deep

I stand corrected. Thanks gentlemen.

Probably already over. It started on the 6th... My b.

Congrats!

Most monos in the 6 to 8 lbs range should do well. My walmart has Trilene XL, and Sufix Elite among others.. If you want to go the braided route, I'd get something in the 30-40 lb test range (which would equate to a 6-8 lb mono diameter).

Sensitivity is not a function of stretch alone. If the line floats (eg braid), most/all of the sensitivity is lost if there's a huge bow in the line, even if the line is low-stretch. For tight line techniques, once again, there's probably a difference in sensitivity between mono, fluoro and braid, technically speaking. But it the line is tight, feeling the bite isn't usually the problem, for me anyway. Hooksetting might be...

I haven't fished any of those reels; but have you considered buying used reels? Sometimes they are a great deal. Regardless, good luck with your setup.

I don't care if the biggest bass in your lake in 2 lbs or 20 lbs. Start with your PB from that lake, and try to beat that. If you shoot for the biggest, you'll catch some bigger ones in the way... P.S. What JF says has worked out for me very well, although I have only been chasing strictly big ones for less than 2 years.

Yo Zuri in 15# has worked out very well for me on my small swimbait setup..

I *** you. The air temp was down to 32 here last night. I was planning to go fishing early morning today, and then scratched it.

About a 3.5# on a booyah baby boo jig with a rage craw trailer. Not that impressive, but it's probably one of the bigger fish in my local puddle.

I trust a rapala knot over any swivel..

X2 I spend what I can, and it's usually less than most. Living on a grad student's stipend sometimes sucks. The only two $150+ rods I have are my Powells. Why? Because I feel I need what sensitivity I can get when bottom bumping. If I could afford a GLoomis, would I get one? Probably. I like to hunt big bass, and when fishing for them, I don't skimp on bait selection. Seriously, I have thrown $200 baits (one single bait cost me that) on my $100 rod and $75 reel I have also swam, more than a few times, to save $15 lucky crafts. In the end, I guess it's what makes you happy. If you are a recreational fisherman, as am I, and happy fishing with Ugly Sticks, I'm stoked for ya.

Go with 50# as the others say. Casting distance is overrated anyway.

I liked the grass pig on a weighted hook; but that's the only one I tried, and even that not a lot.

50-65 lb test braid (10-12# mono diameter) should serve you fine for most traditional bass fishing...

Definitely Powell. Their rods are more than competitive for the price range, and the customer service is excellent.

X2 I have a Shimano Compre 7' MH/F with a Citica 201E that I can throw almost anything on. Spooled with 12 lb Sufix Siege. Works for me.

When to retie: I retie after every big fish. I check the first few feet of the line after every other cast for abrasion; cut a few feet off an retie if needed. I retie after bad backlashes. I also retie if the knot doesn't look or feel right. And sometimes I retie just because I haven't retied in a while.

Sounds like my Cardiffs. When I got my first one, I spent at least half an hour messing with the non-handle side trying to access the brakes, and felt like a fool afterwards.. EDIT: Cardiffs have a known problem of the thumb-bar not working unless you close shut the handle sideplate with the the thumb-bar held in the up (spool engaged) position. Also; the 3 screws need to be tightened pretty well otherwise they turn loose after a while on their own. Some folks actually put a drop of loc-tite on each screw to seal it. I don't know if your Abu is anything like my Cardiffs, but just some things to keep in mind.

Thanks guys.

Great bait! I acquired one in a trade two years back. It's caught me a lot of fish of all sizes and has held up well.

I'd say you retie before fishing again; whether you leave the bait on the set-up or not.

Sam, have you seen any bedding bass yet? As the OP says; I could find a few males making beds a fortnight back; and a few cruising females. Now I can't find them. Even the bluegills seem to be 15-20 feet offshore..

I caught this late last week from the same 100 acre public reservoir as before. She went 8 lbs 4 ozs on my Berkley handheld digital scale. Incidentally, this fish tied my old PB. Setup: Okuma big bait rod 7'11" heavy/ Cardiff 401A/ 25 lb Big Game/ 8" ROF5 huddleston deluxe in hitch.

I don't usually fish to catch a mess of small bass, except when I'm out to have fun. If I'm looking to catch the biggest bass in the lake, and get skunked trip after trip trying to do that, that's all right with me.. This guy thought he was big... Guess he was wrong! 3lbs 12 ozs on 8" huddleston deluxe