Fishes in trees

If I find a lure or a color of a lure that is working, I'll get a spare 5 or 6 bags asap. If I find it on sale, that is nice, but that really doesn't figure into the purchasing decision. I'm addicted to buying fishing tackle and I know it. If I think it is the shape and action of the lure rather than the exact color, I'll buy several similar (or dissimilar) colors just to make sure. Every day I go without buying fishing tackle is a boon to my wallet. I've went as long as 3 or 4 weeks in the past without buying fishing tackle. I think my all time record is around a month and a half. What really bugs me is when I buy a bait on a whim, it stays in the boat for a while, and a year or so later I have a good day on it, and now there is no way, without going to a lot of trouble, that I'm going to get more of that bait. Case in point, several years ago, I went to West Point Lake, in Gerogia/Alabama, for a BFL Wild Card Regional. I bought 9 or 10 bags of a local, hand pour, senko imitation. Didn't use them during the tournament, wasn't really a senko kind of day. A couple of years later, these baits are still in the boat, I'm experimenting with texas rigged drop shot baits and I put one of these on, more for the thicker texture than anything else. Boom, fish on - over and over again. I go through a couple of bags. Now, I have to ration these baits, I don't see myself driving to West Point Lake anytime soon. I don't think there is a moral to this story, other than if you think a bait is going to catch a lot of fish for you, buy lots of them.

I think it will work, but I think you've got better options. Me, I think casting distance has a lot to do with jerkbait success. I use 14 lb fireline crystal with a fluorocarbon leader. Leader starts at about 3 feet, and I'll tie and retie until it gets to somewhat less than 2 feet, at which point I'll start over. Most of the time, I'll use 12 or 15 lb fluorocarbon leader material I get in the fly rod section of BPS or Cabelas. I'll use a wide spool spinning reel and a med or med/lt 6 1/2 foot spinning rod. I can go 80 to 100 feet or so without much casting effort with this rig. Farther if you're throwing with the wind. Once you've got your pointer down, (4 feet or so) you leave some slack in your line. The Fireline crystal really stands out against the water and it works like a strike indicator on a fly line. You will see the strike sooner than you will feel it and hook ups are close to 100%. After a number of years experimenting, this is the system I've gotten comfortable with. If you go to the In-fisherman magazine website and research their archives for jerkbait techniques, there are articles there that explain this system much better than I'm doing now.

Buy lots and lots of Plano boxes and you can sort them by colors, size, brand, function, whatever. Trailers get sorted into various zip-lock freezer bags, and for the most part stay in their original packaging.

You're going to be putting stuff into these boxes that has to stay dry, right? Don't use watertight boxes to store used lures. They do a great job of keeping all residual moisture in. Unless you want to "pre-rust" your hooks and other terminal tackle, you don't want that. Take my word for it on this one.

Try going old school. Try Uncle Josh pork baits. Try a #11 pork chunk or a split tail eel or a twin tail.

I just got off the phone with Academy Sports at 4:45 my time. Calcutta 200 TEGT at $138 and change. According to several different voices on the phone, they are totally not available on line. There were none available at the Springfield, MO. store (the only Academy store within reasonable driving distance). It was in-store only. The store in Plano, Texas had a few. A store in South Carolina had a few. They absolutely, positively, wouldn't accept over the phone orders. I tried asking in several different ways. I asked to talk to supervisors. Finally the voice on the phone had to ask me, "What part of IN STORE ONLY don't you get?" Bummer. One of the finest Shimano reels I've ever played with, at an astounding price. I've got a few of these reels, and they are my absolute favorites. I was all set to buy half a dozen of these reels or more, if they had them. If you live anywhere near these two stores that have this reel at that advertised price, go buy it right now. You won't regret it. They last forever. Like all the other Calcutta reels, they are built like tanks, only this model has 11 ball bearings. I'm really bummed that I couldn't score any.

