Tokyo Tony

6/28 I drove around to a couple places I like to shorefish, with no luck other than a rock bass. I was driving home feeling kind of down, and decided to throw a few casts at a little residential pond. A couple casts in, this fatty scooped up my jig ;D How much you think she weighs? My guess was around 4 or so.

Matt, I think my next spinning reel is gonna be a Sol - they feel great in Cabela's. Anyway, I got back from Cabela's, picked up the STX and a Carrot Stix to match ;D I spooled the reel with 40 lb Power Pro and was casting around the yard. I can't believe how well that reel casts - it really blows my mind. I think I might actually be able to cast farther with this setup than with my spinning setups, which I didn't think was possible. Well, I'm off to try my luck at some local ponds. Thanks again for the help guys.

Thanks guys, that's some good info. I was leaning towards the Sol, but since I'll be using it for jigs, t-rigs, frogs, and smaller swimbaits, I'm gonna go with the STX. I'm leaving for Cabela's right now ;D

I'm trying to decide between these two reels. Which do you think is better? To be honest, I'm leaning towards the Sol, only because I've had nothing but the best experiences with Daiwa equipment... Edit: I realize that they're both great reels, but if you know of any advantages one has over the other, I'm all ears 8-)

Born in Japan, lived in Miami, FL from ages 4-14, CT 14-18, went to school in NH, been in CT since I graduated, and I'd like to call south FL my home once again within the next couple of years. Can't beat south FL fishing, and you can't beat how beautiful the girls are in south FL (although I wouldn't mind havin' me a Texas blondie with a southern drawl and a big smile ;D )

I used to use them, but same thing - I got tired of the line wrapping around it. I use either Gammy dropshot hooks or Owner's. I really like the Owner ones that are just like a mini offset worm hook - it seems that I miss fewer fish because the hook point is farther down the bait than when you nose-hook it with a Gammy, especially with long Robo worms.

Caught a couple on the shad yesterday - great bait, especially for night fishing. I agree - the best I've found is a 4/0 EWG superline hook (Owner J-Hook). My favorite application for the bait is fishing the open areas adjacent to lily pad fields. They really draw the fish out well. Then throw weightless plastics to the edge of the pads, then a t-rigged weighted plastic to the holes in the pads, then chunk a hollow-bodied frog way back into the slop to get the lazy girls. That should just about cover it ;D

I usually use some variation of dark green, pumpkinseed, black, or junebug. The only time I change colors is when the sun goes down. When it starts to get dark (or at nighttime) I'll use junebug because the fish can see it better. If the water has a brownish tint I'll use pumpkinseed or brown, and if the water is greenish I'll choose a similar color. Or really anything. I agree with RW, although I'm not sure that a pink senko would work as well as watermelon. It could :

Exactly my point! 8-) Can't say I'm an avid SpongeBob watcher , but that reminds me of a crafty scheme a local bar came up with... They lost their liquor license for selling to underage people, but they kept the bar open. They started selling mini Snickers bars for $3.50, and with each Snickers you got a "free" beer of your choice ;D It was an ingenious way to get around their suspension until local lawmakers closed the loophole.

x2 - I think Fireline appeals to a lot of people because it's the only superline they've ever tried, but if they were to try Power Pro (or Sufix) they'd realize how crappy Fireline really is. What I can't stand is that the stuff frays like wow. Yeah I just said that.

I was drooling over the Legend Tourney 6'9" ML Fast spinning rod in Cabelas last week but didn't pull the trigger. Soon perhaps. Those rods look and feel pretty sweet though.

Hula grub on a jighead was going to be my first suggestion - since you're fishing trees, definitely go with a weedless jighead (you can find a few good brands on ***.com, but my favorite is the "Bite-me" brand, sold at Dick's). My go-to colors are pumpkinseed and watermelon, but black or smoke are good too depending. Rig it on a 1/8 to 3/8 oz jighead, cast it near or in the trees, and just let it sink to the bottom (watch the line carefully). Usually they'll hit it on the initial fall. Once it's on the bottom, lift it up slowly, over any branches that are in the way, and let it sink again. Do that a few times then swim it back to the boat. As I'm swimming it back to the boat, I'll usually kill it about halfway back and let it sink a few feet in order to entice any followers. You can use the same technique with a weightless senko or any kind of jig, but a hula grub on a little weedless jighead is deadly. ;D

I've seen those in the stores lately, but haven't really had the urge to buy any, especially given the price. I don't think it would be any more effective than a spinnerbait, or a jerkbait worked quickly, although I may be wrong. By the way, where's Long Mike?

