WaterWalker

I fish senkos (or STIKO's) on 8-12 lb Trilene XL on spinning tackle when flipping/pitching to the edges of cover or into sparse cover. I fish clear western lakes, and a big fish is 5lbs on these lakes. I always make sure my drag is adjusted correctly and that my line is abrasion free. I've never lost a fish due to line breakage. Spinning tackle allows me to skips this bait 20-30 feet under under docks and pontoons, which is one of my best patterns during the summer. Spinning tackle and a loose drag also makes it more fun to fight the plethora of 12" smallies. If I was fishing Okeechobee or the Delta (big fish waters), I would not be tossing these on mono. I would use ski rope.

I've heard of using a jig as the weight on your carolina rig, thus providing two looks to the bass. In this instance however, I think this is probably a regular jig. It is probably designed for states where lead has been outlawed because of environmental concerns, or maybe it has been designed to provide the same bulk but a much slower fall. I wouldn't use a rubber jig for carolina riggining though. The rubber wouldn't be as sensitive as a lead/tungsten/brass sinker and it would be impossible to maintain a feel for bottom contact in water deeper than 8 or 10 foot. That's my best guestimate anyway.

11'3" KL Pro 120 with 5HP 4-stroke Briggs & Stratton and 46lb thrust Minnkota. It takes me 30 minutes to cruise from the ramp to the courtesy dock 20 yards away. >

If you're looking for a poly-ethylene hull boat, check out the KL Pro 120. I love mine. It is 11'3", has carpeted front and rear casting decks, a livewell, you can mount a foot control trolling motor, it has running lights, and it can be towed behind a 4 cylinder car. With trailer and gear, it weighs about 500 lbs. I would shy away from the Briggs & Stratton 5HP outboard that is offered as a package deal though. My dad is an outboard mechanic, so I know a little about engine maintenance and operation. Mine has been in the shop 3 times in a year. They only honored their warranty policy once. They have made some improvements in the motor, but they didn't issue a recall to replace what was wrong in the first place. There is a design flaw in the cowling that has been corrected, but originally the cowling would crack from pulling the crank start because there was no structural support around the area. Also the shift arm has seized on me twice. It was a pain to get them to honor my warranty. I expect Briggs & Stratton will do better in the future, as this was their first ever outboard offering. Maybe I just got a lemon. The boat is awesom though.

I love slow-rolling spinnerbaits in deep water (10-15 feet). I can't find compact spinnerbaits in the 3/4 to 1 oz variety that I prefer for ledge busting. Anyone know of any brands that make a compact 1 oz. spinnerbait that won't cost me more than $5? Also, I've had great luck with those $1 Wal-Mart specials. I especially love it when I can find a couple with the Oklahoma Blades. Anybody use braid for their spinnerbaiting? I would love the increase in sensitivity, but I worry about being able to work braid around wood cover.

#1 - SENKO (or imitator...can u say STIK-O?) 4 1/4" #2 - 3 7/8" Clown Colored Jerk Bait #3 - 3/16 oz. White w/ Red In-Line Spinner.... nobody uses In-Line Spinners anymore - when will someone win a tough finesse tournament with one of these and bring them back into the limelight? I hope never...he he he

I didn't get to catch the inaugural weekend, as I'm currently deployed to the middle east. But I bought my dad (also a ***atic) a new dvd/vcr combo for Christmas and some blank tapes and begged him to record it for me. Unfortunately, he didn't get around to hooking it up or recording it. AAGGGHH! There is a happy ending though. My girlfriend recorded it for me, without me even asking her. I think she is a keeper. I may not even need to try to cull her! LOL