I think that rod is ok for throwing square bills. I think that the new Curado will solve the distance problem for the most part. One thing with square bills, for me, I don't see enough difference in strikes to justify throwing a smaller square bill most of the time. I stick with a 1/2 ounce Timber Tiger DC8 on 14 or 17 lb test and distance isn't an issue. Most of the other square bills I experiment with are also in that 1/2 ounce range. Should you want to solve the square bill distance problem forever, go for a stronger reel upgrade and get a Calcutta 200 TEGT. With the 11 ball bearings you'll have to re-educate your thumb, but that reel is built like a tank and will last forever.

Boats are holes in the water that you pour money into. That's the way it is - get over it. Besides, if you're addicted to fishing, the way most of us in this neighborhood seem to be, what's your option? What else are you going to spend your money on? One of the charms of fishing is that you can spend as little or as much as you want, go as hi-tech or as low-tech as you want. Either way, the primary tool for fishing success is the grey matter between your ears. Good luck with your new boat. Boats are alot of fun. I have nearly as much fun playing with my boat as I do fishing out of it.

Option #1 would be on a 3/16 Brewer Spider slider head - on 4 or 6 lb fluorocarbon line. Option #2 for me would be any other shakey head 3/16 or 1/4 on 8 lb fluorocarn. I might fish it on a light drop shot rig, but I think there are better options than a 4" straight tail worm on the drop shot rig

That 300 size is a great crankbait reel. I wish I had one. It will handle 3/8 ounce cranks and up. I wouldn't count on much distance if you're throwing something like a balsa Shad Rap. Put some 10 lb line on it and with that line capacity you'll be able to break off a dozen times or more before you'll have to respool.. Put some 17 or so on it and you've got a great square bill reel. I'd take it off your hands, but I'm a lefty and I don't do left hand crank reels.

Mine came a couple of days ago. I really need to get a few more. One for my desk at work, one next to the recliner and one for the porcelain throne. Maybe another one for the shop. It is so stressful having to transport literature from one area of business to another.

Light drop shot baits or bubba sized? I had a few days last year where I got good results on the Power Bait crazy legs chigger craw and on the Gulp sinking minnow. Both in a green pumpkin color. One caveat with the sinking minnow, be committed to it for a while, because as soon as you set it down on the deck it shrivels up and is worthless 5 minutes later.

I have patience issues waiting for regular 1/4 and 3/8 ounce jigs to fall. I don't think I could stand fishing a weightless jig. That could drive me even more nuts than I already am.

Please don't get me started. Oops, now you've done it. Using the word "wisdom " and Homer Circle in the same sentence is an oxymoron. Homer Circle is a geezer who has made a career of recycling half truths and folk lore of fishing and passing it off as fishing facts. Don't get me wrong. I find him occasionally mildly entertaining. Anytime any one can make a career out of peddling homespun hocum, I respect that, kinda, in the way that most guys appreciate a good scam. He may pass off an occasional nugget of genuine fishing information, from time to time. A blind sow, rooting around the feedlot, will occasionally find an acorn. I just wouldn't put him in the class of outdoor writers focused on communicating genuine fishing information.

If you're more concerned about function than looks, you could experiment with different sizes of washers and duct tape until you get a balance you like. Just a thought. They make different colors of duct tape.

Aren't Strahms a fiberglass boat? I didn't know you could paint a fiberglass boat. If I could repaint my boat, I'd go with some grey/white/black/ olive urban camo type pattern. Then I'd install some loud, rude, casino type carpet. That should pretty much guarantee that no one would ever consider stealing my boat.

I used to be able to get into the forums at work, but I haven't been able to this past week. I don't know what's up.

If you live in northern MO and fish Smithville and Monzingo, BPS should be your second stop. Make your first stop Rogers Lures in Liberty. They know local and regional conditions as well as anyone. (You're unlikely to find this at the Olathe or Independence BPS) Talk to any of the sales help there, talk about where you're at with your fishing, what you want to get better at. They can hook you up. My experiences with questioning BPS sales staff is that no matter what the question, you'll get a rote and simplistic answer. I shop BPS (and Cabelas in KCK) when I'm looking for something that Rogers doesn't carry.

