Mike L

There so many choices that it’ll give you a headache. Just do a search on here and you’ll see what I mean. If you’re looking for a mass produced rod, Almost every major manufacturer has one in thier lineup that’ll fit your needs. Personally speaking a rod of that length really isn’t that necessary to be effective. A 7’6” and up will increase your leverage sure and give you an extra few feet in distance but I do just fine with a 7’2” or 3” and can hit spots with ease. The Dobyns you mentioned are good rods on the mid to high end but so is the Ark @T-Billy mentioned on the lower end cost wise, and the Zodias @Captain Philsaid but in the spec you’re interested in. I use a 15 yr old Smoke so I really can’t speak of the new rods available. Just wanted to give an open ended opinion Mike

I guess the shocking part is the tournament director being aware enough that something just wasn’t right and decided to prove it right there in front of the field!! Good for him! I agree that there should be a national “No Fish” list that gets distributed and updated throughout the country to each states wildlife dept. When a winner is announced they can check real quick. That could work for organized trails but not so much for the local community tournaments tho Just glad they got caught and humiliated in front of everyone they know. Mike

Good for her!! Congratulations! I wish her nothing but success in her career Mike

@TOXIC They sprayed around the shoals, Indian Prairie and Governor’s Cut. It’s like it is every year, you gotta pick your spots in the right areas and you’ll find them. There’s clean water on the river from Scott Driver ramp north and just outside the Harney Pond area. I heard So Bay isn’t too bad. I haven’t heard much about the east side tho. Mike

Always has been fir me also Mike

Yep Doesn’t surprise me at all, I know the feeling The Lake has been fishing really good lately. Most times Jared and a few of the others on that board are really tough to beat Mike

What @NorthernBasser said! Same for punching.. If I was gonna change anything it wouldn’t be that Mike

@WRB ”Use what works” ”It’s called confidence” ’nuff said Mike

What gets me is that I hear more and more twenty something and up people of both sexes use the “F” word in just normal or casual conversation. Never been that way. It’s seems it’s just a normal part of their vocabulary and it isn’t given a second thought. My son in law did it once just after he married my daughter at a family party with my wife, grandkids and others in the room. It was the last time! Mike

Edit: As far as using a trailer hook.. When pitching I don’t use one as you won’t get a lot of short strikes. When sniping your spots with one, when they hit it you’ll know Mike

At little off subject but don’t be afraid to use a spinner bait when pitching in holes and target shooting to specific spots as you would any plastic. They’re all lot more versatile than conventional thinking would have you believe Mike

The length is a minor consideration, the deciding factor is always the thickness of the plastic first. 90% of the time a 4/0 or 5/0 covers all the plastics I throw. For keel weighted swim baits I’ll use a 6/0 but only when I add an under-spin. Mike

So sorry to hear! I know the feeling The sadness, the hurt, the loss Been through it a few times..Never again Mike

Pick your spots. Look for different types of grasses all mixed in. If you can, hit areas of the cleanest water you can see. Look for and saturate all likely spots like from the outside border in, concentrating on the transition from a few yards out to thin areas to where it thickens up. Any obvious open holes regardless of its size surrounded by heavier matted stuff. Any heavy bug concentrated areas. Watch for birds either diving or resting on top. The thing about bass fishing as opposed to some other species, you have to think constantly about the whole picture and adjust accordingly. Mike

“Why would I fish it” Down here that’s gold! *Swim a weightless Magnum Speed Worm or standard size Rage Cut R over the top or depending how thick it is, add a 3/16 and go through it. *Frog as far back as you can reach. *Pitch a craw style bait in every hole or thinning area. *Swim a Skinny Dipper, Big EZ or a Fat Max ribbon around the edges. Mike

Tell Donnie that he should increase his hit rate with a Sluggo if he just gives it a twitch every now and then. No big deal just little or he can just give the reel a quick turn and kill it, it’ll do the same thing. The thing about it is after a little twitch or 2 it’ll glide and kind of pulse because of its shape and the slits in it. If he still won’t do it, tell him to stand up then sit down while holding the rod with a little line tension ☺️ Mike

When I started using them I’d rig mostly weightless and use it on top and retrieve as a jerk bait. The thing about it is, depending on how you rig it and expose its nose, you can make it dive or rise with light twitches and then it’ll pulse on the way down. It’s really a do nothing plastic that you have to make it do what you want, which is what makes it so deadly. Mike

With cut of the tail I want to say a Speed Craw, but with the tails overlapping I want to say a double Mr Twister grub. Neither are it tho Mike

For me it’s a Sluggo! Every time I see it in my box mixed in with other stick baits I smile and remember how much I used to use them and wonder why I don’t as much anymore! Mike

Hello and Welcome!! I’m farther south than you and fish The Lake almost exclusively now. You picked a great time of the year to start. I get what you mean about Tarpon fishing!! I just started getting ready for a Tournament at Boca Grande. If you make it this far south let me know. Mike

@papajoe222 I see your point and understand what you’re asking. To me if you want to get technical about it, almost every type of presentation has a horizontal aspect to it. At some point regardless of what you’re using you’re retrieving horizontally back to you. Flippin, punching and drop shotin can be the exceptions. Mike

I use Trokar hooks for most every technique, especially for bottom contact. Using those I don’t tex pose, just rig 1/2 to 3/4 of the way in depending on the plastic Mike

Hang in there Tommy, you’re certainly not alone. As we’ve talked before I’ve had 2 spinal fusions with the last just 1 1/2 ago. I get it, I’ve never felt pain like that before or since. I’ve had to cut way back on my overall fishing and tournament schedule the last 2 yrs because of it. Already canceled this years BFL, last years BASS Nations State Championship and declined a Toyota Series invitation. With your past history you know what you can and can’t do. I certainly wish you all the best in your recovery. Mike

I own 2 that I keep for the smallest kids, until I ween them off. I personally have no desire or use for them Mike

When it gets too low on the reel for whatever reason. Mike