BucketBuster

x2 You can get great deals on great reels in the flea market.

Also, depending on what location and guide service you recommend, could you also include what type of presentations, techniques, and colors I should use while I'm down there?

I know, it's funny. The old lady just doesn't understand what the hell I'm doing in freezing temps casting a jig in the snow. Sometimes I wonder myself, but I have to get my fix somehow in the winter.

We will be staying in Plant City.

Nope. I have to do it outside because of annoying animals. Also, I set keg cups in the snow to help give me pin-point accuracy from different angles.

I use the Under Armour fleece gloves. They are warm, dry, and everything else you are looking for in a glove. They are the same ones KVD was using during the Classic, although he did copy off of me because I do believe I had them first. They'll run you around $30 or so and you can get them at almost any sporting goods store.

Chrome Sexy Shad color during the summer and fall. Gold w/ black back and I think it's called the Metallic Tennessee Shad early in the year. Also, for stained water with low clarity levels, I like to use the Red Craw Chartreuse.

I'm not sure exactly what city. It's the other side of the family and I've never been down there. I will let you know as soon as I find out. Also, a little off topic, but would you happen to know what MLB baseball teams do their spring training down there so I can catch a ball game as well?

I'll be visiting family in Tampa in late March and was wondering if anyone could recommend a guide service? Would my best bet in terms of location be somewhere on the Kissimmee Chain or is there something closer that I missed on the map? I prefer something as close to Tampa as possible because I will have the old lady with me and she isn't too thrilled about having to wake up before the sun rises while on vacation. She enjoys bass fishing, so I guess I can't complain too much. Thanks for your help!

Completely agree with Capt. Obvious and CRFisher. I recommend buying the Lake Fork Magic Shad swimbait hooks to go with them. I had a much better hook up ratio using those hooks compared to other high quality swimbait hooks. Also, I have had the most success using it like a jerkbait on summer mornings when the sun is coming up.

x2

Yes, I sleep very well. I take a night time sleep aid/supplement called melatonin. I take about 3 to 6mg of it almost every night. It calms my nerves and gives me a great quality sleep w/o the hangover of an Ambien or another sleep aid. I actually started taking it to help me sleep before tournaments and learned about it while in school, but now it helps me have a quality sleep so I'm fresh the next day. You already have the hormone melatonin in your body which controls your sleep cycles and the tablet promotes healthier sleep patterns. Doctors use melatonin to help people with insomnia or if you just have problems sleeping. You can buy it over the counter in your local grocery or drugstore at a very affordable price. I paid $6 for 120 tablets. The only side effect I get from it is very vivid dreams, but I did get an upset stomach when I first started taking it, but I drank a glass of milk w/ it and since then, that has subsided. Also, melatonin may effect changes in blood vessels that may affect blood flow, so if you have problems w/ that, contact your doctor. It will make you feel sleepy, so don't operate heavy machinery, drive a car, etc. Be sure to check out the link below to become more educated on melatonin and see if it's right for you because it has helped me out tremendously; even in my everyday life. http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/melatonin-overview

I was thinking about buying one for flipping as well, but I am torn between the 7'6" H, Fast tip or 7'3" H, XF tip. What will make the bigger difference, 3 inches or the action of the tip?

You can show that something is on sale on-line and get the discount in the store? How does this process work?

I actually use one of those little plactic storage bins that you can buy at Walmart or Target. My soft plastics fit perfectly in it, and I am able to keep the plastics in the original bags. Also, I use dividers to seperate curly tail worms, finesse worms, craws, tubes, etc and it doesn't take up much space and fits everything pefectly.

I have used the Berkley Manic Shad, but haven't used the scrounger. For some reason, I haven't had much success on lakes with the Manic Shad (only small ones), but have slayed some quality fish in creeks off of the Ohio River. I don't understand why I can't catch keepers on a lake, but I can catch fatties with it on the mighty Ohio. However, it is fun to fish with because even the small ones have absolutley NAILED it. I second the brilliance of the sweet beaver with the scrounger. That is an excellent idea.

I like to use the Lake Fork Magic Shad Swimbaits. Around my hometown of Cincinnati the shad in the lakes resemble these so much, and the action of the magic shad is impressive. You can use them a number of different ways like, but I have had the most success using them like a jerkbait. Lake Fork also produces the proper hooks to go with them and in my opinion are a must own if you buy these baits. My hook up ratio increased alot once I found out that Lake Fork sold hooks to go with the magic shad. They don't look as sexy as some of the other swimbaits out there, but they have worked better for me than the other mainstream swimbaits I have used.

First, I use either the Booyah Boo Jigs or any of the Strike King Jigs. For a trailer, I always use the Berkley Chigger Craws in either 3" or 4" depending on the size of the jig. As for color, I keep it simple by using a green pumpkin or watermelon jig matched with green pumpkin or watermelon craw and same goes for black and blue. When using the jig, I use green when the water is fairly clear (like at least 4ft. visibilty) and black/blue when it is murky or I'm fishing deep. Also, when you are flipping the jig, always pay attention to your line, especially on the initial fall. Sometimes, you won't feel the bite, but see your line twitch or take off. You want to keep your line fairly tight when flipping, yet a little loose so the fish doesn't feel any resistance. But tight enough, so you can INSTANTLY set the hook on a bite w/o having to reel. A happy medium, I guess. You'll get used to it. Also, I flip very quietly, so when my jig hits the water it doesn't make a splash or barely any noise. I feel it has increased my catches once I have gotten better at it, so keep that in mind when practicing. As for size of the jig, there are great articles on this website that have helped me out tremendously and can give you better detail than I can. Once you get the hang of it, you will gain more and more confidence, and it will be your favorite go to lure, as it is for me. Good luck! http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/jig_bass_fishing.html

1. Jig w/ a chigger craw 2. Brush hog

No, you can't trade-in 2 reels and get double the discount. If you were to bring in two reels to trade-in, you could get discounts on 2 reels and so on. I don't know if the trade-in includes fly reels, but I don't see why it wouldn't.

Oops, wrong forum.

I was wondering if you could give me a quick review on the Abu Garcia Vendetta. I need a rod in the $100 range for flipping and pitching and to pair up with the Revo SX. Good buy?

I always match my trailer to the jig. I really don't know if it makes a difference, but I have more confidence in my lure that way, than I would if I didn't match. Also, I always use the 3" and 4" Berkley chigger craws. Once again, I have a ton of confidence in them, so why switch it up. I do keep things simple though by primarily using pumpkin/green fleck or just a green pumpkin jig/trailer in clear water and the black/blue fleck in murky water. Sometimes when the water is murky, I'll apply the "orange spike it dip 'n glow dye" to the legs of my green pumpkin craw, which has proven to work for me, especially in the early spring.

Honestly, I don't think the 2" in line recovery between the 4.7:1 and 5.2:1 will make a huge difference. I use the Winch all of the time for my deep divers and if I need to slow the lure down, I slow my retrieve. The 5.4:1 gear ratio has been more than adequate for me for every crankbait presentation.

Thanks guys for the help, I don't think I can go wrong with any of them. Hopefully I can show off some big bass pictures.