J Francho

If you can catch 5-7 fish, then find a common link between all those catches. That is a pattern. Then you repeat all the links to success.

31 is a furry graveyard. I used to run from ROC to Lockport once a week on my delivery run.

Can you prefish, and establish a couple patterns and spots? That'll be the key to success, not some special bait or technique. Nothing beats time on the water.

Don't know about the 4C79HF recommendation as a C-rig rod. I have one I use for big baits - 2-5 oz - and it's a beast. Light, easy to use, but a beast. My 1st fish was an 8 lb. northern pike, and I literally turned it's head and lifted it out of 8' of water, LOL. I've played with the Big Gulp, it should be fine for what you want. This rod would be the one to replace my Deep South XXX flipping stick. I like a mod/mod-fast action for that as well. You get into the full muscle flex of the rod better than in a faster action. Great for lift and separate hooksets.

I used to have a Team All Star M/Mod 7' spinner. It was a great rod for dragging tubes in Lake O. for smallies. The moderate bend kept constant pressure on the erratic fish, and kept the jig pinned.

Seems to be particularly effective during the spawn.

Check your van's fuses. Check the connection on the van with one of the testers I posted above. If that all checks out, its your trailer wiring (always is, LOL). Get an $8 wiring harness at bass pro, and start over. I'm telling you, it's way easier than you think.

Define shallow? Usually you would use the graph to track cover, structure, and sometimes fish in 5' or more. Less than that, just use your eyes.

Drop shot.

You found a pawn star in vegas, LOL.

Judging by all the PA plates in the ramp parking lots up here, I guess it's gotta be choice #4, LOL.

It'll get damaged easier on the outside. Where ever you suspect it will chafe, install a grommet or use some plastic cord wrap.

I'm sure they installed it correctly. I still think you should just rewire the thing. It was WAYYY easier than I imagined.

Yes. The one "oddball" opposite connection is the ground. On the vehicle side, the white line should be grounded somewhere on the van. On the trailer side, it's grounded on the trailer itself.

Someone should make a fluoro core, round braided line. Sinks, slack line sensitivity, super strength. I'm a genius! Send me my millions! That's my knock on braid, slack line sensitivity has me fishing other lines for some things, that I would actually prefer braid, if not that one drawback.

Outside would be better why? Just run it through using the old wires, or buy a 25' wire snake for $10 to fish it through. If you solder and heat shrink it right, it should last you.

Runnin' in the creeks like wild men, chasing green fish. Best results were spinnerbaits and jigs in fallen timber. Two nicer fish from the day:

For some baits, I like a full rear grip. For others, split is fine - no real preference. I don't care about the front grip, but I prefer the threads be concealed. I don't know why they don't use rear locking real seats, perhaps it's a technical thing, but that make more sense to me. And BTW, it's cork, filled and sealed with U-40 all the way for me. I do have one custom with burl, and that's nice too.

You 832 guys, does it sink? And I don't mean after it's waterlogged (I use KVD L&L).

The old "lift and seperate" hookset.

I wouldn't worry about losing fish, it's just a waste of valuable tournament time if you have to retie after a fish. You should be able to catch a few fish before retying, using 50 lb.+ braid.

No, I've bent those hook on fish. It's from using a powerful hook set and braid with no drag. My buddy Burnie has even bent them with 30# fluoro, hence the switch to the heavier hooks.

Yep. Use Owner Wide Gap Plus, or try this:

Yep, but with a bass attached to it, LOL. A pic sent by a friend that tested them: