Bluebasser86

Are you planning on targeting mainly flatheads or are you going to be chasing blues as well? Around here we find them in pretty different areas and where I can get away with a little lighter gear for blues because they tend to relate more to open water and baitfish, the flatheads hide around the nastiest stuff available and even a little 15 or 20 pounder can give you all you can handle on undersized gear. I fish a couple rivers that have the capability to produce 100 pound fish, and one of them does every year (Missouri and Kansas rivers), add into the equation the fact I'm dealing with current and it requires some pretty stout equipment. I personally prefer heavy baitfeeding spinning rods for blues and casting gear for flatheads but that's just my personal preference. My gear ranges from 7' XXH custom built flathead rods with Penn 309s loaded with 130lb PP, to 12' H surf rods with Okuma 65 and 90 size baitfeeders with 65-80lb PP.

I tie direct to frogs and when I'm fishing vegetation.

I actually just picked it up in a trade with another member and I really like the action of it so far. It's bigger than I thought it was but not so big that it eliminates all but the biggest fish in the lake. It'll 180 nicely and turns easily if you just twitch it on the surface.

According to what I found online there is. I know I've seen RV's camping out there before and you don't normally see those unless there's electricity. Mine calls me at least a couple times every day plus everyone wanting the play by play fishing report for wherever I'm at so that was my best solution. I tried holding it while I was fishing once, now there's an Iphone in an Otterbox case in the bottom of Miami State Lake.

I like the one I'm fishing at the moment, especially if it has big bass in it!

Bass will often completely miss a frog through the grass, it's just the nature of the beast, but they'll also often come back if you pull it through the same spot. Like others have said, braid is a must and so is a heavy rod when fishing mats. I don't even fish real heavy stuff but I use a 7' 3" H/F and it's proven to be a great frog rod when matched with a E7 Curado and 50lb braid. I'm not a fan of often suggested "wait to feel the fish" method. If I see a strike and my bait is gone, I'm driving the hooks home because there's really only one reason that bait should be gone and that's because it's still in the fish's mouth. I don't see the point in giving him a chance to wad the bait up in his mouth or turn it around funny so the hooks don't bite when I set on them.

Maxxum for me, but I'd go with the Fortex if I could afford it. I'd advise staying away from the Edge, too many guys I know that have had them were disappointed. I hate the electronic control type motors like the Terrova but if you fish a lot of open water it might be the best option.

I enjoy shooting around a little, not to say I'm any good at it though.

I relied heavily on the Zoom Ol' Monster during the summer months last year, especially black grape color.

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Silver when it's sunny Gold when it's cloudy Willowleaf in warm water/clear water Colorado in cold water/muddy water Indiana anytime

Bass don't have mirrors to look into and aren't smart enough to have any perception of how big they truly are (or aren't in this case). They have no way to find out if they can or can't eat a potential prey item, except to try to eat it.

I loved the first couple seasons of Hell on Wheels. Last season they were kind of reaching and I haven't watched any of the new season yet. Duck Dynasty was great for the first few seasons but kind of the same deal, they're stretching it a bit now. The wife and I like watching Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud. Compete against each other watching Wheel, then Steve Harvey's reactions to the dumb answers on Feud crack us both up.

As promised!

I use 10-15 pound Big Game for most all my moving baits. It will work for T rigs but it's not my favorite. Always on sale for $7 for a 660 yard spool at Academy so it's impossible to beat the price though.

I got a few smallies on a 5" Bull Shad the past two weeks, but something about that small Bull Shad just doesn't even hardly feel like a swimbait anymore. About had a fish rip the rod out of my hands fishing a Gantarel along a bluff wall Friday morning but there was nothing there on the hookset It was a brand new bait but now it has scrapes on the face of the bait, thinking it must have just had it head first and the hooks missed completely.

Copolymer would be a good compromise in your situation. It handles like mono for the most part but with more abrasion resistance. Check you line often as well. No zebra mussels in this lake is there? If there is then it's just a way of life and you'll have to get use to it.

Our son was also 3 weeks early and topped 9 pounds. Glad he didn't make it full term!

Seriously?? I find baits in my boat that I don't even remember buying, let alone remember how many I have that have or haven't caught fish.

Big baits catch big fish, and little fish.

I usually have 6-12 rods on the deck at a time so this certainly does not apply to me.

Exactly. I target channels up to the low to mid teens with a MH Ugly Stick and a 30 size Okuma Avenger baitfeeder spinning reel and 20lb PP, but I wouldn't stand a chance against a big blue or flathead unless I happened to hook it in open water.

The Xcaliber Zell Pop Z2 (now the Booyah Bass Pop) and R2S Bubble Walker 80 are my personal most effective poppers.