senile1

I've been fishing Smithville for a few years now and, as Basspro05 states, don't expect a lot of numbers. It can be a tough lake to fish.

Photo sent. Ed/Senile1

You're thinking is a little off here. You want those boats running as fast as possible. Any of those large draft boats that are wallowing along at slow cruising speeds or slower are throwing a monsterous wake compared to when they're on plane. LOZ's problems are due to too many large drafted boats running at slower speeds throwing massive wakes in a lake that's not only narrow but also has relatively steep banks. The waves never dissipate when they hit shore but merely rebound back out into the lake crashing into inbound waves coming in. Before you know it you've got this churning hell pit of swells with no direction. Even large boats have to slow down in order to prevent passengers from getting tossed about the cabin. Hence, they throw even bigger waves and then you've got catch22. BTW, the key to running LOZ is NOT run along the shore. This is where some of the worst of the wave crashing is happening at. Stay out about 500 feet or so. This is true and I thought about this after I made the post. The solution for LOZ is to limit the size of the boats allowed on the lake.

I don't know which way I would fall on this, but on smaller lakes even 50 mph could be pushing it. It could be an idea for study. While I agree with George about the alcohol problem, fast-moving cigar boats and large boats have swamped other boats on Lake of the Ozarks and people have died. Here's a sample of the many reports of swampings that occur due to high waves on the lake. http://www.mswp.dps.mo.gov/News/NRDetail.asp?District=2&offset=320&ID=N07030054 This was a 31 foot boat that was swamped.

I think fourbizzle has some Powell rods also. I don't know if he has compared them with the Avid.

Price is the same. The Powell 683c baitcasting rod is lighter and more sensitive. I also have a Powell 703MEF spinning rod and it is similar to the baitcaster in sensitivity and lightness. These are my opinions only, but I think if you can get your hands on both rods, you will notice the difference as well. Having said this, the Avid is a great rod in its price range. I just like the Powell better.

I beg to differ, my friend. It gets really messy when the temp. outside hits about 95. I had a tube practically explode on me this weekend. I still like mega-strike, but my al time favorite is carolina lunker sauce. I have also been impressed with jack's juice, ecxept the spray goes everywhere. Of course, the bottle of CLS I had broke somehow, so my storage locker reeked of garlic for a week. But I refuse to throw a plastic worm without some kind of goop on it- it's a confidence thing. As long as I keep my Mega Strike in the shade there are no problems with it. I use it to mask smells on my hands and to, hopefully, cause the bass to hold unscented plastics a bit longer, but like others, I am skeptical about its value beyond these applications.

Just don't build it in an Iowa cornfield.

I have to admit that Avid has a good point. Silence is truly golden on the water. However, a small bass boat with a trolling motor is pretty darn silent on a small lake, yet it allows you to navigate bigger waters if necessary. The best of both worlds is to own, both a bass boat, and a smaller vessel.

The phone solicitors are just doing their job, and at a pittance. BASS hired them so you could yell at them, not BASS. Many "great" organizations do this. I've never received a call from BASS to renew my membership.

IMO, I would buy the bigger boat and motor as long as I could afford it. You will take a trip now and then, whether for vacation or whatever, and the big motor will come in handy then. For the times when you are at home, use the trolling motor. The extra weight of the bigger rig may cost you a little more in gas money but if these lakes are close to your home this shouldn't be excruciating. Again, what you can afford, or what you believe justifies having the bigger boat are the limiting factors.

KVD's name has been associated with Strike King Pro-model tubes and spinnerbaits for awhile now. I think any company that can get his name on their product is going to jump at the chance.

Power Pro is durable and has a very thin diameter for its tested strength. It casts with ease. With use, I get some fraying with Power Pro. Sufix Performance Braid has all of the qualities of Power Pro but I have never had any fraying with it, so it is my favorite braid at this time. I'm not aware of any low vis braids, except for the new Fireline Crystal that you asked about. I use braid in heavy cover so low visibility isn't an issue. When I am fishing light cover or clear water and need low visibility I use fluorocarbon or a copolymer line such as Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft.

Wow, Deb, you make me feel like a failure. I hit three shops when I was in San Jose, and I've hit three here at home, but I came up with only a few items. LBH, these will be in the mail tomorrow from Edwin in Kansas City.

