Bluebasser86

I use the Luck "E" strike swimbaits a lot, both on a swimbait hook and on a scrounger head. I've had really good luck with them but don't have anything to compare them to really since I haven't tried any other brands.

I've had really good luck with both the craw fatty and pit boss. The baits catch fish, they're durable, and pretty inexpensive, what more could you ask for in a bait?

You could fish about any texas rigged bait around either types of cover and most jigs around both. I'd add some deeper running square bills (RC 1.5's, bandit 100's, SK KVD 1.5's) and rattle traps for banging into trees, running the edge of the pads. Rage toads,Zoom Horny toads for the pads. A weightless texas rigged Senko next to a tree or into an opening in the pads can be killer too.

I like the 1.5 silent version but if I'm fishing dirty water or over weeds I will fish the rattling version more often.

I'd say you're probably close with your guess of 3lbs. Get a scale so you can erase all doubt next time.

My wife goes with me fairly often and has caught multiple species of fish on lures. She doesn't unhook them but hey she goes with me so it's a minor thing to do. She really wants a bigger bass now and has had a few chances but hasn't sealed the deal yet. To be able to share a common intrest like fishing is very good thing!

"Whoa son! It's a big giant 7,8,9 pound bass (as it gets closer to the camera) just a giant, giant, Lake (insert Florida lake of your choice) bass." Roland cracks me up but I almost get sick to my stomach from the shameless product pushing that he does.

I tried it fishing beds this spring and it worked pretty well and made hook ups easier on spinning gear and light line.

Yep you can see the reflection of the water in the second picture and the Johnson motor sign in the bottom left of the same picture from the marina at Wyandotte County Lake.

Green=hail 95% of the time around here. I don't know why but if it looks "green" outside or the clouds are "green" get inside because it's going to be hailing, and it did that day.

Finally getting around to putting the pictures up that I took from the lake. We were killing them on topwater until this came through and chased us off for awhile! Thankfully we were just on the south edge of it so we went and ate lunch and were back on the water in less than an hour catching fish again!

I took a very similar series of pictures from the water in KCK yesterday I'll have to post them up tomorrow. There are those times you think maybe you can stick it out on the lake and there's those times you can't get to boat ramp fast enough!

Why would you dislike bowfishing just because it kills the fish? Standard fishing techniques kill fish sometimes and lots of people at least occasionally keep the fish they catch to eat, even bass. I have a list of people I can call that are more than happy to eat the fish I shoot, carp, buffalo, gar, drum, doesn't matter what. They're people with very low incomes that might not eat otherwise. There's a reason states allow bowfishing for the fish species they do, very few people fish for and eat rough fish like carp and buffalo. These fish also grow quickly therefore becoming to large for control by other predators. Even on lakes that I bowfish a lot and that get lots of pressure from other bowfisherman the populations of rough fish are out of control, to the point that the state has started shocking and netting the lake just to try to curb the population a little. There has to be some kind of population control just like there is with other "gamefish". If you don't keep some bass from a lake they will become overpopulated and eventually you'll run into a fishkill because there isn't enough food or a diesease kills off all the unhealthy fish. I enjoy catching carp and gar almost as much as bass fishing and sight fishing drum is a real challenge and a lot of fun so it's not like I think they are just trash fish that should be killed at all costs. It's also a real challenge that gets me ready for bow season for deer and is not even close to "shooting fish in a barrel". I'm sorry I'm ranting a little bit but it seems like there are lots of people who don't like bowfishing and I can't ever get an answer that my tiny brain can make sense of I guess.

I've had really good luck with Seaguar Red Label if you are on a budget. I've used it on spinning and casting gear and have been very happy with it's performance after a couple months of use.

I have both the 7 foot plastics rod and the 7 foot spinnerbait rod and I think you'll be be happier with the plastics rod unless you fish a lot of heavy cover, then you'd be better off with the spinnerbait rod. The spinnerbait rod is pretty stout, I use mine for fishing jigs and plastics in heavy cover, don't think I've ever thrown a spinnerbait on it but I'm sure it would do it just fine if you went with that rod.

I've got 2 of them and they are very nice reels but don't have a need for them anymore. Too bad you're a lefty or I could set you up with the newer one for cheap!

Lots and lots of practice helps along with the other suggestions. If you have a lake with lots of docks go there and try skipping under docks all day. You'll get the hang of it eventually with enough practice!

I love my baits when they get what I call the "bite ring" around the belly hook from catching so many fish. Like JFrancho said I've got baits that are almost clear from catching so many fish and I'd be ticked if someone painted them! I swear they catch fish better beat up than new out of the package.

Windy days in the fall, you can wear the paint off a bait if you find them chasing shad stocking up for winter. There isn't really a wrong time to fish them other than maybe when the water's hard

Big worm or jig, chatterbaits can be really good too.

I change almost all of my cranks and jerks to those hooks, they've been good to me!

That is a fattie there! Glad you're getting some use out of that bait, I think you've caught one more than I ever did with it, I can't honestly say I ever used it though! You're a braver man than I lifting a fish like with a $15 bait in it's mouth!

Very nice limit! I'm sure everyone who has fished tournaments has those "heartbreaker" stories, I know I do

Big walleyes love traps. I haven't caught many on them but it seems like the ones that eat them are big. A friend caught an 8.5lb walleye on a trap this spring but he was fishing for them. Another friend caught an 8 pounder last year on an eakins jig and last week caught another 8pounder on a power lizard. I've caught them on bass jigs, all kinds of cranks, spinnerbaits, and most of them I catch are on jerkbaits fishing for bass. My dad caught one a couple years ago on 15lb mono with a bluegill head under a bobber fishing for catfish! It was a 21" fish and in a clear heavily pressured little lake too. I've caught them bottom fishing nightcrawlers for catfish with heavy braid. They can be pretty tight lipped but when they decide they're going to eat something they can be really easy to catch!

I've got some stuff I can donate, just let me know where I need to send it to! It's not much but I'll do what I can.