J Francho

Jeez, its not cut and dry - is anything? Many non tournament anglers feel this way up here. In fact, there has been quite a bit of press about it recently. Its not how I feel. Not sure what you are debating as fact or opinion. You want to make tournaments real difficult, put a no cull rule into effect. That's a fact. The rest is opinion. So what is it you are opposing? I don't understand your tone here. Here's a couple of stories: http://www.wptz.com/video/20674922/index.html http://www.pressrepublican.com/0100_news/local_story_245101230.html (Read some of the comments posted) And read what this idiot has to say: http://www.pressrepublican.com/0204_in_my_opinion/local_story_256224516.html

Silver Minnow with a 3-4" worm threaded so its weedless. T-rig Senko Original Scum Frog

Matt, I was referring to the general fishing public. Yes, most think tournaments wreck the fishing.

You'd have a hard time even keeping a sunny in a tank that size for any length of time.

I don't use anything other than pressure to set the hooks. The fish sets the hooks by itself. Sharp hooks and the right rod go a long way here.

90% of the time, I throw a Sammy 115 or a Gunfish 115. I generally start with a pretty quick retrieve. Even the rare occasion I throw a popper, I walk it. I throw a frog when there is cover that would snag or foul the hooks on a hard bait. I walk frogs, too. The jitterbug is a nighttime bait for me. I use a steady retrieve, and ignore the blowups, while keying in on the noise from the lure. If the noise stops, I stop reeling, and feel for something alive. I like buzzbaits in current. I don't have any set rules, other than jitterbug, for when to throw them.

You should have posted in the Shimano Support forum.

That's crazy. I've had honest 100+ fish days, bet never those sizes. One in the 4# class would be a really good fish. That's either the perfect storm of fishing, or one healthy fishery (probably both ).

On most deep divers, a slow retrieve gets it down to its maximum depth quicker. Personally, I don't put too much into the max depth rating, and the perfect speed. Some baits seem to handle a wide range of speeds better, and some do not. Fat Free Shad are one that doesn't, DD22's do handle it. On the depth thing, I don't choose a DT6 to work in 6 FOW. I use a DT10. Why? To maintain aggressive contact with the bottom. If there are weeds extending up to 4' below the water, a DT6 might work well here. Weeds are one time when I actually use the rod to guide the bait through, instead of just cranking the bait into them, and fouling it. Same goes for wood. Another thing with retrieval rates, often, the one that works the best with each bait is the one that put a slight bend in the rod. Not one where you feel like you're fighting with the bait. Last thing about speed. Watch unwary baitfish. Often, they move pretty slowly, until chased. I use 5.8:1 reels (Daiwa Sols) for cranking, and before that 5:1 reels for many, many years. I also trolled quite a bit for smallies. Somewhere between 1.2 and 1.7 mph was the sweet spot for smallies in Lake Ontario. You can find solid wood baits with no rattles. Poe's Cedar baits are one example. Rapala Fat Raps are another.

That's a good question, and really has nothing to do with angler skill, just a personal preference. Here's my answer - keep in mind, I'm using a 7:1 reel - my old "high speed" 5:1 reels worked great for this in the day. When I first got a 6:1 reel several years ago, it felt fast during the retrieve, but I liked that extra speed once a fish was hooked. I feel the same about the burner reels. I'll end up getting a Zillion HA and another Teaser rod for this, and use my HLA for other baits where I use the rod to move the bait, not the reel. I just haven't taken a shine to the 7:1 reels for baits that are reeled in.

Hey LC, good to see you. The identifier is for a CPR tournament, in case anyone was wondering.

The Teaser is not really similar to the spinning rod you're looking at. They are different blanks. Its a little north of its M rating, and compared to the Avid Casting rods I use for cranks (AVC70MM and AVC70MHM) its quite a bit faster, too fast for those applications. I love my Teaser, but its not the Tube.

Any 7 to 8' rod in Heavy power and Mod. Fast to Fast is ideal for working hevay weeds. A reel with a strong drag - I recommend upgrading to a dry Carbontex drag stack from Smooth Drags - and 65# braid is the final part of the equation. Heavy grass jigs, pegged t-rigs, and hollow frogs would be ideal baits.

I've been using a St. Croix LTBC70MF and a Zillion 7.1:1 with 12# P-Line, but really, any 6' to 7' rod will do. I will say I'm not thrilled with the fast reel - unnecessary with Cavitrons. Since there isn't any "detecting" the strike, the rod need only be capable of throwing the lure, and strong enough for the cover you fish.

I've played with the LTB "Tube" and its a nice rod. It would work fine for those applications. To me, the difference between a 6-6 spinning rod and a 7-0 is more than it is in a casting rod, so it might take some getting used to. The LTB is a little faster than the Avid Fast, and honestly, if you like the Avid, stick with it. If you could get to a store that carries them, it would be best for you to compare them in hand, with a reel and line on them.

Matt, read the link Koopa posted. I'm saying that the state laws on culling (none allowed) reflect the public's general dislike of tournaments. If they wanted to promote modern catch and release bass tournaments, they would have a law that allows culling. The only time they made an exemption for this is when the Elite visited, allowing them to cull. You don't suppose that the estimated $1.4 Mil in extra revenue that local businesses realized was part of the argument to allow the exception?

Doesn't matter to me. Frogs gave me trouble for years, until I fished them a lot. Seen or unseen, both require concentration to stick the fish. Also, many unseen strikes are actually seen - by line watching.

The trailer hook isn't for short strikes at the skirt, guys. Its for when the fish strikes the blades. The bait collapses, and the trailer hook swings up and sticks them in the chin. Not the greatest pic, but it shows the trailer in the chin:

I could care less what some of those rage Tails smell like... I'd fish them no matter what. They catch.

Venom.

The only one I know of is a club points tx. out of Ti. Adk. Bass Club. I don't know anyone in it though.

I use anything from 1/4 oz. to 1-1/2 oz for deep water smallies. Mostly, it depends on the drift, but also larger profile plastic baits take longer to get down there. Lighter is better as far as staying buttoned goes, but usually I throw a 3/4 oz.

What kind of trailer? A hook. Seriously, I just use the skirts with the built in trailer, like *** sells. I always run a trailer hook.

Its a way for the state to "ban" tournaments without "banning" them. Notice they did lift the rule when the Elites dropped $1.4 mil on them....

I rig them with 1/2 to 1-1/2 oz. tungsten weight, pegged, and simply drop in between weeds. If it hits bottom, give it a little shake, rest, try next hole. Another way is to rig them on a football jig with an exposed hook in deep water. Cast them out, let it settle, and work it slowly like a giant version of a shaky head.