papajoe222

avoid a high rod tip when reeling, it's almost impossible to get a good set from that position with a crank. keep it low, sweep and reel and 6lb. line will get the job done.

if you're looking to avoid the pike, good luck with that. you can avoid, or at the least, minimize the bite offs by throwing a spinnerbait. one with a long underwire works best along with a blade with less flash.

congrats my daughter has both a shepherd and a malinois. Both are beautiful animals. The Malinois, at four yeas old, is as energetic as a pup. He is my son-in-law's K-9 partner and the smartest of dogs I've ever known. Love its color. Male?

I think we all have some sort of a plan thought out before we hit the water. That being said, under fair conditions (not post, or pre-front), what's the first thing you're throwing? For me, it's some sort of hard/moving bait and usually that is a crank of some sort. I'll make an educated 'guess' as to what depth the bass should be and pick a crank that will run a little deeper. My other go to is a C-Rig. There are occasions when I'll reach for a spinner or swim bait. My reasoning is simple, I'm targeting active fish, or fish that will respond to a reaction type of presentation and I can cover water quickly with them. Shallow docks or lay downs, creek beds or drop offs, points, or humps don't make a difference in the plan. Mind you, neither of these are my confidence baits. Those I'll go to if my initial plan either doesn't pan out, or if the bite on them dies off.

Topwater..................Specifically a black Jitterbug. 7:00-8:15PM, bluebird skies and hot/muggy, five bass. The only saving grace for me and for fishing was a steady breeze.

A Zoom Z3 Trick worm in Prizm Shad. If there's any current flow, it will do my job for me. If not, all I need to do is drag it a couple of inches and that worm will do a dance a hula girl would be envious of.

I like to target any bigger fish that may be holding beneath the activity awaiting an easy meal. Two baits I use specifically for that are a tail spinner and a blade bait. A Little George is my favorite for doing this.

I actually did a decorative wrap covering on this rod before I ever started building. I’ve stripped guides off of a few rods to replace them and your right about it being no easy task. I think I’ll go with Aron_H’s suggestion and do a build as a winter project. Now, I’ll need a new reel to go with the new rod…………decisions, decisions.

I, too, wish rod manufactures would offer some shorter options. Not only experienced anglers would be a target for purchase, but parents looking to buy a quality rod for their youngsters. I've made two 5'8" rods for my grandson, both from cut down blanks from MudHole. He's grown a lot taller since I made them, but still enjoys using them when bank fishing.

I have all but retired all my technique specific rods with custom builds, all except my two topwater ones. I'm thinking seriously about building a new one for general topwaters (the other is strictly for walking baits), but that combo and I have a loving history of sorts. It's an old BPS rod with the power hump handle paired with a Daiwa PMA10 of about the same age, maybe older. If I retire the rod, I'll end up retiring the reel also and it was my first low profile caster and my first Daiwa. This combo just fits like a glove and although I believe in 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' mentality, I really enjoy building custom rods. WWYD?

Welcome to BR If it has become a problem that never existed before AND none of your gear has changed, then it's something you are doing that you never used to do. I'm guessing the water level has dropped and you haven't adjusted your retrieve. Bouncing a square bill off rocks is a lot like ticking the tops of the weeds with a lipless crank. If your retrieve speed isn't just right, you either end up fishing above them, or digging your bait into them. If your square bill plows into a rock and deflects as your reeling fast, the bait won't have a chance to right itself and will hit the next rock with something other than its bill.

I have one reel that I'll backlash 6-8times an outing and for the life of me, I can't figure out why. I'll normally get a couple every outing, but that reel and I just don't coexists. I like to keep my spool tension looser than most guys and those times I attempt to get a few extra yards from a cast, my thumb is tested, sometimes past its limits.

I really like the Columbia shirt. I have a couple of Real Tree short sleeve that I purchased this year that are getting a lot of use. The material isn't as heavy as the Cabela's shirt was and it just feels cooler than most of the other shirts I've had over the years.

