Bluebasser86

Looks like the same concept as the Zman Freedom Chatterbait. I wonder if they'll get around the Zman patent with the blade directly connected to the head by using the extra length of wire to attach it? FWIW, the Zman bait is $2 cheaper.

Have you ever watched a Senko fall? They have a ton of action, not unlike a wiggling worm or leech falling through the water or a quivering, dying fish as it sinks to the bottom. What does a chartreuse spinnerbait look like in nature? Or a buzzbait? What does a Brush Hog look like? I don't honestly care as long as the fish eat it. A lot of guys call the Zman TRD "The Turd", not only because it's easy to mistake the TRD for the word, but also because it's a lot of what they look like.

KastKing Super Power is pretty much the only braid I use right now, have it on over a dozen setups. The exception would be the two rods I have spooled with Seaguar Flipping Braid.

I use a MH/M for my crankbaits. I don't fish them often, but when I do it's usually around heavy cover where I need to move the fish or risk losing them. I can cast a 100 series Bandit with my MH very easily. I've had M/M cranking rods and always found them to be lighter than what I liked (St. Croix and Loomis). Currently using a Quantum KVD Tour cranking rod in the 7' MH/M, it's one of my 2 favorite cranking rods I've owned. Has the good blend of being soft enough to load even with smaller baits and not pull hooks on a lightly hooked fish, while being powerful enough to move a big fish away from a laydown or brushpile when I need it to.

I've been happy with all the H2O products I've owned. Whoever makes Academy's stuff does a good job of it.

Welcome!

One of the power plant lakes I fish was stocked with Florida strain LMB many years ago and had a streak of producing many fish over 10 pounds as a result. Now the pure Florida genes have been mixed with the northern strain genes and those giants are rarer and rarer. They still grow bigger than most any other lake in the state though, with a 10lb 1oz, and 10lb 15oz giant being caught last spring. The latter was less than a pound from the state record.

There's a pretty fair number of anglers that use baitcaster for DS, it's about preference really. Also the technique affectionately known as "Bubba shotting", which is basically an upscaled version of a DS, is done almost exclusively with casting gear. I feel it's easier to make the fine shaking movements to impart action on the bait with a spinning setup than it is a baitcaster, which is one of the main reasons I use spinning gear for the technique.

I think you could probably make it onto this show. Women sometimes don't react to what we see as a practical gift as we feel like we would if the roles were reversed

I use a size 25 Pflueger, which is in the 2500/2000 size range. I'd use the same size if I was going to fish fluoro/mono/copoly.

I have the 7' 3" H/F TCS and it's a very nice stick. I use it mainly for jigs but it's also listed as a frog rod, which I'm sure it would do nicely. You can find them online for right around $100 with a little looking.

I always love it when my wife goes with me and shows an interest in what I love doing so much. Maybe ask him what his bucket list fish are. Every fisherman has one, the fish they'd love to catch more than anything else. It will seem like you're just taking an interest in it, then get him a guided trip to go catch whatever his top fish are. My wife got me the chance to catch a peacock bass during our 5 year anniversary in Florida. I was as excited to catch this little fish as any I can remember in my adult life, even ran out of my shoe while I was landing it, still have one bare foot when my wife took this picture

I haven't gotten to fish them yet, but I have big hopes for the Lane Changer. I think that Devil's Horse type prop bait is a pretty underutilized bait across most of the country.

I've only been once but caught almost all of mine on a white #8 X-rap.

If this past week didn't freeze it, I think you'll be fine. This weekend will probably be a zoo. I'll probably be there again Monday and Tuesday.

Jon's mom is a breast cancer survivor, as is my great aunt. I've got some pink fishing shirts for the same reason. The fish don't care what we wear Jon's a big boy too, 6' 4"-6' 5" and north of 300 pounds and does the same job I do in a much rougher place (where I started my career), he gets to wear whatever he wants

Are you fishing the same baits, colors, patterns the same way every year? In a body of water that small, may be possible they're becoming conditioned to seeing the same baits in the same baits, in the same places all the time.

Welcome!

Shakyheads was about all we could fish. Moving baits iced up too fast to even fish.

This is the exact reason I NEVER move my boat up the ramp without winching it on first. I don't care how unlikely it is, I know my luck, I'm not taking any chances.

I tried it and did not like it. It seemed like it was flat right out of the box and caught the wind terribly.

I use a 7' 3" H/F Ethos Micro for frogging but it makes a good pitching rod too. I found 2 of them on sale for $27 each but they're only $80 full price.

I believe they were offered in special colors that were favorites of pros sponsored by the company at the time, at least if it's the version I'm thinking of. I had some in Avacado shad that had a pros signature on them, caught a ton of fish on them.

Jig or bladed jig.

My oldest was deemed old enough to go out in the boat with just me and him this past year. I bought a lot on a small private lake not far from our house so we'd have an almost personal lake to fish. We spent several mornings there together and made memories I'll never forget and hope he felt the same. Fishing is hard work.