bigbill

Well do they work or do I have Christmas ornaments?

If it's still cold the fish are in the northern most part of the body that gets the most Sun during the day. When in doubt and nothing else is working throw chartreuse. I believe the conditions we see at the surface can be different as it gets deeper. This is hard for any shore or boat fisherman.

Is a Stella or ZebaaS spinning reel really worth this kind of money? They listed a StCroi rod with a ZebaaS spinning reel for $1,500. What's so special?

What line test would be good for Cod, strippers, flounder plus using multiple jigs for blue fish? Would 50lb. Copolymer be ok? I can't remember if I used 50 or 60# 35 years ago.

It's how the Carolina rig is setup so it can be used in many different presentations. I use a brass bullet weight with a brass clicker. The clicker can be a brass bead, a quake weight, or the cylindrical clicker. I use the adjustable carolina keepers to adjust my 24" leader. Most of the time I use the full 24" leader. Presentations, With senkos and brushogs. Cast it out snug the line, watch the rod tip for a nibble as it falls. Once it hits the bottom I repeat it by reel the line lower the rod then raise up the rod tip and let it free fall again. Repeat etc. Cast it out snug the line and twitch the rod to 2" or so just enough to make the rattle click. Repeat etc. With a worm I cast it out let it sit, for minutes, pull it about 3 - 4" let it sit, etc. It's a slow process. I never slow reel it.

First the 6" plastic worm is still the number one most successful bait on the old split shot rig still rocks. The split shot rigged 6" worm in black. The Carolina rigged senko. The Carolina rigged brushog. Small jig head with a 2" grub Small jig head with a double tail grub used as swim bait. Slow reeled. The YUM money minnow presented as a dying minnow or slow reeled. Remotely scattering shad 6" again as a dying minnow. I believe the split shot rigged black worm works so well because it matches the freshwater eels.

Snap peas or snap bean. These tiny one treble cranks. Largest so far is a BPS glass PERCH CRANKBAIT 7" long. Castiac 9" trout swim bait.

After heavy rains the bacteria stirrs up from the bottom. This can drastically change the waters PH. In the hotter weather I fish deeper with Carolina rigs as the sun comes up.

River fishing it's the smaller chartreuse rebel crawfish lures. Panther Martin spinners, mepps inline spinners, joesflies. In the shallower areas I cast past the rocks and drop my lure into the pools around the rocks. I find the river bass more aggressive and very strong fighters. After all there swimming in current.

I'd like to see the old Jerry McKinnis fishing shows.

I use the craw colors a lot. They offer the four newer colors to me for $3.00+ each. With most lures between $5 to $10 it gives my wallet a break. I save a little money at one place to spend it at another place on lures.

I just switched to the better quality LEWS SPEED STICK spinning and bait casting rods. I have some different bait casting rods also. I'm up to the average $100 rods on sale for 25% to 50% off the $100 list. Right now these LEWS rods feel good. But as most of you know we can change our minds too. I jumped on the LEWS mainly because of the cost. But I had to like the feel of the rod too. I'm happy with my okuma, fin nor, viva, globe spinning reels. As the brown boxes of new lures are constantly showing up there piling up. I'M A TACKLE HOARDER I ADMIT I HAVE A PROBLEM. BUT DO I? Seriously can we have too much tackle? When I have a lure that works I stock up on them for the fear of them being discontinued. It's happened before to my hottest go to lures that to this day never let me down. Plus being a color freak I have to purchase all the colors. But I feel I have enough of the standard bomber colors. I have moved on to there fat free colors along with the dances colors now. I was rotating different brands sizes and colors due to there fish catching performance. Now the hotter lures stay while the not so hot lures go into my storage box. They were hot once but in fishing the same exact spots the fish learn our baits. This is why one lure is hotter than Haiti this year isn't so hot next year. It's a fishing the smaller bodies of water shore thing. Some baits need to be rotated. I rotate back to them again. I keep some lures freshly rotated. But my ritual of lures in my line up stays the same. I find that most lures do catch fish. The ones that don't need to be tuned. Fact, so far every bomber lure of the exact same model, color and size catches fish. I can't say that about all the hard bait manufacturers. Norman lures is another good constant lure.

