ww2farmer

You go ahead and shut up right now LOL.

Back when I used mono... XL (6, 8, and 10lb) went on spinning gear. XT (10, 12, and 14lb) went on casting gear, and 20lb Big Game went on the flipping stick.

My first one was caught circa 1985 on a hunk of night crawler dangled under a bobber out of a creek that I still fish to this day. It might not have even been 12" but next to the dink bluegills I usually caught it was a whopper.

I got a couple as Christmas gifts. Based on looks alone, I am not impressed. They are probably not going to be in the regular rotation, and might even be trade/sale fodder.

I am always looking for an excuse to go to Conesus............I have been known to catch a few there.

I have fished sub $100 spinning reels from Daiwa, Shimano, Abu, and Pflueger. Pflueger is my choice, flip a coin between the rest.

For punching I tend to like more durable versions of baits I would regularly use. I am not complain about bait durability guy either, but this is one area where having baits just fall apart before fish make it into the boat bugs the crap out of me. For example, I usually pitch and flip R.I. Beavers, but switch over to punching heavy mats and I tend to use a Pit Boss or Devil Spear. They hold a straight shank hook better (punching is the only thing I use straight shank hooks for), and holds up to being "punched" through the cover better. I also like the Havoc Slop craw, I used to use GYCB fat baby craws for this, but the slop craw works just as well, and I would often tear up multiple GYCB craws just fishing them in the thick stuff, not to mention if a fish bites. A senko shaped bait is also a great punching bait for me, but real senkos almost fall apart in fear of being fished like this, let alone actually doing it. I found the Zoom Magnum finesse worm, or a Yum dinger, to be very effective while not crumbling to bits. I thought the SK or Z-man elaztech senkos would be great for this, but they are not, they grab everything and fish very poorly with big sinkers and hooks.

I fish flick shakes a lot....more than a few dollars have been put in my pocket on the local tournament scene because of it. But my gear is junk, so you don't want a recomendation from me.

I got my 6'9" MXF Smallmouth rod from Fish USA for $99 with free shipping..............I went back to look the other day and they are now $129. I am glad I got mine when I did.

As for the Berkley stuff.............yes, there is a difference. Powerbait is the stuff infused with.....well the powerbait scent. Havoc is un-scented, with shapes/styles exclusive to the havoc line, and each bait "belongs" to the pro that designed it. Gulp is a bio-degradable material.

Generally if it says Strike King on the package, it's in my boat. I also like Storm, Manns, Bandit, and.......................yes Rapala stuff. I was mad at them for a while, but dang it, there junk catches fish, so I had to get over it.

What he said.....also avoid getting them wet, especialy salty stuff like GYCB.

Heads up........Reeds has select HMX rods paired with Purist reels for $99 with free shipping. I grabbed the 7' ML and 1330 reel and they arrived yesterday. I was perfectly content to keep my Abu Vendetta 6'9" ML/Orra S pulling double duty as my dropshot/flick shake rod, but at that price I can make room for it in the boat LOL.

I have actually been looking forward to a "late" spring for a few years. Maybe...........just maybe, that when TX season starts here on the third sat. in June, a "secret" spot I like to go to for pre- spawn,and spawning fish will still be in play. Most years it's a ghost town by the bass opener. And it probably still will be, but if it's ever going to happen, this is the year to think it might.

I participate in reverse snobery. I'll outfish you and take your money with my $80-$100 rods, leaky tin boat, sub $10 hard baits, and cheap soft plastics.

Tough to pick a bad lake here in NY. You know it's good fishing when you have places like Erie, Oneida, Champlain, Chautauqua, 1000 islands, Black Lake, Cayuga, etc.... all within a resonable drive from me, and I don't bother going to any of them because the fishing on the handfull of lakes close to the house is good enough that it's hard to justify the travel.

Several that I can remember...........I once caught bass and tilapia on regular basis out of a roadside ditch in Florida. And when I was a kid, the creek that drains the local lake runs under the main street before and buildings, before it goes under ground it pools up under a laundromat building on main street, the building is on stilts/poles, and the pond/pool is under the building. I used to catch, largemouth, bluegills, and rock bass out of that pool while my mom was up stairs in the building doing the laundry.

Your 7' MH Mojo will be fine. I frogged for years with MH power St Croix's, they are up to it. What ever you do, DO NOT get a H power St Croix, you'll save money by just going to the lumber yard and getting a 2x4 and tying guides on it.

I use braid all the time in clear water. BUT, except for topwaters, I don't often tie direct to it, even with reaction baits. I don't know if it gets me more bites when I use a fluoro. leader, but it dosen't hurt either, and I have the advantage of better abbrasion resistance.

The way things are going this year, pike season will be open again before the ice is gone.

I use GYCB Senkos, and DO NOT use the o-rings....................some one has to make sure the cattle on Gary's ranch are well fed.

I have fished many times in mid to upper 30 degree water.

I usually rig them on a VMC "Ike approved" 5/0 weighted swimbait hook, with the 1/4 oz keel weight. I will fish that from the bank out to 10-12' FOW over the top of grass. If I need to fish it deeper, I will peg a tungsten sinker to the nose, while still using the keel weighted hook.......but shhhhhhh.....your not suposed to do that LMAO.

Same here.

Hey..........I give you credit for at least thinking it could be user error (which IMHO, it is) far too many people in this day and age have somethng go wrong and blame everything else. About 80% of the "experts" on here after something like that happens would start a post saying how the reel or the line is junk. BTW, I agree with the above posters, 14lb is a little much for a bass size spinning reel, I run braid, but when I did use Mono and/or Fluoro. 10lb was as big of line as I would use. With braid, I have used up to 30lb with no issues.