smallfry

I have a garmin e-trex legend. There really aren't very good maps available for the lakes I usually fish fo any GPS system, so I only really need it to drop a way point on key rocks and parts of structure. There may be better suited units out there for mapping, it just isn't that important to me right now. Whatever you get, definitely put a mount for it both on the front deck and at your console. I have a RAM mount with a base in each location so I can easily move it back and forth. Just be careful not to drop it over the edge. Remember that when you mark something you want the GPS position as close to your depthfinder transducer as possible for best accuracy. Once I have an area properly marked, I find I spend more time staring at the GPS than the depth finder or the water. Since you'll probably be using it the most on the front deck, put an outlet up there so you don't go through the batteries so fast.

In that price range, I really like my 7' MH Fenwick HMG, although a M action might be better for all around. Around $120, but you might be able to find it on sale for under $100.

I've got 80 lb. Spiderwire stealth on my muskie rods. Most the guys around here, guys who fish some big muskie tournaments, guys who only fish muskies, have gone to heavy (60-100lb) mono and flouro leaders. I've never had one bite me off on one of these yet...

Personally, I like the composite shaft on the minnkotas. Fishing around big boulders in big waves the last thing you want is a bent shaft. From all I've heard the Minnkotas have better power management too. My only regret: I wish I'd have gotten a cable driven Maxxum instead of a powerdrive. After 7 years I'm on my 3rd powerdrive foot pedal, while I've never heard of people having problems with the maxxum style of pedals.

Lake Park. I do most my fishing on Big Spirit and Okoboji.

IA - 7 lbs 12 oz. (I had to check, I had thought it was over 8.) I've had one follow a jerkbait to the boat that I think was easilly over 7. I catch multiple 5-6 lb fish every year, so I know what they look like. This one was in another class. I tried every trick I knew, couldn't get that fish to bite...

I work with a $#!@ yankee fan. I let him in the boat. And back boated him the entire time... I've lived in Franklin, Ipswich, and several points in between for much of my life. Some good, underutilized bass fishing in those parts.

I hadn't seen those little bass turds for years. Then I tried using floro as a main line this year and there they were again...

Speaking of which, it seems most of my weeds get stuck between the tie point and nose of the Mattlures perch. I know it probably wouldn't swim right, but if the tie point were on the nose of the bait I suspect it would come through grass much better...

Well, I'd probably opt for a different bait if I had to go slow, so I'm thinking moderate retrieve. I suspect a 1 to 1.5 oz. weight will allow a moderate retrieve at the 10-12 ft. depth and maybe a slow retrieve deeper. I'm thinking of this is a starting point to experiment with. Sound about right to those of you who have experience with deep spinnerbaits?

Justfishin is right on with where and what to fish. I like to start with isolated rocks because it is very easy to determine if the fish are there (vs. a long point or shoal where the fish could be spread out along). One bait I would add to his list is a 1/2 oz. jig in a dark brown color with a light brown chunk like trailer...

I used to use Vanish for leader material all the time. Always used a uni to uni knot and set my drag like I normally would for that lb. test. The only time I broke off was when setting the hook extra hard at close range power fishing. Last year I started using Stren flourocarbon for leaders, and this year I've also been using some of the new Trilene flouro. No break offs at all with either. The stren is just a little stiffer, but For leaders I'd say they are about equal. I still use some of my remaining Vanish, but not for power fishing; only in applications like dropshotting where I use a sweep or lift set. I've never had a problem in those applications.

Maybe 6.02. That would be a nice fish and the Susky is certainly capable of producing one of those.

OK, I've decided I'm going to try some deep spinnerbaiting. I've got two lakes I fish routinely. On one the "deep" structure drop offs and rock piles are only 10-12 ft. deep. The other lake is more clear and the drops and outside weed edge can be 20 ft deep. What weight spinnerbait would you use for the 10-12 ft. depths? For fishing down to 20 ft depths?

I don't know why you wouldn't believe a 2 lb bass, especially in a river like the susqy. Or was the size a typo?...

Man, smallies like nothing more than "softshells". When the molt is on, the smallies are on... That makes me wonder, anybody know if there is anyway to predict the molt?...