Jeeze, I'd sooner wear a miniskirt before I wore an arm brace to help me set the hook and fight fish. It reminds me of some of the many ridiculous golf swing aids that have come out, but much more ridiculous (remember, we're fishing).

I've heard (and read about) conflicting beliefs on bass at night: 1. They are in the same places as they are during the day 2. They are usually in the same general areas but roam more. In my experience, #2 is true. I don't find fish as tight to cover as they are during the day, and I catch a lot of fish just fan casting a general area near a ledge or dropoff, for example. Although I'm sure fishing a worm or jig slowly will produce well, as long as you're fishing at night, why not have more fun and throw moving lures? I've said it many times before, and as long as night fishing threads exist, I'll keep saying it: Black Chatterbaits. $$$$ I get the feeling that as long as there's not some type of devastating cold front (or in coldwater periods), bass at night lose most if not all of their inhibitions. If something noisy screams through the water in front of them, they don't hesitate, and just nail it, whereas during the day the fish might actually swim in the opposite direction. $.02

I think WBR has the biggest bass?

voted

Why do you guys dislike Tiger? I don't get it. I think I know but I'm not gonna start an argument. He is, in my opinion that WILL be proven in time, the greatest golfer (maybe athlete) of all time, he's a total class act, and the epitome of what a role model should be. Steroids ArcticCat? Put your glasses on and stop drinking, as my grandfather used to say. No one on tour works out or practices harder than Tiger. No one. And Daniel My Bratwurst - Tiger has no competition? As The Dude once said, "Obviously, you're not a golfer." This tournament win was a huge feat, especially the manner in which it was won and the circumstances surrounding it. I'll never forget that putt on the 72nd hole. Tiger ALWAYS makes the putt when he absolutely needs it most, and it sends chills down my spine every time I think about it. Glenn - are you sure Tiger uses beta blockers?

After game 5 I gave my friend 20 to 1 odds on a $5 bet that the Celtics would win. So now I'm $5 bucks richer I don't give a crap about basketball, sorry guys, but how about Tiger! Oops, sorry, I'll go over to that thread now and hang out for a bit...

Braid, I agree. While flouro may be more sensitive on a semi-slack line, at the end of a long cast, braid is far more sensitive than anything else if you're keeping contact with the bait. Plus the no-stretch factor is huge on long casts with regard to effective hooksetting. There's nothing better than zinging a LC Gunfish or Sammy (both of which cast unbelievably far) 100 yards out, getting a strike, and fighting that bad girl all the way in. Plus, on long casts with plastics, line-watching is perhaps the most effective way to detect bites, and braid is the easiest line to watch (it floats, is more visible, and there are absolutely no coils that could absorb the "tap"). One more vote for braid, but if you read any of my other posts remotely related to fishing line, you'd know that already

I live 10-15 mins from that Cabela's, and although it's definitely the biggest and best fishing store I've seen, I've never been to a BPS. Cabela's usually has what I'm looking for, but not always. You can't beat online shopping for the obscure stuff. By the way, I have a crush on the 5 lb smallie in the tank - I'm waiting for the right moment to tell her :-*

Hey guys, just an update. The wheel worked great - I did make it up the mountain without any trouble with the wheel. What I did not expect was how much effort it was going to take. Right when I lifted up the back after setting everything up, I couldn't believe how heavy everything was, and it took me forever to get to the top. I had to stop every 20 feet or so just because I'm miserably out of shape - I was seriously worried that I'd have a heart attack :-? Anyway, when I finally got there, it was awesome. Caught tons of smallmouth, some nice largemouth, and my PB crappie (a hair under 2 lbs on my UL setup). The topwater action was fierce all day, and I was switching lures just for the heck of it. On the way back down, it took as long as it took to get to the top because my whole body was aching, and this time there was a huge swarm of mosquitos feasting on me All in all though, it was worth it. Good times.

I don't understand how this line could have breaking problems. It's by far the strongest line I've used other than braid, and also very abrasion-resistant. I also had trouble with memory, but applying KVD and letting it settle overnight just about eliminates any hint of memory. It is important to let it set overnight though. That said, I still used braid 95% of the time (Yo-Zuri US the other 5%). The long casts and zero stretch are features that I am not willing to give up.

Amen 8-)

My first instinct was 3.5-4, but I guess it could have been more if she was a fatty. I don't know about a definite 5.5, but I know it's definitely a big, beautiful smallmouth ;D What'd you get her on? How was the fight? What kind of tackle were you using? By the way, I know that spot - I can recognize those unique trees from a mile away! Wait...maybe I'm having an acid flashback ;D