I frequently use them on punch rigs and occasionally as a jig trailer. They slow the fall rate of a punch rig without weeds clinging to them on the fall. Added to a jig, you get a BIG profile bait.

I don't mind getting a little dirty, so I pull, clean and repack my trailer bearings prior to ice out. I also have 'Bearing Buddies' and give them a shot of grease every few outings.

Back in the days before the light bulb was invented (my grandson once asked me if I was born before then) I regularly tagged and recorded information about my catch prior to releasing it. This was on a 55 acre private lake/pond. I did that for five years. It gave the pond owner some valuable information and taught me a bunch about seasonal movements of the fish I'd caught multiple times. Yes, many of the fish I surveyed I'd caught more than once. One fish I actually caught three times in one year.

I use the 3/8oz. MegaStrike shakey head and a Zoom Magnum Trick Worm in the summer quite a bit. Stick with thin worms if you're going to go longer as a long, fat worm will topple the jig onto its side.

Yea, that's a straight shank hook, right? This hack wouldn't work on a straight shank worm hook. BTW, that's a Mustad UltraPoint MegaBite

I really like using worm hooks with a grip pin on the Z bend. What I don't like is the price, so I decided to add my own to some of my worm hooks. It's a simple hack if you tie your own hair jigs, or flies. I used what Quill calls their Ideal paper clips. they're made from a heavier gauge wire than regular paper clips, more in line with the diameter of a 3/0 hook shank. Cut off about a 3/8in. piece and tie it to the underside of the hook at the bend allowing a short piece to extend out. Secure it with a drop of super glue after tying and you could add a drop of head cement, or clear nail polish after drying if you'd like. I can purchase a dozen EWG 2X worm hooks for about the same price as five KVD grip pin hooks. In less than a half hour, I have a dozen hooks finished. The other thing is, I haven't found any round bend offset worm hooks offered with a grip pin. I now have a bunch in different sizes.

The drop shot rig isn't designed to be a search and catch bait. It's for use once you've located fish, either with your electronics, or by actually catching fish with a different presentation. You can, an evidently have, waste a lot of precious fishing time using it otherwise.

I'm from the same school as Tom. I base what hook size to use by the worms diameter where the hook point exits the worm. That goes for all lengths of worms from 6in. to 12in. which is about the longest one I throw. I'm also of the mind to use round bend, offset shank hooks for worms, but I really like that keeper on those Mustad Grip-Pin Big Bite Hooks. I may just give them a shot. I've been using these for years for big worms https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/eagle-claw-lazer-sharp-double-barb-worm-hook-lt095jb?searchTerm=double barb worm hook

I normally have a jig, two cranks, C-rig and topwater tied on during the summer. If the barometer is high, I'll switch out the crankin rods for a wacky rig and a tube. I may switch out the C-rig for a split shot, but normally I'll just switch the bait to something smaller.

I try to avoid slack when fishing a true T-rig (with an unpegged weight). I position my rod tip high and any suspicion on my part about a bite and I drop the rod tip creating enough slack that the fish can move the bait a little without feeling the resistance of the weight.

Okay, I'm in the minority as I have passed up those spots. Unless I'm punching, I rarely use a heavy power rod, or braid heavier than 40lb. It's a situation where I know there's likely a nice fish there, but I also know my chances of getting it out after hook up are slim. I'm sure I've passed up some nice fish along the way, but I'm okay with that.

Berkley Gulp worms. You can start them out suspending them under a bobber, plus watching the bobber will hold their attention for a short time. Target bluegill and perch, if they are present When it comes time for them to do a little cast and retrieve, a split shot rig with the same bait should get the into a bass or two. I suggest circle hooks for either situation. The last thing you want to deal with is a bleeding, gut hooked fish. The added benefit is you don’t need to remind them to set the hook. Just reel.