papajoe222

You do have a gift with cork, not to mention Rod building in general. Awesome, awesome, awesome!

Why blue? Just asking.

Original floating #7 Rapala C-rigged. #3 Mepps squirrel tail. I really have a hard time dead sticking or slowing down much more than a C-rig.

I use two 3600 series, one for hooks and another for split rings, swivels, hitch hikers, snaps, beads,etc. I keep my weights in a different box. There is double box (flip sided) that is slightly smaller than a 3600 that could fit the bill for you. I think it's made by Flambeau's

I prefer a moderate tip vs. a fast one in cold water. I like the slower start/stop action the bait gets from it. Once the water warms up into the upper 40's and low 50's, I'll use a fast tip. That's also about the time I shorten the pauses between jerks.

Using a point as an example, I will work shallow to deep and then deep to shallow from different angles until, or unless, I contact fish. Reguardless of what direction (up or down), I will attempt to duplicate that angle reversing the direction of my retrieve before moving on. If I continue contacting fish using the same angle, but completely opposite direction I know that the angle is more important. If I don't, I know that both angle and direction (deep to shallow or visa versa) are what I'll need to duplicate. As WRB mentioned, the majority of bass will position themselves the same on a given piece of structure, for whatever reason. If you can figure where and how, you have developed a pattern that you can use on that entire structure and possibly other similar structure in the area.

The only type of line I flip jigs with is braid, sometimes it 30lb. and sometimes it's heavier. I will, however, occasionally pitch a crank. I'm currently using Yo-Auri Hybrid Fluoro-Nylon which replaced Original Stren as my line of choice.

Brand and style are a a personal preference. I prefer a light wire standard length for cranks (red on the belly), but you may like triple strong short shaft. My only recommendation is to stick with proven brands and shy away from the store brand stuff.

An affordable, but accurate scale is a luggage scale. Along with a sturdy hook, many come with a built it handle. Check one out on eBay and you can pick it up for under $10

A large shinner on a plain, ball head jig about 6-8ft. under the ice. I don't ice fish and it isn't a 'lure' but the guys at my club say they slay 'em on that and I gotta believe them.

Big Bite Baits Chunk, but for unbeatable action I just cut down a RageTail Craw to chunk size.

Welcome to the board. You'll likely get many replies recommending going to bigger lures that give off more vibration and sound to 'get the bass' attention.' That is sound advice, but I'd like to add that even in murkier water, bass will still use their sight when attacking prey the majority of time. Reguardless of the style of lure, or the vibration/noise it gives off it needs to be close enough to attract the fish to it's location. In clear water a fish can see your presentation from a distance and that is often all it takes to get their attention. Many anglers have difficulty making the transition from clear to colored or murky water and these same anglers also have difficulty catching fish in clear water under cold front conditions. The obsticle to their success is not presenting their offering close enough to the fish under those conditions. Any conditions that causes fish to reduce their strike zone, be it murky/muddy water, bright sunlight, cold front conditions, etc. need to be addressed with presentations within that zone. Even a big Colorado bladded spinnerbait run three feet away from a stick-up won't draw a bass out if it isn't willing to go more than a foot or so. I'm sure you've had smallies explode on a topwater from 30ft. in those clear lakes you left in NY. They may not travel 10ft. in stained or murky water to do so. Work on getting your offering as close to the cover as possible and I'm sure you'll see improvement. Do it with a bright colored/noisy bait and you'll up your odds.

Welcome aboard. The hardest part about fishing, especially during cold water periods, is determining the fish's activity level and you can rest assured that the majority of the time it's neutral. I would base my game plan on that assumption and adjust it as needed. One presentation I rarely see discussed is suspending a small hair jig under a slip bobber. The bobber stop can be adjusted for depth changes and you can 'work' the jig up and down, or swim it short distances. It's a very similar presentation to a suspended jerkbait, only smaller.

Unless you plan on tearing down the reel completely, DVT hits it on the head. If you do, you may want to invest in products specifically marketed for fishing reels. I own and maintain over a dozen reels and most of them get a complete cleaning and re-lube twice a year. Ardent's grease and oil along with Cal's drag grease have served me well. I'm sure you'll get many other recommendations.

