ww2farmer

I am on the fringe of this storm. Only a couple inches so far, but it's not over yet.

Right at the $100 mark, I have Fenwick HMG's and Abu Veritas's...................flip a coin.

I have that rod, and it's my fluke and senko rod. I have also tossed swimjigs,finesse flipping jigs,and t-rigged plastics with it. It's not over or under rated in power/action...IMHO it's just about what I consider as the model for a mh/f rod.

Broken record time. I like 7.3:1 for both.

In my exp. I have found Ike to be correct. While we don't often get "muddy" water here on our natural lakes, we do get heavy, super green algae blooms from late spring, through the summer, and into the early fall. The blooms will turn clear water into pea soup overnight, and then after a little while clear back up for a bit( although each time it clears it's a little less clear than before). This green to clear, green to clear, green to clear stuff goes on multiple times during the season. The transition times when it turns from one to the other can be tough as the fish are on the move. But once it settles in (either green or clear) the fishing picks back up. I usually fish shallow and tight to cover when it's green, and when it's clear I tend to fish deeper grass beds/grass lines. BUT it's not a hard rule. I have found hoards of fish up shallow in gin clear water, and had some fantastic days in green water off the bank as well.

I like them in several situations #1 Late fall when the docks have been removed from our lakes, but the grass is still thick. I like to crank one over top of the "bare spots" in the grass where the docks used to be. #2 Post spawn, fry guarding fish can not stand them swam through the ball of fry. #3 When the are just boiling on top water but not committing.

School's closed. White-outs, heavy lake snow, and sub-zero windchills are forecast for late morning/early afternoon. We're not putting any trucks on the road, and even if we were, I wouldn't be there, I have to stay home with the kids now.

ML to XH............it all depends on the jig and the cover,

There are some people who think that GYCB senkos are THE only bait of this type to use, and then there are some people (like me) who really don't care and will use any brand of stick and still catch just as many fish.

What's so funny. There are people, myself included, who crank with braid, and are very successful doing so. I don't subscribe to this non-sense of "needing" stretch in the line for cranking. That's what the rod's tip, and the reel's drag are for.

I use original Power Pro...........it's probably not the best, but it's far from the worst...............that honor would go to Spiderwire Fluorobraid. I am "cranks with braid" guy, and I wanted to see if the sinking braid gave me any added performance over the Power Pro I always used. #1......it didn't, and #2 in the same lb tests (20+30) cranked and dragged over the same rocky,snaggy mussle infested bottom, the Fluorobraid would be torn to shreds in just a cast or two, where the Power Pro would last much much longer. I now only use braid tied direct when I am casting deep cranks, which I don't even do much any more. I have found long lining them to be more effective at covering long weed lines, and the bait is in the strike zone much much longer, so I use fluoro leaders for that. As far as toothy fish are concerned, I wish they made braid cutters out of there teeth. Braid up to an including 50lb test offers ZERO protection against them. Fluoro offers a little bit more protection, but if your planning on using braid around them, you'll have to put up with bite offs.........a lot of bite offs.

Cold pizza, beef jerky, granola bars,lots of water, and some gatorade. Hard candy is great too, I like the little rootbeer barrels, and I am a tootsie roll fiend. Sunflower seeds were a staple when I quit dipping, but they make a freaking mess so I don't bring them on the boat much. I got into the bad habit of having a cigar or two when fishing this summer, but I nipped that in the bud this fall as well.

Wal Mart sells the Lightning Rod Shock everyday for $39.99..........you can't beat that. I have several casting, as well as several spinning. The spinning rods pair very nice with a 30 size Pflueger reel. I have a President on one, and a Trion on the other. I use them side by side with my more expensive Fenwicks and Abu rods, and am very comfortable and confident fishing with them, and many a nice fish (as well as other peoples tournament money LOL) have been captured by these rods.

I have had both brown and clear original formula. I thought once when I got a brown one that I got the "craw" scent at first, but I found the package and it was "original" and I have gotten brown original since then too. My current open tube of original is clear...........beats me, but I don't care.

FWIW...........I tried to remove the deck on my 2006 PT170 a few years back to make it easier to run 6ga wires from the front to the back for the 24v TM I upgraded to. I gave up in total frustration, and just used the factory 8ga wiring (so far so good). Way, WAY, WAY to many screws to monkey with, and better than half of them didn't want to come out at all. I am not even going to attempt to take it off again unless I absolutely have to (IE the woods rotted, carpet is junk, or I need to weld the inside of the hull)

First time this season we had to call it quits because of snow. Not a terrible huge amount yet, but it's a wet, heavy, slippery, kind of snow, and we have had two semi's go in the ditch already this AM. Time to call it a day.

I pitch with any length. When I am around docks or laydowns and I need to put a bait in a tiny spot, I'll often use a 6'9" length, when I am out in the grass and make longer pitches to holes/pockets, I'll usually use a 7'3" length. But that means I won't use a 6'6", or 7', or 7'6"...etc, length.

I like long handles (90mm+) and small knobs. That's one of the reason I have not pulled the trigger on a Lews yet, the knobs are a major turn off. Yeah I know you can change them, but I just like to open the box, and fish.

90% of my soft plastics are in these 4 basic colors: Black ( with blue or red flake) Green Pumpkin (with or without various color flakes) Watermelon (mostly with red flake or watermelon candy) Junebug. And I have a few select baits in white and bubblegum. Plus, I always have some spike it markers in red, orange, and chart. for adding splashes when I think it's needed. For hardbaits I have a lot of colors in my "collection" but I really only use the basics of: Bluegill/perch colored baits, a craw color, something with chart., and something white (like sexy shad etc..)

The VMC Drop Dead hooks became my "go to" hook for 5" fluke type baits this year, I use the 4/0 with either 1/16th or 1/8th oz. weight. When I want to go weight-less, I'll use a 5/0 VMC EWG hook, regular wire or heavy wire depending on what rate of fall I want. I don't fish a 3.5" bait much, other than on a drop shot, so I can't help you there.

Same rods that I toss senkos/etc. on Spinning: 6'9" M/XF Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth/Pflueger Purist 1330 spooled with 10lb Power pro braid, and I'll use anywhere from an 8-12 lb fluoro leader if needed. Casting: 6'9" MH/F Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth/Daiwa Lexa 100SHL, spooled with 30lb Power pro braid, and I'll use 12-20lb fluoro leaders on that.

Dang it...........I must have missed it. As soon as I saw this post I went right to Cabela's site, and they are $99. I love my Lexa's amd Exceler's and would gladly add a Prodigy for $60.

Kids

I haven't had a day like that in a month. Nice job.