I found some affordable bomber crankbaits in craw colors at fishingtackleoutlet. I don't see these often in craw colors. This site is worth a look see.

I use the mister twister 4" split double tail grubs as a trailer with a trailer hook on all my spinnerbaits. While it's moving it looks really to be swimming.

Copolymer Excalibur Silver Thread, vicious, yozuri hybrid Mono Cajun red

I store most of my spinnerbaits in a large spinner bait/worm green plastic box. Storage at home. For fishing I use the spinner bait box that fits in the bottom of my 9606 split roof tackle box. Fishing from shore I carry a few tackle boxes. I carry an assortment of smaller sizes and colors. Mainly blue glimmer and a hot chartreuse color spinnerbaits. I haven't really tried the larger and different colors from shore yet. For now the gold Colorado single, or double or Colorado and Indiana double is working. From shore the micro, mini and 1/4oz spinnerbaits are hot. I do need to try the larger ones more.

I play the fish more and enjoy the fight with either setup. Having a 4 to 5+ bass or a 29" to 32" picketed with spinning gear isn't an easy catch. The fight is up to the fish not us. I had a 6lb large mouth gal give me more fight than any bass I ever caught. I wasn't in control she was. She gave my lure a tour of the open water at will. She was feisty and full of energy. It's the only time I ever heard my drag sing so much.

I've been operated on for other problems. I feel my old battered body from hard work can't take much more. I refuse the knife now. This holiday is special. It's 9 months since I my prostate cancer is in remission. Trust me the grille is being fired up all day. Now if I can put this back pain on the shelf I'll be ok.

The plastic worm and the old forgotten about split shot rig from the 60's still out performs all the rest today. I was taught about it by my cousin in the early 70's. My uncle and cousin were field & stream and outdoor life magazine readers many years ago. This was the only information highway besides Jerry McKinnis back then. Thank God we had Jerry who started this sport of bass fishing.

The plastic worm and the old forgotten about split shot rig from the 60's still out performs all the rest today. I was taught about it by my cousin in the early 70's. My uncle and cousin were field & stream and outdoor life magazine readers many years ago. This was the only information highway besides Jerry McKinnis back then. Thank God we had Jerry who started this sport of bass fishing.

I run heavier line on my topwater setup do to shore fishing.I use a lighter line test for cranks because I believe the heavier line effects the depth and limits the action of the cranks. When I went with a heavier line the bite changed right away. I'm fishing small bodies of water. The 6lb and 8lb test is my limit with cranks. My topwater and plastics I use heavier line. I could probably go with a lighter test leader for cranks and use a heavier test line but it's a weak link with the lesser leader anyway when we get into or near weeds. I think the rules change between shore fishing and boat fishing when it comes to what line test we use. Otherwise there isn't much difference. I think the lighter line test makes a smaller foot print in the smaller unpressured places. At the same time were all different and use what we like that works for us. It's all about success and it's a journey and learning experience all the way that never ends. I wonder how many of us have piles of equipment we didn't like. We still used them but not often.

You pick the brands and sizes. 1. Topwater setup. Hvy/med action. 2. Crankbait setup. Medium action. (Med to larger cranks) 3. Plastics setup. Medium action. (Carolina rigs, split shot rig , jigs etc.) 4. Spinnerbaits & inline spinners. 5. Small Bait setup. Light/med action. (For using mini, micro, light baits) I'm the knucklehead that carries five rods for shore fishing.

I would like to see a mini me style spinner bait with an eye loop so I don't have to tie one on. Next I only have one source for a single Colorado gold blade, for a double Colorado blade and for a Colorado and Indiana blades. I would like to see more chances to buy from another manufacturer. I dont like depending on one sole manufacturer. I find the 3/16 oz spinner bait which is no longer offered in the Mann's classic lineup. This size spinner bait in blue glimmer and hot chartreuse with a single gold Colorado blade is hotter that hati in shore fishing. My buddy John turn me on to the smaller white spinner bait. He has success with it from a boat.

Mike can and will help you out. He made me what I was looking for in jigs. I can wait to get out and try his new spinnerbaits I just received.

Hooked on the internet scramble games and word games. Bass Resource, then it's my mail box, then I go to all my fishing shops online looking to see and deals or specials and if anything new I might be interested in.