Bluebasser86

I use a 4/0 EWG without a problem. The twistlocks will make them last longer though. Fish them along and under any dock you can get at.

Chris and I fished last Wednesday. Really one of those nights that the Dotte just beat us bad. Weather seemed perfect. Clouds, rain, some wind, dropping air temps, but really slow fishing. I had 2 real close ones but we got nothing to measure. Figured everyone else had the same problem but it seemed we were about the only boat not to weigh in Had the first keeper smallmouth of the year weighed in, just squeaked past 18" and went 2.97lbs. 5 and some change won it with 2 fish, same team had a 19+ inch largemouth that went 3 something for big bass. I'm probably out until the weather cools down a little bit again.

I have the 7' 8" "Big Crankster" it's a great deep cranking rod. I was never very good with deep cranks but now I've discovered it's mostly because I was using the wrong rods. It's got lots of power to make fishing deep cranks easy but soft enough to keep fish stuck when they hit. I caught the biggest deep crankbait fish I've ever caught with it this past winter with a 7.51 pound largemouth

I like the rocket craws as a jig trailer, haven't used them T-rigged but I'm sure they'll work. I pull the legs and antennas off before I fish them.

I have that exact crank, it's killer in dirty water.

You're probably going to have to use a split ring to make it work but as long as you can find a jig with the right eye you'll be able to do it.

I had one in the 8-10 pound range attack a 10" bass in a strip pit right next to the boat. She hit my bass from behind and had everything but the head of the small bass and my jerkbait in her mouth I've had it happen other times but that was the only time when the larger bass could have easily eaten the fish I was reeling in.

I hate Nanofil for the fishing applications you're wanting to do. I've never fished Berkley fluoro but I use Seaguar Red Label fluoro for shakyheads and it works great so I'd go with the Berkley.

Man you're about the perfect age to buy a small boat. I did odd jobs and saved every penny I could get my hands on and bought my first 2 man when I was 13. When I turned 16 I got a real job and bought a nicer 2 man and then a used 17' Ranger when I was 17. You can buy a new 14' Jon boat or 2 man, trolling motor, and battery for less than $1,000. Even with a minimum wage job you shouldn't have much to pay for at your age so you could get a small boat pretty easy, just a thought. Obviously I much prefer to fish from a boat

The wife and I spent the 4th on Melvern. It was a great day, fishing was good, weather was excellent, not too many boats, water felt nice, and not too much wind. It almost started out bad though. I had a nice smallmouth my second cast in the boat ramp cove on a ned rig. I was trying to grab it when the hook popped out and buried almost to the barb in my forearm, dodged a bullet there. I guess it wouldn't have been hard to push through and cut it but glad I didn't have to. We went straight to the dam and started fishing the 10-12 foot range but all I was getting was sunfish and tiny smallmouth bites. Backed off a little further into 15' and started marking lots of fish. Right as the only other boat on the dam drifted up to us and asked how we were doing I stuck a 17 3/4 inch smallmouth on a shakyhead. Next cast was an almost blacked out 17 1/2 incher Next cast I got a 17" smallmouth then I stuck what I thought was going to be a new state record. It was just a quick tap tap bite and rock solid on the hookset. Never pulled a ton of line, just stayed down and pulled hard like big smallies do. Surprised I got him in the boat on 10lb test after dragging it through the razor clams but after about 5 minutes I pulled 12.23lbs of grunting and growling channel cat into the boat. Nicole caught some good ones too, this 16 1/2 was her best of the day. I got another 17 3/4 on the shakyhead And I got a couple of these things on jigging spoons in about 40' of water, 20 and 22 inches.

I don't have any idea. I launched from Jayhawk/state park/west side of the dam and caught most of my fish right there in the timber by the ramp. It's still a pretty primitive ramp but there's 2 ramps, both on the north side of the lake. The east ramp has a dock but the ramp leaves a lot to be desired. The west ramp is a little nicer but no dock. If I was launching a nicer boat there I'd launch at the west ramp and have my partner drive the truck to the east ramp to use the dock.

