webertime

As for the rebates, Shimano is not the company handling those. They hire a firm to do that and the problem may in fact lie with them. Although yes Shimano IS still reponseble since it's their subcontractor, it's not Shimano directly delaying the rebates. Almost ALL rebates on products are handled by firms contracted by the company whose product has the rebate.

Did it come with the matching Zebra Loin Clothe? Looks very cool! Tell us about that blank when you get some time out with it, I was looking at that blank for myself!

Get the kids down to the Brattleboro Retreat setbacks on the Connecticut! It's a menagerie down there! PM me your address and I'll mail you some books that are really helpful (for all species) borrow them for as long as you want and send them back (I'm no more than an hour and a half from you). Lake Fairlee and Morey are VERY good spots near you as well. My other suggestion would be to join a club and learn from more experienced guys first hand. While my mom did get us out there as often as possible (single mom with 3 kids) we (my brother who is a Guide in NZ and in VT. I'm a tournament guy) were basically self taught, what you are doing for the kids is something that is more valuable than you realize... Thank You!

Until recently all I used for bass was a 6wt. It should be fine. An 8wt is pretty nice to have for the bigger bushier flies.

Whiskey River's Whip Tail (by a mile). Fantastic shape, nice thick body where you hook it, big chevrons on the back (moves water) then tapers to a very thin tail. Great bait, very durable. Strike King 3X Finesse Worm. It's made with the Elastech plastic and it floats. Good action and since it is so tear resistant the dinks and rock bass can't tear it off. 4" Robo's as #3. A classic.

I've used a bunch (BPS/TruTungsten/Koppers/SproJr/KVD/Booyah/Bobby's Perfect). The best "walker" is the Booyah. Spro Jr has the best hook up ratio for me, maybe it's because it's so "bite-sized". I would be happy for the rest of my life with just those 2 frogs.

Join a club, I have grown up fishing (had a fly rod in my hands at 4). I was a good fisherman and seeing things on TV/Computer are helpful there is nothing that comes close to seeing a good fisherman do their thing right in front of you. I learned more from the back of the boat in the last 2 years than I had in the previous 15 years! Read blogs for the guides in your area as well, often little nuggets of gold can be garnered from them.

This weekend I added using biffle hardheads and dragging them over gravel to the long list of ways to catch fish with them.

Which Sellus model are you using?

So I fish a lot of spots where you flip and pitch AND throw frogs. Right now I have a 7'6" Phenix Recon and it's awesome for everything above. BUT I sort of hate re-tying snelled T-rigs and frogs back and forth throughout a trip. So I am looking for inexpensive rods to use for Frogs only. I am looking at everything from 7'6" H Berkley Lightning rods to Abu Vengance (same size) and the Powell Diesel (same size)... Basically keep it cheap. Anyone out there with Frog experience with one of these or similar rods. I like a softer tip (Not a pool que) for frogs (recon and carrot stick LTX heavy's feel perfect). Any advice/tips would be appreciated. I'll be using either a spare Citica or PQ with 50lb braid as a reel.

(mumbling to myself) Darn Bassresource, got to add another item to the cart...

Fat Ika's = Bon Bons Senkos = effing Senko (for a buddy that I am 90% sure only owns senkos and 3/0 Gammy hooks) Champlain Special = Lucky Craft Pointer in the pale sexy shad color they do. You cannot find a local's boat without this bait in it.

From what I have found on various retailer's sites, the lure range of the medium Winch is 3/8-3/4 oz. If you want to toss 1/4oz cranks check out the Lamiglas Excel 734c, that's what I use mine for.

So I got the backstory. There is a pool below a small dam on the Otter Creek that is about the size of a dump truck and hundreds of Longnose Gar get in there. Well there was a family in a canoe that got into that pool and there were so many Gar banging against it that it freaked them out... (Yawn) Evidentally he did get a good Gar though (~50").

I have no definite knowledge, but I would GUESS that Father's day would be the next one...

I'm aware of the Legend of Champ. I know people that have "seen" it too. That being said fishing for a Pleseasaur is probably not what he's doing. He's actually going after Gar and Carp (couple locals watched him).

While nobody can really argue against a Dobyns... I have the Phenix Recon 766c and 715c, both are great flipping rods with the 766 being a great frog rod as well and the 715 being great for C-Rigs, Footballs, and soft swimbaits (Keitech Fat Impact 4.8 and 1/4 oz head). If I had to go with what's a better "flipping" rod of the 2 "I" would go with the 766. Only arguement against the Recon's are the hook hangers. The one on the 766 broke (lost the flappy loop) and the position on the 715 snags clothes and cuts hands. EASY fixes though...

So Jeremy Wade and his crew have been down in Addison filming an episode of River Monsters... For what? Beats the heck out of me. "I am Jeremy Wade and I am fishing for a fish that has killed dozens of fishermen by having them wake up early eating greasy breakfasts, giving them sunburns and frusterating them until they have heart attacks or diabetes or aneurysms or skin cancer... The Smallmouth Bass." Seriously though, my bet is that they got word of the Pirahna or Pico that got caught in the area (20" or something) and doing a show on invaders/aquarium dumped fish. We have great fish up here, but nothing that isn't dramatically bigger and more abundant in other areas of the country.

Which model Winch do you have the M or MH? What baits were you throwing? Just curious as I am looking that that/those models. Thanks

They rank VERY low in the cost:catch ratio... Brand new Rage Shad (cast)... Pickerel... put on new Rage Shad... repeat... Mendit stays in business thanks to Pickerel!!! Big ones are fun but every pond/lake around Champlain has more Pickerel than water it seems and very few are over 18"... Boca Grips are perfect for them.

I run a 14' Scanoe myself with a 30lb Minn Kota. I lowered my seats (huge help) and got some Spring Creak Canoe Stabilizers. THESE ARE GOLD! I'm 6'5" and need to be able to move/stand and these things are amazing for adding enough stability for me and my 200lb buddy to stand and flip or toss big swimbaits with no issues. I have sitbacker seats as well, but I find that I don't need/use them with the stabilizers. I just sit and make my run to a spot, pull up, click out the stabilizers, anchor (if need be) and stand up. I run a 10lb mushroom anchor and only have issues in very high winds if I am standing (IE I'm a big sail). I love my little rig and fish everything from little ponds to Lake Champlain in it!

Hag's Tornado (F5's) and Z-Man Elastec and the Strike King version all stand straight up, the latter two actually float!. The Tornado has a little pocket in it for a glass rattle as well, which can be helpful.

The new Champlain Bridge? Good luck navigating around the fleet of boats trolling for Lakers and Salmon there! PM me (if you want) for where they are still pulling 100 Smallmouths a day currently. Good Luck!

Bowfin usually start spawning before LM and BG. Although with the goofy weather we've all had up north it's entirely possible that they all overlapped. If Bowfin are around make sure you throw a strong bait.

PM me where you are staying and any other questions, I live in the next town over and know some SICK spots right in the area.