tholmes

I updated about a week ago. once I get used to all the little changes, I think I'll like it a lot. Tom

Do you know me?? Tom

They all look great! The bluegill jerkbait is my favorite, though. Tom

Except if you're fishing from shore (or from a boat, for that matter) and there are overhanging trees or other obstacles. Then longer is a pain in the butt. I mostly use 6'6" BPS Micro-Lite for open areas, but I have a little 5' UL for tight quarters. Tom

Yep! I use Malwarebytes plus another free program called Advanced System Care. Both work well, but a lot of times one will pick up stuff that the other one missed. Tom

I had a devil of a time logging in too. I couldn't get it done at all over the weekend, but finally got it done this morning. I just chalk it up to "labor pains" while the new format is being born. It's all good now. Tom

If I were looking to catch multiple species on one lure, I'd have to go with an in-line spinner. Mepps, Panther Martin (my fave) or Rooster Tail in 1/16 to 1/4 oz. sizes. They'll catch anything that swims. Tom

I've caught bass on tiny little 1/32 oz.jigs, but the smallest lures that I target bass with are Rebel Wee Craws in the smallest size. I think they're 1-1/2" long and weigh 1/10 oz. Smallmouth will absolutely hammer 'em, if you can keep 'em away from the bull bluegills Tom

Yep! After you fillet them, there's a strip of red meat that needs to be removed, IMHO, to improve the flavor. Tom

I caught my first good bass on a Lazy Ike. Casting it along the deep edge of a weed bed and slowly retrieving it hooked me up with a chunky 3.5 pounder. In the right situation, I'm sure they would still catch bass. I may have to poke through the boxes of old tackle around here and see if I still have some around. Tom

Me! :D Tom

Congratulations! What a little beauty! Man, if those pictures don't just melt your heart, you ain't got one! Tom

Thanks for posting that, Bill! I caught a lot of fish on those a lot in their first incarnation, and I'm glad that they're bringing them back. Tom

Yep. Those are my favorite too. ;D These: http://www.barlowstackle.com/7-Inch-Ribbontail--P67.aspx are pretty good too, along with Power Bait ribbon tails. Tom

Wow, that right there is some poor quality control. While I've owned some really good Quantum spinning reels, my first Quantum baitcasater shot craps after exactly two fish. That, combined with Quantum's total lack of customer support, assured that it would be my last. Tom

This is so true. AS another geezer who learned baitcasting on a non-free spool reel, I think I can safely say that practice is THE MOST inportant element in learning to control backlash. As far as bearings, as long as the reel has at least two quality bearings, you'll be alright. I think a lot of people, especially beginners, think that a high bearing count = a high quality reel. It ain't necessarily so. A crap reel with a dozen crap bearings stuffed in it is still crap. Tom

#%*^@! > I just got an order from Cabela's last week. Now if I order more stuff, I'll have to pay shipping again.... Are you workin' for the Bait Monkey now? Seriously, thanks for the heads up! Tom

This.^^ If you gotta have a spincaster, the Goldcast is about as good as it gets. Tom

Sounds to me like you want what is essentially a keel-weighted broadhead with a hook attached. Not sure how you'd go about making one though. Also not sure if I'd want to try and yank it loose if it did hang up Tom

I've never had any problems either, and I've bought quite a bit of fishing stuff on e-bay. Only once did I "break the rules". I placed a $20 bid on a reel that was listed as "Abu Ambassadeur reel". The description said only "silver and black" and there were no pictures. The seller had 0 feedback, but, for some reason, I took a chance. I ended up winning the auction for my opening bid and,a few days later, I got a MINT condition 5500 C3 in the mail for a total outlay of $24.50! Tom

Grubs, maribou jigs, in-line spinners (Mepps, Rooster Tail, etc.) small kastmaster spoons, blade baits... all will work. White bass aren't picky eaters and they're great fun to catch in the rivers. Hit a lure like a freight train and fight like crazy, especially in current. I use a 6'6" BPS Micro-Lite rod and 4# line. Have fun! Tom

I like these: http://www.barlowstackle.com/4-Inch-Mag-Tail-Grub-P128C32.aspx The smoke/glitter and watermelon colors specifically. Tom

That's one of my favorites too, along with a lipless crank (I'm not really picky, SK RES, Rapala, Cordell spot or rattle-trap) in chrome w/blue back. These are the ones I'll try first. Tom

Great looking bluegill, and the gizzard shads are just killer! RE: Mudbugs. I've still got a few of them around. They slay smallies on gravel or rock bottoms. Only thing is, like every other Arbogast lure, they want better hooks. Tom

Cheers! Tom