Timber Tiger crankbaits come through wood and brush cover better than any other crank.

When All Star was an independent rod company, they were great rods. They were very sensitive. Made in USA - Lifetime Warranty - Competitive pricing - best return policy in the industry, what's not to like. I still fish my 6'6" All Star WR1 and my 6'10" All Star SJ1 quite a bit. At one point, all of my tournament rods, and the majority of my other rods were All Stars. Fast forward to several years ago, Shakespeare bought the brand, rods were made overseas (not that I have any issue with that, many of the rods I like to fish with were made overseas). They refused to honor the previous lifetime warranties unless you jumped through alot of hoops. (Do you know anyone who still has the sales slip from a 5 year old rod?) Anyway their current return policy sucks, the customer service reps you talk to on the phone are snarky and not very knowledgeable. I wouldn't buy another All Star rod on a bet. All this being said, bottom line is you're looking at getting a $50 rod. With a $50 rod, you get what you pay for. Some of them last a long time, others don't. All I know is I've had several bad experiences with All Star (aka Shakespears) customer service and I won't deal with them in the future - ever.

The short answer is: Yes,different spinnerbaits are different.

I flip so rarely, that switch isn't even a consideration when I look at reels to get. I might have a reel with a flippin switch among my old, retired reels, but I don't think I've got one in the 20 or so reels that are in the regular rotation. Now pitching, that's a different story. I use a Calcutta TEGT with the 11 ball bearings. With that reel 14 to 20 lb fluorocarbon and a 3/8 or 1/2 ounce weight, I feel like my pitching range is unlimited. 20 to 40 feet is easy and I can hit 60 if I feel like it.

I hadn't given much thought to getting one of these. Then I went to the web site mentioned. Four bills and change is some money, but it isn't an outrageous amount of money. I've spent four bills and change on dumber stuff before. I've spent four bills and change on new suits quite a few times, and I don't think I had as much fun as I'd have messing around with a new hydrowave toy. Huh, I've almost talked myself into buying one. Perhaps sometime in the spring.

Some time every winter, Walmart puts the plastic show boxes ( the ones with a hinged lid, so you can't lose it) on sale for around a buck a box. The next time that happens, drop a twenty or two on plastic boxes and your soft plastic storage issues are resolved. While you are there, remember to get a few packs of gallon and quart sized zip lock freezer bags. Sooner or later the original packaging of your soft plastics will rot, so you might as well be ready. Also, remember when you do this, sooner or later, you are going to need some more shelves. Rest assured that Walmart will have shelving on sale too, at some point. Home Depot occasionally has some great deals on heavy duty shelving. Don't set up your shelving in such as way so as to restrict access to your beer cooler or stereo. That's all for now, I've got to get ready to go to work.

Cool. One good thing about winter coming on is we get all these threads about tackle organization. All tackle organization is temporary. It lasts for a while, then you start using it and things get moved from box to box and after a while you have tackle chaos again. Spare tackle organization is another thing. I keep nearly all of my stuff in an unheated out building, so mouse proofing is a concern. All soft plastics are kept in some sort of hard plastic box. Hard baits are sorted by type and kept in plastic boxes. Recently I've been sorting different boxes in to clear plastic totes, mostly as an anti-dust measure. Sometime in December or January, I'll get all the gear out of my boat and put it in totes for over the winter storage. That's when I'll check all the tools, safety equipment and so forth, stuff that should stay in the boat all the time. I am frequently amazed at how sockets and nut drivers, that are only in the boat because they fit a certain specific nut, get misplaced. The bait monkey has a cousin who specializes in tools and hardware. Anyway, I think these tackle organizing threads are cool, mostly because I never get completely done and it is never completely right.