Bluebasser86

New rods get damaged on the shelf all the time. You've got something going on somewhere that's damaging your line. No 20lb braid is that brittle.

I have 2 150's and they've both been great for the couple seasons I've used them. I haven't used them with braid but almost all my baitcasters are T wing Daiwas and they've been used with braid up to 65lb with no issues. My frogging reel is 100 Tatula 8.1 and it does great. The line doesn't run on the "wing", during the retrieve, not really sure what the concern with braid would be other than if you're running long leaders that are going inside the reel. I've thrown big cranks (8.0 size), and 1oz spinnerbaits with them as well as some smaller swimbaits and had no issues.

Welcome!

Welcome!

I've got a signed hat from Harold Ensley, one from Denny Brauer, one from Jay Yelas, and one from KVD. They're cool memorabilia to me, but nothing of any value. Mine are all stored in plastic and never worn.

Seems like quite a few people like a ML crankbait rod for small cranks but it doesn't work for me. Same goes for glass rods and bladed jigs. Tried it, missed a ton of bites with it, went back to a graphite rod.

My main one is a 6' 10" MH/M St. Croix Legend Glass with a Tatula 100P and 10lb Pline CXX. I also use a 7' MH/M Quantum KVD Tour with a Tatula 150 6.3 with 15lb Big Game. Depends on which baits I'm using on which rod I reach for, but the St. Croix is my go to rod. The Quantum mainly gets used for balsa baits or generally heavier cover.

The level of cockiness from a lot of them irritates me to no end. I've been accused of being "afraid", to fish tournaments because I can't hang with them ? . Last time I fished with anyone other than our little weeknight deal, we won, and had a run in with a guy that apparently felt he was supposed to win and didn't like the fact that he didn't. It wasn't enjoyable. Unfortunately, I'm off weekends now and they hold stupid "hotwater shootout", tournaments on the power plant lake I fish all winter. If I'm going to be there anyways, I guess I might as well be in the tournament.

Spinnerbaits are one of those things that don't need a real specialized rod IMO. I've used anywhere from a 5' 6" pistol grip rod to a 7' 6". Most have been medium or medium heavy rods with fast action but a moderate-fast works well also. My preferred rod is a 6' 10" MH/F. Has the backbone to drive the hook, power to move a big fish, short enough to be accurate, but long enough to make a long enough cast when I need to.

I don't have much luck with them for largemouth, but smallmouth crush them. I've got a 5" Bull shad that I've put miles and miles on and has caught countless big smallies on it. Easy to fish, launch it across shallow flats and points where the wind is blowing across or into and crank it as fast as I can without it popping out of the water and wait to get my wrist broke.

The Storm shads are better IMO. They're softer so they have a better swim at slower speeds. Pearl/chartreuse, shad, and baby bass have been my best colors. I don't fish them for bass often but wipers love them.

Before I started hitting the power plant lakes, I did a lot of bank walking looking for baits and other treasures. I'd fill a couple 3700 trays full of baits every winter along with various other finds (duck decoys, arrows, bobbers, a rain suit, deer sheds, sinkers, an electric dog collar, rod holders, ect). Good exercise too.

There's some offshore features, they're just going to be really subtle. On a large and mostly featureless body of water, a 6" depth change, 1 large rock, a single log, a tire, or whatever on a vast flat will hold fish almost without fail, but are very difficult and time consuming to find. If you live on the lake though, it's going to be worth it to find those things. If the state allows it, you might consider dropping few brush piles also. Where they setup in spring will depend on water temps and light penetration. If the water is dirty, they need to be positioned shallow enough to where they can build nest that their eggs can get enough sunlight to hatch. If the water is clear enough, they can utilize the entire lake.

That's about the perfect eater size right there.

They're good baits. I have lots of baits missing one or both eyes that keep on catching.

This is the baits I was assuming the OP was referring to.

Is there any way to build a smaller holding pond below the current pond so when it's drained the water will run into it and fish could be transported to it? That's the only thing I can think to do.

Zoom Trick worm Zoom Ol' Monster Zoom Magnum Finesse Worm Berkley Ribsnake Zoom shakyhead worm

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Yes they will.

Welcome!

Welcome back!

I worked with some old timers in the fishing department at Cabela's who had chunks cut out of their faces, ears, noses due to skin cancer. A coworker of mine grew up in Africa and didn't have access to the supplies to protect himself and had to have a chunk of his scalp cut out recently, pretty rough to see a big divot missing out of his head. I hate sunscreen so I go for the cover myself up option instead.

That's what I caught my biggest smallmouth of 2020 on. 1/4oz swinghead with a moonjuice Menace.

Pitboss, Devil's Spear, Menace, Swimon, Fat Impact, Senko.