Bluebasser86

Welcome from right across the state line!

Welcome!

Throw net or seine you don't need to see what you're after. I've used a throw net to help remove fish from a dying pond and it works pretty well.

This would be my Ned Rig PB of the multispecies variety. Why does a 21.5lb flathead eat a Ned Rig? Because it can.

Never owned or even seen in person a BFS setup, really have no idea what they're capable of. I enjoy fishing light tackle so they're intriguing to me but the money for an ultralight setup is a hangup for me.

How well does that thing shoot a dock?

Welcome!

Looks like a bronze hook, and for that reason alone, I'm out.

2 of these 3 were on the Deadly Nedly in the last 30 minutes of the tournament (including our largest), after fishing conventional gear all day and catching mostly shorts. Not monsters, but they were big enough. This was from the same lake by one of the local Ned rig gurus who occasionally fishes with Ned himself. If this doesn't convince you it's not just a little fish bait, I don't know what will. From the Midwest Finesse blog, the biggest was 7lb 10oz, the "littler" big one was 7lb 2oz. Have a day sir.

I've seen some bad, bad brain farts on the range line at work during qualifications. I get nervous every year shooting with people I don't know. I got lasered really bad once, thankfully the guys gun was jammed and he was turning to show the instructor that his gun wasn't working. It happens every year, usually more than once, some agency will have someone shot and killed during range time from someone being careless. Glad you're okay, that could have been a serious disaster.

I had all mine stop working a few weeks ago, it was the fuse. Swapped them out, good to go.

I pour my own heads but for worms I like Netbait Tmac worms. They come in good colors and have a flat nose so they're much easier to rig than most worms.

I have one of the new Caenens, it's been a fine reel for jerkbaits and topwater so far. I've been using an Okuma Cerros 273V for a couple years now for flipping vegetation with braid. I'd highly suggest taking a look at one of those as well in your price range. http://www.okumafishing.com/product/view/reels/baitcast-reels-low-profile/cerros-lowprofile

I use a telescoping type and am very near 100% success ratio. Not only do I get my baits back, but I get other people's baits out of trees too.

The Cranking Stick is a very good rod for the baits you described. If you pair it with the correct reel it should help greatly with the fatigue of fishing those baits, but it's not all together avoidable either. I have not used the exact model you're asking about, but I did own a lighter model a few years ago that served me well. I'd venture a guess that it was designed to fish the largest deep runners (Strike King 8XD and 10XD, Mann's 30+).

Shimano and Quantum are about the only spinning reels out there with the casting trigger still. I hate the double handle on the Spirex, but it would probably be my choice if I ever really felt I needed a trigger to cast. Pfluegar President would be my pick if you choose to ditch the trigger.

Shimano Symetre 750 on a 6' Avid UL with 3.5lb DAM Techtan

I have guys offer to help pretty often when I'm by myself, but I can unload or load my boat by myself faster than a lot of people I see at the ramps can do it with 2 people. Tying a rope to the front of the boat and to the trailer is a pretty simple approach that I see used often by guys launching by themselves.

Only Okuma Avenger casting reel I can even find is a big trolling reel.

The Weedless Grass Minnow isn't quite 4" and there's a 4" Weedless Shad. I like the shad better of the two but they both work if you don't mind a spendy soft bait that isn't very durable.

I use 20lb braid to free line live shad during the winter, mainly for wipers but I catch plenty of bass too.

I would use it for open hook techniques mainly in open water. Something like a grub, wacky rig, small cranks, light drop shot it should be able to handle. Using light braid with a leader would help compensate some for the light rod.

Congrats! That's awesome!

I use mono and copolymer for a majority of my fishing. Frogging is certainly not one of those applications I use it for though.