A-Jay

Hello Kimberly and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ Sounds like you may have a loose connection somewhere. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

FYI ~ Update Just received (very Fast btw) a my order or 2's & 4's - Look Real Good Satisfied with the quality & definitely The Price A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Hello Brandon and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Think you'll be satisfied. A-Jay

KVD SMASHED IT ~ ! A-Jay

Seems both sides of the fence have been spoken for - not that there's anything wrong with that. A-Jay

Been very happy with 303 Multi Surface Cleaner Spray, All Purpose Cleaner for Marine and Boats. Info here ~ https://www.goldeagle.com/product/303-marine-recreation-multi-surface-cleaner Cheaper here ~ https://www.amazon.com/303-Surface-Cleaner-Purpose-Marine/dp/B00030MAL4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1500583420&sr=8-7&keywords=303+products A-Jay

Yes Sir - that's it. I would use extra turns in lighter nylon and braid as well. A-Jay

I've only used it so far on 12 lb and up - It's real easy to tie & easy to finish as all 3 tag ends come out at the top of the knot so one clip and you're done. Does seem to 'waste' a little line but it's better (for me) than trying to pass a treble hook bait through a palomar knot. Always seems to hang up. A-Jay

Not exactly - There are two differences. This one uses a double line and there are only 'three' turns around the standing part. I looked for a diagram of it but was unsuccessful - #bummin A-Jay

I believe there will be an array of responses here. Some on both sides of the fence & even a few 'in the middle'. Perhaps if an angler is not at all a fan of tournament fishing or a competitive angler themselves, there could be a certain disregard for the derby participants. This may or may not impede the contestants. If an angler happens to be a tournament fan or even a lower level participant - they could see fit to stand off or give way - and perhaps use this as an opportunity to learn. I'm not a tournament participant but am a fan, so I'm hanging around to 'watch the show' but not fishing at all until it's over. I will add that I'm in a part of the country where there are only a few local derbies on only the biggest waters so it would never really cut into 'my fishing time' which could be a determining factor for some anglers who have only a limited time on the water. A-Jay

Hello Justin and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ There is an articles section here that is Loaded with just the info you're looking for. https://www.bassresource.com/how-to-fish/ A-Jay

Does your on board battery charging system have a bank designated to charge the cranking battery ? If not, it's something to consider if & when the time is right. Clearly not a solution to a bad circuit somewhere but definitely keeps the one battery (arguably the most important one) that's depended upon to power several items, very healthy. A-Jay

From the pages of In-Fisherman btw - 10lb braid might be a little light for this one A-Jay A New Option For several years I’ve been using a swimbait body on a weighted swimbait hook behind an in-line spinner. Sized correctly, this combination is dynamite on pike. This rigging can be used in open water, away from cover; but with the hook texposed it also runs through heavy cover, including timber and brush. The weighted swimbait hook acts as a keel to keep the package running straight and as a pivot point for the swimbait body to work against. So far as I know, nothing like this is available already rigged for commercial sale, except for the Mepps Comet Mino, which lacks a paddletail. My rig requires deconstruction of an in-line spinner and adding a swimbait on a weighted swimbait hook. Matched with the in-line spinner, smaller swimbaits can be used to achieve the same overall size of about 6 inches, which works best. One of the first options I used was created by removing the treble hook from a Blue Fox Vibrax Musky Buck with a #5 blade, adding a 5/0 Lazer Sharp #L111 weighted swimbait hook weighing 1/4 ounce, coupling it with a 5-inch Berkley Hollow Belly Swimbait. I’ve also caught lots of fish on a bigger option, by deconstructing a Blue Fox Fluted Musky Buck (#6 blade), adding a 6/0 Gamakatsu Swimbait hook (called a Weighted Superline Spring-Lock hook) weighing 1/4 ounce, coupling it with a 6.5-inch Yum Money Minnow. On the smaller side of things, deconstruct a Terminator Snagless In-line Spinner (#4 blade), weighing 5/8 ounce, adding a 3/0 Lazer Sharp #L111 weighted swimbait hook weighing 1/4 ounce, and coupling it with a 4-inch Berkley Hollow Belly. So many other lures might come into play, given the circumstance. When I’m searching on reservoirs with brush I also like to use a 1/2-ounce spinnerbait. Dress it with one of the hybrid swimbait bodies like the Berkley Havoc Grass Pig to add bulk and vibration to attract bigger pike. I’ve used this system successfully for pike across North America over the past 5 years, during early season and late. Read more: http://www.in-fisherman.com/pike-muskie/northern-pike/lure-options-for-pike-giant-pike/#ixzz4nN3N5bpB

