ww2farmer

When I can see the bottom I consider it clear water. Sometimes on my lake it's in 2 feet, sometimes it's in 15+, sometimes you can't see it at all at any depth. It depends on the time of year and other factors like wind, light penitration, alge blooms, boat traffic, run off from rain, etc.... I am most comfortable fishing water with a slight green tint to it, and with a couple feet of visability. Generaly speaking, the clearer the water the deeper, or tighter to heavier cover the fish will be. When the water is clear, one of the best ways to locate fish is to find that depth at which you can not see the bottom anymore, chances are there will be fish there.

That sums it up for me too. I have met and talked to a few pros over the years that were pretty disapointing. There are a few local sticks around here that I have way more concern for when I see them show up at a tournament.

Whoops mis read on my part, I have used those hooks..........I don't anymore, way too many missed fish for me. I know what your talking about with having to wait with them. I know guys that do like them, but I don't.

Hello and welcome from another NYer.

In reguards to c-rigging tackle, I have used all sorts of those "easy" rig systems, and never liked any of them. You just can't beat the good old fashioned way of doing it with a slip sinker, bead, swivel, leader and hook. Over the years my most productive set up has been a 3/4 oz weight, 30lb power pro braid as the main line and a 3'-4' leader of 15 lb flurocarbon. Nothing really fancy for baits either, a simple worm like a Zoom trick worm has probably produced more fish for me on a c-rig than any other baits combined. I often just drag it along the deep outside weedline in 10-12 fow, or I will move out deeper and cast to the weed line and drag it back to the boat pausing it when I bump into a rock, stump, clump of deep grass, etc....

Depends on a few things. I use braid as main line, and fluro leaders, I will use 6lb all they way up to 15 depending on cover and or water clarity. But most of the time 8. If I am not getting bit with 8lb line, the way my mind works, I don't think it's because of a line issue, it's usually because I am not around fish, or that type of presentation is not what they want. Many times I have fished a good spot with a shakey head on light tackle hauling water, only to turn around and go back with a dropshot or slow falling weightless plastic and caught fish, some times with even bigger line and/or baits too.

I don't use circle hooks, so IDK.......that might be different ballgame. But other wise yes, I see my line tick, go slack when it shouldn't, or start moving off I hit them. I don't wait to "feel" them out or anything like that, thats a good way to miss a fish because if they feel you first they can spit it out.

I have not fished or owned a glass rod in a long long time, but just as a casual bystander, I have picked up and handled the current glass rod offerings, including the Clunn rod talked about in this thread, as well as the Skeet Reese W&M glass rods, and the St Croix Mojo glass rods. The Croix's, just based on "in store, off the rack feel" are WAY better rods IMHO. The clunn and reese rods are very VERY heavy, and look and feel "cheap" to me. In fact I don't know that if they were giving them away if I would take one. I would rather have the BPS brand cranking sticks or any of the newer Shimano crankbait rods (Sellus, Convergance, Clarus) for a sub $100 cranking rod than either of them.

Personally, my choice for a good "all purpose" spinning rod would be a 6'8" M/XF St croix. I use a Mojo, that's a $100 rod, but they make that rod in just about all there lines (except Triumph and Premier). While it's not my first choice as a dedicated drop shot rod, I can and have drop shotted with it and it does just fine. It is an excellant shaky head, wacky jig, and weightless plastic rod. I use 15lb Power pro braid on that rod, and use 8,10, or 12lb fluro leaders depending on what I am doing with it at the time.

I won't recomend any units as everyone has different tastes, but I will say I did the whole one unit on the console and spin it around when I was on the bow for about 3 months when I first bought my boat about 7 years ago. I have had two units ever since. I also agree with GPS as a must have. I fished for years with out it, last year was my first year with it. Makes life so much easier. No more idling around lining up landmarks, while trying to find what your looking for on the sonar. Now I can run right to a spot, drop a marker, and back off and start fishing. I only have GPS on the console, and would like to put it on the bow too so I don't even have to drop the marker anymore, just look down and keep my bearing to what ever I am fishng by looking at the screen.

