Shad_Master

I think a lot of it has to do with the kind of bite you are getting - if you are looking for more of a reaction type strike you may want something that stands out - if you are looking for more of a feeding bite, you want to have something that looks more like what the fish are hunting for.

A couple of years ago when Chatter Baits first came out I was fishing a spillway pond that was really flowing - the water was choclate milk - I threw the ChB near a patch of grass and was watching the wake as I reeled in when all of a sudden another wake exploded out of the grass and slammed by lure - this fish had catarcts in both eyes and was able to track the lure just by the vibration.

Well, it looks like this has taken an interesting little turn - you are right, if all you want is to keep the rain off, a large garbage bag can work as well. The problem is a rain-suit is more than that for me. I wear them to hold in body heat on those cold mornings as well as to stay dry when it's raining. Probably the biggest problem with the $10 variety is that you don't get the breathability and you can actually end up wetter as a result of sweating underneath than if you just fished without a rain-suit. I've done it both ways and there are lots of budget options in this area.

For the money they are fine - better for warmer weather but a good backup for sure.

No! I didn't wash them in acid - cold water with Woolite --- I have done this several times and let them air dry with no problems - this time it was raining and put them on "air fluff" - that's when I noticed the difference. Thanks for the product tips - I will check them out

Having learned the hard way not to believe the label in Gore Tex rain gear - after washing and drying them, they have lost all water repellancy. Is there some product that can be applied to these that will bring them back? If I have posted this in the wrong place - mea culpa and schedule me for 40 lashes with a wet noodle.

I picked this up from a member of my local club. Go to Wally-World and take a look at the retractable golf ball retreivers. The one I have extends to 10' and has a plastic ring on the end. I just cut a slit in the ring to slide the line through and you can reach down and shake it loose. Seems like I paid $12 for it. It fits right in the rod locker and you don't get the line attached to the knocker all tangled up when you are trying to use it.

Everytime I head over to BPS to buy a bottle of water, I pass so many convenience stores I seem to get sidetracked.

Check to see if your school uses Advisory Councils to help the instructors provide instruction that actually applies to the labor market. If so, try contacting the AC members and ask them for help. If they can't offer you a position, they may know someone who can.

Okay, thanks

Wow, this has been up for over two hours and read 14 times with no response - makes me think nobody really understands how this works.

Can someone please explain to me how AOY points are awarded? I am specifically asking about BASS, but is the process the same for FLW?

Yeah, you're right - this stuff does stink - JUST LIKE $$$$$$!!

One key here is that you have to have some fairly strong confidence that there are fish in the area before you employee this technique. It is not a search mechanism and just throwing a bait out there and letting it sit won't be the ticket every time. Study the seasonal patterns and the structure that you are working - just don't be afraid to slow down your presentation even to a "dead" stick once in a while to give the fish a chance to tell you what they want.

When you get done with all that - maybe you could bale it and sell it.

Not ever been up that far - but one of my favorite lakes in the Spring ia Browns down near Salix.

You can't go wrong with a lipless anything during this time.

I can't remember the exact years any of these guys were on - but we got our first television in about 1957 and it seems like I first started watching fishing shows in the early to mid 60's. Been watchin 'em ever since - just ask my wife

I remember Virgil - also used to watch Tom Mann's show when we could get it and watched just about all of Jerry McKinnis' shows. These guys were the pioneers.

What makes a jig a "finesse" jig? Is it just the size/weight? Or is there some other component to it?

A couple of years ago, I was fishing from the back of the boat with one of our club members in a tournament. We had pre-fished for two days and had found a good group of fish and even stuck a few. On tournament day, my boater broke out his supply of BPS hooks and started missing fish right and left. After several fish came unbuttoned, we talked and I took a look at his hook, the point looked like the end of a pencil - he switched back to gammy's and never missed another fish. Just an observation from the field.

The problem with those kind is that they don't grow up and move away.

How slow is "slow" - experiment with different trailers and you will see that some will make your jig more boyant than others. While you will hear a lot about fish biting on the fall (and this is true) you will find more fish will hit your jig when you are jigging it. So don't be afrad to let it hit bottom.

Last year I picked up an extendable golf ball retriever at Wal-Mart for about $10 - it extends out to about 12" - I cut a slit in the circle at the end to go over my line and can reach down to shake the lure loose. Actually got this idea from another guy in my club, but it works.

When ever I hear somebody say that they catch almost all of their fish in, say 8' to 10' of water - my question always is - How much time did you spend fishing in water 15' or deeper? There are so many variables that can affect where bass are holding - water clarity is only one of them, but it is one of them. There are lots of other things you have to consider as well.