papajoe222

I have the ones ike put up the link for. On the rare occasion that I need to go further out into the water, I step up onto the trailer. Actually, my Tracker doesn't need much depth to launch, so I've only had that happen on windy days when I was concerned a wave might swamp my boots. If you have a deep V, or other boat that requires deeper water, skip the under the knee type and go with the hip boots.

THANKS. I was also considering using a section of glass rod internally, but I like this idea.

The downside to attaching a snap to the split ring on cranks baits is, it gives the bait a wider wobble. Sometimes that is a good thing, other times it will get you hung up easier. If you decide to attach a snap to the eye and not remove the split ring, attach it above the split ring so as not to change the angle of the line and loose depth.

So my not so bright brother-in-law snapped one of my favorite builds in two, about three inches in front of the stripper guide. Got it under the cleat as he was picking it up odd the deck. Anyway, it’s a fairly clean break. A little work with an emery board and it matches up well. My question is: All the videos and write ups I’ve seen call for using an aluminum nail for the repair. Is there any reason why a section of wooden dowel rod wouldn’t work? I can taper one to match the rod at that point and I would think less epoxy would even up any difference in added weight. Any recommendations or tips are welcome. Other than tip replacement, I’ve never attempted a repair.

I haven't purchased a deep diver in a few seasons, mainly because I've gotten away from deep cranking. Of the 30 or so deep divers I own, over half are Normans. They aren't expensive, even when switching to premium hooks, and they're fish catchers.

Going from small lakes and ponds to giant lakes can be intimidating. There's just soooooooo much water! The way I learned, (and still attack a new, big, lake) was to downsize the lake. By that I mean learn a small section of the lake, say a decent size creek arm, or main lake point and treat it as a small lake. Concentrate on only that small section of the lake until you are comfortable with finding and catching fish, where and when they use certain structure and cover, what the main forage is, etc. Then and only then, search for similar spots on the lake and use the information you learned in that small 'downsized lake.'

Whenever I bring fishing gear home, I hear: "you have too much fishing gear" or 'half the lures you have you never use" I don't say a word, I just go to the walk in closet, open the door and point at the boxes and boxes of shoes. Then I go put my new gear away .?

A thousand reasons why, ergo a thousand baits. Actually, I likely have more, if you count soft plastics individually and not by the package. ? Durado, do you play with your plastics?

I'm the same with outerwear.

My boss HAD a KIa Sorento that he used for towing his 14ft. semi-V down to southern Illinois from Chicago on a regular basis. It lasted one year before the transmission gave out and that boat/trailer weight less than 1750lbs. Yes, it was under warranty. No, he didn't keep it after it was fixed. He bought a Honda Pilot. He's had it three years with zero problems.

That sounds like some fun competition. As it's a few weeks away, a lot can change. The weeds will likely be turning brown. If that's the case, target whatever green weeds you can find. Possibly a top/bottom approach using a skinny worm with a tail that won't catch on the weeds and pegging the weight. A Zoom Trick Worm can be worked weightless to target the weed tops and unless working something along the bottom is out of the question, can be used as a punch bait that doesn't require a lot of weight and shouldn't pick up much as both it and the weight have a small, thin profile. Just something you might try if you're having trouble getting bites.

I only reach for the smaller bait under tough conditions and I rarely work it fast. The hits are very rarely the big toilet flush, water explosions and most fish are hooked on the rear treble, but it works for me. Come to think of it, I rarely fish the big ones fast as the fish don't respond well to one.

I rarely fish frogs, but when I do, I use braid. For everything else including buzz baits I use mono, even when fishing over/around weeds. Braid gets hung on the front treble way too often and fluorocarbon pulls the nose of many baits down, ruining the action.

Enjoy the holiday everyone. I’m going to change things up today and target walleye. Hopefully be grilling some for supper.

I'm not a numbers guy. If I were, I'd shy away from big baits. That being said, I don't own anything 'north of 1.5oz. in my big bait arsenal. 6.5in.-8in. paddle tail swim baits, 10in. worms, creature tubes, big top waters and jigs with long trailers are my 'big baits' and they do just fine in the fall.

