harshman

Yep....just posted it on the other topic you can seal up the holes with a little clear silicone... or ring out the frog every other cast or so. Harshman

I would second the braid and heavy rod comments . if you are still having a little trouble you can take a good set of pliers and open up the hook bends a little to get them away from the body a little more....this helped me. And if the bait is taking on water use a little dab of clear silicone around all of the openings to seal her up tight or just ring her out ever other cast. Harshman

Great looking baits harshman

I love the chopper blades in dirty water they make your bait vibrate a ton. Almost feels like your are reeling in a huge crank bait with these blades. Harshman

Bead.....bead.....you don't need no stinking bead ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D How have you guys been rigging this frog???? I take a 30 degree bend hook (that I use to make jigs with) and put a screw hitch hiker through the eye of the hook. Screw the hitch hiker into the nose and rig the hook through the frogs back. I have a much better hook rate with these then with any other combo I have tried and it doesn't tear up the front of the bait when you catch a fish. but like the rest of you know the rest of the bait is usually destroyed anyway..... Harshman

Here are a few of the baits that I have made lately spinner bait #1 I call them "Thumpers" spinner bait #2 Black Chartreuse and Purple Jig that has been working well on Mark Twain Black/ Chartreuse Glitter Head and a Black and Chartreuse Skirt.......it needs a clever name Green Flake Head Green and Brown Skirt.... no name yet Grasshopper Bluegill Shaky Heads... I was making these before Do-it stole my and Gman's idea and made a mold for them Cry Harshman

Thanks. Harshman

That lake has been so jacked up this year it does not surprise me one bit. Harshman

I wish you could have gotten pictures...... ;D ;D ;D ;D harshman

Congrats on the 2nd place finish. And don't let these guys get to you about the fish. Anglers do what you do all the time if in doubt. I've seen fish stretch out after a little while in a live well once they relax from being caught...can't say I've seen 1/4 of an inch but I have defiantly seen that kind of difference in measuring sticks. I usually only keep fish that are a good 1/8 over 15 and nothing less. Got burnt really bad at a tourney once because my stick was shorter than the weigh in stick. Funny thing that time was I had measured it on 2 other boats sticks before the weigh in and it was a good 15 1/8" fish. Oh well. What were you catching the whites on and where I was up there Sat. and Sun and couldn't find a white. Harshman

I'd believe they are still spawning. Of all the bass I have caught this year to date very few have had bloody tails. Sounds like they might be more in to the spawn that I thought. Congrats on the 2nd place finish. Harshman

Those look great. harshman

Not to rain on your parade dude especially after all the hard work you put into the boat but try and do stuff the right way and get it titled legally. Forging a bill of sale and removing vin numbers would work temporary but will royally screw you if you get caught. And who in their right mind is going to believe you built the boat in your garage. I'm sure you are very mechanically inclined by the work you have already done but come on the people you would have to convince that it is a home made boat weren't born yesterday. Fraud is a very serious crime. How would you feel if someone was trying to do this to a boat that once belonged to you. And not to call your friend a lier but he should have gotten the title from the dude that "gave" him the boat in the first place. Wouldn't blame the guy if he wants the boat back now after you made it awesome. Harshman

Great pics Harshman

I'd also fish with KVD on my home lake and probably Steve Kennedy on el Salto Harshman

Stay safe over there. My little brother left Monday to start his tour over there. Harshman

I go through spurts on spinner baits. Sometimes they are the only bait I can get bit on and then I will go months where I can't buy a bite. I agree that this bait defiantly has it's place and time to be used effectively. Don't give up on it. I used to be the same way on crank baits and I made them my little project this year to learn how to fish them and so far so good. I think next year will be finesse baits. Harshman

I to will be attending the River Rumble in Iowa and can't wait to see a tournament of this caliber. Hope to come back with some pics Harshman

I have fished jerk baits in a few tourneys but they are usually early, early, early, spring baits for me around here. Once the water gets above 65 I usually switch over to my normal fishing patterns. If you are getting fish to bite them though go for it might be the bait that works for you. Harshman

Think of all the tournament rigs that stop at the local gas stations and fill up, all the extra fishing tackle that a tournament fisherman buys in a year versus the average fisherman. If you are on a lake with pay ramps how much money it generates for the lake by not having those boats show up. If you eventually shut down tournaments you would stop a lot of this money. I agree that it being public water is probally the argument and there was probably some pleasure boater that had to wait ten extra minutes one day while loading his boat while a tournament took off or weighed in but if it is such public water then why frown on the guys that want to have a friendly competition over catching a few fish. A similar situation to this arose not long ago in another state when a local congressman was unhappy to hear bass boats going by his new lake house early in the morning and he tried, unsuccessfully, to get all tournaments to start after 10 am in the morning. Fact of the matter is it is these are public lakes and should be equally accessible to all who want to use it. believe me my wife and is as against tournament anglers as I am in favor of their rights, granted you get the jerks that give the tourney guys a bad name but there are also pleasure fishermen and boaters just the same way that have no regards for others safety but their own. Harshman

I've gotta disagree here I have never seen a strap go over the roller, the roller should act as a bumper for the bow eye to hit and or rest against. You would use the strap to pull the boat to the roller. Is the roller mount adjustable??? Most trailers you can raise and lower the roller to make it touch the boat. harshman

My boat is setup 1. Cranking battery - Bilge, Depth Finders, etc 2. Deep Cycle- trolling motor 3. Deep Cycle- trolling motor 2 and 3 are hooked in parallel to a 12 volt trolling motor to give me longer run times between charges. i have never had good luck hooking a depth finder to a tm battery. They need a more steady 12 volts that a cranker can provide. Harshman my 2 cents

Good luck guys. It always amazes me when people want to shut down tournaments for their own selfish reasons and don't realize the revenue that tournaments generate for their state.

They can work in the right conditions but in my experience they were only good for catching fishermen Harshman

x2 Unless you are prohibited from power loading drive that thing on the trailer. The guide on posts are also a great help if you can't see the trailer in the water Harshman