whoopbazz

I've been using it for 5 years now...mostly on spinning reels. I love it. I had 1 bad spool once. But, I may have been left over in my (hot) basement from the year before. I stripped it off the 2 reels and respooled (from a new spool) after my trip and never had another hiccup

St Croix Premier, BPS Extreme, or a Abu Garcia Vendetta. All very decent rods for around $100

I always used a trailer...I bought a whole bunch of BPS Cajun Trailers designed for spinnerbaits. I now I buy spinnerbaits with the "long tapered" skirts, that to me look like a plastic trailer. As far as a trialer hook...always unless the cover denotates otherwise. Some guys vary the hook pointing up or down depending on the amount of weeds or brush.

A Long time ago when people "made" there own bass boats, I was fishing with such a fella on a small electric motor lake. We were "cruising" across the lake, I leaned back in the rear elevated seat, and the darn bolts ripped out of the plywood floor. Since it was an eletric motor lake we did not wear life jackets. So hear I am a pole in my hand, sneakers, sweatshirts (it was October), trying to tread water. I yell throw me my life jacket ...throw me my life jacket. My partner sit there laughin at me. I screamed this ain't funny I'm F'n drownin' here. He yells back just stand up you moron! Here I am 100's of yards from the nearest bank, I try standing up...and it's only waist deep! Did I feel like a dufus. Like I said it's late October and I'm soaking wet. So I strip down naked, put my rainsuit on, he takes me back to his truck for 30 minutes of sitting in some heat, and got back out there and finished the day out....BRRRRRR!

I have a 6-6 MH and love it (although I've only caught a rock abss on it so far LOL). It is very sensitive, light, and comfy in my hand. It's paired with a Revo Premier. Too stiff for crankbaiting though I prefer softer rods for that.

These are all good ideas. I vary my retrieve when I start using any type of crankbait. Steady from a few casts, stop and go for a few, then back, etc. I do this until I find what the bass want. One thing you did not ask and no one mentioned, is setting a hook on a lipless crank. Back in the early 90's I drew a partner for a tourney (the partner that I actually hated), but he gave good advice that helped me fishing lipless baits. Don't set the hook! Here's why, pull a lipped crank though the water...feel the drag and resistance? Now do it with a lipless...minimal drag. You can actually pull the bait away from the fish before he has it good if you yank back on a hookset. Make sure your hooks are ultra sharp...use a very soft spongey pole, keep your rod tip down when fighting the fish (there are not many baits a fish can throw eaiser than a lipless crank on a jump), so keep the fish from jumping. And don't yank the rod until you 100% sure the fish has been hooked.

I weightless quite abit too. I don't find anymore gut hooked fish with our without weights. One thing that I have found, if the bass are feeding heavy and your bait imitates the forage very closely, they seem to inhale the bait very quickly and deeply. As if they are so very sure they're going to eat it. I buddy of mine found a pair of wire cutter that are about 10 or 11 inches long. He reaches down inside the fishes mouth and cuts the hook off right where it enter the fish's throat or meat. This usually leaves only the point/barb in the the fish. It dissolves quickly and doesn't hamper the fish.

Generally, there are tons of smallies on the off shore shoals. White spinnerbaits and shad crankbaits seemed to work the best last year. Had luck with chartruse cranks in the past too. Bring the baits right over the tops of the weeds. You may need to "fish around" the shoals to find the bass...sometimes they are right on top and other times on the deeper edges of them. The largemouth bite seems to allude me there.

The water temp thing is true. The way I know it is...a bass has "X" amount of days of growth. So up north a bass "hibernates" through the cold winter months. But a southern bass feeds and grows year round. A bass in Canada may feed and grow May through October (just for a compaison).

I just "broke one in" on Sunday. Only caught a rock bass on it (LOL little SOB hit a baby paca craw). It's paired with a premier Revo. So far very nice set up. It's a 6-6 MH XF. If I remember right.

Same here... we get a custom made jig head 1/16 oz with a 3/0 hook.

We allow it. The guest can put in for the lunker pool...since it is seperate from the tourney. Since our tourney's are team events...fishing alone can be a hindrerance. We encourage boaters to not fish alone as a safety factor. Our club is very unique in many ways...so a person who has had a bad experience fishing clubs or tourneys get a look at a good bunch of honest guys who fish competively, but don't let it come in the way of our friendship.

X2

I have a Premier...good rod. Love it. Mojo's are over rated. Never used one...just hear say from some users.

any watermellon variation junebug craw colored

Beat the snot out of mine for over 5 years...never skipped a beat!

If it were me, I'd let him know about the "laws" concerning the Mexico marriage thing. And let him know that you can't afford or will not fly to go to Mexico. But absolutely keep your feelings for his future wife to yourself. He is a grown man capable of making his own choices. And, asking a bunch of YAYHOOS from bass fishin board is not all that smart. LOL

Fishing in PA makes you a good angler. For the original poster...more info to help ya out.

The old thought was below 60 degrees use pork. It is more boyant and make the bait fall slower. The plastic craw with "wiggling" flippers gives off a lot of pressure waves in the water, which active fish like. I know guys will disagree, but this is what I was taught in the 80's and still do it.

No better brand than Red Wing. I'm sure they have a waterproof low top. Their version of goretex in RW dry I htink. You'll pay a pretty penny for a pair of shoes, but you'll thank me.

I skip underhanded or sidearm. For real low docks, branches, etc I get on my knees. It's not uncommon for me to fish hours on my knees if I'm on a lake with lots of docks.

All good points. I see you live in Jersey, is the ground sandy there? You need a very high clay content to hold the water. I would look for a fish farming book or articles on line. Maybe google catfish farm ponds or something. The slope of the banks and drain systems are critical for a healthy pond. I was a long time fish farmer so I know about designing ponds..but to put it all here on a post would be overkill.

The old wives tale...lake temp can never be warmer than the night time low. Seems to work until the dog days of summer.

My father and I have used for 15 years or more. mostly 6, 8, 10 lbs. We like it, it's cheap has good knot strength, and seems ver tough. It is stretchy though. We actually can pull a 19FT Ranger with 8 lb.

Big bass are "slobs". And when he bites... you, "Give him the business!"