ww2farmer

Hmmmmmmmmmm...............starting to see a pattern here. Different sets of equipment for tournaments per club rules? Throwing Calcutta D's in the trash?.............Gentlemen put the high boots on when walking through this mess.

Yes. I go when I can go.

I have had to change a few.

Well have you at least had them eliminate the simple stuff first? Like Cam or crank position sensors? Spark plugs, wires, ignition coil?

What's been changed so far, and HAS NOT solved anything?

Let me ask you this...............what is it doing........IE the symptoms? I have a lot of wrench time on 2001-2007 Dodge/Chrysler vans with the 3.3 and 3.8. They have there own unique sets of problems, but usually the engines (unless abused) are pretty bulletproof.

I use both. The swim jig has become my #1 shallow water search bait, and I find they will bite that when cranking hauls water. And I am pretty sure that I have never NOT caught a fish or two on them when I am throwing one.

Still have the beard and mustache, but the wolverine sideburns had to go the other day.

My thoughts exactly. And vise versa, I have seen people try to shake, hop, jump, etc..the baits too much, instead of letting the bait do it's thing.

Okay.... I will say it.... Why fish a tournament with different gear than you would usually use? Makes no sense to me.

That when I put the boat on the trailer at the end of a trip, nothing broke, and I have a wife and kids to go home to.

I keep it simple for square bills. I use the SK KVD's in all three sizes, with the 1.5 getting used the most. I stick to colors that resemble the the forage base around here, which are bluegills/sunfish , perch, alewives , and craws.

Because I have lived by the philosophy that you don't need to put ice cream into a bowl............It already comes in one.

Personal preference for the most part. I use braid as main line on 100% of my rods/reels, and except for frogging, punching, and topwater, I prefer to use a fluoro leader when doing anything else. Why? I don't know? Plenty of reasons for it, just as there are plenty of reasons against it. The connecting knot I use (alberto) has never been a problem, and I like the way some stuff fishes with a fluoro leader better than with just straight braid.............so I do it.

It happens all the time while ice fishing. I keep my catch in a bucket behind my seat in my shanty, I don't throw them on the ice, cleaning frozen fish is a PITA. Even though there is no water in the bucket, 8+ hours later many of the them are still alive when I go to clean them.

IMHO, you practicality have to give used rods away. I have a used legend tournament for sale right now on the flea market, granted, it's a technique specific rods that a lot of people might not be in the market for, but even asking 50% of what a new one costs, I am not getting any offers.

I use a # 4 KVD on the front, and a #6 on the rear.

I really like my 7'6" H Abu Vendetta for most of my flipping, pitching and punching needs. I have had several flipping rods in this price range ($80-$120), like the 7'11" St Croix Mojo flipping stick, and the Shimano Clarus 7'11 H power flip/punch rod to name a few, and the Abu is lighter, and way better balanced.............which if you spend 8+ hours a day flipping like I often do, makes a big BIG difference.

Every year dozens of new baits get tried, but few make it into the permanent rotation. This year a few made it. For soft plastics............the Berkley twitch tail minnow, the Havoc Devil spear, and the Havoc soft jerk bait called "the jerk", and for hard baits the SK KVD jerk baits, and popper. I also had some really good success with the Booyah pad crasher frogs late in the season, enough to earn them a full season trial next year, they won't replace my "regular" frog until I can see what they do for a full year. I like the fact they come in all the colors you really need for frogging, plus are a few bucks cheaper than my usual frog.

Depends on "where" I am dropshotting. For more open water, very light cover, or fishing deep straight down below the boat in the "cone" I am using a 6'9" ML/XF Abu Vendetta with 10lb Power Pro braid as mainline, and 6 or 8lb Seaguar Red label fluorocarbon leaders, with an Abu Orra S20 spinning reel. I usually use a 3/8's oz sinker in water less than 15' deep, and a 1/2' oz in 15'+. My go to hook is a #2 VMC spinshot, and I'll nose hook a variety of baits on it, with 4" finesse worms or small minnow shaped baits seeing the most use Bubba shotting, I use an Abu Vendetta 7'3" MH/XF casting with 30lb power pro braid, and 15, 17, or 20lb fluoro leaders depending on the thickness of the cover. Curado 51E reel. I usually use no LESS than a 1/2 oz. sinker for this, and some times as much as 1oz. depending on the thickness of cover. I like 2/0 or 3/0 VMC EWG spinshots for hooks, and will use the same baits on this rig as I would flipping, and pitching T-rigs, stuff like full size creatures and craws, worms of all shapes and sizes etc...

Highlights: 3 tournament wins 3 2nd place finishes finished in the money in 8 out of 14 tournaments. Top 5 big bass: 7-1 6-12 6-3 5-11(x3) 5-9 Fished with my kids Never skunked once this year in 130+ trips Never fell off the boat Never hooked myself past the barb didn't lose anything expensive in the lake Lowlights: Terrible fall for smallmouth Chewed up two boat props broke half a dozen rods got 2 PFD tickets needed a trip to the ER after getting my hand mangled by a pike I had tournament where I failed to even catch a limit Didn't fish with my kids enough

FWIW, on my small 4 stroke ( 2006 Merc. 25hp) the performance and fuel consumption is noticeably better with 93 octane than with 87. IDK why, but it is. I have never noticed it being any better in any cars/trucks I have had, but it is with the outboard. I don't use 87 any more at all for the outboard.

I like braid with a fluorocarbon leader. I don't care what the "pros" like. I catch plenty of jerkbait fish doing it my way.

Your young, in time you will learn the error of this line of thought.

I don't go anywhere with out Jigs and/or senkos. With various rigging/presentation options, if I can't catch something with ether of those two baits............they ain't biting or I am not around fish.