gobig

I don't have a box, I have boxes that are full but not for inflationary reasons. It would probably be frowned upon if I got into a economics lesson and explained how money is currently created on a bass forum.

Im a champion guy but IMO ranger is the best made boat on the market today.

Anyone ever wonder what these things do to people if the criters wont go near them?

I have baits that cost more than what is pictured. The real question should be... Is it the cost of the lure that's more or the purchasing power of your dollar that's less? Inflation is the greatest tax there is.

Rather than answer questions in a pm Ill post it up here for all to see. There are a few ways that I fish the Keitechs. One is on a jig head. This is the most durable method I know of. This is how I use them on the a-rig or as a single bait in open water. Its important to have the right jig head to get the most out of a bait. I have bounced around from brand to brand, style to style and these are the conclusions I have come up with. A jig head with a wire barb (like the owner ultra head inshore) is going to work the best for longevity. Next would be a poured in barb (Picasso smart mouth). Takes a little practice but when threading the swimbait on to the hook try to do it in one continuous motion up to the barb. Add a drop of superglue jel, thread it on the rest of the way and allow it to dry. If it does not dry right it will not hold good. I have baits pre-rigged from the night before. The jel seems to work better than straight super glue. I prefer the gorilla brand. The next thing you will notice is that the line tie positions are not in the same place. The depth determines where I want the line tie. Under 10ft I want the line tie at the nose of the bait. Over 10ft I want it on the top of the jig. On an a-rig the line tie is always at the nose. On an a-rig I like heavy hooks. As a single bait I like a lighter wire. I throw my a-rig on a light swimbait rod with 20lb floro. I started out with braid but have since switched to floro. I feel its the best all around. As a single bait I use a MH crankbait rod and 10lb floro. Another way I like to fish keitechs is nail weighted. This is more of a finesse technique and you can achieve a really natural look. You can play with the rate of fall and get several different actions out of the bait depending on where you place the nail weights in the belly. I have been using the owner twistlock finesse hooks. I am not 100% sold that this is the one and only hook for this method. As of now I have yet to find a better solution. When screwing the bait on put a dab of superglue jel. This method really shines when the water get ultra clear. I throw this on a MH crankbait rod and I have gone as light as 8lb floro. I have been playing around with texas rigging. I need some weed growth to get it dialed in. I want to be able to pitch into holes in the weeds. Got to wait a few months for that one. If anyone is doing it with some success please share.

With our water levels here in CA were gonna get plenty of exercise.

Cylinder weights hang less in the rocks. That's what I use.

Its fast to attach and the weight tends to break off instead of the whole rig when it gets hung up.

Those tail slappers look some what promising.

I feel the same way about the keitechs. One of the really big factors is they have good action at the slowest of speeds. I have not tried all of the knock offs but I have yet to find one as productive. On some baits I think we just have to bite the bullet and pay the price. A good example is comparing a trash fish to a sick fish. Looks the same but not the same bait. Anyone who has spent any time with these baits should notice that the trash fish is way more versatile. How are you rigging the Keitecks? There are some ways to stretch the longevity. I would say I get somewhere between 10 and 20 fish per bait.

I prefer a straight shank. I buy into the hook up ratio being better

The Gamakatsus and the VMC's are good hooks but I really dig the Trokars. They are ridiculously sharp. The only complaint I have is that they tend to poke through the bait to easy when fishing heavy cover. It takes some playing around to figure out the hook point placement to prevent this.

I don't mean to sound harsh but I have to disagree. Swimbaits are the ultimate search bait. With any level of water clarity they will reveal where the big girls live. This does not necessarily mean that you will catch that fish on a swimbait but now you know where she lives. There is no other bait that will reveal ten pounders like a swimbait. The idea that they are not functional in a tournament setting is off base also. Many tournaments are won on swimbaits. If I followed the principal "you shouldn't pick one up until you have a limit" three of my top 5 bags would have never happened. There is a big misconception that you can't have 5+ fish days. In general most people never put the time in to learn how to throw them. They are just another tool.One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is that they burn down the bank throwing a swimbait at the bank. Key locations and proper angles are critical.

I have spent more time in the outdoors than most people. My past jobs and hobbies put me there. As of now there are only two products I will buy when it comes to water proof rain gear. Columbia's omnitech and goretex are the only way to go. As mentioned the BPS gear and cabelas guide select are great products. My current set up is a Columbia parka and un-insulated guide select bibs.

There is definitely an element of luck. Increasing your skill set helps you get lucky more often.

I have been using the Picasso 2x with the gamies. No problems at all. Caught fish up to 10 pounds with this set up.

Hard to pick just one. I like different baits for different situations. These are the baits I use the most. 9in Slammer, BBZ 1, Wake Jr and a rat bait my brother makes.

I have fished all of the California and Oregon lakes on the list. Not sure the criteria they use but it would help if BASS came out to California more than once every 5 years. At least they moved Clearlake up the list. How many lakes can you catch a 30lb bag and not even cut a check? Oroville in the top 25 over Berryessa, Shasta and Bullards? Really? I do not understand the fascination with Oroville. I can think of several lakes near by that are better than Oroville and not on the list.

I do not let the weather dictate if I go fishing. What weather/barometric pressure does is give me a starting point. Just like the seasons attract fish in to certain locations the weather will position them in the water column. Moon phase, current and water level fluctuation will also have an effect.

I don't think the comparison of straight braid and leader can be made in one or two fishing trips. Think of it this way... If you go fishing 100 days out of the year and a leader only makes a difference 5 % of the time that means 95 times out of 100 there will be no difference. Its the 5 times I am worried about.

If you use a Alberto knot to join mono or floro to braid you wont have the break offs as long as you are tying the knot right. There are several reasons to use a leader. For instance with a dropshot, braid and floro will give two totally different actions to the bait. Braid floats floro sinks. Or as mentioned around rocks, braid and rocks don't mix. I think fish can be line shy and I would rather error on the side that they are.

IMO color generally plays a minimal roll. But when it does it can be huge.

Never had a problem with the stock snap. Caught quite a few largemouth in the 8-9lb class and stripers upto 20lbs, never had one fail. With that said I don't think a snap ring will change the action that much if at all.

I don't really fish ponds. I would start off close to the locations you fished in your boat. I would then systematically break things down to figure it out.

Do you feel superior now?