tholmes

The Pro Max 3600 that I picked up at a yard sale last weekend for $5.00. Or, a 5500C on a 6'6" Fenwick rod that I pulled out of Wilson Lake many years ago. 8-) Tom

Nice catch! ;D Tom

Big congrats! Tom

I've had good success on Stripers/Hybrids (Wiper) in tailraces using a soft plastic 6" Reaper from http://www.cachecustomlures.com/CCL%20pages/reaper.htm in the clear silver, silver shad or silver hologram colors on a 3/4 oz. arrowhead jig ( I pour the jigheads myself). I don't have much experience with sauger. I'll have to learn I guess, since one of the local lakes has been stocked with saugeye (hybrid of a sauger and a walleye). Like RW said, minnow-tipped jigs would be a good place to start.

That's a pretty cool little gadget! I use a Berkley digital scale that my neice gave me for Christmas last year. Tom

Thanks for all the info, guys! I knew I could count on y'all for some help. You know, I think I'll keep this one. It's easily the best baitcaaster I own, way better than most of the antiques I'm using now! Tom

Not a LMB, but I caught a striper on a topwater popper that had a bat in it's mouth. How a bat ended up in the lake is anybody's guess. Tom

I agree. I recently started seriously fishing again after a 15 yr. hiatus from serious fishing (life kinda got in the way) and this site has been great for bringing me back up to speed on new techniques and gear. Without a doubt, this is the best fishing forum that I've found on the web. Thanks, guys! Tom

Hey all you reel experts! Can anyone tell me the specs (retrieve ratio etc.) on this old baitcaster? I picked one up at a yard sale over the weekend for $5.00. After a clean 'n' lube, it works like a charm. I also got a gallon-size Zip-Loc full of soft plastics for $2.00 and a bunch of crankbaits for a dollar each. A pretty good day. Thanks in advance! Tom

I just picked up some Strike King red-eye shad lipless cranks for $2.50 ea. They only had six, so I bought 'em all. I always hunt the clearance sales at the discount stores this time of year. There are bargains to be had, for sure. Tom

My favorite rain gear. Tom

Wow, Mann's Jelly Worms. Now there's a blast from the past. And they're making 'em again? JacobK - If memory serves me correctly (hey, it WAS the sixties ) I used the 6" and 8" sizes the most. Purple was my favorite color, but I also caught fish with the red, black and motor oil. Tom

^^ What he said. My tackle is stored in a shed without heat or A/C. The Kansas summers and wiinters don't hurt it a bit, and I DO have cheap equipment (relatively speaking). Just be sure that you store any spools of line in a dark place. Tom

Light lubrication a couple of times a year, thorough clean and lube once a year and professional service when needed. Rods get wiped down after every use and, like The_Natural, they all have a coat of a synthetic wax/sealant. I use a product called Liquid Glass. Tom

Tom

My own hand-tied bucktails in blue/black and brown/green with a black or green pumpkin trailer. I make them in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 oz. They're my favorite because they work. Tom

Buy lots of jigs. Fishing slow + fishing around brushpiles+light line = many lost jigs. Especially fishing from shore where you can't go get 'em. Use jigs with light wire hooks as many times, you can straighten the hook and save the jig. But then, if ya ain't losin' them, ya ain't fishing in the right place. Tom

Google says Cataouatche. Tom

+1^. I've got into the habit of setting my drag right after I tie on the first lure of the day. Tom

I used to have a lot of success trolling a Storm Big Mac in the blue herring pattern. Jigging spoons and large bucktails are productive at times as are big soft plastic shad-like lures. Casting a big ol' popper works well also. Especially pre-sunrise in the summer when the stripers chase shad up into shallow coves. Tom

White Perch were accidentally introduced into a reservoir near me. I've caught bunches of them on small jigs and spinners while fishing for White Bass or Crappie. They have become somewhat of a problem in the lake, so KDWP now prohibits the release of them and possession of live White perch. You catch 'em, they're yours. They are good table fare and a good fight on ultra-light gear. Tom

Thanks, Roger! I think I'll try to put some of these in the freezer before winter sets in. If they taste as good as walleye, I'll be happy Tom

Anyone here do any fishin' for Saugeye? A small local lake has been stocked with them for several years and among the folks that I've talked to, not many seem to be targeting these fish. Most don't know that they're in the lake at all. What's the best way to catch Saugeye? Similar baits and tactics to Walleye? Thanks in advance for your info! I'll be away for a few days, but I'll catch up next week. Tom

Whenever I go crappie fishing with the grandkids, I'll take a seine net down to the Arkansas River to catch minnows for bait. It's pretty easy to net up a hundred minnows. Tom

This thread http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1254166945 has some info on that tourney. 30.35 for a five-fish limit is just SICK. I wanna go there real bad! Tom