Koop

This would probably be better in the general section, might get a lot more input there. Try this for starters: http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/Reading_Maps.html and the related articles below it.

+1 and black on black buzzbaits

Went out tonight, caught a little dink LM on a senko. Was debating heading out when I met a new friend. Usually I fish solo since I moved to Wisconsin since I don't know anyone but met a guy also bass fishing and ended up staying... and its a GOOD thing! I caught my new PB and it was a smally. I thought I hooked the fish, well now I'M the one who is HOOKED! This bad boy weighed in at 4.1# caught on a black senko with a blue tipped tail at about 11PM.

yep that's pretty much the jist of it.

The Garcia rod would be great, but no telling when it will release, could be sept or oct be a bit rough without a crank / sb rod until then me thinks.

I've never fished without one, I asked a warden once what the fine was. In WI at least its about $180 bucks.

Friend of mine was using my berkley amp last night and broke it, he is paying to replace it and I was thinking about taking the money paying the difference and upgrading a bit or getting another amp as I do like it, just wanted thoughts on my set up. I currently have a 7' M/F Spinning, I use this set up for my jerk baits and finesse worms and a 7' MH/F St.Croix w/ Revo S (50# Fireline Braid) that I'm using for worms / jigs. Looking at getting something that will perform well with cranks / spinners and completement the two I have. Was thinking about the berkley shock 6' MH/F or the st.croix mojo bass 7' MH/M. Or something else? Not wanting to spend over $100-120 including the money he's repaying me. I have a BPS Pro Tournament series reel that will be mounted on it. Thoughts?

Absolutely, unless you can flip or pitch into them from where you are. Make the lowest trajectory cast you can with minimal splash. I complete my fan with minimal splash casts then I do it again with high splash casts. Sometimes having a worm hit the water with a big splash like it fell out of an overhanging tree will get you a reaction strike. Just make sure your using weedless rigs going through em.

facing the worm, basically if you cast at 12o'clock keep your body square to 12 o'clock where your worm is. The worst of my mistake habbits are cutting finesse retreives short, I'll find myself bouncing a worm along the bottom and either speed up my retreive to much or just reel in and cast somewhere else.

err sorry its not split shot I always get the two mixed up its called tandem. I will try to find an examble. Basically it works like a drop with a weighted worm working the bottom as long as its heavy enough to be used as the weight. You can also tie leader straight to a hook with a lighter weight on it that will flow a little higher and behind.

Sorry to hear that friend. Sounds like he was a great guy.

Yeah exactly what Bri depicted. There is no line, its a trailer hook attached to the main hook and flows behind (trials) in farther back in the skirt. There is also a split shot method, where you pretty much have one deeper bait (I use a t-rig worm) and a second rig attached a bit higher(I like it between 18-30" depending on water depth). This allows you to cover 2 depths.

I like P-Line CX or Floroclear

Glenn, where can the dye you mentioned me purchased? Also I'm guessing you make your own skirts with the lumaflex material you buy... how many skirts does a 1/4lb roll make?

A trailer is like a craw hooked onto a jig, or a double twister tail grub on a spinner. A trailer hook is a 2nd... well trailing hook that helps if the fish are hitting short.

Yeah it was on braid, I was using the Owner 3/O wide gap plus and I had a tungsten worm weight. Didn't have it plugged, I had forgot my tooth picks (what I usually use for a plug).

Very nicely done!

I got a garr on a DT10 and a little 14" northern on a husky jerk, though the northern had *2* jerkbaits in his lip, both fire tiger color. One of them had gone through his mouth entirely and he was unable to open it. Was lucky I was even able to land him as I didn't have a hook on him, he must have went for my jerk bait and I got hung up on a treble and a gill. Glad I caught him and was able to remove the lures or he wouldn't have survived very long.

That is disgusting... if that is real, he is dead.

The Lightning Shock and AMP are both solid performing rods. $30-50 rods that feel like they should have a price tag in the $150 range.

Welcome! There is a ton of info here, start by reading some articles. Your in a great area.

Good point burly... Was just thinking of some other night fishing things for him.

Oh no, definately not giving up on it, was just saying the braid backlash seemed harder to fix than other lines. Had a hell of a time picking it out and clearing it. It was bad enough to take the rod out of the line up for the day until I got home and spent time to clear it. Never had that kind of issue with normal line backlashes, but oh well. I may downsize the braid from 50# to 30# though and try to spool it tighter, I have a feeling that may have been an issue.

I cut up index cards and list the depth, brand, model # and color on it. Put them in the tacklebox with the lure.

get some black on black buzzbaits instead.