Bluebasser86

I'm assuming you're talking about the Mojo? I'm sure it's been revamped since I bought mine but it's still my rod of choice for deep cranks like a 5XD or 6XD.

Mine has been using a spinning rod since he was 2. His little Zebco Dock Demon has been good to him but he's graduating to something a little better this year. A Zebco underspin is a really nice halfway point, easy to use like a spincast but makes the transition to spinning gear later a bit easier.

Get one of these instead of a knocker, http://img.tacklewarehouse.com/watermark/rs.php?path=FRLR-1.jpg If I can reach it, I can get it back 99.9% of the time. I've got them back from every place imaginable with mine.

What a giant!

One of my best winter time spots is a sand point. Looks very boring, but there's always fish there, without fail. I caught a bunch off a mud/clay bank from my kayak 2 weeks ago on a Ned rig. Even I had never fished this bank before but I will in the future.

I don't buy them anymore but I will fish them when I find them. The 2 I broke were one I bought a long time ago, and a BX minnow I found in a tree. Both broke from hitting a rock during the retrieve.

Rapala baits are the most fragile baits I have ever used. I broke 2 Tuesday in fact.

Sounds like you're talking about toads, not, hollow frogs. I prefer a single hook for toads.

Unfortunately not because one of 2 places where it is allowed in the state is 10 minutes from my house. The same place is also loaded with big longnose gar that will contribute later this year.

We've had the same here in Kansas. Seasonable weather Wednesday-Friday while I'm at work, then January like weather Saturday-Tuesday when I have a chance to do something. This week is a little different at least. The nice weather started on Tuesday and runs through Friday, but it's only supposed to be near freezing temps Saturday and Sunday and then still cold but at least creep up to the low 50's on Monday, which is my main fishing day.

A lot of fish will probably be spawning or finishing up spawning by then so a lot of your spawning pockets are going to be good places to look. I've usually had my best luck in Duck Creek, but if you want to stay closer to Grove, I've done well in Honey Creek, Courthouse Hollow, and Woodward Hollow also. Jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs, and crankbaits would be where I'd start.

What a pond is capable of producing depends on a lot of different factors. If they have the right combinations, they could have lots of big fish, but if a pond doesn't have the right water quality and food to grow them, then the fish aren't going to get big.

Rocks are rough on bills. Just from my couple hours this morning.

I have a Spartacus Plus (with the cork handle knobs), that I like pretty well. I use mine for finesse jigs.

You missed out, a panicked cat can pull a lot of drag in a hurry. Invest in some good leather gloves (preferably that go to the elbow, or cover your entire body), and some long handled pliers. I prefer something with treble hooks because of a cats tendency to swat at a bait, I find them difficult to hook on single hooked baits. The forum rules and FAQ's are your friend on questions like this, Why does the site or product name I posted show up as "another site" or as ***? First it has nothing to do with competition. In most cases, it has something to do with the bullet point above - site owners not abiding by the rules of the forum, or over-zealous pro-staffers spamming the forums. In some cases, however, the site owner specifically requested that we do not link to their site.

I'm not a big crankbait guy, but the Scatter Rap has been more of an open water bait where it can "deflect" without actually hitting anything. That sudden directional change has resulted in some pretty violent strikes.

I cut the hook off and Butch Brown rig them, with the 8" anyways. If the hook isn't severely rusted you could clean it up and sharpen it like was mentioned.

Lots of options if you check out saltwater fishing stores. I have some big Fin-S-Fish I use on occasion. The Mann's Shadow is/was another good option if they're still out there.

I let the conditions and fish tell me what retrieve I need to use, but normally start with a jerk, jerk, pause cadence.

Mono with a frog is just asking for heartbreak. 50lb braid is the lightest I go with a frog, paired with a 7' 3" H/F and 9.3:1 reel. You want to move the fish quickly out of heavy cover and be able to get their head up to keep them from burying you into the grass. If I can't see the frog, I'm setting the hook. If a fish strikes and the frog disappears, there's only 1 place it could have gone IMO. Sure I miss some still, but I'd much rather swing too soon than get to feel one spitting my frog out while I tried to feel for it. Most of my frog hooksets are pretty instantaneous with the strike.

You might try looking here. http://stores.ebay.com/I-Love-Hard-Bait

Even a really large bass doesn't often pull drag, and a lot of bass guys will release the thumb bar instead of using the drag, so it would be a largely useless feature. I have some reels with clicking drags that I use for big catfish, it's more of an annoyance to me to listen to it than it is enjoyable. I like the sound of the clicking when a fish is pulling line immediately after the strike, but don't like listening to it during the fight. The only clicking low profile I have is a big Okuma Citrix I use for swimbaits.

Last one I owned felt very heavy, but that was several years ago so I'm sure they have changed since then. They were nice for a house brand rod though.

If money were not a factor, Daiwa. Since money is a factor, I use mainly Pflueger and Okuma which I believe I get better bang for my buck on mid range stuff.

I just made the switch a year or two ago from the double uni to an Alberto and was equally as pleased. Very easy to tie, low profile, and holds up well.