Along with Merry Christmas wishes to everyone, I wanted to extend a special thanks to Glen along with all of the mods and advertisers that keep this great site available. Their time and efforts into, not only keeping us informed, but in keeping the site updated along with the constant improvements is greatly appreciated. Also, their spouces deserve our gratitude for the time that these guys spend on the site rather than with them and their families. Thanks Guys and Gals. I hope Santa has a little something extra for all of you.

This and the fact that you should also downsize the line you'll be using. The only downside that you need to address is whether or not to contunue using baitcasting gear or switch to spinning gear. Either way, it looks as though you'll be purchasing one or the other. I throw FatBoys and some crappie cranks with a baitcaster. I give up distance and deal with backlashes in order to do so, but it can be done.

Two techniques come to mind immediately, dead sticking and C-rigs. It's more of a love/hate thing with C-rigs, because it's a productive technique for me. Dead sticking is like bobber watching. The only time I do it is when I'm with someone else in their boat, never in mine.

I've been using a 6'6" rod that I built on a Baston med blank and a Daiwa Sol spooled with 10lb. Yozuri.

There is and there is also one for vets. I was thinking more along the lines of school age kids, but I know where you guys are coming from. I've given some of my used gear away rather than attempting to sell it with the end result being disapointing. Hopefully, with neighborhood families, this attempt won't be. If nothing else, I'll purge some of the excess equipment I have. I can't believe I've accumulated twenty five rods and sixteen reels, but if I plan on adding some new items, this beats tossing them.

My boat only has a 450lb. capacity. If I take someone with me, I have to remove about 100lb. of tackle! I do bank fish, however. I just prefer to fish from my boat.

Most pros would answer 8-12lb. fluorocarbon and tell you that the 'low stretch' abbrasion resistance and the fact that it sinks are the reasons you should. Fluorocarbon stretches, monos like Big Game and Original Stren are just as abbrasion resistant and the fact that fluoro sinks has no bearing on the performance of your crankbaits. It is, however, a thinner line by pound test than most monos. I don't think the benefits over a quality mono are worth the expense, especially because I re-tie frequently when cranking and a bulk spool of Trilene or Stren goes a long way. I use 10lb. Stren and tried out some Yo-Zuri Hybrid last season with good results. I'll go a little heavier when fishing rip-rap and a little lighter when I need the benefit of a little extra depth.

IDK, I use a 5' MIcroLite and have no trouble casting small, 1/16oz. jigs and Beetle Spins. What size reel and lures are you casting? The only time my distance and accuracy become an issue is when I suspend a jig or small tube under a bobber, but that's just the nature of that animal.

Only have one question about your 'first aid kit' What's the lighter and screw dirver for? :scared:

Like a lot of the members here, I'm looking forward to finding some fishing goodies under the tree on Christmas morning. When I do, I'm faced with a dilema (notice I said when, not if). What to do with the gear that it replaces? Small items like lures, line, etc. are a no brainer, but whether or not to sell off rods, reels, etc. always puzzles me. For one, some of the older items I have have some sentimental attachment and there isn't much of a market for six or eight year old technology. The answer I came up with was also a no brainer, but seeing as I have either a pea brain or mine is so small shoving it up a fly's butt would be like putting a BB in a box car (my wife's analogies) I didn't see it. Every year around the time I get my income tax refund, I donate new gear to a few different organizations. So why not donate my used equipment to those that will not only appreciate and use it, but possibly become dedicated anglers as a result? Where I live, there is an abundance of single parent households with both parents and children that, given the opportunity, could possibly become just that. Many of them can not afford to spend their hard earned money on anything but the necessities in life. It won't be difficult to locate a new home for the two combos I plan to replace, or some of the 'extra' gear I have that sees little or no use year-n and year-out. Won't you consider some similar act rather than let perfectly useable equipment sit after Santa, or a friend/family member lights up your Christmas?

When that reel becomes memorabilia to you, then you can put it on a shelf. I have several that I've used over the years that will never see use again, but I display with pride. Using them and recalling the good times you had are what make them worth displaying, not how much you paid for it. My Mitchell 300 was the first reel I ever purchased (1965), It sits on the shelf above my computer and brings a smile to my face every time I look at it.