northern basser

I just tie straight to the lure and risk it. The only lure that worries me are crankbaits because they can be kind of spendy.

I like it. You can't be afraid to strip a few feet of line and re-tie now and then.

I've been targeting smallmouth on my local stream heavily for 3 years now. I started out using small poppers, small spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, and other small lures. Lately, I've changed my strategy. In the last 2 weeks I've caught 3 fish over 16" along w/ many others. One measured 20". I've been throwing a 3/8 oz. war eagle buzzbait, black with gold blades. The smallies are loving it and it is weeding out the dinks. Throw it over deeper water, in the current, and by structure. As far as a popper goes, I use a #7 skitter pop and make short quick pops as fast as I can. Sometimes I pause once or twice during the retrieve and other times I just keep popping it all the way in. They inhale it even when its going fast. By the look of your pic, the stream I'm fishing is about the same size, no bigger.

Pflueger president xt on a cabelas xml rod. The xml's at cabelas are excellent rods for the $ and are on sale often. The pres. xt is prob. the best bang for buck in spiinning reels, IMO.

Agreed. Normally, either one of the two would be enough to shy away.

I was just thinking about the rods and reels that I have bought for my kids(and tackle). It's a signifigant improvement over what I had. My Grandfather did a lot of fishing with a cane pole when he was alive.

Excellent advice. Emphasis on the low light periods.

I've been using my Komodo for a few weeks and love it!! I've tried a lot of different reels in the last couple years and the Komodo ranks as one of the best IMO.

I have 4 cayennes and one of the new Komodo's(the reel right below the Helios). I can't speak for the rod, but you will love the reel. The Komodo has quickly become my favorite reel and I've tried many. I like the cayennes, but the Komodo is in a different league and I'm sure the Helios is equall or better in performance.

I once considered them trash fish also till my buddy fed me some of them. They taste great!!!!

Running crankbaits in 10 to 20 ft. of water or so is a good tactic.

I haven't had a problem with mine, but I have the 25 size for trout and pan fishing. It doesn't get stressed too much.

Rapala skitter pop and prop. I like the Rapala popper the best probably because of its action and the feather on the back treble.

Just the other day I was pulling up to a house with my work van and a bird flew from the back(inside the vehicle) of the van, then landed on the dash in front of the passenger seat. It scared the crap out of me, but I think the bird was pretty freaked out too.

Master plumber. I run a plumbing business with my step-father.

The first day I discovered them there was 2 that I saw. One that looked like the one in the picture and a runt with a scar on his head. The one in the pic is the only one I saw the 2nd day. I'm probably going to stop back out there tomorrow. I have to assume the mother is still alive, but I'm curious. When the kit in the pic would bring a piece of hotdog back under the building there was at least one more under there cause I could hear them start fighting over it. I think it was just that runt though. He wouldn't show himself.

I was out at a local lake un-winterizing a cabin for a customer when I saw a couple of little fox. Some people were doing some excavating across the road so I'm not sure if their mom was out hunting or they were evicted from their den.. Went back a day later and brought a camera and some hotdogs.

Over priced but not overrated

In general I use baitcasters for everything, however, if I'm skipping under docks I'll use a spinning rig sometimes.

I started back up 3 years ago after quitting for 10 years. Its hard to put them down!

Up here in MN it is "croppie"

Agreed. The new crucials aren't even close to the cumara

Basically, this is how I fish them also. Line watching is a good technique when fishing a senko too. Same as above and after you cast(while the worm is falling) leave slack in the line so the worm does the classic senko wiggle all the way to the bottom. If the slack line starts going sideways or moving, reel in the slack and set the hook.

My biggest non-Bass is my avatar. 40 incher from Leech Lake in Walker,MN. As far as the brown trout species, IMO they can unhook themselves like no other fish I've caught.

I got one of the new stradic fj's and I'm liking it. It's way heavier than the ci4, but I would take the fj.