I was catching fish on a jerkbait this spring and the guy in the back of my boat (who wasn't) says "Oh, an Ayu color Pointer, I've got one of those." He tied his on and we both caught about the same number of fish from then on. Afterwards I told him it wasn't a LC I was throwing, but a berkley suspending firestick that was about a fourth the price. I told him that just made his fish all that much more valuable than mine. That day the fish didn't seem to have a preference between the two. BTW, the "hot" bait for walleyes right now around my parts is the $2.99 flickershad. I've found the purple tiger color quite effective for bass too, especially if small bluegill are around...

Maybe I'm reading you wrong, but I respectfully disagree. Some of my favorites crankbaits and some plastics are equally as effective when worked accross current or even on the "swing" against the current. On a few very rare occasions I've even had success casting straight down stream, but this has usually been with large reversing eddies involved. One of my favorite memories was quarting a crankbait downstream into a particular hole in the little J and catching 22 fish on the first 23 casts (1 trout, 6 fall fish, 15 smallies). Many factors can make a retrieve with the current impossible for a given hold, especially when wading. A bait that is cross current can also provide a larger profile at times. The key is to be able to identify a key holding area or feeding station and have the bait enter this area appropriately. Sometimes you can hit multiple stations with a single cast that is accross or downcurrent. Yes, the fish are usually looking up current for food (although I've seen them feeding off ledges crosscurrent from their holds too), but their prey can move too. If a minnow or craw squirts into their feeding station from another direction they are very likely to eat it. For jerkbaits I prefer to use soft jerkbaits like flukes or jerkshads if the current is not too strong. For hard jerkbaits I've had good success with the husky jerks and the Berkley suspending firestick. Other baits to consider for small stream and small river smallies are a rebel craw for clear water and a bomber Fat A (UL and the next size up) for muddy.

Given that I've caught smallies on a 7" jerkshad and I've had several spit up 6-7" fish at the side of the boat, I think the right swimbait will work. I've just recently started throwing a Mattlures perch for them, but so far only 1 that followed to the boat but wouldn't hit. I'm going to keep it tied on and experimenting, but I don't expect my smallies will really turn on to the bigger perch for about a month. There's just too many other easy meals for them right now.

Can I infer from this that anything over a 1 is unnecessary in a reel? "Performance" in that article is based mostly on "speed". In reels "smoothness" and efficiency may be better definitions for performance. What that article states about sloppy parts creating lost energy is true for the bearing as well. Granted, if the reel is designed with sloppy parts (similar to what they describe on some the roller blades parts) using a more precise bearing may not help enough to create a noticeable difference. However, if the other parts are precise, using a bearing with tighter tolerances may yield better alignment/smoothness/efficiency/etc. That said, as I said above ABEC rating alone doesn't guaruntee bearing performance.

It depends. All else being equal bearings should reduce friction by turning a sliding friction into a rolling action. This will make the reel more efficient, especially under load. However, to take full advantage of this the reel needs to be designed in a way to properly utilize the bearing (not just have the bearing thrown in to up the count). I've seen bearing placed on parts in ways that the parts still rub in other places. In that case, a useless bearing. Also, as mentioned above the quality of the bearing can make a big difference in performance. ABEC rating is one aspect of this, as tolerances on the outside/inside bearing dimensions effects how accurately parts are held and can thus effect the smoothness of the reel. But there is more to it than that, as the ABEC rating system doesn't fully measure the smoothness/noise of the bearing itself. I've seen ABEC 5 bearings that probably aren't as smooth as a bushing would be.

One trip to Fla. inshore fishing really made me rethink my line choices quite a few years back. Now I use braid on probably 90% of my rigs. All my spinning reels have fireline except 1 which has Flouro. Never have rod wrap, twist, or memory issues. It is more sensitive and further casting than mono or flouro without the memory. On baitcasters I'd say I have braid on all but my crankbait rod. Had been using stealth but did have some tip wrap. Lately have switched to ultracast which is a little stiffer and haven't had any tip wrap. Same advantages as above. If I think it is necessary I use a flouro leader. If you know how to tie one it is fast, reliable and long lasting. For my fishing systems, any "hassle" associated with using a leader is well worth the positive trade-offs of the braid.