.ghoti.

Gotta agree with earthworm77, a good bait, but not the best thing since sliced bread. For me they are not a replacement for a spinnerbait. I did not catch a fish on a chatterbait, retrieved like a spinnerbait. All my fish came hopping it off the bottom, like a jig. Lot's of hype for rather ordinary results. I'm seriously glad I did not buy any at the inflated prices these things were selling for, early last year. Cheers, GK

Taking a couple of factors into consideration, I'm going to say it doesn't matter. I think most would consider anything over 15' to be deep cranking. In the majority of bass water, clarity will prevent any but the longer wavelengths of light from reaching those depths. Not many colors will actual be percieved as colors. Im ny opinion, vibration and sound would be the most important factors to consider for deep cranking, and these factors would be the ones to be experimented with, rather than colors. Just my fifth of dimes worth. I don't do much deep cranking. Cheers, GK

I thin out and fan out the fibers, but don't trim them. And, if I'm going to be swimming the jig, I'll cut the brushgaurd off completely. Cheers, GK

I used to do that a lot, and haven't for several years. Thanks for the reminder. Cheers, GK

I use Gammy EWG's and Owner Wide Gaps for all my plastics. The exceptions are very thin worms, like Zoom trick worms. I'll use the standby offset worm hook for anything thin. The only time I've ever bent one is when snagged. And, the only time I've ever broken one is when trying to straighten one bent from being snagged. I see no drawback, at all, to EWG type hooks. Cheers, GK

I have the 6'3" MH worm model. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. Haven't seen a 6'3" finesse model. Is that a spinning rod? If it is, I'd like to have one of those too. Great rods for the price. Cheers, GK

My spinning rods have either 8 or 10lb Trilene XL Baitcasting plastics, 10 or 12lb Transition Baitcasting cranks and spinners, 10 or 12lb Vanish I tried some Silver Thread for cranks last summer, and liked it. I have spools of YoZuri Hybrid Ultra Soft, Gamma and Sufix ready to experiment with this year. They are intended for the crank and spinner rods. I perfectly happy with Transition for all my plastics. And, I still like XL for spinning gear. All my panfish rods have XL, 2,4 and 6lb. Muskie rods are 50lb braid, one PowerPro, one Spiderwire. Cheers, GK

The senko requires a slow presentation and it's not really a good option much deeper than 10'. You can do it, it's just painfully slow. The T-rig can be fished much deeper and faster. That's the big difference between the two, in my opinion. Cheers, GK

I think I know what you're asking. Here's my take on it. A 5 degree difference in temp from one part of the lake to another would be significant in the spring and fall, but not really in the middle of the summer. Bass can just move a little deeper in warm weather to find more comfortable temperatures. Early in the year, if you can find water 5 degrees warmer than other parts of the lake, you'll be on to something. That would be the place to target. Ditto, in fall and winter. In these transition times of the year, temperature differences could very well change the pattern. A change of temperture, moving closer to the middle of the comfort zone, would allow you more options in terms of presentation. Cheers, GK

If you're interested in Frogg Toggs, Seirra Trading Post has them on sale right now for 30 bucks. I've had some for three years and had no problems with them. Got caught last year in early august on Lake of the Woods, about 4 miles out in a hard rain. Made it back in dry, except for the feet. Good stuff for the price. Not very well fitted, but then again, this ain't no fashion show.

Megastrike in the freezer? Now there's a fishaholic, right there. I use silicone spray on my crappie rod's guides during the winter. It's not the perfect solution, but is way better than nothing. Check this out. Scroll down to near the bottom of the page, and look for Stanley's Ice-Off http://www.feather-craft.com/2007MAster/fcpage.asp?page=21 Cheers, GK

Take a look at the Quantum Energy PT. I have two of those, and they will throw small baits with ease. For a little less, look at BPS's Johhny Morris signature reel. I have two of those also. They will throw very small baits, on the right rod, of course. The JM reel is on sale several times a year for around $120. At that price, it's a lot of bang for the buck. In a similar price range is the TD Advantage, super tuned. I've used a frien of mine's, and it's a sweet reel for the money. Good luck, there are so many choices. GK

Speaking of Cabela's, does anybody know when the store in Missouri will be opening? Their website only has the original note, stating that the store at St Louis Mills will be opening as soon as Fall 2006. I went to BPS, in ST Charles, the day after Thanksgiving. On the way home we went by the Mills. The Cabela's store, at that time, did not have the roof on, and the store front was still open to the elements. It looked like it had a long way to go. Cheers, GK

Before this last year I would have said either the original floater or the Shad-Rap. Now I have to add the X-Rap to the mix. I can't really pick one over the other, but those the top three for me. Just started, at the end of last year, with the DT series. I haven't used them enough to say for sure, but it looks like they will be among my favorites. Gotta agree with texasbass1, the Risto was a great bait. I have a handful left. Wish they'd bring that one out of retirement. Cheers, GK

As long as the water is not frozen over, I catch crappie all winter long. I get out whenever the temp isn't too low. Don't like freezing my tail off, you know. But, too get back on point, winter crappie fishing around here demands a very slow presentation. For me it's a tiny tube below a float. In warmer water, a grub on a jighead, swimming horizontally will often take a lot of fish. For those times, a nibble isn't really necessary, but won't hurt either. For the colder water approach, I've found a nibble to be essential. I've proven that, at least to my satisfaction, to the point that I won't go out without at least a couple of jars of Power Nibbles. I've read that crappie are one of the most taste/smell sensitive among freshwater fishes. They will suck in a bait and spit it out without even twitching the float, if they don't like the taste. The nibbles take care of this problem better than anything I've ever tried. Maggots and waxworms work as well. They're just hard to find in the dead of winter, and don't store well during warmer months. Nibbles are a lot less hassle than live bait. Cheers, GK