Went to Hillsdale this morning after the glowing report last week. I could have fished for 2 hours and left and it would have been fine. I ended up with 11 bass and 1 crappie. It was nice to catch more than one or two bass and actually catch them on purpose. They were biting pretty fast the first 10 minutes I was there, I think I may have even been having fun while bass fishing at Hillsdale A black and blue Zoom Mag II worm did most of the damage, followed by a Cavitron, then a jig, squarebill, and chatterbait all accounted for 1 apiece. The crappie hit a jigging spoon when I tried to replicate what I was doing when I caught my two really nice walleye at Melvern yesterday. Biggest bass was a very skinny 17 incher that hit the buzzbait in less than a foot of water.

Pleasanton has structure to fish but very little cover other than the water willows. Normally catch a bunch flipping into the water willows out there. It does have some nice ones if you can get them to bite though. Looks like you found one of them!

Yep, those flatheads love jigs out there.

I'm the same way. I deal with some disgusting crap (sometimes literally) on my job. A lot of the people I deal with have some kind of ailment, usually from sharing needles with intravenous drug use. I've seen people do some truly disgusting things that I'd probably be banned for even trying to describe. I've seen people lose body parts to staph infections. I see guys walk around with their hands down the front of their pants all the time. These same people are out there using the same public restroom, eating at the same places, and touching all over everything. I know it's a very small percentage of people I'm describing and some will think I'm OCD or paranoid or whatever and I don't make a habit of peeing on my hands when I use the bathroom but I wash my hands every time I use the bathroom.

Olathe is a pretty decent bass lake. It has flathead in it but they're tough to catch if you're fishing for them. Biggest trick for me has just been to fish for bass and then they'll bite. Gardner sucks, Kill Creek can be good, not sure a drift sock would be a good idea in a bunch of standing timber? Hillsdale sucks, and so does Heritage. Basically all the lakes around here are a big pile of suck! Oh yeah, and welcome to the forum Well we'll be out there in my little Lowe bobbing around and a golden retriever barking at everyone I'm sure. Holler at us if you happen to see us.

The Rock is a tough customer to get bit on a deep crank. Biggest thing I've found down there is to get in some stained water. A lot of that lake is very clear and those fish see so many baits it's just tough to get one to eat a deep crank when they get a good look at it. I like places with standing timber, the bait deflecting off the tree trunks and limbs will get you a lot more bites. I fish my deep cranks on a 7' 8" Mojo "Big Crankster" with a 5.1 Pro Qualifier with 10lb C21.

Personally wouldn't want either. I have several Mojos but once you get to a rod that size they weigh a ton. I'd probably check out a BPS Carbonlite or Extreme in that price range.

JIg. This particular fish was by far the hardest strike I've ever had.

My buddy Chris, kanasbassfisher08 on the forum, caught 2 muskie about 30 minutes apart on a buzzbait fishing for bass on a small lake in northeast Missouri last year. First one hit right next to the boat and threw water all over us, scared both of us. Second one rushed the bait from behind and all we saw was the top of it's head and teeth when it hit his bait. His buzzbait was brand new when it started, all it managed to catch was 2 muskie before it looked like this.

Not a fan of Roland at all. His show is a 30 minute commercial disguised as a fishing show and I've heard he's a real jerk in person. I like Evers. Great fisherman and was really nice to all the fans I saw him talking to at the Classic.

Congrats man! I'm on the countdown to having one of those myself!

I use a Sedona 750 on one UL, a Symetre 1000 on another, and a Stradic 1000 on the other UL. They all work just fine for panfish. Landed a flathead that was almost 10lbs on the little Sedona last year on 3.5lb test.

A fiberglass arrow thrown out of a compound or recurve bow works really well for catching carp. Whole lot less waiting involved that way Slip sinker rig with a very light hook (#6 octopus is my favorite) with a few kernals of corn will get them if they're common carp. If they're grass carp good luck trying to get them to bite anything.

That's a whole lot of nope right there! Not putting anything in the boat that could eat me.