Paul Roberts

Ditto ww2farmer's preference for a longer rod with lighter tip. That tip helps in casting but also helps in detecting takes by "weighing" the line for tension. Bass will often hold plastics. Not so with jigs where a stiff powerful tip is best.

Nice, Glenn. I track water temps all year, but it becomes esp interesting in the transition seasons. 48 up is at the cusp of "Spring".

I fish a number of waters like this. In some, the majority of the action is along the shorelines bc that’s the only cover for prey fishes. My waters have small bass and bluegills, and they need cover until they can get big enough that the bass can’t eat them, then they are freer to roam. Since you have a shad lake then most likely your fishery is a pelagic one -that is, away from shore and even away from cover. Shad evolved as open water planktivores/detritivores. Cover and structure -objects of any sort, even subtle- will still be important, esp for the bass; Sonar will help a lot. But, one thing I've done, from boat, float tube, and even from shore if I can, is to troll to find fish. Then stop and cast. Like reason, dishpan swimming pools are not my favorite type of water to fish most of the time. Since this may not be the type of water bass are best suited to, you should make sure the bass are doing well in the lake. Your time might be better spent elsewhere.

Man... not much you can't do with a swim jig. I have one tied on almost all the time -a dedicated rig. Most basically, it's chuck-n-wind. But being a jig you can fall, crawl, hop, rip... in a pinch. Bass eat them. That's the main thing to know. Ditto.

The first photo shows something really cheaply made. Such money is generally paid for R&D, execution, and top-notch finishes. That last photo... shows the complete opposite of R&D, execution, fit and finish. That's what's called the "worst of all worlds". I strongly suggest you put your money elsewhere.

Snaps, yes! Snap swivels, no -except for ball-bearing swivels on spoons. I spin the split ring off every plug, and use a snap knotted to a dedicated hardbait rod or two.

Any. They're all good. Rapala, Norman, Bandit, SK, ... However, I fish far fewer cranks from shore than I do from boat or float tube. Having access, positioning, and angles helps a lot with cranks. Most of my waters have a lot of veges -most rimmed with veges- and they are often best fished from outside in rather than inside out.

We're spoiled now. Mom-n-Pop shops are pretty much gone. And now the big boxes are in trouble. Dick's, Cabela's, Gander, even Macy's is in trouble. Even when I drive out to BPS, or Cabelas from here (hour drive in crazy traffic) I rarely find what I'm wanting. I'm spoiled. I know exactly what I want and no store could stock all of what's out there now. With Amazon, TW, and others you can get exactly what you want. Back in the day we fished with what we could get. I remember what ordering was like back then. I remember waiting 6 to 8 weeks for shipping -from a nearby state. Now in that time frame, or sooner, we can get what we want -or a good facsimile- for a song directly from China. The idea that you are supporting local expertise is not what it used to be either. The fly-fishing industry was trying to support local shops bc of the expertise provided, which was important in something as technical as fly-fishing. But the internet has pretty much torn the lid off of that black box too. I think we all appreciate the freedom and sheer empowerment in this trend. But, I don't know where all this is headed. A trucking company here in CO just tested their first automated self-driving rig. Hmmmmm.... Pretty soon we'll be ordering at the touch of a button and our stuff will arrive without any paid person actually touching anything. What will all those people do? I'm old school -or at least remember it. My son doesn't appear to be worried; He's even excited. And if I have any questions about the modern techno way of doing things, he knows. "Oh, that's simple... It's WAY better than it used to be -and he's talking about last year.

Sounds exciting. Congrats!

Interesting. They look like a Storm design.

Lures come and go. Esp with Rapala lately it seems. Get used to it. Its why I always buy more than one of anything, just in case. However, I've gone through so many "just in cases" over the years ... i now have too many tackle boxes. "Now where did I put those 1/4oz Big O's?"

You are definitely on the right track. Do you want to catch fish, or be a collector? You can certainly be both, but one's just harder than the other.

WTG!

Yup, she's a beaut.

Yes.

Agreed. Problem is the little 3.5" is just too rigid. Most plastic baits can be tinkered with to remedy. But there's not much one can do with hollow bellies. As to the OP: Stabilizing baits is critical and can be a bugger. Problems crop up when the line tie goes below a 90deg bend. You then need more weight below the center of pressure (not gravity cause we're under water!).

Anything can take up space in a reel spool. For spinning I use kite string. Cheap and fat. For casting reels I've gone to dacron braid (since I have lots in my FF stuff). The only time I haven't used backing has been with fish that will run a long ways. Bass don't do that.

This is common practice in the industry. Trilene XT, P-Line CXX, Berkley 100% FC, are all greatly under-rated in break strength/dia. Not so sure its a marketing gimmick as much as it's the best -maybe only- way to get effective abrasion resistance. However, line diameter is the single most important factor in fishing lines in terms of presentation -and abrasion resistance too.

OK... Very cool that Casey Ashley recorded that song, and has the talent to pull it off -with some serious backup help. Awesome to see.

I've had two ice-outs this year. Record temps in mid Feb. Then a re-freeze and second break this past week. I can see waters from my front deck (about 3000ft above) with binocs.

Deer -Mulies now- and Elk (trad bow, rifle) Grouse -(Duskies) (bow) Mountain Cottontail (bow) Snowshoe Hare (rifle) Used to hunt ducks and ruffs a lot back east. Oh, and squirrels too.

Agreed. I avoid guarding males -they are generally smaller fish, easy to catch, and have one heck of a job ahead of them. (For me that slips into ethics territory, for me. And again I'm fishing small public waters for the most part where those fish will see a parade of anglers most Saturdays and Sundays.) But I will search out females, both pre and post. Spawning females can be simply too preoccupied.

Spin-cast early but get them into something faster -retrieve wise- ASAP.

If it's working... keep on keepin on. I also fish small waters, often from the bank. The DS rigs I use depend on amount of cover -6lb to 15lb- and amount of wind. I tend to go as light as I can get away with in terms of line and weight. I get more bites that way. The only issue I can have with heavier weights is under high vis conditions when fish are exceedingly spooky, and I need a quieter splashdown and generally must tread softly. I some cases -shallow, sight-fishing, super spooky- I'll use a 1/16oz weight and 6lb leader.

No. I don't fish to fish on beds. IME -years of observing on small waters- it's a destructive practice. I get to fish a fair amount and just don't need to make a vulnerable male bass's job any tougher. I choose not to participate. Will it impact populations? Not necessarily -esp on larger waters, and esp in the S apparently.