KentuckyBlueBass

I fished a 2 acre private pond in southern Indiana for the first time this year and didn’t get a single bite. I fished this pond during the summer (it had a lot of weeds on top of the water then) and would normally catch close to 20 fish on senkos, frogs, and buzzbaits, most around 3 pounds. I assume the bass were in deeper water, but with the amount of weeds and leaves on the bottoms, I’m unsure of what baits to throw to reach them. Any advice?

I've been interested in making my own lures for a while now, and I think I'm finally going to pull the trigger. What would be the best/easiest bait to start out making (and still be effective). Also, what are the supplies that I need to make that bait. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks for the replies. If it helps, I'm a small guy, 5'10 165 lbs, so that shouldn't be a problem. Will definitely be looking into the lifetime tamarack. Sorry for the wierd formatting, no clue what I did there.

Shimano Sienna 1000 or pflueger trion.

I'm looking into buying a kayak for fishing some no wake lakes in my area. My goal is to stay under $300. What are some suggestions?

Looking in to buying one of these. Mainly fishing by myself, sometimes with someone else. Need to find a way to transport it with a minivan. List some pros and cons of each style

I have used both the SLX and the MB. My preference is the SLX but you really can't go wrong with either one. They are both extremely smooth. In regards to specs, I would say that the MB is better... But in regards to overall feel (which is personal preference) the SLX beats the MB.

I had good experience with an Abu Black Max as my budget setup, but if you have the money, pair it up with a Shimano SLX or Abu Revo X. The big handles on those reels will help you get those fish out of the heavy cover.

I understand that there is already a thread about this but I wanted some more updated recommendations. What is a good all around crankbait rod for under $100, preferably around $80? I need it to be decent at throwing squarebills and medium divers. Maybe a few deep divers too.

What copolymer line do you guys use? I've used PowerPro braid and Trilene mono my whole life. Never got into FC as I don't want to deal with the memory and knot issues.

After I had a guide break off on one of my rods, I checked all of my other rods to see if there was any problems developing on them. Anyway, I noticed that the second guide from the top (veritas) doesn't have any visible epoxy. Is this how they are made or has my rod been damaged?

Alright, so I am really looking into getting a tracker Topper 1036. Only problem is that I don't have a truck. All I have is a minivan. I don't really want to get a trailer as that can be quite expensive. Is there anyway to transport this boat on top of a van, or do you guys have any good/cheap trailer options? Or should I go with some sort of kayak?

Favorite rods are not garbage, but they are also not great. If you are used to fishing Dobyns and St. Croix, definitely stick with them. Those 2 and G Loomis are the best rod companies on the market.

Exactly. This rod is excellent for (almost) all moving baits. I throw all my cranks on it, except my extra deep divers, and have no problem keeping fish hooked.

I have the 7 foot MH/F Dobyns Colt. It's a dang good spinner+chatterbait rod. I don't hesitate to use Crankbaits or Jerkbaits on it. It runs closer to moderate than my other MH/f rods. Hope that helps.

Shimano SLX

I know this is very general but... Let's assume you were fishing a lake in the Kentucky/Tennessee area next weekend. You had 3 rods of your choice. What 3 baits would you have tied on?

You can't come wrong with either one but my vote is for the Curado

Shimano Curado K without a doubt

Very helpful. Out of curiosity, what do you use for your chatterbaits and spinnerbaits?

Thanks. Basically I bought a 7 mh/f rod and am having a little buyer's remorse because I already have 3 and am thinking I should have gone with something different.

Not taking into account the extremes such as a big 3 oz swimbaits or a 1/32 oz tube; is there anything you would NOT throw with a 7 foot mh/f rod. (I have a Dobyns colt so it does run closer to moderate fast IMO)

Just got my SLX reel and the rod for 50% off from Academy. Haven't fished it yet but feels very similar to the Curado. Update: ended up having to return it to the store. Side plate on reel will not latch on

So would you purchase a $50 PQ 2 over a Lew's LFS? My only complaint, largely because I'm used to the Abu Garcia Revos, is that I'm not a big fan of the PQ reel knobs/handles.

I currently own 3 of the original pro qualifier reels and absolutely love them. All three are still working like the day I got them. Anyway, I see the Pro Qualifier 2 reels are on sale for $50 bucks and was wondering if they are as reliable and smooth as the original ones?