KingBass

I flat out love split grips! Pros: They're more sensitive lighter looks better Cons: They can be a bit tip heavy.

http://www.another site/fishing-videos/drop-shot-fishing/ Check this video out! Notice in the pic of him holding a drop shot, he's using a casting combo! I use my worm rod for heavy drop shots. 1/4 oz weight, 30lb or more braid, MH rod, and a 6.2:1 or higher CASTING reel. Use a small wide gap hook, and a trick worm or curly tail worm 6" or more! Fish it a little fast too! Also instead of using a drop shot weight, use a brass or tungsten weight with a glass bead on the bottom. . . . . . hook/plastic . . . . . . . . . brass weight glass bead.

Cool congrats on the new rod! What abu rod was it? They've only got two that I know of. I just got my first "high end" rod not to long ago, Cabelas XML (made by daiwa) super sensitive light and well balanced, it was also my first split grip rod.. I freaking love them! Gonna get my first high end reel here pretty soon, either an Abu STX, or daiwa HSTA.... I think the HSTA!

Pay bad for all them wuppuns I guess! nice bass she's got there!

I'd try idling around the pond looking for deeper channels, humps and points. Try finding ones that has something different. A brush pile, rock pile, hydrilla, or even current! Once you find these, mark them on your GPS or use one of the buoy things (I forget what they're called ). Once you find them, try drop shotting, Jigs, c-rigs, or t-rigs there, I'd also give a deep diving crank bait a good run over. If that don't work, I'd pitch to isolated lilly pad clumps with a lizard, worm, or jig (preferably the lizard). Also try a spinnerbait bait, or frog over the pads, slow it down a little when you come to a pocket. Hook 'em hard!

Ya, there should be bigger bass there too! I'm not sure how many, but they should be there! One pond I fish has lots of small bass, most of them outa there are not much bigger than 12 inches, but I've pulled a 6lber, and a 3lber out there in the past. And how to fish the weeds, it really depends what kind of weeds. If it's hydrilla or something like it, it is probably taken over. The stuff can be pretty hard to fish at first, but after you figure it out, it can hold has so good fishing! In the spring time, after it's died off from the winter, I love throwing a spinnerbait or chatterbait over top of them submerged stuff. You can also try a 1/4oz or less lipless crank bait over it and ripping it out of it when it gets a little bait. Or a shallow diver like some thing like a baby mann's -1. In the summer, when it gets thicker and matted, I like throwing a hollow body frog over it. I also like to finesse it around there too! weightless worm like trick worms, senkos, and the like worked around and in the stuff with a spinning reel equipped with 20lb braid. This works summer or spring. <<< That bass in my avatar was caught in a lake that had thick matted hydrilla through out. Have fun fishing, hook 'em hard!

Owner screw locks are great! But if you wanna just use a regular hook that you already have, just use an EWG 4/0 - 5/0 from Gamakatsu, or Owner. Just make sure what ever hook you use, make sure it's wide gap or EWG. Otherwise if you use a J hook or off set, you won't have the gap for the plastic to bend of in, there fore giving you a crappy hook set!

I stock up on big worms! Rage tail anaconda and gander mt. 1o" worms! I also break out the big spinnerbait and crankbaits! Edit I don't really have to deal with following the bait as much as you guys.I fish mostly man mad ponds, so the bait could pretty much be anywhere!

How did you tighten down the knot? Were you holding the rod near the tip when you did it?

Get a Pflueger Presidents or higher! My brother has one and loves it, I've also use it it really is great! You can't really go wrong with Pflueger spinning reels! But the Shimano is Sahara is also a good reel, I've got an older fishing buddy that love them!

I love how the new revo premier looks!

When I'm punching mats with jigs, I try to get a jig that has a bulky look to it, and a loud rattle! By bulky I mean that the skirt flares out lots, check out this video. http://www.thunderstruckjigs.com/videos.html. I've become very fond of SK pro model jigs! I love the rattles in there! I also will add a rattle to my chunk I like SK 3X, or rage chunk. My go to color is solid black, or brown. I just don't seem to catch anything on black an blue? :-? make sure you use a jig over 1/2, 3/4 or more is better though, just makes it some much easier! Also try an Okeechobee, they're made for punching mats!