Jig Man

I don't know if there is a rule about this or not. Where I fish it is very clear most of the time and I can see the bottom in 10 fow. When I can only see 3 or so feet down I called it stained. Muddy to me would be not seeing a chartruse spinnerbait more than a few inches down.

3/4 oz jig with a big trailer

I don't have it on all of my spinning reels but I do have it on all of my baitcasters. When I am in clear water using a jig or t-rig I use a fluro leader. BTW: What pound test line have you been using and what knot are you tying?

I have had all manner of depthfinders on my boats over the years. Everytime I can afford it I do an upgrade. I have found that I get more use and pleasure out of them as I have increased the number of pixels. I just upgraded this summer to two color gps/depthfinder units (Lowrance 520c) and have them networked. I like them better than any other units I have ever owned. I can't see myself ever going back to black and white. I have one on the console with a transducer in the back next to the drain plug hole. The other one is in the bow with a transducer on the trolling motor and a transducer midboat slanted toward the bow and starboard console.

How bout some sand in a milk jug?

They are really good people to deal with so I'd just take the tmotor back and talk with them. It is very possible that they will exchange it. I have had nothing but good experiences with those people.

I prefer the 4" tube but will fish the smaller ones. I rig the weedless and open hooked with 1/8, 1/4, and 3/8 inserts. I also fish them trigged with the hook tex-skin. Right now I am experimenting with some piano wire to make some tube holders to keep them from bunching up on the hookset. I try to keep the colors simple: melon/pepper, pumpkin seed, black/red, smoke/red and white.

It all depends on how much you want to spend and what you call ultra light. You might look at a Gloomis GL2 or GL3 5'10" and a Shimano Symmetry in the 1500 size. I have a couple and they are pretty good. My wife prefers the 5'6" Bionic blade rod over the longer Gloomis. My most favorite is the 5' Fenwick HMG with a Symmetry.

I haven't since they started making reels that didn't click and clack as you reeled in line. I just keep a light set drag and help with a finger if necessary.

I have been keeping a log for years on Microsoft Data Base. I track many items and can use the filter option to get reports to see what data I want.

Another job well done by Raul.

I sometimes use a grub with the jig head only. Mostly I do it in the winter when vertical fishing. I use a round head with no weed guard since I am not really casting it. The rest of the time I have the skirt on the jig.

You might get by with a motor cycle or ATV battery and they only cost around $40.

You mean like a colored flavored condom?

I use critter craws, salt craws in 3 sizes, chunks, single tail grubs, twin tail grubs, hula grubs, beavers, and once in a while a worm. I use white/black/brown/plumb/red/green/blue/melon pepper/and watermelon spaghetti colors.

Take the two baits Mark is throwing and combine them into one so that the hook doesn't get so gommed up.

There are lots of good brands out there. The main thing I recommend it get the most RESERVE AMPS you can find, preferably around 200.

Your boat position is dependant on how you are fishing. I go into the wind most of the time because I am throwing tubes, jigs, and craws. However, If I am throwing a spinnerbait I sometimes go down wind to cover more water. Fishing into the wind I find it best to have my trolling motor set to be just a little stronger than the wind that way I can make forward progress at a slow rate. If I want to stop I can take my foot off the button for a little while. The best advise I can give you is to put your off foot on the pedal and leave it there just moving it enough to get it off the button when you want to stop. Learn to control the motor with both feet so you don't have to cast across your body. If you have a constant ON position, DON'T USE IT. The best thing you can do is spend as much time on the water with the trolling motor as possible. It takes some practice but once you master it, it is like riding a bike (you won't forget). Good luck and happy fishing.

Ghost I live close to their catalog outlet. I see a lot of Extremes and Quantums which have been sent back and rebuilt. I have only seen 1 or 2 Shimanos. I'd think about spending another $10 and get the Sahara.

If you can't find red check your auto parts stores for silicone bulb covers. I put them on all my dash lights to make them red and it has really cut down the glare from them. If I used white lights around here the 'skitters would eat me up in no time. I just use the black light and cats eyes on my hat. Let us know how this venture works out for you.

I got into it a few years ago and you could only get 1 rod at Bass Pro. It is an 8.5' microlite. I make my own jigs from craft hair and use a sort of pear shaped bobber. Here area a couple of pics.

No I wouldn't say anything. It is up to the other guy to know the rules just like it is up to you to know them. I don't know about your rules but in my state if you had given the guy the fish even if it had been of legal length your fishing day would be legally over because you can not give fish away until your day of fishing is complete.

I don't use that product but I do have a bunch of that type of bag. I found them on clearance at Bass Pro for $5 each so I bought 10 of them.

The last 2 times I have been out it has been just after the passing of a cold front. I had been on a spinnerbait/buzzbait bite for a few weeks. The cold front did not move the fish out. It did cause them to quit the buzzbait. The last 2 trips have produced 41 bass with only 1 coming on a buzzbait. Before that it was about 50/50. One thing I noticed is that the fish are tighter to cover than they were and hit spinnerbaits only if they are a few inches from or right in the bushes and roots.

You can fish a spinnerbait anywhere in the water column. This time of year it is my main bait. I keep 3 or 4 tied on all the time. It is a very versatile bait which can be burned, slow rolled, jigged, hopped, etc. When I am fishing within 10' of the surface I use a tandem when deeper I use a single spin. It is a good reaction bait and should be allowed to run very close to cover even bumping it when possible. When you bump something let the bait pause for about 1/2 second then start it up again. Lots of time it will trigger a strike. I always say that you can send a spinnerbait into brush where you wouldn't send your bird dog. They come through most any kind of stuff but if you only bought 1 plan on going back for more. Good luck.