Team9nine

If you're just looking to try it a time or two, and not make it your primary presentation, about anything will work, including your idea. Personally, in a pinch, I'm a big fan of stainless steel - never rusts. With dropshotting, the weight's job is to just sit in the mud and hold your bait/line in one place. Anything that accomplishes that is good for a one-off attempt. If it works well and you end up dedicating a rod to it, then go fancy with the swivel weights, etc. Until then, use what ya' got

Is the Alumacraft dealer close? You can go online and "build-a-boat" with whatever options you want - play around and create the boat for your budget. The Classic 165 Sport is a 16' Deep-V with walkthru windshield starting at $18,800. That should give you some room to add both a good TM and depthfinder, much of which can be done online. When I bought my 16' Deep-V five years ago, the Lund was my #1 choice, but they were the most expesnive and the local dealer refused to budge even a penny on the price and options. Ruled them out fast, unfortunately. Ended up with an Alumacraft from a dealer within a 1 hr drive. Super easy to work with, very flexible in allowing me to change some options, and walked away well under the Lund price. I would try and work with the closest dealers first, assuming they have a decent reputation, then go further away only if you have to. Lots of bass guys around here purchase 3-5 hours away, so it's not the end of the world if you have to go that route. Might look at this: Built Your Boat

Because he mentioned he’s only fishing water 2’-6’ deep, and sounded like he was also around cover. Just seemed like the lighter end baits would be better in that scenario - easier to float and maneuver in limited water space in my experience.

I wouldn't either, but get a couple doubles just in case bad luck strikes and you get a tail bit off early - lol - then save the body and do what @The Bassman showed.

Don't think of it as a weed guard, but as a means of hook camouflage instead - lol. Buy a couple 1/4s or 3/8s and give them a try. Very versatile bait that catches a lot of fish. Not too difficult to swim around holes, edges or over grass and rock like a standard swimbait, but can also be fished more like a jig in more open water on bottom. Wouldn't discount it that quickly.

The first two groups in the technology adoption life cycle are already in place in bass fishing IMO. Lots of tourney guys at the club level around me have already got it and used it this year. Walters win and resulting publicity will probably help bring along the next (3rd) group this winter and spring. The following group (4th) won't be there for another year or so after they see all their buddies using it and kicking their butt with it next year The last group might never adopt it. But the bass guys are way behind the crappie guys in this regard, who are already well into the 4th part of the cycle.

Ditto, unless you’re fishing in and around heavy cover regularly. I used 12# all year without issue.

Agreed

Since I rarely use snaps, the times I do, I keep the split rings on. If I used snaps all the time, I would remove the split rings. Most times it probably doesn’t matter if you use both (possible exceptions like suspending jerks, etc), but it’s cleaner to go either all snaps or all rings. Don’t think it ever hurts to minimize hardware.

On your initial post pics, the bottom one is a walleye version, not a bass bait. They tip it with live bait or plastic and slow drag. The top two are bass versions, but this style of spinner is designed more for vertical fishing and dropping, which is why they roll if you try to retrieve them fast or steady like a traditional spinner. Think jig instead of spinner - pull and drop.

Twin spins were/are winter baits designed to be fished down bluff walls and for bass suspended in timber. Used to tip them with a piece of pork.

Not sure, but I’ve never had one slip, and it’s the only knot I used for nearly 30 years...but feel free to double it if it makes you feel better - won’t hurt a thing.

Palomar is the tried and true braid knot, whether single or double, but a double line uni is also surprisingly good, though it burns up (uses) more line to tie. Can’t go wrong with either.

Depends on the time of year. Most big tourney orgs require bass be hooked inside the mouth during spring events timed around the spawn. Usually a competitor has to show either his partner or the official this is the case before unhooking. The rest of the year, outside the spawn, anywhere counts as long as the act wasn't intentional. Watch some spring videos and you'll see guys mentioning, showing officials or the camera, that the fish was hooked in the mouth. Just watched one myself yesterday that was like this.

Been through all the stages, but not quite in that order. My progression was more like 1,2,5,4,3. Stage 1 lasted just a few years in my early teens. Stage 2 followed quickly, and lasted about 30 years - lol - which was pretty much my tournament phase. Stage 5 was the creation of my own fishing website that I started after "retiring" from tourney life. It lasted about 12 years, got me a lot of local recognition, and helped/entertained a lot of people based on the feedback I've received, but I finally closed that chapter of my life out a little while back. Stage 4 overlapped somewhat with Stage 5, and is where I've been for the past 5-8 years. I fish on my terms now, when I want, with who I want, for what I want (I've become much more multi-species, just like when I first started - Stage 0? - lol), and how I want to catch them. Stage 3 is where I've just started dabbling the past few years. I've never especially cared about big fish. Catch all the fish I can catch, and some of them are bound to be big just by chance and probability. Always been fine with that outcome. But I'm getting more intrigued with the idea of fishing for better quality fish these days, and have studied that aspect for several years, only starting to put some of the pieces into play this year. Seriously looking to jump more into that avenue again in 2021.

Livescope Training Class Just because you can see them, doesn't mean they'll bite! Please explain the difference to me...

This is where it gets interesting to me, and just goes to show how the different scenarios we each are faced with can be used to argue whether one approach or the other is better. In the case of these new Livescope catches, you have a transducer beam constantly pointed at and locked on the fish. Every time that big bass moves, you move the TM so that the beam follows him and you can watch everything on the screen...even following a fish using the TM tens of yards while you follow and cast...and yet they catch giants doing this. Contrast that with the traditional approach, anchoring on a spot, or similar to what @scaleface mentioned, and any excess noise is considered a bad thing and turns the bite off. Don't get wave slap; don't move around in the boat or drop something; turn off electronics; preferably double anchor; etc. Both scenarios currently have guys catching big bass. One is a more active ("noisy") lock and follow approach, the other a stealth wait 'em out approach. I don't think you can argue either is the right or wrong approach. Both obviously work. The big bass "rules" seem only to apply these days to specific approaches, and can no longer be considered "standard" or "gospel" across the board.

And somehow pages of arguing over the benefits of mono, fluoro or braid on our new Zillion 1000/NRX outfit instead of just going with the Zebco 33 combo isn’t more difficult and over our pay grade? It’s all just going fishing Who can afford a good canoe these days, anyway?

Changing the mindset will be the most challenging part. Either you have it in you, or you don’t, and that’s not meant as a knock. Consistently catching big fish isn’t easy, otherwise everyone would just do it. Who wouldn’t like to land quality bass every trip? But the time, effort, and learning curve can be steep, and you’ll quickly find out if it’s “for you” or not. A great read/thread in this regard is @A-Jay one on his stitching experience for big bass he carried out years ago. Dig it up - it’s worth the read. I’ve been toying with doing a similar type endeavor/post this coming year, but I learned long ago I’m a numbers guy when it comes to catching fish.

Feider’s name is attached to it... No, wait, that is a different post Actually, Fieder’s tie is a long marabou tie, unlike the two you mention which are closer to traditional hair ties. Different purpose and appearance. Just a specific regional difference that may or may not make a difference depending on local waters.

Glenn told us lots of you pros post here under assumed names, Mr. Mike “Spankey” Iaconelli ?

Glad I’m not the only one that recognizes this and thinks that way...

You mean you never bought any Laser Lures!!!!

Me too, but I still don't want it on my boat at least, yet...

Agreed - especially the "doesn't seem right" aspect, but it's only going to get much worse from here with H'bird and Lowrance releasing their versions this spring.