papajoe222

Better? What are you comparing? Components, cost to quality comparison, durability? If you're asking which will get you more bites, then it becomes relative to conditions or a personal choice decision. If I were to make a personal recommendation, it would be none of the above. I'll throw a tail spinner when most are using a ChatterBait style jig.

I'd say if you have a system that's working, don't mess with it. When it stops working is the time to look for something different. That may be a simple change of weights, a change in the soft plastic bait, or something completely different. When that time comes, I'd start out on top and work my way down to bottom presentations. Weedless topwaters, to spinnerbaits, to jigs. You could opt for a swim jig and adjust your retrieve to cover the water column also.

My outlook on fish coming unbuttoned is this; Fishing is a sport and as such is competition between you and the fish. Sometimes the fish win and sometimes I do. It's disappointing to loose, but it beats the heck out of no competition at all. If I can reduce the odds of them throwing the hook, of course, I will. If they can reduce the chances of being brought to the boat, I say go for it and may the better competitor win. I'm still confused as to how something with a brain the size of a pea can win the competition, but I have been accused of being brainless more than once.

This is a bit off topic, but may be beneficial to some. I never recommend purchasing a rod without first mounting the reel you intend to use on it . That beauty you fell in love with can turn into a beast and discovering that after you've driven to and from your favorite tackle dealer is a big bummer. (I wanted to use a different expression, but this IS a family site)

I wasn't attemting to persuade anyone not to use a blacklight, I was just pointing out that fishing without one will make you better at feeling your bait and what is happening with it. I do use one when there is a new moon

Jeez guys. The OP said he's had the reel a few years. I'd say he knows something is wrong. I'm not familiar with that particular reel, but it sounds like the internal adjustment arm isn't being moved when you dial up the magnets. A good indicator would be the adjuster would feel different. If you're comfortable opening the side plate, look to make sure the magnets move when you're adjusting them. If not, this is the culprit and that part just needs replacing. If they do, check to make sure the race is still glued in place and not spinning. Is should be one or the other. If you're not comfortable doing this yourself, you can send it to DVT of this site. Most reel repair shops will let you know the cause and cost to fix before doing any repairs if you ask.

ChugBugs and Magnum PopR for baits I can walk and pop but Hula Poppers and Lucky13s are good popper/chiggers.

It's honestly very hard for me to judge effectiveness when it comes to lures, b/c I never know what bites I would have got if I was using something else

I'd add a few topwaters, including a hollow body frog. There's nothing more fun than seeing and hearing a nice bass blow up on your topwater.

Don't concern yourself about missing fish. Like other hollow bodies, they normally try to kill it, so they take it in their mouth good if you let them.like other hollow bodies, if I'm missing a big percentage, or hooking near there lips, it's time to either change retrieves, or lures.

With the weeds at their summer peak of growth, I've been exploring different lures for catching the bass holding in and below them. A friend that lives up in God's country swears by these and after fishing them for th last couple of days, I gotta say they are tailor made for working over the weeds. They are easy to make long casts with as well as walking the dog and like my favorite topwater, a Spook, they produce some violent strikes. So for those of you looking for another option this summer, check them out. The cost isn't going to put a major hole in your wallet either.

Stupid spell check got me again. What I meant was it (the odor from using a Sharpie) doesn't appear to have any negative effect.

Can I ask why a one piece? An observation.....for another $10 you will be getting a much more sensitive rod with the MicroLite. I, personally, would hold off pulling the trigger on another rod until I had the extra cash, or they went on sale for $39.99

If you decide to swap out the gears, before you do try polishing the existing drive gear with a Dremel. That will remove any burs or sharp edges. Just don't overdo it. Worse case scenario, it still buzzes. Best case, you've quieted it down.

This is more of a comment than an answer, but I've only use original Stren when ising a black light, but I haven't used one in years. Fishing without the light has forced me to rely on feeling the bite. It didn't take long for me to start feeling when a fish started moving off with my worm. I use a worm with a lot of action (G-Tail), which helps because I can feel the loss of the tail action similar to fishing spinnerbaits. My recommendation for line would be any bright or white colored braid. Even under the light of the moon, it's fairly easy to see.

Unless the fish I've been catching lost their sense of smell, I don't think isn't lingering odor makes a difference.

I use a red Sharpie. No added weight. Considering how often I use them, it lasts almost as long as purchased red hooks I've used.

I was involved in a catch, tag and release program on one of the lakes I fish. I caught 28 fish that week-end. Three of those fish I've caught (and released) twice since and five more a second time. They were initially caught during the pre-spawn and only one was re caught during the same time period. Different times, different lures, same fish and same angler. Talk about a testimonial for catch and release!

It sounds like either you'd rather fish shallow cover, or you don't like fishing deep. My question to you is: Are you catching them deep? If you're finding and catching them deep, what advice are you looking for? If not , look for structure above the thermocline. If you are looking to fish shallow, find the depth the baitfish are using. Next, find shallow structure that tops out at that depth. Lastly, look for and fish any irregularities along that structure. As for baits, fish your strong suit.

50 fish days, 9lb. dinks? I need a Rx for stronger antidepressants! A good day for me is averaging one keeper (18in.) along with a few dinks over four hours. My best outing this year produced four keepers in less than an hour and a total of 14 fish. I think I need to find some new water.

Just wondering if any of you still use them? Other than the occasional Johnson Silver Minnow, mine have just been taking up space in my top-water box. Ultra vibe Speed Worms and the occasional frog get the call the majority of the time now. Maybe it's time to dust them off and show the big gals something they haven't seen in a while.

Sounds like a 'blow out' to me. Cranks are designed to run at a speed that will maintain their optimal depth. Some will kick off to the side or actually flip over if retrieved too quickly. It has to do with the increased water pressure across the lip. Once the bait reaches its optimal depth, there is no need to reel quickly. The other thing that may be happening would be similar, but caused by an out of tune bait. Check the line tie and the split ring. If you're using a snap, loose the split ring and never attach with a swivel snap.

All glasses will reflect light off of the inside of the lens. The majority of that light comes from above. I'd bet that if you wear a cap or visor, you won't notice it because you'd be blocking that overhead light.

Like every subject, there is a learning curve. You can't expect to pass Structure Fishing 101 without doing a little studying. The good news is there are a bunch of knowledgeable tutors on this site along with tons of useful information in the form of articles, videos, and previous posts that will get you a passing grade while the cool kids are just sitting on deep water wondering what to do next.

I see you have a good understanding of the difference between structure and cover. Often times the structure on what appears to be featureless bodies of water is in the form of changes in bottom content rather than drops or humps. Those transition areas where a soft bottom changes to a hard or sandy one are often the key areas. If, on your depth finder, you are unable to pin point those areas, the change in cover like different weeds can tip you off to their location. Lack of structure makes other edges a priority to bass. Weed edges, fence rows, or tree lines, despite the lack of defined structure, become the 'roads' that they use in their movements.