Willzx225

I usually take my needlenose and open the hook up a little. It gives it a better angle when it exits the body of the swimbait and acts almost similiar to a straight shank hook. Much higher percentage hook up.

In 2009 they are making it a requirement that you fish the whole circuit. just FYI

I am going to have to agree with the shimano crucial. They even make a spinning rod designed for crankbaits. It looks sweet as well with a split grip and everything. Welcome to the best bass forum on the net!

Get the KVD Line and Lure and spray it on your braid. It will seal in the color and keep the braid from getting "fuzzy" thus making it last much longer. It will also allow for longer casts even with the braid

I own both the crucials and a carrot. I too find the Carrot to be much softer than labeled. I have the 6'9" MH and find it does much better with reaction baits instead of bottom baits. I love LOVE my Crucials and if I were to buy another rod today it would be this series. Yeah the Carrot is lighter but I do prefer the Crucials. If Shimano would go to a split grip on all of their Crucials I would be broke very quickly ;D

Great post - reminds me of the old adage "Image is everything"

You can also look to a longer rod. Alot of guys in the carolinas crank with 7 1/2 to 8' rods to get the extra distance on the cast to get their bait down deeper for longer.

Bass Wrangler - This is also pretty similiar to using a Line conditioner as well. Great tip! I am using fluro on about 75% of my applications now. I use Trilene 100% fluro exclusively now.

The above recommendations are great but just to add another suggestion to the mix is to use a line conditioner as well such as KVD Line and Lure (They are a board sponsor as well). Are you by any chance using a spinning reel for these? If so make sure you close the bail manually.

I personally like the 4" Hollow Belly by Berkley for a Threadfin immitation. I rig it with a jighead if I am fishing in open water and the screw in hooks that are similiar to Horney toad hooks if I am around cover. And the Hollow Bellys are pretty much an exact copy of a Basstrix but without as bad of a scent since they have the Berkley Power Bait in the plastic. JMHO

Spinnerbait: 1/2 oz Nichols Pulsator chart/white Buzzbait: 3/8oz Honey Buzz Black Shallow Crankbait: WEC Zoom Hickey Classic Medium Crankbait: Rapala DT6 Brown bone Deep Crankbait: Fat Free Shad Citrus Lipless Crankbait: Ratltrap chrome/blue Topwater: LC Gunfish 95 Chart. Shad Frog: Bronzeye Black Plastic Worm: Zoom Trick worm watermelon gold (Thought it was a secret!) Plastic Creature: Netbait Paca Craw green pumpkin Stickbait: 5" GYCB Senko green pumpkin Swimbait:Berkley Hollow Belly Tenn. shad Jerkbait: LC Pointer 78 aurora black Spoon: Kastmaster chrome/ blue Jig: 7/16 oz Eakins jig Gord green / orange

I agree. Though I don't really understand the whole thing about not allowing you to make plans for your days off. My company will control me when I am at work but not when I am not! but I guess that is why I don't make the big bucks. ;D

I am not questioning CATT's post on the prime time to night fish but I have noticed that the shad start to get up on the bank more actively around 12-2am and the bass are not far behind them. Before that though I usually fish dark plastics around rocky banks or lighted docks with good luck. Or during the hottest parts of the year, I will fish those plastics on deep brush piles. Once the shad pull up on the bank and you start hearing the bass rolling on them ( usually happens best on calm nights w/ little wind) I pick up a wide wobbling crankbait like a RC 1.5 and crank the areas where the shad are. JMHO though

Grrrrreeeeeaaaaatttt just what my wallet needed

About the only way I have found to catch these fish (without leaving and coming back later) is to take a weightless or very lightly weighted finesse bait of some sort (I have done best with a smaller Robo Worm or other handpour) and lead them by 20-40' The key is to lead the fish by a long way.

Make sure you use the toothpaste with extra whitening ;D Just kidding

Yeah I actually agree. He hasn't had much to go "Ike" about in the last two years. And the way he went about practice was genious too. Practicing for the conditions that could pop up.

I am very interested in this FFD. Congrats and a good thread to resurrect.

I believe you are the only one here with that problem Ok Sorry the wife was in the room. You are not alone! My name is Will and I am a tackle junkie. ;D

MdBass- The Winch only comes in the 5.4 ratio designed mainly for cranking and also throwing swimbaits, Hence the name Winch. You can get the other REVO's in the high speed gearing though. (They are pretty similiar to the REVO Winch)

The Norman baits that come in the red packages come factory with Gama's on them.

Thad, If you end up around Lake Norman you will have more bodies of water to fish than you can even begin to think about. From Charlotte you have Norman, Wylie, High Rock, Badin, Tillery, Mountain Island, and Tuckertown just to name a few within 45 minutes to an hour drive. It is a great area for fishing.

I voted for Todd since I believe he needs it most for his career. Very under rated fisherman and seems to be excelling at tournaments that are out of his perceived strenghts (Table Rock 06).

Thats a very good question - I think they might be VMC's

I would submit the fish for world record purposes. Cash in on the benefits of the catch and then set out on trying to qualify for the Elites. I would not CP&R this fish for many reasons. First, I would not want to be relentlessly ridiculed/ called a lier for releasing what would have been a record fish. Secondly, I agree with LBH this fish would have to be very near the end of her life or would more than likely be on the decent (like what happened to "Dottie" in California) and could very well be getting lighter in weight. I would take the large amounts of money and pay it forward somehow (After showing the Bait Monkey some much needed love of course ;D )