RichF

I use a lot of lipless cranks in cold water and I fish them slow. I also use jerkbaits. When I fish them, I barely twitch them and then let it sit there for a good 10 to 15 seconds. I'll also throw a shakeyhead or I'll drag a dropshot with a finesse worm on it. Good Luck

1) Get the prop and prop shaft fixed on my boat 2) Make the ABA national championship 3) Win at least one team tournament with my father. (3rd place 3 times isn't good enough for me)

Lipless cranks. Real slow. Let it fall, then do some slow sideways sweeps.

I'm with you guys. I was out this past weekend and accidentally kicked a box of crankbaits into the water. Twenty cranks lost! I was pretty ticked. Of course, when I got home, I found myself thinking and wanting to go back out to fish again. I did just that the very next day.

I say go for it. I've been fishing tournaments for four years now and I have a lot of fun doing it. I will tell you that tournaments are never as easy as the fishing you're doing now. I live in northern NY and during the early season, my father and I get 20+lb sacks just about every day. When the tournies roll around in the summer, those giants that are so plentiful and easy to catch disappear. At times, tournaments can be frustrating and heartbreaking. If you love bass fishing, definitely go for it.

That's gorgeous. Don't think I would ever use it though! It's too pretty.

I use the st croix legend tournament 6'8" finesse spinning rod for tubes and the 6'3" shakin rod for shakey heads. Both are awesome rods. The 6'8" would be my recommendation for both techniques.

I just got my first powell about a week ago. It's one of their fiberglass crank rods. I love it! I can't believe how light it is. Haven't used any of the regular graphite rods yet but I'm going to get one soon. I've heard nothing but good things and the customer service is top notch.

They are made in China. They are really nice rods though. I just got my first one a week ago. Their customer service is fantastic too.

I own two LTB spinning rods that I use for finesse techniques. These rods are VERY sensitive and they have pretty stout backbone too. I highly recommend them.

I have 2 of those reels and another older energy and tour and I think they're great reels. That looks like neglect.

Come on guys. I didn't start this topic to discuss the effects fishing the spawn has on a fishery. I was just voicing my opinion about the apparent ease of catching bass during the spawn and how it seems as though (to me), more often than not, the majority of pro tournaments occur during this time.

I didn't mean for this to turn into that kind of argument! This topic was not intended to start a discussion about the effects of tournament fishing on the spawn. I know you warned me Glenn...sorry about that.

I am in absolute agreement with you on that.

I would never waste that kind of time on one fish, especially on a tournament.

You should look into powell rods. The customer service is by far the best I've ever experienced.

I'm not saying that fishing the spawn hurts the population and should be banned in tournaments. I understand that down south the growing season is all year long and bass are far more plentiful. When I look at the elite schedule this year, I see the first four tournaments revolving around the spawn. Thats half the season. I understand that there aren't an unlimited amount of days in the year to fish these events so there are gonna be tournaments during the spawn.

This post isn't about ethics or population effects. I just wanted to know if I'm the only angler out there who thinks the pro circuits should broaden their horizons and fish these high stakes tournaments when fishing is at its toughest. It just bugs me when you hear people boast about a pro's sight fishing ability or their overall fishing prowess when it seems the majority of these tournaments occur around the spawn, when catching bass is relatively easy. I wasn't trying to start an ethical debate, so I apologize for that.

Thanks for clearing that up. I did mean foul hooked too.

I understand. I've fished with a lot of guys like that. I've also fished with a lot of really good guys. It's easy to get worked up when it comes to issues like this, especially when all of us on this forum are avid anglers. Heck, I got worked up yesterday when my buddy's dad wanted to keep some of the crappie we were catching through the ice! Anyway, I'm sure the majority of us here have conservation in mind so let's all try to keep pushing forward and continue to improve on our tournament and recreational fishing experiences.

I'm curious to know if snagging bass is legal in the south. I noticed that during the Classic, KVD and Ike both snagged bass and put them in the livewell to weigh. Here in NY, snagged fish have to be thrown back. Can anyone shed some light on this?

I agree with you skeety. The changes you are suggesting are in now way "major shake ups." I fish tourneys in northern NY so a lot of them involve smallmouth. So many fish are caught in over 30ft of water in the summer time and a lot of them die. Changing tourney times would be a great idea. We don't even have any scheduled in oct or nov, when tons of fish can be caught shallow. Also, how is changing locations and having a 3 fish limit a "major shake up?" Bass angling is my life and seeing fish die hits me pretty hard. These are small things that could absolutely help decrease fish mortality.

I'm glad someone agrees! It also drives me nuts when I hear commentators say "so & so is the one of the best sight fisherman on the circuit." I've sight fished spawning bass before...and guess what...I've caught them, it's not rocket science.

I think it helps. I think it gives others an intense drive to beat the dominator, it should anyway.

It really is a good idea to start as a non-boater like everyone is saying. The boat you're looking at should be fine too. My dad and I fish tourneys out of a tracker pro team 170 with a 50hp and do pretty well against the big rigs. Good luck man!