Basseditor

My weakness is new rods. So, I entered a Facebook contest from Kistler Rods and won $100 rod discount for a new rod. Of course, I'll have to buy a $400 rod to enjoy the discount. That makes it $300. I'm trying to figure out which rod I need. (I have about 10 Kistlers already.) I'm leaning toward a 7'6" MH (4 power). I have plenty of heavy and extra heavy now. My second choice is a 7'3" 3 power. I fish a lot of weightless Senkos and flukes. Bait monkey wins either way.

I got several nice ones today on Senkos. But mainly, IMO, some lakes just aren't Senko lakes. I'm not saying you won't get bit on them, but sometimes it's the lake. Example, one nearby lake is a very consistent Senko lake and the other is a better fluke lake. Go figure.

All of my biggest bass (7 to 10 pounders) have been caught on 20 or 25 lb flouro. Even in clear water. I agree to some extent light line may hook more fish, but not because of visiblity, but action. Light line (thinner diameter) has less resistance in the water. It has a faster fall rate, but we compensate by using lighter weights of lures. I can't imagine using 10-12 lb line and half ounce sinkers. As far as feeling the strikes, the lines behave differently. I think 25 lb is more sensitive than 12 especially with heavier sinkers. I used to use 6 lb line and eigth ounce sinkers almost exclusively, now I rarely go below 15. Now, I land more fish.

I don't know, call me crazy, but there are too many rules. Sometimes the A-rig is the only thing that produces. Now, in some of those events, no one will catch any fish to speak of. Everyone says the problem with pro bass events is not enough people watch them. See how few watch when 8 lbs a day wins an event. (As was mentioned above.) People watch to see big fish. Lots of big fish. I think we bass guys are killing our favorite sport by making it unappealing to the casual fans. (J/k — but lets go back to the Buck Perry days of trolling spoon plugs! Now there was the way to get big ones.) Watching tournaments is boring — either live or on TV. Pro events are about to get even more boring. There goes the fan base. Are they going to ban long lining next, because it works?

6XD; chartreuse with blue back. It is a big fish bait/color combo. Including my PB.

Good timing on this topic. I can usually catch one keeper, but not always. I have a tournament Saturday on a local lake AKA, Dead Sea. One 13" bass in 10 hours in 106 degree weather today. I mostly fished new to me areas, that made me appreciate my more consistent areas. I call it eliminating water. But I now know what not to take and where not to waste time. We'll see how Saturdays tourney goes. I don't get mad, I get even next time.

Get some super flukes. Watermelon magic or wat/ red. Texas rigged but no weight. I use a 4/0 or 5/0 hook to give weight. If you have big fish in the area, use a magnum fluke. Same colors. 6/0 hook.

+1

What a loaded question. I have more than I will use in my lifetime. I have two 30-something sons and together we spend five figures/year or more on gear. Throw in travel and the boat and trucks and tournament fees, etc. and it would be scary to know. I keep all the gear receipts in a box, and the box is quite full! Funny, I have storage bins full of plastics etc. and one of my sons will come in and show me what he just bought ... and then I have to tell him I already have a bunch of those.

Since switching to Trokar, my son's hook up and landing percentage has gone up. I do agree they tear up plastics. But I'm beginning to use them more when I use light line. When I use heavy line, I still use other premium brands. Stock up when you see them on sale.

No purchases for 6 weeks now. I went cold turkey. But just got an email for 25% off at kistler custom z-bones. I'm tempted. I'm going to replace boat batteries soon though. They're 4 years old now. My two adult sons keep their gear in my garage. We have 50 some rods in racks. And another 20 in rod tubes. Many years ago I had a tackle store but I think I have more tackle stored in my garage now than I had in the whole store.

Blue fleck. I won big bass in a tourney at Amistad (8.44) but I've caught more 5-10 pounders on that bait/color then any other color. Half ounce tungsten and 25 pound flourocarbon. It's my favorite bait if I think I'm in an area that might have big bass. And now I only use a 7/0 worm hook.

My previous comment was based on bass fishing. Texas is up there. One year our club members caught 40 bass 8-12 pounds in one year from one Texas lake. In our last two tournaments, big bass was 9 to 10 pounds. That's June and July. Not typically big bass months. For variety, mid west and northern states are better. And, Don't overlook mountain west states. My best trophys: Small mouth 7-3 Rainbow 8-6 Brown trout 10-1 Lake trout - 34# Walleye - 9-15 All caught in Utah. In my book, Texas because I fish mostly at night in summer but can fish all winter without a jacket (most of the time).

If its strictly bass fishing, Texas is hard to beat. But it's getting crowded. A good thing is the option of Texas power plant lakes in winter. I've fished in many states. In Texas, so many lakes can produce a 10 pounder on any cast. But you're not likely to catch ones pushing 20# like CA.

It's weird how my favorite spinner bait really isn't very sturdy. The skirts fall off or break apart after a few uses. The wire bends after a big fish and is hard to straighten. And the blades come off the swivels/split rings, or the split rings break. But do they catch fish. It's manufactured by a well-known company so I won't name it. I bought a bunch over the years when I see them on sale. Lots of times I find them for a couple dollars in closeout aisles. Because of the previously mentioned problems, I won't pay $6 for them. The light wire lets the blades really thump. I prefer all gold blades with white/blue/chartruese skirts.

How deep was the fish caught? 7-8' (Next to a 20' drop off) Did the lure contain rattles or have hinges? Yes, (6XD) Was the lure a natural color (brown, green) or was it an unnatural color (chartreuse, orange)? Chartreuse/Blue back If possible, what moon phase was your PB caught during? I can't recall (end of June 2012)

When I got my first bait caster in the early 60s, (Abu 5000), there was only one option. My boys use left hand retrieve, but it seems awkward for me. I cast right handed, switch rod to my left hand while the lure is mostly in the air and reel right handed.

Yup, I have 4x2. Wish I had 4x4, even in Texas where it doesn't snow. Ramps get slick in all conditions. I've had issues getting boat out on some ramps. I use my sons truck (4x4) when I go to certain ramps.

I did some shows for a few years, it's hard work. After long stretches of no fish, camera man sits down, then I'd hook up. LOL, he missed the best action. Actually, we did some great shows and lots of big fish. That was when studio equipment was on mainframes. It was very expensive. It is much less now, other than the travel. So, I think many of the shows are OK, but I get bored watching. That is the issue, it's hard to build a story line or drama when you depend upon a pea-sized-brained critter as your subject.

I have more sad stories than I care to admit to. Just a quick one. My first state tournament as a boater. I'm leading day one. Day two, my best spot I break off a 6. Then miss a couple, but by now the whole area is full of boats (I was the only one in there the first day). Out of frustration, I leave the area. Long story short, I break off two more in some trees. Come in with no bass. Finish 8th. At least I won the state tourney a couple years later. And in previous years, I finished in top 5 several times from the back seat.

By long lining, I've been getting 6XDs close to 25 feet. For sure 22-23 feet. But if I let out a lot of line, I can hit 25 feet plus. That's with 15# Invisx flouro and 7'11" rod pushed down in to the water. I don't do kneeling and reeling though. That might gain you another foot or two.

I'm in. Adding to my wish list.

I still have the original color (not combo) from way back when. I turned it on the other day and it still worked. I was surprised. I used it a lot but then I found that once I tested the lakes I fished, the color didn't change much from year to year, except under unusual conditions. So I use the same colors that I found, and they still work.

I have the same problem. It's not the glasses because I've used many different glasses.

There are only two kinds of snakes I don't like . . . live ones . . . and dead ones.