Just as in fishing a plastic worm, the lightest weight that will get the job done is the route to take. Not that there aren't times when going heavier or lighter may work, but as a place to start it is a good guide. Lighter weights will get you more bites, but as you mentioned, conditions may not allow them. I normally use light weights in shallow, fairly calm water and go heavier as I go deeper. 1/4oz is as heavy as I normally go. I most often use a drop shot under tough, bluebird sky, calm days. If it's windy, or overcast, the conditions call for something else. The only exception for me is when I 'Bubba Shot' using a 1/2oz or heavier weight in thick vegetation. I allow more slack in the line between twitches, which I believe makes it easier for the bass to get the bait into its mouth and doesn't alert her to the weight when she does.

One bait that you can fish top to bottom, without altering it, is a spinner bait. Yes, you can fish a worm, or jig at any depth, but only by changing the weight. Doesn't that change it to a different lure? If not, I go with the worm, too.

I also Very rarely use a spinning rod. I went so far as to build casting rod on a spinning blank. If you're okay with using spinning gear, I say: Go for it. It is much easier to find a spinning rod with the power and action you want than to find a casting rod with the same. It will fill that void you have nicely.

The money you save using a lure retriever will outweigh the cost of it. Some of the lures you save, you can't put a price tag on. I carry both a telescoping one that will reach down to 12ft. and something similar that slides down the line for the deep, or difficult to get to hang-ups.

I'm just guessing here as I have no idea of your skill level, or equipment. I teach a lot of 5-9yr olds how to fish using both live bait and lures. Two things I teach them that will reduce gut hooked fish are to let the bait fall while keeping tension on the line. That means closing the bail, or turning the reel handle when the bait hits the water. Not a second or two later. The other is to watch that line where it enters the water. I have them using hi visibility, yellow braid as a main line so that any twitch or jump in the line is easy to see. If you're not doing these two things, I suggest you start. If you are, then I recommend using fluoro, or braid with a leader to increase sensitivity. Keep tension on the line without raising the weight off the bottom. As a last resort, switch to circle hooks and do as suggested, reel set with the rod tip up.

I doubt if the spool tension loosening is a quirk of the reel's design as spool tension and drag work independently of each other. Even when the spool is turning as the drag is doing its job, if the spool tension were to become a factor, the spool would still be turning in a clockwise direction as line is fed out. What I suspect is that the close proximity of the cast control knob, star drag and the swept cranking handle is allowing something to turn the cast control knob during the fight. Most likely, your fingers are brushing against it as you grip tightens. A cast control that clicks to let you know how much you've adjusted it is, IMO, a useless feature that doesn't inhibit the knob from loosening any more than one that doesn't have it.

Spool capacity only comes into play when casting jigs and even then, a reel that will hold 100-120yrds. of 14lb. test mono will hold more than enough braid for fishing jigs. I carry three rods for jigs, one of which doubles as my punching set-up. 60yrds of 40lb. braid is the most I have spooled and it's on my swim jig combo. The two used for pitching and punching hold heavier line, but less of it. A spool of quality braid goes further when you spool more backing and less of the braid. You may find that you need more braid for a particular jig presentation, but I doubt if you'll ever use more than 100yrds.

I'm partial to the Havoc Pit Boss on my punch rig. That and a bulky, or double skirt to slow the fall rate, but still allows penetration of the canopy and the claws don't catch on the heavy vegetation when the bait is falling. The two craw style trailers that I've found to really slow the fall of a flipping jig are the Rage and Paca craws. I've even inserted bits of packing peanuts into the hollow of a Paca Craw to slow the fall even more.

For those conditions, I have two 'go to' presentations. A Charlie Brewer Slider jig and a Zoom Finesse worm, or a BPS Teaser Tube. Although I rig the tube 'stupid' style, I have been known to use it as a drop shot bait, or on a split shot rig.

If you can find areas where the forage fish hold, you can target them. If shad are the main forage of the lake, you are going to have a difficult time finding a spot within casting distance. I recommend using a presentation with a history of having the ability to draw fish to it from a distance. A Spook, Wiggle Wart, or a bottom presentation like a football jig, or C-rig that kicks up a lot of bottom silt.