jmz313

Thanks to both of you. I'l have to give it another go next time. maybe i'll try a dab of glue as well. Its really challenging to get the back wraps to fall in nicely (which might be my biggest issue). that's sitting at my kitchen table, i can't imagine the guys tying all these on the boat.

Man i wish i had the type of luck above with Alberto Knots. they are easier to tie than a Double Uni but thye're the only knot that ever fails me. Do some brands/models of braid allow slip more than others? is there a secret trick?

i use a BC on soft tip MH (lightning shock rod) for 3/16 and 1/4oz spinners. I'll add a split tail grub trailer on the 3/16 to make it cast a little better if theres any wind in my face.

You always have to keep the honest people, honest.

$.87 beetle spins from WM. i'll switch up the plastics to the last 2" of a paddle tail, grub, or ribbon tail. I can use the blade, or if its super blue bird and dead wind, just the jig head.

what makes the 75/110 better? I know the 75 shape is a different. I have a loon 90 i was considering a bone color and now wondering if it should be a 75.

Caught my First Chain Pickerel. then figured out how to target them on local water. Also Purchased and lost my first Lure over $10. No more jackhammers for me. Classics will suffice. Luckily the whopper ploppers float.

I have one. its medium heavy 6'6" (no action specified as u mentioned) but its does have a real soft tip.... i think that's the whole "shock" part to lesson the stiffness of brain as the rod is marketed as "engineered for superlines". id call the action moderate/fast maybe. its probably leaning more towards medium as it casts 1/4 jigs pretty well.

that makes sense. i have days where i get every top water hit landed... then days i'm 1 for 7. its either hot or cold.

I will use snaps on basically everything other than hooks. Still, i've done that in a pinch. Bank angling, don't really want to carry more that 2 rods at a time, 3 max.

Aren't Sunfish stocked to control Mosquitoes then Bass stocked to control said sunfish? This is what i believed. Also, Ducks/geese/ Birds are said to spread fish eggs that stick to their bodies/feet while they pond hop.

It's Rat-L-trap season for me. With some chatterbait/top water thrown in.

I use the trilene knot on spinners, Buzz, lipless, inline spinners, chatters, basically anytime i'm using mono. I just know how to tie it and it never fails. i can use polamar but dragging the lure back through is a pain.

Abu Pro Max combo is like $85 on the amazon. I picked one up last month and it has been good.

I tried this yesterday. Worked very well in a spot where i'd normally only fish top water due to grass. I didn't even put much into it, just turned a Yum Dinger sideways on my T-rig setup (3/0 Worm Offset hook), with the 3/16 weight, and snapped on one of my kids spongebob bobbers on it. Ironically, i only though about trying it after I found someone trash pile of plastics next to the Pond. And the first fish was caught on 2/3rd of a chewed up Senko from said pile. Thanks Rambler for posting.

Spend 80-100 on a CA-80 then $120 on a Mojo Rod of your liking? I feel that's the best $200-ish Diawa Reel based combo you could get off the shelf. probably a ton of suitable rod options though if you want to really drill down.

i will use 8lb Seguar InvisX on occasion but i feel its really tough to dial in the drag to hookset ratio.

I'm new to bass fishing. My oldest BC reel is an UltraMax Abu (its basically a BlackMax for Dicks available as combo)... I use it every outing and its lasted at least 50 outings and is in fine shape still. I expect it to last another 50. I think a dollar per fishing outing is a good expectation to start with. Assuming you take reasonable care... and I probably don't honestly so i could be under estimating to help justify buying a Curado DC soon.

I had the same "problem" yesterday fishing a pond form the bank. Fish activity all over the surface no hits on topwater, or high in water column baits for 90 minutes. Tried plopper, buzzbait, wakebait, spinner bait, chatters. Got 2 fish on a T rig after giving up watching the surface. Next time i'll add a jerk bait to the mix.

make sure the trailer isn't too long. I do decent with chatterbaits once i find the right trailer for the pond i'm fishing.

might be the 1/8ths. My son throws 1/8 in ponds and gets good numbers of bass. lots of small guys but he will get as many 2-4 pounders as i do with the 3/8 and various bigger baits. I don't know how he does it because i just reel the dang thing to the surface every time. hard to believe my 13 yr old is more patient than me.

I love braid. 10-20 LB on spinning rods to leader is what i love to fish inshore. When i started freshwater and set up braid on a baitcaster i did struggle for a little bit. What i found was i has to short the spool a little with braid. Knocking like 10-15 yards off of what i would spool with mono was the magic ticket for me. Otherwise i'd have to make sure my line guide was centered before casting to have a good chance for a smoooth cast. It could be specific to the cheaper Abu reels i use (ultramax, pro max, revo X).

I have a 3 part tackle approach as a land based fisherman. Because it can get too fat if you gotta lug it around. 1- tackle bag, 3 3700 trays of tackle/plastics appropriate for the spot i'm fishing 2- The car parked a reasonable distance away with a Bucket full of all the rest of my plastics and a bunch of extra copies of appropriate tackle in case i break off the magic lure for the day. lots of jigs and spinnerbaits. 3- a couple pegs in my shed with unopened tackle that i haven't tried yet, or don't think is appropriate for the season. If i was boat based it would all be in the locker though. Isn't the boat the tackle box?

All my live bait dies after a few days in back of my car. the fake stuff swims as soon as it get back in the water. I even prefer to make my kids fish for bluegills with little jigs as we'll have a 0% fish mortality rate. if i give them corn or worms, even on circle hooks, they manage to let a few swallow the hook.

The biggest issue with the ozark trail and other similar low cost rotomolded coolers is Quality control. Lots of warped lids, uneven hinges, and i'm told the inside insulation isn't always all there and even. So, its probably a crap shoot to get a really good performing cooler vs a poor one. I have a Ozark and its been OK. my DAD got one that performed terribly and then the one he got in exchange had a bowed lid. Now he has a Igloo BMX that is as good as my Ozark but cheaper.