bigfruits

topwaters - mono (XL) everything else - flouro or copoly (yozuri US)

splitshot, light cranks, light inline spinners, unweighted finesse plastics, beetle spins, panfish baits

what rondef said if you want to spend 150 on a rod get a st. croix avid. great rod and great warranty. dont go loomis unless you get imx....

$15 seriously though, can you clean off the hot sauce and have someone else return it for you? ive owned dozens of shimano reels and never had a problem. sounds like horrible luck.

roadwarrior - i dont like using the palomar on baits any bigger than a jig (only because of difficulty in tieing) and was wondering if that 16-20 knot is ok to use with #6 line on cranks etc. looks like a fast and easy knot.

agree with the answers above. ive read that they are harder to catch than LMs but in the rivers i fish they seem way more aggressive and easier to catch than the green ones. find some good SM waters and bring a med or med light spinning outfit. a 3lb smallie will feel like monster largemouth on speed with lighter tackle. to find SM in your area i suggest you post in the "Fishing Locations" forum under your region.

ive had no problems with palomar knots on #6 line....

i take a plano 3600 and take out all the dividers. then with a sharp knife i cut deep notches in the remaining walls and put 2 or 3 baits per notch. works for buzzbaits too. (falcon 703 wont fit in my tackle bag, dammit)

where can i buy a 2lb bass swimbait?

ok, ill bite. cavitron buzzbait (white) eakins jigs (5/16oz, green pumpkin/watermelon) w/yum craw papi (2.75", green pumpkin/watermelon) terminator spinnerbait (white/black) rat-L-trap (silver and black) rage tail craws senkos (green pumpkin/watermelon) fat ikas (green pumpkin/watermelon) shakey 2 jigs (w/roboworms) yamamoto skirted double tail hula grub 5" on arkie jig with brush guard. trick worms

ive heard this dvd recommend several times on this forum so i decided to pick up a copy from basspro shops. i figured since i was already paying for shipping i might as well throw a curado into the shopping cart. i wanted to share what i though was a pretty good deal for anyone looking for this dvd. bass pro has the following 3 Kevin VanDam dvds for a total of $9.95 Proven Spinnerbait Techniques Changing Conditions Pitchin' to Heavy Hitters i might not learn much from the other two dvd's but theres nothing better to help me fall asleep than a fishing video. cheers -z

is that a gci seat? how do you like it? i was going to buy a pair but i wanted to hear a review first. thats a great set up btw. ive seen sit on top kayaks rigged up but never a canoe. where will you put the depth finder? thanks -z

most people will suggest a med or med heavy baitcasting set up for the senko. i use a spinning rod for senkos. id use something rated for 3/16-5/8oz or so. im not even sure how much they weigh. i think a good quality med or med heavy rod would help you out. post your budget and reel preference and you will get many suggestions. when fishing a senko you wont have anywhere as good of a feel as when using a shakey jig which you are dragging on the bottom of the lake. you should feel the weight of the senko when you pull up on your rod, however. try to keep the line limp so it falls straight down but not too limp where you cant see if something hits the bait. if your line is looping too much, buy some kvd line conditioner. what rod are you using? what brand and type of line and what test? how do you fish the senko? when the line is taught and you pull up on it, can you feel the weight of the senko? EDIT: sorry 89MJ, i thought you were the original poster and questions were for him.

Hung Up Paul - i will not be back to the states until spring so i guess im planning way ahead. i will be living in the Reston area most likely. flippin4it / Va-Bronco - you will probably have sold it by then, but ill PM you guys regardless thanks for the links and advice, guys. im a member of many forums (non fishing) and the people here are by far the most helpful. cheers -z

im sorry to say this but a blind and deaf dog should be put to sleep. no matter how happy he seems when you make physical contact with him, its no life for a dog. you need to think about whats best for him and not you and your family. it will be hard as hell but i think it will be the best thing to do.

what are the specs on your rod? im sure a sensitive rod that matches your lure weight will solve your problem.

get some eakins 5/16oz or some cheap bitsy bug jigs in 1/4oz (or other small "finesse" jig) and throw on a small (3 inch) craw trailer to match skirt color. drag it slowly near cover and hold on. thats how i would start (im assuming youre new to jigs). these smaller jigs will produce both small and big bass so i think theyre a good confidence builder. as mentioned already, football for rocks, pointy (darter) heads for weeds. most jigs are niether too oval or too pointy and do ok in both conditions.

id like to buy a jon boat and turn it into a bass boat but my carpentry skills are on par with those of a 1st grader. i just want a deck, two swivel chairs, front trolling motor, depth finder and a stick controlled gas motor (maybe 9.9 so i can use it at fountainhead). nothing fancy. do you know of any people or companies that i could pay to build a deck for me? referral bonus will be a free fishing trip thanks -z

i am in the minority (maybe the only one) who prefers spinning. i do use both, however i only use the baitcaster for heavier baits. maybe its because i mostly use light tackle. baitcaster gives you more accuracy because you can slow the bait down with your thumb before it goes over your target. also less line twist. spinning reel makes it easier to skip baits and cast lighter weights. also i you dont switch hands after the cast. i like to keep my finger on the line while im dragging plastics and jigs and i prefer to do that on spinning gear.

unfortunatley due to my work location i only got to fish about 7 times this year. i did use the shakey jig for the first time and ive had one tied on every outing since then. caught very nice sized bass (for NoVA) with a roboworm on it. my girlfriend caught her first bass (3.5 lbs) on the shakey/roboworm. beginners luck? i tried not to act too jealous. next year = swimbaits

i always have a 1/4 jig and small craw trailer tied on to one of my rods best producer of large and smallmouth bass for me yr round (i dont fish in the winter or middle of summer however). although i have to admit, i dont give senkos as much "showtime". they bore me a bit but theyre pretty dependable.

d**n good idea. ever have any problems with the line breaking at the split shot?

anyone had luck with these? whats the biggest and smallest fish youve landed on swimbaits in the DC area? ive caught bass on baits just as big as they were so im starting to think they might work in some waters.

i noticed 2 very important things missing from your arsenal jig and senko

Fargo Pulp Fiction No Country for Old Men Boogie Nights planet terror, resevoir dogs, lotr tril (after serious editing), napoleon dynamite, big lebowski, dawn of the dead (newer one), silence of the lambs, hard eight, holy grail....... EDIT: sorry about that