ww2farmer

When I go to a "new" lake to me, I just do what I am comfortable with doing. It usually works out. Bass are bass, every lake has it's own quirks, but I have yet to go to a place where there were not bass around points, grass, or boat docks.

I have a Lowrance Elite 4 color sonar/gps combo. It's a great unit for the money. It is small, but I don't find it hard to see. They are like $299

Personally I like Strike King and Storm baits. They are not expensive, and catch lots of fish. Stock hooks are decent on some, terrible on others, but they are cheap enough that even with swapping out the hooks with better stuff they are not going to break the bank. If I had to make up a "starter" or "bare essentials" cranking kit it would look like this: Shallow: Strike King KVD squarebills Lipless: Strike King Red Eye Shad Mid depth: Storm Wiggle Warts Deep: Strike King 5xd I keep color selection simple. Crawfish, bluegill, perch, and Shad colors.

I'll fish for a couple more weeks yet providing the weather is not miserable. I enjoy the break for a while after I put the boat away. I don't go too stir crazy until after the holidays. But usually by then we have safe ice, so that keeps me occupied for a while. Work is slow on the farm in the winter, but usually we don't go more than a week-10 days without some kind of mutli-day job to do......that is all dependent on weather as well. The time that really bugs me is the period waiting for the ice to melt. Usually it's too wet to work, the ice is unsafe and/or no open water for boating yet. Makes for some pretty long boring days.

I am not the "one that got away" guy. You win some, you lose some. I cherish the big ones that have made it in the boat, and don't lose any sleep about the ones that don't. Call it arrogant, over confidence, or what ever you want. I have landed big ones before, and I will again. I don't care about the "one that got away", it's part of the game.

I don't know if they do with any regularity, but I caught one on a black Spro Frog a few years ago. All of my walleye catches are accidental, I don't target them, but all but that one have been caught on or near the bottom.

Because color is way WAY down the list of things important to me. If fish are biting jigs hot and heavy , they WILL bite any color. I chose my colors on what gets bit when it's a tough bite, and black/blue, green pumpkin always come through. Not to sound rude, condescending, or arrogant, but IMHO people who think color matters first just don't get it.

Wacky senko,and suspending jerk baits. I don't like fishing for suspending fish. But sometimes I have to.

Green pumpkin, and black/blue. That's all I need.

IDK, and I will never find out. With the amount of pike around here, I would be better off taking $25 out of my wallet and throwing it in the lake. I'll stick to the cheap stuff. I catch lots of fish on it.

Trilene knot for fluorocarbon to lure, Palomar from braid to lure, Alberto from braid to leader. Those are the only three knots I know and use.

I like the 5xd for that depth range.

I use both. There are things one can do, that the other one can't. Try skipping a hard jerkbait under a dock with criss-crossing supports, a pontoon boat in a hoist and that's surrounded by thick grass...........it is less than a desirable situation. Or try to get a soft one to suspend 5 feet down over submerged grass in 12 feet of 42 degree water..........

Bill, I am interested in hearing a review on the UL and L powered Lews spinning rod you have. I am in the market for a new Bluegill/Perch dropshot rod since my Shimano UL rod has broke, and the store I bought it from won't honor the over the counter lifetime warranty. Needles to say it will be my last Shimano rod.

I have had a lot............A LOT of different rods. From $250+ St Croix Legend Tournaments to $40 Berkley Lightning rods. If you want good performing rods that won't break the bank, look at Abu Garcia, Fenwick, or St Croix. They all make quality gear at various price points, Pure Fishing (Berkley,Abu, Fenwick) and St Croix are two of the best in the business in customer support/warranty as well. You don't have to spend $200+ dollars on a good rod for "feel" techniques. I "feel" things just fine with $50-$100 Abu Vengeance's, Vendetta's, and Veritas's.

I am flipping with 7'6" Abu Vendetta's and like them a lot. Way better balanced and lighter than the Shimano (Clarus) and St Croix (Mojo) flipping sticks I have had. I use the 7'6" MH for moderate cover, and the 7'6" for punching and heavy cover. Both have Revo STX's mounted on them, 30lb braid on the MH, and 50lb braid on the H. At $79 MSRP they are a good "bang for the buck" at the 50% off you say your club has on Abu gear they are a steal.

I have the 7' M Veritas winch rod your asking about, it WILL load and cast 1/4 oz. baits just fine.

Yes, I use braid for everything.... Even cranking.

I have caught them quite regularly in our small farm ponds into December. My favorite two tactics are a 1/2 oz lipless crankbait, or a 4" grub on a 1/4 oz ball head, slow rolled along the bottom.

Plenty of 4-6lb largemouth and smallmouth have made it to the boat on ML spinning tackle. Know your tools and their limitations. Your not going to haul big ones out of mats with ML rods with any high percentage of success, but in light cover or mostly open water its not a problem.

It's been a very poor fall for me with the smallmouth too. I know that I have not been dedicated much time to them with the largemouth bite being as good as it has been, and that's probably got a lot to do with it. But I know a couple guys who have been actively looking and they are not doing anything either. I am not even catching the random smallmouth while largemouth fishing, which usually this time of year happens often. There's plenty of them here, I am just not figuring it out, nor am I trying too hard yet, I am finding it difficult to walk away a good largemouth bite to do it.

I ain't done yet, I will continue to fish till the weather turns crappy for good and/or ice is prohibiting to boating. My winter projects are new bunk boards for the trailer, a shallow water anchor system instalation, new water pump impeller, and I need to buy a new prop. I just bought a new one this year, but I have banged it up but good, and it'sin worse shape than thee old one I replaced.

Normal, knot will be fine.

I prefer ML power rods not only for drop shotting, but for all my finesse spinning tactics, like flick shake, shaky head, etc.... I am not a fan of M, or Mh spinning gear. I do use a couple of M spinning rods but not often, and about never for drop shotting.

Red eye shad.