papajoe222

I have two Daiwas that came with the twitch bar and I can use one finger to count the number of times I've used that feature. I just prefer using my rod tip.

I was originallly going to say that I don't use a leader, but I believe the OP was refering to the drop length. There was a time when I adjusted that distance, but recently I've gone to adjusting the angle of my rod. A low angle during the retrieve wil keep the bait closer to the bottom and a high one will keep it up more. I should mention I rarely verticle fish a drop shot and use my reel to move the rig along.

Welcome. My two favorite times to throw a spinnerbait are spring and fall as the majority of my summer fishing is with topwaters, jigs, or plastics.

Don't recall which was the biggest, but all but one were caught on a jig. Different colors and styles, but they all had one thing in common..... What's the name of those Strike King plastic trailers with the tails that have all that action?? Yea, that's the ones. The other one was caught on a SwitchBack crank.

More predictable, no. Easier to pattern, yes. My knowledge about LM far outweighs that of smallies and is possibly the reason I feel they are easier to pattern. If you know either species well, a general assumption, or prediction becomes almost second nature. The examples you mentioned are based on cover and structure preferences, but that doesn't mean you can't catch smallies in timber or largemouth on a rock pile.

I'm not a fan of the trigger on the M&P, so much so that I went with an Apex before I ever fired mine. I'm in the 'don't care for a Glock' gallery, so I haven't looked at them. You're a big guy, so the SR9 shouldn't be too difficult to conceal, even in the summer. I'm a wheel gun guy when it comes to my carry, but from what I've heard and read you made a good choice for the $

X2. Now go south and celebrate with a couple of 10lb. pigs.

Don't get caught up in the mentality that more is better. A thin coat of grease on the gears and clutch and a drop of oil or two on the beariings and level wind are all that is necessary. Both oil and grease will attract dirt. The more there is, the more dirt that's attracted. Just be sure to remove the old before adding the new, kind of like changing your car's oil.

I always plan on getting skunked the first couple of outings after ice out, so I'm really the wrong person to ask. I won't be able to resist chucking and winding, so the first bait I tie on that I have confidence in is a blade bait. Once the urge subsides, or when I don't catch anything, I switch to a suspending Rogue. I'll work it with hard jerks and short pauses and ease up and lengthen pauses until I don't catch something, am unable to feel my extremeties because they're frozen, or I've exhausted all the time I have available.

One of the biggest factors in determining which to fish, is how fast the water is moving. The outside turn is going to get more of a pounding by the current and that is both good and bad. That is the side where you're likely to find undercut banks and debris which is great if the current isn't in the process of cutting the bank and pusing the debris into it. On the other side is, slack water, eddys and normally shallower water. Again, those factors can be beneficial or not. Many other factors will determine prime fish location on turns and often the fish will stage above or below the turn. Do a little research on the fish that you're targeting and how and when they relate to current. Your answer will become evident the more you know.

Ouch. I thought we were only allowed one per post. Next thing you know, the age factor will be included. You guys are brutal.

For sure, I'll be getting a pair of WWS Blue Water Oxfords as I've been waiting for them to be on sale. Maybe a couple of bags of Stick-Os and a T-shirt or two. I don't really need much and I plan on leaving the charge cards at home. Now if I can just stay away from the boat displays, I should be okay.

You can't go wrong with the colors you mention. The only additions you may want to add would be a chrome or red lipless crank. It also never hurts to show them something different now and then. The choices are almost limitless.

Bruce Willis and Kevin Costner in just about every movie they've been in.

For target fishin, I like a pistol grip on a shorter rod and my favorite is an old Browning 5'6". For most open water or sparce cover situations, my 6ft. Quantum Tournament Grade TCG60M gets the call for most of my Spooks and ChugBugs. I've been using a Lew's LaserPro since last May and 14lb. Original Stren for as long as I can remember.

I use and work many of my baits in different ways, but my soft plastics are the most versatile. I'm a tube junkie and it's likely the one bait I'm always experimenting with. The last thing I tried was using it on a shakey head. My most successful use was a creature tube used as a jig trailer. My two best fish of the season came off that combination two years ago.

Somebody hasn't looked in a mirror lately. Just saying

Any boat is better than no boat and it sounds like you found one that you'll be happy with. How big a project do you think it'll be to extend and recarpet the deck?

I've tried using snaps on my cranks (after removing the split ring), because I'm basically lazy. What I found out was it was much easier to switch lures, but it was also easier to loose them especially the way I fish cranks. If I don't retie frequently, I loose baits, and more importantly fish. As long as I'm going to retie I may as well use the stronger split ring.

I fish mainly shallow, natural lakes and rarely mark fish on my electronics. Cone angle and water depth will determine how much bottom you actually view and in water less than 20ft. deep and a 16 degree cone, you are viewing a very small section. Add to that the fact that you are disturbing their environment and you can figure on not marking many, if any, fish in shallower water. With the depths you're targeting you should be able to mark some fish. Leave your unit on auto until you become familiar with reading it. That is going to involve putting your rod down and watching it as you pass over known cover and structure. I turn up the sensitivity on my units until I get a second echo,then remove the surface clutter. The bottom contours and composition are easy to identify

Casting light lures with a baitcaster is as much about the rod as it is about the reel. Check the recommended lure weight on your rod. Then check your reel by adjusting the cast control until the lure drops slowly. If you have to back it off all the way before the lure starts to fall, the lure is too light to be cast by you. Either way, casting distance should not be your objective when starting out with a baitcaster. Focus on setting the reel correctly and using your thumb to achieve accurate results. Distance will come with experience

I vary my retrieve throughout the cast. Fast/slow/stop, until I get a reaction. I'll try to duplicate that part of the retrieve on subsequent casts.

I'd love to see someone come out with a 'stupidity canceling' pill and make it mandatory that anyone operating any form of watercraft take it prior to launching. The other alternative would be an explosive device on jet skis that would detonate if the craft came within casting distance of my boat. It would totally ruin the jet ski and leave the operator unharmed.

I pray that it's only six more weeks. We will be lucky to see what's hidden by the snow in six weeks let alone spring!

Similar to a FrontRunner for top water baits? Haven't tried it, but I don't know why it wouldn't work, if it's legal. Some states would consider it multiple lures. It could be tied on the same as a drop-shot with the jerk bait tied to the tag. I like your thinking.