No idea, but I remember once 4 or 5 years ago I broke my 7' MH/F St Croix Avid casting rod, and didn't have another rod at the time for a back up. While I sent the broken Avid in and waited for the new one, I ran up to Gander Mtn. and bought a 7' MH rod for like $75 bucks to use in the mean time. I was very impressed with it and I kept and used it for a couple months even after I had the replacement Avid. I have since given the rod to my cousin and he still uses it. It was a nice rod for not alot of $$. Fuji reel seat, fuji black framed alconite guides, nice cork etc..

All good advice above, just make sure you pop them when you see the line tick or anything else. I fished with a guy once who was getting bit all day long and I could tell just by watching his line he was getting bit. He was not paying any attention or didn't know any better. Missed alot of fish that day, and gut hooked more in one trip than I do all year by not knowing what was going on. Wasn't an equipment problem, as he was using my stuff, and he has been fishing for alot longer than me as well. Had it been a tournament I would have back boated him on purpose the rest of the day rather than have him miss fish or put gut hooked fish that might have died in the livewell.

IDK.........you tell us. Buy a spool and then 15mins later you will be an expert. Thats how it works around here from what I am told.

If I am on a lake where bluegills are on the menu, and around here that's everywhere, I skip the spooks and treble hooked baits and fish a frog.........yes, a frog, even in open water. Now forget you even read this and move along.

For spinnerbaits??? Save some cash and buy a 7' MH Lightning rod shock for $50. I use that rod for spinnerbaits, frogs, swimjigs, etc.. best $50 rod I have ever bought. I keep jigs and plastics tied to my St Croix Avids, and LTBs, and while the lightning rod shock is no where near those rods in terms of sensitivity, you can't beat it for $50 to toss reaction baits.

The DSI transducers are different. If you want to stay with Lowrance, look at the regular 2d sonar Elite 4, I have one and have been very happy and impressed with it. I went with that over the DSI after seeing a buddys Elite 5 DSI in action on the water and was less than impressed. Mine has the internal GPS and goes for about $300 most places, I think the color 2d sonar without the GPS is about $200. I have no problem with the smaller units on my boat, as space is limited.

Green power pro.

My wife and kids are getting dialed in to what I like and use pretty good. I got a huge gift bag stuffed full of stuff. SK KVD and XD cranks, GYCB and Zoom soft baits, Spro frogs, and all in colors and sizes I use. I didn't even tell them.

Before I converted to all Shimano reels, I had Revo's. All first gen. Originaly I had an S, SX, and an STX. I didn't like either the SX or the STX, sold the SX and got another S, and traded the STX off for something else. I used those S's alot for 3-4 years with nothing more than general maint. and they were still going strong when I got rid of them. They are probably the only non-shimano reels I would buy again, and now maybe the STX since it has the dual breaking. That was my biggest problem with the 1st gen SX, and STX I had, just too touchy with the mag. brakes.

I always liked Roboworms, I got away from using them for some reason the past few years, but went back to them late last year, and found a nice niche for them in my arsenal. I tend to use Zoom finesse/trick worms more around grass, heavier cover, stained and warmer water, but when the bite is tough the smaller, slender, Robo's just seem to work better.

I change mine out when It gets to where I am casting the backing out on an average lenght cast. I don't worry about it losing it's color as I use fluorocarbon leaders anyways, except with frogs, other topwater and some cranking, an dI don't care about the color of it there either, I just check it and retie as needed as if it was any other kind of line. Everytime I tie a new fluoro leader I inspect the braid and strip any off that looks all fuzzy and frayed up as well. I usually get a full seasons use out of a fill up on things like my frog rod, and cranking set ups. On my jig/worm, flipping and spinning rods, some of that braid is 2-3 years old and still going strong.

My drop shot rod is a 7' ML power, fast action St Croix Avid. I have used this rod going on 8 years now almost exclusivly for drop shotting. It's handled 4 and 5lb smallmouth from 30+ feet of water on Erie, and 10' of water next to thick weed beds at home. Plenty of sensitivity, light, well balanced with a typical 2500 sized spinning reel, and I like that it's just a plain looking, no fancy crap, old school spinning rod.

I use trilene micro ice in 2lb test, but then again I am walking on the water and fishing out of a 5" hole.

It's a fine reel, I love those D series Shimanos. I'll return the favor someday if I ever decide to part with one.

St Croix Avid 7' MH/F........It don't get better than that for jigs under $200.