papajoe222

Not to disagree with others, as I don't. Picture yourself ten years from now and you're looking back on your decision whichever it may be. Would you be constantly wishing you had done things differently? There is always time for fishing, even if it's only an hour or so at a local pond now and then. Golf is always a time consuming venture. Both have their own rewards and you don't need to give up one to enjoy the benefits of the other. Right now, at this point in your life, I think you know which benefits will serve you best, both now and in the future. Good luck

Don't rule out topwater. Buzzers, poppers or walkers produce throughout most of the fishing season and there is nothing more exciting that seeing a fish explode on top. If nothing else, they'll take your fishing to a new level of excitement and anticipation.

I haven't really gotten on board using swimbaits for bass, but the pike and muskie really go for an 8in. hollow body rigged with a keel weighted 5/0 VMC and a 1/0 3X treble. I would imagine a smaller hook of the same design minus the treble trailer would be a good option for bass. You won't get the same fall rate by weight as you did rigging with a worm weight, but you'll likely get more fish when you start swimming it.

Thanks for sharing, great catches. I have a 6lb.+ largemouth that my wife allowed me to have mounted. It sits on the wall here in my study.

Generally speaking, Road Warrior is right for in those particular series of rods. St. Croix rates their rods power lighter than most, but across the board attempting to compare brands/powers can confuse just about anyone. This is why I like the technique specific ratings that a lot of brands are going to. Match up what you want to use a rod for and the weight of your intended baits along with line ratings and you should be okay.

If I'm dragging a tube, I prefer to rig it either with an internal weight and a stout worm hook, or I'll 'stupid' rig it with a 3/16oz. or a 14oz. jig. The only negative to internal weights or jigs is that you loose the feed back that you get from the sinker or jig being on the outside. I get a lot of bites when the tube tumbles over an obstruction before it settles back to the bottom.

Come to think about it, maybe we all could use a little help in the stress department. Okay, I'll buy the first round, but d-camarena needs to sober up first. Popcorn in the oven???

Dressed trebles are normally added to baits that are paused during retrieve giving the feathers or hair a chance to pulsate. The appearance is supposed to imitate a tail flutter. They also add drag to the bait which allows the head of the bait to move more than the tail. If you frequently pause that bait, I would recommend sticking with a dressed treble. If you work it quickly and without pauses, you can get by without them, but the lure designer opted for a dressed treble for a reason and if you aren't pausing during the retrieve, maybe you should try it first. I would stick with whatever material was originally used, unless you are partial to hair or feathers or whatever.

I've been using Original Clear Blue Stren for decades. It's an easy line to watch when worming/jigging, isn't as stretchy as some and is more abrasion resistant than Big Game or XT, IMO. McCoy MeanGreen would be second on my list only because I'm a line watcher and it's difficult to see under most conditions.

I agree with Gary and Mike that the seat is not a major concern when it comes to weight savings, but it can make or break the deal for a customer when it comes to comfort and appearances. If Someone wants to add some bling to a build without adding the extra cost to them and work for me, this is the first place I focus. Personally, I like the PacBay exposed blank seats. Big hands and low profile reels mounted on a low profile seat make for joint discomfort. As with most components, personal preference is the main consideration. I do like the OP's idea. Sounds like a winner.

The past couple of seasons, I've been using circle hooks when I rig up worms for the kids I take fishing. I really like the fact that they don't need to set the hook (just reel with the rod tip around 11:00) and the kids don't have to deal with gut hooked fish. This year, I started using the octopus circle hooks that Gammy offers for myself when wacky rigging and although it takes a little self control, I have to say that I really like them. I even started using them on my split shot set-ups with excellent success. They've all but replaced the finesse wide gap Gammy for me for those two presentations. Does anyone use circle hooks on a regular basis and if so, what techniques do you use them for?

Is the twist with Big Game only happening on one reel? If so, check to make sure the roller on the bail is spinning freely. If it sticks under the slightest pressure remove, clean and lube the internal bearing. Something is causing the line to twist, it doesn't develop twists on its own. The only other thing that could cause a problem may be an over filled spool and the line is jumping off in coils during the cast.

I use both the Super Soft and regular Fluoro/Nylon Hybrid . If you're frustrated with line twist, changing line brands isn't going to solve the problem. Do a search for 'line twist' there are a number of threads on how to reduce/eliminate it, starting with how to spool it.

Sorry guy, already taken by Charlie BrewerHow about the Mustache Jig. Decorate their upper lips with your Mustache.

Not quite sure what you're asking I fish them because they're exciting to fish, even when you don't catch anything on them, there is the anticipation of a fish exploding ony second. If you're commenting on them not producing and wondering what to do, I only have one suggestion. The speed that you work a top water makes the difference between catching and just disturbing the water's surface. Vary your retrieve from fast to slow, with pauses and without aggressively or subtly. When you find out how the fish want it, stick with that retrieve until it stops working. When it does, don't put the topwater away until you try the various retrieves. Sometimes the bite doesn't die, they just change their preference.

There are a couple of things you can do to 'tune' them. As mentioned, make sure the blades spin freely. You can also bend the blades slightly back or forward to get less or more commotion. Heavier mono works best as it is stiff enough to stay out of the way of the front hooks. Nate, you're missing out on some great topwater action if you shut down using them when there's a chop on the water. Just as with spinnerbaits, a good ripple to a moderate chop seems to turn the bite on for prop baits and others like a Torpedo, or Lucky13 that make a lot of disturbance on the surface. The diffused light makes it more difficult for the fish to make out exactly what is causing the commotion and they seem to strike with more authority.

My best results with them are on days when there is a good ripple on the surface. A lot of guys like to rip them 8-12in. a rip, but I only use that retrieve when there is more of a chop on the surface. My normal retrieve is similar to using a PopR, just a little more aggressively. If it's more on the calm side, I'll let it sit after a few pops of the rod. Then again, I work topwaters a lot slower than you see the pros doing. I have more confidence in the fish actually getting the bait in their mouth that way.

Just wondering what your favorite way to add weight to a wacky worm presentation. I've tried jigs and nail weights. The jigs are time savers when rigging and nail weights seem to detract from that all enticing wiggle when added to the ends of the worm. I haven't tried adding a single nail weight to the center of the worm. Anyone?

I've built one with that blank. I actually love cranking now, well, more like enjoy it.

If it's a Plymouth and alive and kicking, you can bet it's kicking.

I'm looking into building three additional rods on white blanks and I need an epoxy that will dry and stay clear. The finish on my last white build made the butt wrap and decal noticeably darker than the blank. Any recommendations would be very welcome.

Now who's hooked? I'm assuming that you set the hook as soon as you saw the fish blow up on it and he didn't have the frog in his mouth. Waiting until you either see your line moving off to the side, or until you can feel the weight of the fish is difficult to do. I'm sure you've heard that before. With frogs a sure way to accomplish hesitating before setting hook, is to retrieve it with your rod tip held high. It takes a little time to reel down and set the hook.

Without depth finder, using a C-rig with a heavy sinker is a great way to not only present a bait to deeper fish, but for learning the bottom and what is there as far as it's composition and the presence or lack of cover.

Nah, he generally leaves me alone during fishing season. He did force me to purchase a Daiwa Sol a couple of days ago, but that seed was planted quite a while ago. Last winter as I recall.