I would be more worried about locating bass first which is the most important aspect of finding a pattern. Usually, there is more than one pattern that will bring fish to the boat. Of course, some will be better than others, but this is where the fun comes in. You have to figure that out. On days where the fish are inactive, you may try a number of patterns and have little success. That's the way it is sometimes. Find the fish by basing your search on the seasonal pattern, the weather, available cover, and using your electronics. If you don't see fish or bait on your fish-finder, that's where you have to try different search baits casting to locations where your knowledge tells you they should be at for this time of year. If you don't catch fish, learn from the experience. Sorry, I don't have a general pattern for you, though I'm sure we all have three or four patterns per season that we have the most success with.

This book is $13.22 on Amazon.com. Buy over 25 dollars worth of goods and you'll get free shipping, I think.

On another note, I'm very concerned about my fish per turn of the reel handle ratio.

There was also another thread on this site about this subject, but it didn't draw too many responses. http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1181164935

Playing the devil's advocate with the responses so far . . . . . Oh, I don't know. People compete in many events that are based on speed and those who are back in the pack still complete the events. It's about competing with oneself and finishing. Those who finish way back in a marathon, the Iditarod, the Paris-Dakar race, etc. don't quit and many don't make a dime. Of course, these are events where it is a major accomplishment to finish, so this isn't comparing apples to apples. But even in races where little is at stake, people don't just quit. Looking at the other side (and how I really feel) . . . . I wouldn't quit if I was out of the money, but I wouldn't make a habit of spending registration fees on a tournament where I could be knocked out of placing in the money so quickly. In current tournament formats, there is a chance to place or win until the very end.

Welcome. . . . . and no apology necessary. Some people are more comfortable introducing themselves and some just want to jump right in. Good luck with the boat.

LBH, I looked up some bait and tackle shops in the yellow pages last night for San Jose. They are few and far between. I hit one at lunch today called Reed's Sport Shop but all they had were some stickers for Izorline. This looks like a line that is used for saltwater fishing but I'm not sure. I picked them up anyway, though I know the preferred sticker is for the baitshops. I have two more places picked out to hit before I return to KC. I'll hit the shops at home and then send them all to you.

Catt, it may be that you and I have been around too long, and that makes us less impressionable. I'm not referring to angler-age, I'm referring to total years of angling exposure. The senko was not an overnight success, it took fishermen several years to adjust to the proper method of fishing a stick worm. In my opinion, the "unweighted, do-nothing delivery" is far more revolutionary than the senko itself. Today, the same unweighted, do-nothing delivery is applied to a myriad of soft-plastics which work just as well or better. Henry Ford invented the automobile, but progress is a great thing, because today we have "KNOCKOFFS' like Lamborghini and Ferrari. I throw a handpoured Paddletail Worm" and when it's fished unweighted on a slack line, the senko looks arthritic by comparison Roger I've caught a lot bass on senkos and senko type worms, but I believe, as stated by Rolo, that the delivery is the revolutionary characteristic of fishing these baits. The angler, the bass in your area, and the characteristics of the lake itself all determine whether a bait is fantastic. I catch as many fish on spinnerbaits as I do senkos, and the size of those fish are comparable, yet there are many anglers who hate spinnerbaits. A few decades ago, spinnerbaits were considered revolutionary and they are still used by a large number of anglers. Maybe longevity, as well, should be weighed when determining the excellence of baits.

A few months back, I received a marketing letter in the mail which attempted to convince me to buy one of these rods. Some others on this forum received this letter also. I was skeptical of the claims made in the letter, due to the price of the rod (very cheap) and due to the method used to market it. If these rods are exceptional quality as the manufacturer claims, I would give a couple of free ones to Tackletour.com or some professional bass anglers and have them work these out for me. If these are quality rods, the word of mouth from these sources would sell more rods than the letter that was sent out. So I haven't tried the rods. I hope my skepticism is ill-founded. Bluebonnet2, let us know how these work out.

I've figured it out with my Dick Tracy decoder ring. The secret is . . . . . . "Hook the fish."

That's great Muddy. I haven't met you or Avid but you both seem like great people. Now get your tail down to Florida and catch one of those Florida hawgs!