Shane J

Right on!

Tw, and they have never been out of stock on a single color I've ever ordered.

I would most definitely stick with the heavy wire 5/0 hook, and follow the rigging instructions on the Rage Tail website. I use Moaner Strokers, but Gammies and Owner Twistlocks are good, as well. When you rig it, there should be a slight arch in the belly of the bait. To achieve this, insert the hookpoint closer to the a$$ end of the Toad. All three problems will go bye bye.

Awesome pics! Lookin' like Starsky and Hutch, and catchin' Hawgs!

I have a 5 year old son, who I introduced to fishing when he was about 2. I love that he gets excited about going, and that he sees it as something him and Daddy can share. The time together is magical and priceless.

I always leave the line on reels I carry on. Nobody has ever told me it was a problem.

Very cool!

That is true, RW, and he'll warn you three times ("Fish, Fish, Fish!") that he's got a fish on, and if you're not out of the way when he swings, you might just get a rod wrapped around your head! It's awesome to watch, and I learned a lot!

Watch Big O's videos called "Winchin' 'em Out" I and II.

Last year was my first Classic, and I was like "Whoa"! There's so much to see, it's crazy. Last year, I got to personally hang out with, and talk casually to many of the pros, including Shaw Grigsby, Ish Monroe, Debra Hengst, Denny Brauer, and Mike Iaconelli. It was pretty cool. Not to mention the cool product demos, and free stuff they basically force feed you the whole time. I spent most of my time at the Strike King/Rage Tail area, which is where I'll be again this year with Big O. Anyone from here should make a stop on over, and say Hi, I'd love to meet ya (yeah, you too, Glenn)!

Sounds like a good plan to me. I'd spend a lot of time with that jig, and just fish it real slow. Good luck.

7'7" H Fast Cumara paired with a Curado and 55lb Samurai braid for topwater stuff, and for flipping in the trees and heavier weeds.

A few years ago I was fishing a 20 acre strip mine lake from my jon boat. Hardly anybody fishes this place, because it is so hard to get a boat into, and there's no launch, plus it's just a very deep bowl- shaped lake. The place is basically a well secluded party and swimming spot for kids. The trail leading up to it is very narrow, and goes uphill, then has a long steep downhill. Well, it was getting dark, so I was about to wrap it up, and start the tough trek out of the woods, when I heard this loud, crashing noise from the trail that sounded like a charging moose. Just as I was focused on the trail, a car comes flying down, and crashes into the water 100 feet from me. I didn't know what to do. I didn't see anyone in the car, and heard voices from the top of the trail, but they never came down. The car had floated out about 30 yards, and was going under fast. I called the cops, and had to do a report as to what I saw, then one of the officers helped me drag my boat back up the hill, because it was now pitch dark. He followed up with me a couple days later, and it turns out, that the car was used in a bank robbery earlier that day, and they were attempting to get rid of it.

There are plenty of them on Lake Winnepesaukee up here in NH, if smallie fishing interests you.

The first time I spooled a reel with that line, was on my recent trip with Big O. He uses that line in 25lb test for deep jigs and Tx rigs. When I first felt it, it felt very stiff, and like I should treat it with Line and Lure. He told me I wouldn't need it once I hooked a ten pounder and stretched it out a bit. He was right. The line actually laid down and was nice all by itself after a few casts. I can tell you one thing. That stuff is so tough, it blew my Mind! We were fishing very jagged rocks down there in S Texas, and hanging up quite a few times, and not wanting to burn the spot, we would yank the crap outta that line in those rocks, and maybe only broke off a couple times all week. He actually straightened a hook on a Seibert Big O jig pulling from the rocks, but the line was fine. I'm going to be using 15 or 17lb test for my jigs now, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Guess someone who couldn't open a heading three over from "forums"?

Possibly. One of the advantages of a circle hook, is that just a little pressure on it, and it sets itself. Now, that's not a guarantee that it will be hooked good enough to land the fish, but it could very well stick itself. So, load up a big old Octopus hook with some dough balls or something, set it in your rod holder, grab a brewski and kick back if that's your thing, and just chill. Happy fishing!

Same as Teal, it wouldn't be my first choice for those conditions. If you feel the need to drop shot muddy water, though, you do have the right idea. Go big, and go dark.

He doesn't know any better. He's a pigeons fan.

Really nice!

I don't know.... sounded about right to me!

Always fun to just get out, especially in winter when stuff is frozen.

Yeah, your rods and stuff are fine, just watch your line, and keep a tiny bit of pressure on your weight to have a constant feel of it.

Unless I'm missing something, it's just like a plain old skirtless, weedguard-less football jig, right? Plenty of those around with heavy wire hooks to do the same thing. I use 'em all the time with Lobsters. My standard shakey head jig, though, is the Moaner Stiffy jig.

No, they don't dry out. they'll be fine in a Plano box, as long as you don't put Elaztec in the same compartment.