tholmes

Mine too! It's one of the four colors I've settled on as the most productive, along with Tequila Sunrise/Red Shad, Watermelon w/ red flake and basic black. Tom

X3 on the Trilene Big Game. I've been using it for many years with no complaints. Tom

I concur! Tom

I use mono for all of them. Somewhere between 4 lb. and 20 lb., depending on technique. Tom

For me, they're both. If it catches fish consistently year 'round, It's gonna be one of my favorite lures. Tom

If the weeds aren't too thick, try a Johnson Silver Minnow spoon with some kind of trailer. Tom

Same here. Always with a ball bearing swivel, never a snap swivel. The snap picks up too much junk. Tom

I'm another non-boating member here. I've owned boats in the past, but due to some physical issues, I can no longer deal with using a boat. Does that make me a "second class" fisherman? In some peoples eyes, probably so, but the pleasure I find in fishing isn't defined by someone else opinions. I still fish regularly and treasure every minute spent fishing as much as anyone and catch enough fish to keep me going back. Would it be nice to have a big ol' glitter barge with a 300 hp belchfire motor and electronics that would put the space station to shame? Sure, but you don't need them to catch fish or to have a great day fishing. So, welcome to Bass Resource, get out there and have fun, and post often! Tom

97 right now, 102 yesterday and over 100 Sat. and Sun. NWS says high 90s tomorrow and Thursday, then about 10 degrees cooler over the weekend. Tom

Welcome to Bass Resource! Your line is 20 lb. test but the same diameter as 6 lb. mono. As far as $50 rods, check out the Abu Garia Vengence (my first choice in this price range), Berkeley Lightning rod or Bass Pro's graphite series. You'll probably want a 6'6" of 7' medium action rod for throwing crankbaits. Go to a well-stocked store and try several different rods with your reel on them and see how they feel in your hands. Good luck! Tom

I've bought several used reels on ebay. Admittedly, I've been lucky, as I've never gotten badly burned. I bought an ABU 5500C3 from a seller with zero feedback, there were no pictures in the auction and the only description was "5500c3, silver and black." I put in a lowball bid, figuring there weren't gonna be very many other bidders and won the auction for $15. The reel I received was in perfect condition, I was hard pressed to tell if it had ever been used. I haven't always been so lucky, a few reels have been very dirty and some needed minor repairs, but all have easily worth worth what I paid. Buying a used reel on ebay is always going to have an element of risk but there's a chance of reward too. Tom

Yep! There are any number of knots that will work just fine. I use the old Improved Clinch for darn near everything because I've been tying it for nearly 50 years and can tie it fast, in the dark, etc. without thinking about it. Tom

Abu Vendetta, 7' MH with an Abu Record 50, 20lb. Big Game. Tom

Culprit Fat Max and Zoom Ol' Monster, T-rigged on a 5/0 EWG with a 3/16 oz. pegged weight. Tom

Yep, that's a drum. They're lots of fun to catch, they fight hard, just not much stamina. Some folks say they're good eating, but I've never tried them. Tom

For channel cats,a gob of something disgusting on a treble hook fished on the bottom on a slip sinker rig ought to do the trick. Chicken liver, shad guts, etc. They're not picky eaters. If you want something cleaner or if you've got little kids with you, try worms or chunks of hot dog.

New Belgium's 1554 black lager has been doin' it for me lately. I like several of their brews, Fat Tire Amber Ale, Triple, and Ranger IPA. There's another Fort Collins brewery, Odell Brewing. Their 90 Shilling Ale is superb. Tom

1. Inline spinner, preferably a Panther Martin. 2. Curl tail grub on a jig head. 3. Silver buddy style blade bait. Tom

A new handle would typically be around $15, plus or minus a few $$. If it were me, I'd go ahead and fix the old reel if it's in good shape otherwise. But then, an excuse to buy a new reel doesn't come along everyday Tom

I had a couple of those and they drove me bat ***** crazy. Who thinks this stuff up? A couple of seconds with a Dremel tool and a sanding drum fixed 'em right up. Just round the corners off and it works like it's supposed to. Tom

What brand of reel is it? Sometimes it's easier to just get a whole new handle assembly from the manufacturer or find a used "donor" reel on ebay. Tom

I've been using my homemade bucktails for years, especially for smallmouth. I've also caught Largemouth, stripers, white bass and walleye on them I make them in sizes from 1/8 oz. to 1 oz. I pour my own jigheads, but you could buy jigheads to get started and see if jig tying is something you want to pursue. You can get everything you'll need from Jann's Netcraft, Cabela's and other places. Besides jigheads, you'll need a fly tying vise, bucktails, thread, ( I use size D rod wrapping thread), a bobbin, head cement, etc.You can tie up a hundred bucks in pretty short order, but it's an enjoyable way to spend time when you can't be out fishing. Have fun! Tom

Same here, and I never use a snap or swivel on a crankbait. Tom

Rolling Stones, The Who, CSN&Y, Jethro Tull, Allman Brothers, Jefferson Airplane (the early stuff), The Beatles, The Kinks, James Gang, Eagles, Pure Prairie League, Grateful Dead, The Byrds, Bonnie Raitt, Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Ten Years After, Sturgill Simpson, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, David Allen Coe, Kris Kristofferson. And that's just a start. Tom

The first thing you need for a good hookset is a needle-sharp hook. Tom