ww2farmer

What does your father's health issues have to do with battery charging............maybe it's just me, but they seem unrelated.

While I am not a fan of these kind of hooks, I have tried all the major brands, and the best bang for the buck is the VMC. Gamakatsu keeper falls off, and the Trokar points don't last. VMC has neither of these problems, and is a good heavy wire hook, not to mention they are a little less expensive.

Seeing as how this is the "frugal fishing" thread, if you really want to get techincal about it............some power baits are pretty expensive compaired to similar,popular baits. For example: 5" Paca Craws: $3.49/per 8 at TW...... $0.43 each 4.5" Rage Lobsters: $5.39/per 5 at TW......$1.07 each 5" Chigger Craws: $4.99/per 4 at TW.......$1.24 each

A bass eats what it can catch and fit in it's mouth. Don't over think it. How many 5" long, fat, cigar shaped sticks of wood have you ever seen dancing seductivly on the surface in nature............probably, like me, ZERO..............yet a bass will try to eat a Zara spook............when you think about it, they are actually pretty stupid, and easy to fool, we make it harder than it needs to be.

Let's put it this way...................your lucky to be around such skill here

The $20 50lb Berkley digital scales they sell at Wal-mart have always done right by me. I own an Equalizer tournament scale for the tournaments I run, and the Berkley has always weighed fish the same as that scale......as well as several other orginizations tournament scales. Good enough for me. I guess if I was a record hunter, or super anal enough to care about mili-ounces or what not, I'd buy a better one.

Good luck, get well soon.

I have, or have had several $100 or less rods that I fished jerkbaits on, all of them were great. Pick one that feels good in your hand and go try it. Personally I like a 6'6" M power, fast action rod. Some like longer, some like shorter, some like a more moderate action, etc......your going to have to buy one and see what you like. The worst you can do, is not like your choice for jerkbaits and have to try something else. I know I would hate fishing jerkbaits if I fished them on some of the rods other people like. Why? Because I am not them, and I like what I like.

If your worried about killing a fish.....................take up golf. Even with C&R, some die.

If it's a ripping a trap out of grass deal, I wouldn't bet against KVD. I'd like to Palaniuk get the win, seems like a great kid, and he's been oh so close before. Really other than Ike, or KVD, there would be nobody better, as far as PR for the sport than him to win it.

IMHO, our fishing, as a whole, is much better up here because of the winter. We might not have as big of fish as Texas, Florida, etc.....but the numbers of 3-5lb fish is excellant. Plus we have smallmouth, and (while most bass guys hate them)....pike. I like them, except when they steal lures or bite my fingers off. Hook up with a big pike on bass gear and your in for a thrill, and there has been many a day when the bassin' was slow that the pike kept it fun and interesting.

I would use it for the same things as a ML spinning rod......assuming it's a fast or xf action. Me?.....I would put a smaller LP reel like a Curado/Chornarch 50/51E on it, spool it up with some 20lb braid, run 8 or 10lb fluoro leaders, and use it for drop shotting, flick shakes, shaky heads, small jigs, etc....

A lot of the low profile "cranking" reels, such as the Revo Winch, etc, will have deeper spools, so you don't have to go to a bigger round reel for more line capacity if you want to stay with a "bass" sized LP reel..........just FYI.

I have had mine for about 4 years....the cables are starting to get weak and break at the crimps, but the balls are fine. As the cables break, I am repairing them with super heavy duty plastic zip ties, and they are working fine. Simple way to make obvious culls. Catch a fish, weight the fish, attach ball with weight dialed in, place in livewell...cull as needed. I use a beam for making close culls, but 99.9% of the time according to the beam....the weight taken with my scale and put on the balls is correct............I just check to make sure, I would hate to lose a tournament or be out of the money because I tossed an extra ounce or two that I needed away.

If my life depended on catchng a smallmouth. I would have the following rigged up and ready to go: 4" Senko on a wacky jig 4" finesse worm on shaky head 3.5" Tube 3" gulp leech on a drop shot

I like the Wal-mart everstarts, and the Napa store branded batteris. Have had good luck with both. Napa has the best warranty/replacement policy of any brand I have used. Some people like them, but i have had terrible luck with Interstates. I take care of my batts............charge after every trip, keep the water topped off, terminals clean, etc....and I never had an interstate last more than 1 season, cranking or DC. I had an Everstart cranker go for 5 years, and I only replaced out out of nervousness, and I am on the original set of Napa TM batts I bought since I decided to not go with Interstate.....4 years and (so far) no loss of power.

I wacky rig with 10lb braid and an 8lb fluoro leader on spinning tackle, and with 30lb braid, and a 17lb fluoro leader on casting gear in cover. With the heavier line I add a little weight to get it to sink as fast as it would on the light line.

It works on wives too.....BUT they will turn the table on you. I guess she could be spending money on worse things than shoes, purses, and clothes that barely fit............................err I mean make her look fantastic. LMAO.

Exactly why I won't join a club. I prefer team tournaments, 2 guys working together, instead of 2 guys fishing against each other.

Less than 50 for largemouth, less than 40 for smallmouth. 90% of the time when the water get's to those temps. not much changes, you just have to slow down, and the window of when fish bite get smaller...instead of being able to consistantly get bites all day long, it's in little flurrys. I catch some pretty big fish in 40ish degree water, and how shallow they can get will surprise you.

I don't like the way the bait sits on the hooks, I don't like how much the plastic barbs tear up my baits, and I don't like having another type of hook around taking up space when the heavy wire EWG's I use get the job done for me.

I like the VMC Rugby heads or the SK tour grades. I loath screw lock type heads.

I must be the best hook setter/bite detector in the world. I have NONE of these so called hook up issues with EWG hooks. I have tried the straight shank hooks, and I don't like them at all. So it's either a VMC Heavy duty EWG, or Gamakatsu EWG superline for me. Size depends on the bait. I carry 2/0 - 5/0 with me.

Same goals as 2013...........and really every year. #1 Have fun.......if it's not fun, it's not worth being out there #2 No expensive break downs, that would put a big hurting on #1 #3 Spend time on the water with my kids #4 Don't hook myself, or fall in the water The fishing will take care of it's self as long as I am in the right place at the right time.

I have an Orra S 20. I run 10lb braid on it, and usually an 8lb fluorocarbon leader. It's mounted to a 6'9" ML Vendetta spinning rod, and it's my dedicated drop shot rod/reel.