J Francho

It's only the S&P that downgraded our credit status. The other agencies haven't. Perhaps the S&P has an axe to grind?

No one sees any connection with 2008 and S&P's recent downgrade?

No, city dump. I only caught a bunch of dinks that day. It's like they disappeared.

The HPH catches, LOL. I caught three in about 20 minutes, two on the slow sink, and one on the fast sink.

I'm pretty sure the OP is referring to Coosa bass as "redeye bass," Micropterus coosae. They have a very specific range. Our redeye are different - google eye, rock bass, etc. Gotta love those little Rocky Balboa's, though. They hit like freight train, and fight like a leaf on your hook.

High Power Herring, get one, they work. I was actually on the phone with Randall, thanking him when this one bit. Talk about timing!

Sort of, I guess. Rhythm and cadence are two different things, though like in music, are intertwined. Cadence is tempo or speed. Rhythm is more than that. It's the combination of the wiggle and throb from the lure, the shaking of the rod tip, the turning of the reel, and you sensing all this as one thing. Interrupt that, and you either have a bite, or have come in contact with some cover. Either way, you should react. When I get a chance, I have more comments about lipped divers...trying to get out the door, and do a little fishing.

I have a few different spoons, but the standard Hopkins Shorty in hammered chrome is a distant 1st in terms of numbers and size. I generally site fish on the graph. You can see the zig-zag of your spoon, and normally a blob will appear. That's a smallie. You won't feel the take, but on the next pump, it'll feel like you snagged a log.

Remove the rear treble, and mash the barbs down.

Why not a suspending jerkbait? Seems like you could keep it moving, or give them a real long look at it. Crazy colors work well.

It doesn't stop falling the moment you start reeling. There is a happy medium where it merely suspwends as it's retrieved. There is also something I call "skidding" where you don't reel fast enough to keep it off the bottom, and it skids intop the structure. Often with regular lipped diving cranks you get bit inthe transitions from diving to max depth. Using a modified yo-yo retrieve, you can replicate that arching dive severl times in a single cast. In other words, it isn't knowing that it falls, but knowing how it falls that gets you bit.

Low oxygen, high ammonia, or nesting activity can cause red fins. The first two items are common maladies when carried in a livewell.

Actually, a thread is preferable since other members can answer your question as well as any moderator, and others with the same question might also see the thread, or <gasp!> use the search box to find the answer. No thread - no results - no answer. You'd be surprised at the volume of PMs we receive with some of the same questions. Red did 100% the best thing by asking out here.

See the FAQ.

I think they gave it already. It's unfair to middle class and poor, or usually not enough to help.

It would depend on the type of day. Some days the bite is just slow. I might move to a feel bite, if I was getting slow bites in the same place.

It will be fine. The only reason to go to a 2500 is line capacity and bigger diameter spool for less coiling of rigid lines, like fluoro. Let me put this into perspective. I caught this fish using a 1500 series Daiwa with 15# braid, 8# mono leader. If it works for these, It'll be fine with bass. Oh wait, it does : Exact same reel, but this time with a fluoro leader. If the rod balances nicely, and you're using braid, I see no issue. It also isn't going to be a problem if you want to switch to the bigger reel.

RIMSHOT! I got rhythm.

I'm buying like a madman, LOL. I didn't get to sell high, so I'll offset with buy low.

I look for more spots that are just like that spot.

I know what your saying about each bait has a "running depth," but that is relative. For me to grasp the concept, I think of each bait has having a rate of fall. The retrieve you choose determines running depth. Faster = shallower, all things being equal, including line size and rod angle. So, to gain speed, but maintain depth, you must increase weight.

It's for attention. The attention he is getting for it isn't working (punishments) so you have to find another route. Ignoring it will probably work, though that could get expensive. You might have to supervise the whole bedtime ordeal. On another note, thanks for stepping up....I've been in your shoes.

Trilene in 6 and 8 was like wire leader, flew off the spool, slapped the blank on the cast. In heavier diameters, it's fine on casting gear. Invisx on the other hand, is limp, a bit stretchier, but much more manageable on spinning gear. The Trilene was so not what I expected, I complained, and received a spool of Tracer Braid as a replacement. That line is working fine.

I don't fish there. Is the water different there? Do traps not sink in the Bend? I really don't get what you're saying, or how kneeling changes anything. I'm the one having trouble understanding. It's OK, if I'm in the dark. I cast a trap out, let it sink to 20', and slowly reel it in. Kneeling doesn't get it any deeper. Waiting for it to sink does. I'm sure your right, too. It doesn't really matter that much. The OP and I fish the same waters, sometimes together, so maybe next time we can try a back to back comparison. That reminds me Clayton, we got to get out on Erie sometime.....

But they sink....just count them down, and reel it back. It's that simple. If you need more speed, go heavier with the bait.