Bladesmith,

Lot of knowledgable responses. However, I'm surprised no one mentioned the old Johnson Silver Minnow. With a pork trailer (I like Uncle Josh split tailed eel 3 ") it has worked well at all depths for me. It is pretty much weedless so you can plunk it down in about any kind of cover and it comes through easily. Don't know how this spoon would be classified but the bass and others don't seem to care. Getting kind of hard to find locally but here in the backwoods that is to be expected. I like the 1/4 oz size.

I also use Walmart group 29 marine batteries. I have never had one last 4 years like LonnieP but with the free replacement warranry (varies year to year at 18 or 24 months) they are hard to beat for the same money.

I have a pond. I have spent the last 10 years building an eco system in it to support a healthy population of fish. I have some unusually large bass (for this area) in it. There are "No Trespassing" and "No Fishing" signs all around it. This pond represents a considerable investment both in time and money. I would be happy to allow children to catch panfish (there are some large ones originally placed as forage) and take them home. I would be very unhappy with anyone catching and removing any of the bass I have fed and cared for over the years. I am 72 years old and don't get to go to the lake as much as I would like and have built this pond for my own recreation. People please have some respect. Ask for permission to fish ponds on private property. There is also the issue of liability to consider.

Lets see....3 guys on a 20 foot boat. You might want to contact the boat owner and ask how much rod storage he has. 3 guys with 5 rods each is 15 rods, a little much in my opinion. When I fished club turnaments I took 3 rods; 1 spinnerbait and topwater, 1 crankbait rod, and 1 worm or jig rod. It was customary for the non boater to buy gas and pay entry fee. Lunch optional. Boat owner provided everything else. It is a good idea to contact boat owner and establish a rapport. Be supportive of his ideas and not complain if you do not do as well as expected. I forgot pfd. Take a pfd. Just my .02 as a boat owner.

I've noticed I get lower back and tight chest from casting hard after not fishing for a while. I chalk it up to being out of shape. Casting on a moving boat is different than standing on stable dry land. Then, I'm 71 years old too so that probably plays a roll.

Go to your local feed store and buy a 50# sack of powdered sulfur and sprinkle it liberally around your yard. Water it in lightly. It will keep ticks, snakes, and grubs out of your yard. Old rancher's trick. Not much can be done about ticks in the woods. Putting some of that sulfur in a cotton sock and dusting your boots and pants legs will help but nothing I know of is 100%. The sulfur is good for your plants, not harmful to pets or children. You're welcome.

Not many people I brag on. Mike at S/O is one of them. Outstanding service. Waiting for 28th to place another order as Mike is on a well deserved vacation. Hope he catches a lot of fish and gets some R&R, too.

I use a 5 wt. for gills. Just about any kind of fly will catch them. I mainly use foam spiders and wooly worms that I tie myself on long shanked #8 or 6 hooks. The occasional bass is always exciting.

Until the rod is delivered safely into the hands of the buyer it is your rod. At least that is how I see it and the responsibility for safe delivery is yours. When I ship something it is my responsibility until it is received by buyer. If insurance is warranted it is my responsibility to protect my property. Just my opinion.

Been wanting to try some Z Man stuff, TRD mainly and nobody sells it here in backwoods Oklahoma. Not wanting to make a trip to OKC or Tulsa, I ordered it from Siebert Outdoors. Placed an order late one night on the internet and had a tracking number before ten the very next morning. These guys are on the ball. Thanks Guys at Siebert Outdoors.

Me, I'm a big believer in science. Problem is; the bass in my lake aren't. I study my map, figure time of year and water temps and conditions, and determine where they should be and what they should be doing. Trouble is; the bass don't seem to have the same map. After exhausting all the possibilities of where they should be and what they should be doing, I usually start catching fish when I abandon all that knowledge I've accumulated over the years and start doing something unorthodox like going by feel. IMO bass fishing is kind of like prospecting for gold. You can have all the knowledge in the world about geology and still not be able to predict where you will find it. Bass are the same way. They are where they are at any given point in time, and just because you found them doesn't mean you can catch them.

I have fly fished for years. I have 4,5, and 7 weight rods. I use my 5 wt. more than anything else. I only use the 7wt. for larger bass poppers. I think the guys recommending 6 weight rods with 6wt. weight forward lines have the right idea. One thing to consider is your tapered leader. I would recommend one weight heavier than you think you need. That will result in fewer fly losses from snapping off as you learn to cast. Fly fishing is fun and I wish you much success.

Power Pro has served me well in freezing conditions. Have fished when it was below zero and had no problems with it.

My wife has as many combo's as I have (I do have more lures and tackle).

The smile on that little guy's face tells the whole story. Priceless!

I was the maker of "Lee Custom Knives" for years (now retired). I am a Master Bladesmith.

There are times when a wacky rig will outfish a Texas rig. A wacky rig can be fished in one spot without moving it too much, whereas a Texas rig travels. We old timers were using wacky rigged worms long before senko type baits were available.

I've discovered that since the latest format change I cannot sign in on the home page. I have to go to a comment on a topic to sign in. What am I missing?

Hard to tell because I can't see them real plain but with that long pointed nose I would say gar. Don't know if y'all have gar in WV but here you see them swimming lazily in groups like that.

Well, it sounds good, anyway.

You might want to fill out your profile so we know what part of the country you are fishing. What is good in New Hampshire may not work well in Texas. To give accurate information we need to know what kind of water you are fishing.

Good. But how the heck does he sing with 2 fish hooks in his chin?

I remember a time when the only sure way to get me to do something was to tell me I couldn't do stuff like that anymore. That still works but the body suffers more than it used to. I can still do anything I used to do, I just do it slower.

The one most effective fly I have ever encountered is the traditional Gold Ribbed Hare's ear. I have fished it from New Mexico for native brown and rainbows, Small mouth bass. In Idaho for bull, brown, and native rainbow and brook trout, yellow perch, small mouth and large mouth. In Oklahoma and Arkansas for all varieties of perch, small mouth and large mouth bass. I have tied them in sizes from 14 to 6 hooks and varied colors from olive to brown. It is a nymph so it lacks the excitement of a surface hit but it is very effective. Not hard to tie and materials are inexpensive (I use artificial dubbing). Get yourself a book for patterns.

I have to agree with A-Jay. Things to do can get out of hand fast when you are retired. I envisioned spending 2 or 3 days a week on the water. HA! Too many other things need to be done. And if I can't find stuff that needs my immediate attention, my wife is more than willing to help.