hook lures and wacky rigs.

I bought a sky blue Columbia PFG long sleeve jersey. I've never been skunked while wearing it. Coincidence? But my daughter left Chap Stick in the pocket of her jeans and I dried them with the shirt. Now it has darker spots all over it. I wear it anyway. Still stops the sunburn and makes me look knowledgeable.

It tends to land right because it's weighted on the bottom. But I believe the others with the rubber skirt legs do the same.

I have two of those, the medium and the pocket size. I haven't used the pocket size, but the medium fills with water too easily. It got bites and the action was awesome till it started filling up. I complained on their official YouTube video and they told me to take some Superglue to the nose around the line tie and that plastic button that seals the belly cavity, but NOT the hole for the hooks. I did so, but haven't tried it again. I much prefer the Booyah Pad Crasher when they're hitting it. Better hookup ratio. The hooks are just in the right place out of the box and the body is super soft. I caught what was my PB bass for years on a Snag Proof Original frog. They make some really good frogs too. I hear SPROs are good. I have one of their older frogs and don't really like it. The body is hard. Maybe they're better now. I also like a Chug Bug and a Chug'n Spook, Jr. in frog pattern. To me, they get more bites unless the water is just a mat of weeds or there's a big pollen slick on it.

I wouldn't even start with a BC as my first combo. If you do you have to learn to bass fish and cast a BC reel at the same time. Recognizing the usefulness of a MH and a M spinning combo, I'd start with those two to learn the basics of bassin'.

Me too. I got a 33 with a stiff rod and a Daiwa UL spinning combo. I had all the bases covered!

When you have a family and aren't a pro, you have to make choices regarding food, clothing, etc.

I've got a combo that, if purchased new, would have cost about $260. I bought the Johnny Morris reel off Ebay used and the Falcon rod from a guy at work getting out of fishing. I have $100 in the combo. By far my best combo. But my personal best was on a cheap used ABU 2005LP BC composite frame reel and a Lightning rod. This has to be one of the best composite framed reels ever made. So strong it could be used for pitching in heavy cover. My point is I have several $70 combos. A lot of people go gung-ho with the best equipment money can buy only to get tired of the hobby and either sell it cheap or let it collect dust.

If I may make a suggestion, for anyone looking for a top quality spinning reel, try the Pfleuger Trion series. I've been using one since winter and I can't think of a single complaint. No twists and the drag is smooth as butter and strong. $40 everywhere every day. I'm going to buy another when my MH combo reel quits on me. It's an old BPS Viper $70 combo special that just won't wear out. I'd suggest it too, but they don't make it anymore.