I'm a big fan of composite rods for many treble hook bait applications; specifically the line of Quantum rods discussed below. I was about to write why, but then I found Mr. Smiths article he covers my thought well - so there ya go. btw - Tackle Direct's is very good. A-Jay http://www.tackledirect.com/quantum-tkvd7106mb-tour-kvd-pt-cranking-rod.html Quantum Tour KVD Cranking Rod Walker Smith 12/09/2013 Crankbait rods are probably the most technique-specific rods a bass angler can buy. You can get away with a generic rod for many other presentations, but you need a sure enough cranking rod if you want to get the most out of your crankbait fishing. I’ve been using the Quantum Tour KVD Cranking Rod for ... Crankbait rods are probably the most technique-specific rods a bass angler can buy. You can get away with a generic rod for many other presentations, but you need a sure enough cranking rod if you want to get the most out of your crankbait fishing. I’ve been using the Quantum Tour KVD Cranking Rod for all of my deep cranking needs and I am absolutely in love with it. For the longest time, I always had problems finding a rod suitable for heavy plugs but this rod has shed new light on my deep cranking. Will it wear me out? Anglers everywhere complain of sore shoulders, forearms and hands when deep cranking. If you fish a deep crankbait with a subpar rod, you’re bound to tweak muscles you never even knew existed. This was my problem for years, so I just totally abandoned the technique altogether. When I finally tried the 7-foot, 10-inch medium-heavy Quantum Tour KVD Cranking Rod, however, it was a brand new ballgame. Its moderate taper excellently absorbs the torque of big crankbaits and makes them a pleasure to fish—it doesn’t feel much different than throwing a shallow squarebill on a medium-action rod. A lot of the deep cranking rods I’ve tried in the past have had very stiff, unforgiving tips. They didn’t wear me out while fishing, but I was constantly ripping the hooks out of my fish. There were too many times I reeled my crankbait in to find a big cheek scale hanging from one of the trebles. The Quantum Tour KVD Cranking Rod loads very well when you get a bite. It maintains a pretty noticeable bend throughout your retrieve, but when you get a bite it absorbs the energy excellently and slowly loads to allow the fish to really “eat” the whole crankbait. The energy absorption of this rod also comes in handy when fighting big bass. When one eats it in deep water, you have your work cut out for you—there’s a lot of distance between you and the bass for it to throw the hooks. This rod, however, doesn’t put too much pressure on the fish when they surge to deeper water. As a result, I lose very few fish on a deep crankbait. Is it difficult to make long casts? Regardless of your crankbait’s weight, the Quantum Tour KVD Cranking Rod will launch it into the next dimension. It features a composite blank that blends E-Glass and carbon, which means it has a parabolic bend and a ton of backbone. This allows it to load well on the back cast and send your crankbait flying in order to get it down to the strike zone quickly and efficiently. The Alp’s LXN micro guides have aluminum oxide inserts that promote flawless line flow throughout the cast. Even when casting directly into the wind, you’re not going to hear, feel or see any line slap against the inserts. Can I feel what's going on? I’m a huge fan of the reel seat on this rod as well. The blank is exposed right where you would put your middle finger during the retrieve, allowing you to feel everything your crankbait is doing. Sensitivity is a big deal when you’re deep cranking. With other rods, I kind of felt like I was spitting in the wind when looking for specific bottom compositions—I could feel my crankbait hitting things, but I couldn’t tell what those “things” actually were. With the Quantum Tour KVD Cranking Rod, I can feel everything. I can tell when I’m grinding on shell beds, bumping on pea gravel or deflecting off of old tree tops. When I take folks fishing who are new to deep cranking, I see a bunch of false hooksets and lose a ton of crankbaits. Some rods just don’t give you a good idea of what a bite really feels like. I’ve been impressed by how easy it is to detect bites with this rod—there’s no doubt about it. It’s very easy to feel the difference between a collision with deep cover and a big bite. If the thought of deep cranking appeals to you but also seems a bit intimidating, I’d suggest checking out this rod. In my opinion, deep cranking is all about having the right gear and this rod will significantly shorten your learning curve.

For me, jerkbaits (like many baits) are tools. And like tools, different conditions may require a slightly different bait. Factors that determine it for me could be, but are not limited to; water temp, depth, clarity, prevalent bait & size, wind & weather conditions. All that said, as previously mentioned, the KVD bait (both shallow & deep) has been very good for me, but so has Megabass vision 110 and the plus 1, Rapala baits are solid, as are a huge assortment of Lucky Craft baits. Smithwicks are a real sleeper too. In an attempt to address your inquiry here, if I had to pick just a few, I'd go with the shallow & deep KVD & Megabass vision 110 and the 110 +1. A-Jay

Check out the Morizo Knot (double line uni-knot) ~ Working on being my new favorite. A-Jay

At that weight ~ The Provider Tackle Performance Series Tube Head is tough to beat. http://www.providertackle.com/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=73_83 It's also available at TW - and you don't even have to pre-order. A-Jay

Thanks @buzzed bait - I'll definitely check them out. As for size - for the 1.5's I like 2's on the front & 4's on the back (do the same on a 1/2 RES too) The 2.5 I go 1's on the front & 2's on the back - and FYI I'm mostly catching smallies on these baits. A-Jay

Very Nice ~ A-Jay

Took me a while to learn how this one could equate to locating fish holding areas. I'm actually ashamed of myself for not getting on this a whole lot earlier - probably missed some primo opportunities. But once The Light Dawned on Marble Head ~ It was game changer. Works for me right up to turnover most seasons. A-Jay

For many years, I was right in the middle of many a storm - all kinds, including electrical. It was an occupational hazard. Now, not only am I not out in them, I usually will not go if they are predicted. Just don't feel the need to tempt fate as I feel I already beat the odds at least once. btw - trying to outrun water spouts is a real good time. A-Jay