JHTR20

@Baitmaker did you use a stencil for those crappie dots? I'm also wondering what you use for the top coat? Your baits look amazing.

Good luck. I hope you heal up and get back at it.

Congratulations on your purchase. That will be so sweet, maybe a camp out a few times a year would be in order. I so miss my childhood cottage on Lake Winnisquam.

The color / paint job is not in the Berkley line up. I'll go back, I think the shape was a bit different. But thanks, I didn't want to de-rail the FFS discussion but was interested as I have an interest in dual props and was hoping someone could ID it.

I'd like to know what that prop bait Martin used on day 1. Custom?

I think FFS is fascinating, kind of like long range hunting. I respect folks who use the tools and use them well. I have no intent of getting FFS or shooting deer long range. Just not worth the dollar spend for me. That doesn't mean I think guys and gals who use FFS are cheating. Quite the contrary I think they are embracing technology and utilizing it to its fullest. Early adaptors. Just like the guys who used the first flashers back in the day. If I were a serious tournament fisherman my thoughts would be different. I'm my not sure you can compete successfully, at higher levels, without it given all things being equal between anglers. Guys who are whining about it on social media platforms need to chill. Or learn to use it effectively to compete, could be a lot of J factor for missing the FFS boat. It is not ruining bass fishing. Is catching fish offshore with FFS worse than catching them sight fishing on bed? I personally don't believe so. Division in the fishing community is not good for any of us. My .02. Peace.

There was a store where they had huge bargain bins, I loved fishing through them for baits. Unfortunately the store was sold and demolished. I did find quality baits for $1.99, closeout Diawa, Bandit and Rapala crankbaits which have put a lot of fish in my boat. One Diawa I went back and bought everyone I could find in the bin. Putting 5 on the counter the cashier looked at me and said "these don't work do they". He had a big smile on his face and I said "no they don't". I really miss that place.

I was up VT and fished 6/4-6/6. Water temps outside of St Albans bay was 53. Fish were on beds there as I watched a derby participant use a flogger to catch 3. He was solo and it was a learning experience watching him as I have never flogged. We managed to catch a few on shaky heads, the day ended early due to trolling motor issue. Wind was out of the NW all three days there and really made big water unfishable for me. At 62 with back and hip issues I'm not even trying that anymore. We watched a boat running in it go airborne and come down hard. No thanks. Monday we fished a small body of water with water temps in upper 60s. Caught lots of fish, most quality fish were largemouth with several north on 3lbs. Quite a few smallmouth but never caught one over 2lbs. Neds, shaky head and texas rigged worms were the main catchers. Good news was the TM had no issues, seems what rough water we ran on Sunday managed to loosen a battery connection, which I checked on the water but I guess didn't get it tight enough. On Tuesday we fished Mallets Bay. Temps there were 63-64 and seemed fish were post spawn. The outter bay got rough, we connected on smallies over 3 but never got on a bunch of them. Overall a good trip and always nice sharing the boat with my son.

I mojo'd a lot in the 90s. Migrated to that from split shotting. 4 inch worms and the small Zoom brush hogs were my my choices on the business end. The weight back then was pegged with strands of living rubber, a bobber stop is certainly easier and faster to rig. It does tend to be a numbers bait but on a tough bite or hammered water you can catch better quality fish. I've never broken 4lb with it but have had quite a few high 3's.

I'll second GB fly shop. I bought a 7wt blank and all other components from them for my first ever fly rod build. Quick delivery and I'm happy with the blank and components received. I did cheap out a bit and went with a black aluminum reel seat.

I mentioned this sale to my wife and got "that" look. I think it is a great deal on great blanks. Enjoy to those of you taking advantage of it.

Thank you!

Never thought of using my drill press to shape handles, thanks for the pics!

Can permagloss be applied without removing guides? I have a couple rods that look beat up but still fish fine, guides are all intact. Thanks in advance

Floods are a good stockers but if the pond isn't in a flood zone you'd be better off stocking it on your own.

Last year just after the ice went out I caught largies from shore casting a yellow panther martin inline spinner parallel to a chunk rock bank. Slow cranked. Best fish was over 3lbs. Never felt it hit, rod just loaded up and at first I thought I was hung up. Nope, once it pulled back. Only reason I tried that lure was reading a really old Bassmaster article about inlines during a power outage.

You rocked them! Were you flogging by any chance? I saw a lot of boats with guys hanging over the sides looking for beds in deeper water.

This^ I was there opening week. My friend who was with me is a beginner. Started fishing when he retired a couple years ago. I tried coaching him but he has trouble listening to instruction. Now I know why his wife complains! I rigged his rods one night and told him if he changed baits I would throw him off the boat. I put a green pumpkin ned, zman, on a 1/4 head on one rod and he caught the snot out of them. I used different colors and caught fish but not compared to the GP. I also caught fish on a grub, tube and stick bait. The smallie in the pic is over 4 1/4. This spot was on fire. Four casts in a row boated 4 smallies over 4 lbs. There were a number of under 4 as well. This spot was not on the hot spot map and I would have not thought to fish it looking at maps. I found it because boats were on a spot I wanted to fish and decided to side scan the shoreline of an island. A couple of blips on the screen got me to stop after 15 minutes or so of scanning. So I would recommend to anyone spend some time on your electronics it can pay off. The last day there we fished Eel Bay. Lots and lots of fish, and boats. I caught my only largemouth of the trip there.

If you use those the tube will slide down the hook. I lost money fish using those. You can tie a bait keeper using a strand of jig brush guard or shrink tubing. That will keep the bait from sliding down the hook.

My all time favorite t rig tube hook was the Shaw Grigsby HP hook. The Trokar tube hook is as close to the HP but not quite as good, the clip that the HP had just kept the tube from sliding down the hook better. The Trokar in a 2/0 or 3/0 would work for your set up. They are pretty stout.

This topic was discussed on last weeks mudhole webinar. They didn't talk about as small as you mention but it was an interesting show. I would think the video is on you tube by now. You can always build one yourself or have a local rodmaker build you up one.

I got back home from my first trip to the St Lawrence this past weekend. It was all I expected and more. I hope to go back again. I never broke the 5lb smallmouth mark but caught a bunch of 4lb smallies one day, like the one pictured here, plus the biggest walleye I've ever caught at 10.25.

The season starts 6/15. https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/124969.html One thing to note also that you are not supposed to target bass, even catch and release, prior to this date. This was posted on a sign at the ramp in Clayton, NY.

I can't count the times I've rigged up before a trip to find out what I thought was going to be the deal wasn't. If what you've done for for hours isn't producing go the opposite. From deep to shallow, fast to slow or vice versa. I typically wouldn't fish 4 hours without changing, fail fast and move on to something else.

I'm heading to St Lawrence this June for the first time. Going kind of blind but I like to explore and DIY. I bought a map of the area near when we are staying. We will have my friend's brother in law in the boat a day or two. Not sure how much of a smallie fisherman he is but he boated a 42" muskie last year. I also raced a RZ350 in the mid 80's mostly in AAMRR. Wicked fun.