I tried this forum stuff and I don't think it is working out for me. Jim, don't let a couple of idiots keep you away. Even though I rarely have the opportunity to fish for smallies, I've enjoyed your posts regarding them. I've gotten a few good tips from your posts, tucked away for one of my rare, but eagerly anticipated, trips to smallmouth territory. Advice from an experienced guide is something one normally has to pay for. Thanks for spreading it around for free. No need to apologize. You were much nicer, in your reply, than I would been. In fact, I'll add this. To the cowardly POS who saw fit to send such crap to this gent, either be a man and own up to your deeds, or keep your big #$%^in' mouth shut. Cheers, GK

My senko slinger is a 7' MH Johhny Morris rod with a Quantum Energy PT 7:1 reel, spooled with 12lb test Transition. I have one of those Daiwa Light & Tough 6'3" rods. I love it. It may be the best rod, for the money, out there right now. I use mine for Ikas with a Daiwa Millionaire reel and 10lb Transition. Cheers, GK

And here I thought I was the only one still using this classic. It is one of my "secret" eapons. Appears to be not so secret. I used to use a pork eel for a trailer. Now use mostly grubs in the 3" - 4" range. I will put on a trailer hook and use a worm from time to time. If you get the right size grub, the bait will fall in a horizontal fashion, wobbling all the way down. This is an awesome rig for the outside weedline. Just let it fall to the bottom, and then pull it up a couple of feet. Sort of like higher speed senko fishing. Cheers, GK

The difference between the two, as I see it anyway, is two-fold. The Husky Jerk has more wobble than the X-Rap, if you're pulling the bait between pauses. This could be an advantage sometimes. The extra wobble will generate more flash, maybe attracting a bit more attention. If you're jerking the bait between pauses, the X-Rap more produce a much more erractic action. The Husky Jerk will come straight towards you and stop. The X-Rap will dart off to the side, and can even start to turn around, if you have enough slack in the line. Even though the Husky Jerk has been around a lot longer, I've caught more fish with the X-Rap. I attribute that to the erratic darting movement, what Rapala calls the "slashbait" action. A direction change can be a powerful trigger. We all know that when using a crankbait, deflecting the bait off of something; rocks, branches, even the bottom, will draw strikes. The X-Rap can change direction, deflect, as it were, without hitting anything. I've noticed a couple of other details. Every X-Rap I've bought, except one, has suspended correctly right out of the box. Every Husky Jerk I've bought has had to have weight added to suspend. For me, this is a critical difference. Also the fishes are quite different. You can buy a Husky Jerk with bright, flashy finish. The X-Raps are more translucent, and subtle, than flashy. This could give the Husky jerk an edge in dirtier water. The advantage would go to the X-Rap in clear water. The casting advantage clearly goes to the X-Rap. Just my two cents worth, but I will note that in my recently re-organized Fats bag, I have a box full of X-Raps, and no Husky Jerks. I just realized that. Hum? Cheers, GK

In-Fisherman is still the best fishing magazine. The Lindner's put together a class act. Stange&Co seem to be carrying on in the same tradition. I like the scientific, multi-species approach.Angler's Edge is a good show. In-Fisherman is a good show. I hope we have all these guys around for a long time. Cheers, GK

Fifth Amendment, indeed. I'm not admitting anything. I'm not sick. The baitmonkey has no hold on me. 20 points, welcome to the jungle. Cheers, GK

Just got back from Cancun. Spent a week there. Went fishing only one day. 35 - 45 MPH winds. The guide caught nothing, my wife caught nothing, I had on one small tarpon and one pretty good snook. Broke off both of them. First time I've been blanked fishing the Nichupte lagoon. It's normally an awesome shallow water fishery. In the past, I've caught tarpon, snook, bonefish, snapper, barracuda, pompano and grouper. Was really looking forward to fishing there again. Oh well, sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug. I'll be going back next January, and I'll be taking some of my own gear from now on. The guides equipment keeps getting worse and worse every year. Cheers, GK

The red hook hype has probably caught more fishermen than fish. Having said that, I do use them. For two reasons; there just may be something to the concept, at least in clear, shallow water. It can't hurt, and just may help. However, I have no data to prove that, one way or another. I've noticed no difference in catch rates. In deep or dingy water, I don't see how red could make any difference. Also, I use a lot of Gammy EWG hooks and the red ones are cheaper than the regular ones. The red finish comes off quickly, particularly when using those salty GYCB baits. I haven't noticed that this has any effect, either. It's also possible that the shiny hooks could provide a little flash, that could serve as an attractant in clearer water. I noticed that Eagle Claw now has some crawfish colored hooks. These might be something to try, if you're interested in trying to "hide" the hook. Just a few ramdom thoughts. Cheers, GK

The Energy PT's are great reels. I have three of them. If I had to go on a trip and only takes three setups, I would take those three reels. Cheers, GK

I have one JM rod, a 7' MH. Got it on sale for $120. At that price it's hard to beat. At the normal price of $150, it's a toss up between it and an Avid. I have both and can't say that one is better than the other. I'm in the market right now for two new rods. Got a new Millionaire reel and an older TD that I finally got around to repairing. I'm looking at the JM, an Avid and a TD Light&Tough. I currently have one of each rod, and it's a difficult decision for me. I like all three. I'm leaning towards one JM and one L&T, at this point. I may change my mind more than once before I get to BPS. I don't have any top end Loomis or St Croix rods, so I can't compare the JM to them.