Team9nine

Yep - the no AR switch was a bad surprise because I’m a backreeler. My mistake for not reading the description closer. The spring/bail mechanism going bad in a matter of months just guaranteed no future purchases.

Had Pflueger Summit that lasted many years before the bail mechanism went out. Got my monies worth out of it, so replaced it with a Trion this spring. Bail mechanism went out last month, so not impressed. Sold both for parts and starting over with two new reels (Favorite). We’ll see...

...And sometimes you need to paint the nails of the lizards feet one color and the feet themselves another different color, often contrasting (Please tell me you're joking and don't really take your fishing that serious)

This is TW's list of Bullet Weights lead worm sinkers. I feel sorry for all those guys that can't get hold of 9/16, 11/16, 13/16 and 15/16 oz weights, not to mention all the 1/32 oz missing variants. Hope their fishing doesn't suffer too much because of it. Tungsten selection is even worse.

I already posted a pic of my "attack bag" above :) Been using it for several years now. Inside, it has 3 different jig head weights in 3 assorted colors, and 5 different soft-bait styles in 6 different colors...and it fits in my back pants pocket with room to spare - lol.

I'm a bank angler and aluminum boater, too. I carry one baggie with hooks, weights AND baits If total poundage wins, then you've got this contest wrapped up

It's not the cut and retie time, but the purchase and carry space he was specifically referring to. You'd fall under my jig and worm specialist category, so it obviously makes a difference to you, and you need to carry them all. To the average angler (bank, kayak, jon boat singled out) limited on space that doesn't want to lug around boxes filled with every worm weight and jig head in 1/32 oz increments, it isn't going to make or break him. He'll either catch a few or he won't. That small a difference in ROF could easily be made up just by a difference in line type and diameter if push came to shove. Besides, if you outfish us, I'm crediting it to your experience and skill and not your 1/32 oz heavier worm weight

Back when I tournament fished I only carried a couple types of worms and a single pack of worm weights - 3/16 oz., because that’s what Larry Nixon threw the most from tourney reports I read. They were “just in case” baits. I always threw a jig before a worm in nearly every scenario. My short answer - doesn’t matter; go 3/16 oz., unless you want to become a worm “specialist.”

The fact that so many different people swear by so many different leader knots, all claiming to have never had a break-off, tells me that if your drag is set properly, the leader knot (and leader knot strength) never really comes into play, and hence becomes personal preference. Whatever you tie best is fine. I personally go FG or Alberto, mostly FG because it has largely proven strongest in most all testing I’ve seen, and I am predominantly a back-reeler who runs into big misc fish, so I feel more confident with it.

Tried a spool of it a couple times over the years. Not a fan at all. Seemed very prone to wind-knotting among other things. If you're just looking for a solid basic braided line, PowerPro or Fireline (fused) would both be a good starting point.

Like others, assuming you are using or referring to Fireline. That line is not a favorite of mine, but it is one of the better braided lines in regards to knot strength. I will use it trolling, or for some power-type presentations though. Try a different knot; Palomar or Double-Palomar should both work fine.

Yep

In most cases, you can't simply remove the bail wire without taking off the arm/roller, too. So you take a hacksaw or similar and cut the bail wire as close to the roller arm as possible, as well as the far attached end, then simply file down those two spots to try and remove any sharp metal that might accidentally cut you or your line. Some reels are more amenable to this than others based on how they are designed.

You have to take into consideration the history of the modification. In the early days of spinning, they didn’t have things like near lifetime bail springs. It wasn’t unusual to break a spring on a reel at least once a year with heavy use, and maybe more. The way around never having that happen was to remove the wire and file down the edges, then using your finger to simply put the line on or off the bail arm as necessary, hence no more broken bail springs. There also wasn’t infinite anti-reverse mechanisms developed yet, but they did have self-centering bails that would always stop at the top by your finger, making this maneuver even easier. Now days none of it is really needed, but a few people used to the modification still do it out of familiarity. There are also a few applications (surf, saltwater) where you see it more out of necessity so the arm doesn’t prematurely close during a cast.

I would agree. Article sounds bogus or misleading. Even a knife blade ran through the water would put out small pressure waves and resulting vortices, just like the smallest of minnows. I’d need to read it to see exactly what was being stated, but sounds incorrect to me.

I hit the local ponds I have access to year round. Used to be 6, but now down to 5. You definitely have to manage your fishing. Most days, only so many fish are susceptible to a given bait and presentation. The more they see it, the exact same thing, the less likely you are to do as well. Studies show this actually occurs to bass and fishing pressure in general. So I rotate and rest ponds, change presentations frequently, and try to take advantage of good bite windows when I can, or conditions that allow me to use baits I don’t normally throw. I think it all makes a big difference over the course of a year.

All the time. No, they rarely get asked, more just “pushed off” or “infringed upon,” but it works both ways, with tourney guys always complaining about recreational boats cutting them off or getting too close, so it all equals out in the end.

I guess I’m the outlier, as I don’t remember the last time I caught a bass on a T-rig. Only a couple baits I ever used when I did throw one - a 10” Power Worm and a 4” BPS Stud Fry. Guessing I’d still go with one of those two, though in my case, it really doesn’t matter. A 3/16 wt and a 3/0-4/0 EWG hook with either.

I’d agree with it usually not being a singular factor, but fishing pressure can certainly be a contributing factor. Different lakes either can or can’t handle it well, often tied to other biological or environmental aspects involved. Around here, it’s easy to point out lakes that have suffered under the pressure, and others that appear to have not. Across the board though, we have lost a lot of our top end size that we used to see, and there the finger points to pressure and the increase in C&R. Several studies seem to back this up, though not everyone agrees. You also can’t rule out the technology factor which some would argue is giving a false sense of things haven’t changed, or have changed for the better. It might be a case of a declining overall population structure that just isn’t apparent at first glance because technology is allowing for catches that still seem like ‘the good old days’ on the surface. Add in the often antiquated state regs designed to protect a fishery, and you have a whole litany of things you could point fingers at.

Sorry to hear this. Spent some time talking to him back in January and really enjoyed hearing about some of the history behind his baits. He even sent me a couple autographed pro cards. Seemed like a great guy.

Bitsy Bugs come in lighter weights and come through veggies well. I’ve caught a bunch on them the past couple years.

Tried a bunch, but have settled on just one. Shimano Clarus 6’6” ML w/Lew’s Mach 1 SS (200) spooled with 10#-14# YGK SS112 and 8# leader (mono).

Finished the week with 50 bass today from a short trip around a local pond - all on a mushroom head jig and one Zman plastic bait; and it will probably catch at least 50 more - lol. Biggest today went just about 16 inches, so nothing great size wise - just great fun. Might see just how many fish I can catch on that single Zman bait as a fun side project. Not sure what my record is, so this might set a PB standard for me in that category. I'll update here in this reports thread if I decide to do it That makes 127 bass in the past 7 days walking the banks on the days I fished but didn't take the boat out. One rod - one reel - and just a zipper bag of baits and terminal tackle stuffed in a pocket. Mobility rules from the bank. Don't over complicate it.

I’ve never thrown a color of TRD that hasn’t caught fish. A couple non-standards I use most would be Coppertreuse, GP orange and Hot Snakes.

Congrats - now sit down, reread your words, and understand the profoundness in them. You have attained the next level of fishing enlightenment. "Master Po: Close your eyes. What do you hear? ... Do you hear the grasshopper which is at your feet? Caine: No. Old man, how is it that you hear these things? Master Po: Young man, how is it that you do not?"