dulouz

I have a friend who has an on-going garage sale of fishing lures and gear. He gets them at sporting good shows, ebay, and all sorts of places. He has had some strange looking baits that don't come in packaging. Some are great some are not, but they are cheap. I have picked up a lot of baits from garage sales and consignment stores; as well as when my fishing mentors clean out their tackle boxes.

I never paid any attention to how my rods balanced until I had a custom rod made for me. Now I am spoiled. It makes such a difference, at least to me.

Does anyone know of a good hook to use on texas rigged tubes? I was once told you want to be able to put your little finger between the hook and the bait. The problem I have is that the larger size hooks are too long for the tube. Do any of the companies make a hook made specifically for tubes? I have used Gamakatsu G Lock Worm hooks which are a bit wider than the EWG. I have seen pictures in magazines of tubes rigged with a HUGE gap, almost as wide as the tube is long. Where do I find these hooks?

I have a question about tightening the knot. Is it best to pull the tag, the line, or both? I wet the knot, but it still curls when I tighten it down. So I have been pulling the tag to preserve the main line. However this seems to waste a lot of line, especially if I am tying on a large crank. What is the best way to pull it tight?

In addition to all the great ideas already presented, I put a small first aid kit in mine. I also have bug spray/suntan lotion, a small towel to hook on my belt, and a peice of an old shovel handle for breaking of braid. Among other things...

That would also be a great discussion...

I have a rod that I have in my collection that came to me by a funny misunderstanding... One of my fishing buds went on vacation and I took care of his house pets and farm chores for the week. One day I got kicked by a cow, didn't even hurt. The same day the guy's cat bit me, again no big deal, no blood. By the time it back to him I had a serious head wound and my arm was in stitches. He felt so bad that he bought me a new rod/reel combo. We both had a good laugh over it and to this day that rod is one of my favorites.

I hear ya... I stopped by my favorite fishing spot the other day and just stared at the ice.

If you had to choose one rod/reel setup for all of your fishing, what would it be and why? Length, action, spinning or casting, line, etc...

I have only been using a baitcaster for a year now. All of the guys I know have been using them for many, many years and don't use the brakes or the spool tension knob. These old school guys do it all with their thumb. Being the hotshot that I am I tried that for most of the summer. I have been getting a lot of backlashes. Recently I put braid on one of my BCs. For fear of not wanting to backlash I actually set the spool tension for the lure and started with the brakes on a bit. To my amazment, the frequency of my backlashes dropped dramatically. Another thing I have noticed is that the rod makes a HUGE difference. I have a medium light rod with and xfast tip that loads up with very little effort. I have to be very careful at the start of the cast, then I can let up with my thumb in the middle. Other rods I have only need my thumb at the end of the cast. I am still learning...

I have no boat so I am stuck fishing from the bank. What really drives me crazy is people who make a lot of noise, or kids (including my own) who throw rocks and sticks into the water.

I have no boat so I am stuck fishing from the bank. What really drives me crazy is people who make a lot of noise, or kids (including my own) who throw rocks and sticks into the water.

I have no boat so I am stuck fishing from the bank. What really drives me crazy is people who make a lot of noise, or kids (including my own) who throw rocks and sticks into the water.

I have been trying to figure out how to catch walleye myself. One of my fishing friends uses nothing but cranks to catch walleye. He recommends: Rapala GSR4, Berkley flicker shad, Cordell walleye diver, Bandit 100 and 200 series. I caught my first, and only one so far, on a Storm TC06.

Thank you everyone for your input. I have been trying braid on one of my spinning rods and one of my bait casters. I have been using Power Pro 15lb and I like it so far. I don't have a lot of rods, and use each of them for a wide variety of baits and techniques. I usually fish in a farm pond and a local river and it's various backwater bodies. I have caught LM and SM bass, crappie, walleye, northern, bluegill, and even a few catfish (by chance) in these waters. That being said, is there any reason why I should stick to mono? Also, in these waters would I even need a leader?

For those of you who use braid, do you use it on all of your rods or just some? Which do you use braid on? Why or not?

Haha yea. I think I've figured that I've spent about $1000 in the past 2 to 3 years just on equipment which I know is cheap for some. If my wife only knew how much I have spent...

Haha yea. I think I've figured that I've spent about $1000 in the past 2 to 3 years just on equipment which I know is cheap for some. If my wife only knew how much I have spent...

Haha yea. I think I've figured that I've spent about $1000 in the past 2 to 3 years just on equipment which I know is cheap for some. If my wife only knew how much I have spent...

I too have started fishing recently. About ten years ago I started fishing, nothing much just an old Zebco 33, a worm, an a bobber. Then I started playing in a band and had no time to fish. About two years ago the band thing fell apart and I needed to find another outlet. Then I had the misfortune (as my wife would say) of fishing the Mississippi on a Ranger with a couple of bass guys. It was all down hill from there. I can't soak up enough information on fishing. I am ALWAYS searching the internet, reading books and magazines, and talking to other fisherman in search of fishing knowledge. You are not alone...

I too have started fishing recently. About ten years ago I started fishing, nothing much just an old Zebco 33, a worm, an a bobber. Then I started playing in a band and had no time to fish. About two years ago the band thing fell apart and I needed to find another outlet. Then I had the misfortune (as my wife would say) of fishing the Mississippi on a Ranger with a couple of bass guys. It was all down hill from there. I can't soak up enough information on fishing. I am ALWAYS searching the internet, reading books and magazines, and talking to other fisherman in search of fishing knowledge. You are not alone...

I too have started fishing recently. About ten years ago I started fishing, nothing much just an old Zebco 33, a worm, an a bobber. Then I started playing in a band and had no time to fish. About two years ago the band thing fell apart and I needed to find another outlet. Then I had the misfortune (as my wife would say) of fishing the Mississippi on a Ranger with a couple of bass guys. It was all down hill from there. I can't soak up enough information on fishing. I am ALWAYS searching the internet, reading books and magazines, and talking to other fisherman in search of fishing knowledge. You are not alone...

I have caught northern pike on all sorts of things: crankbaits, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs. I haven't tried rattletraps yet, but it doesn't surpirse me. I think if they are in the right mood they will bite on anything.

When it gets cold I bring all my tackle and rods inside. I use the down time to clean and organize my tackle box. I also peform any maintanence needed on my reels and rods.

That is the truth!! I have been fishing for a week on one of the Wal Mart spinnerbaits and didn't loose it, even to catching a few northerns. Yet I loose a $6 spinnerbait in five minutes. I have had decent luck with the bulk spinner and buzz baits from wal mart, cabela's, and gander mtn. If it gets snagged, no big deal.