Bluebasser86

X2

I like fishing for too many different kinds of fish to really make a decision. If I had to choose one that's around here, I'd probably have to go with wipers. If I had to choose one species that I've caught, it would have to be stripers or muskie.

Most you can get a pretty good idea just by looking at them. More and more companies are printing the depth on their baits somewhere so make sure to look your bait over and see if it isn't already there for you.

My uncle eats lots of fish and he prefers drum over anything else. A lot of it depends on where they come from like most other fish. If you get them from a dirty, muddy river, they're going to taste nasty. If you catch them from a clean lake where they eat lots of craws, they should taste a whole lot better. I use them for cut bait when I can't find shad and they have a very firm, white meat that looks a lot like a big crappie. Do a Google search, lots of folks out there that love them and they're readily available. Closely related to very popular table fish from the salt like redfish (red drum), black drum, and croaker. I'd suggest you give them a try and form your own opinion. Lots of folks love trout, I wouldn't feed that junk to a stray cat, to each his own.

Got to love those warm water discharges! It's the only thing that keeps me sane in the winter

They make good cut bait for catfish, I'd rather eat the cutting board though.

I have 2 Academy's, Cabela's, and 2 BPS all within 30 minutes of me, I understand.

They're lighter and since there's more of them and they're closer together it prevents your line from slapping on the rod and flowing smoothly through the guides, which is supposed to increase accuracy at the very least and possibly distance. I know I can cast a jerkbait a long ways with my micro guide Ethos, and it barely feels like there's a rod in my hand it's so light.

I've anxiously awaiting the release of this bait. It'll be just in time for warting season too

I hope that line is as good as I've heard, a spool of it should be in a box waiting for me when I get off work in a couple hours

You? sarcastic?!

There's plenty of guys that use braid and prefer it, just offering that caution if you do go with braid. Personally, I prefer 20-25 pound copolymer.

I'll keep it local and with tackle that I actually own. 1.War Eagle Finesse Spinnerbait-Hot Mouse 2. Cavitron 3/8oz black on black 3. War Eagle 3/8oz tandem Colorado/Willowleaf gold/silver-Spot Remover 4. Wiggle Wart-V38 5. KVD 1.5-Green Gizzard Shad 6. H2O CRS-Chartreuse black back 7. H2O CRS-Smelt 8. SK Series 5-Green Gizzard Shad 9. Zman Zinker-PB&J 10. Xcaliber Zell Pop ZR2-Ghost 11. Super Spook Jr-Bone 12. Xcaliber XRK50-Ghost 13. Xcaliber XRK50-Rayburn Red 14. Xcaliber XRK50-Chrome blue back 15. H2O CRS-Red glitter craw 16. LC Pointer 78-Skeet's Magic 17. LC Pointer 78-American Shad 18. LC Slender Pointer 97MR-Gunmetal Shad 19. LES STX-Pro Blue 20. LES STX-Herring bone chartreuse 21. Spro Bronzeye Shad-Nasty Shad 22. Spro Bronzeye-Rainforest black 23. homemade bladed jig-black and blue 24. homemade bladed jig-baby gill 25. homemade bladed jig-crappie 26. homemade bladed jig-spicy shad 27. homemade brush jig-black and blue 28. homemade brush jig-grasshopper 29. homemade finesse jig-Missouri craw 30. homemade finesse jig-sapphire blue 31. Zoom Ol' Monster-Black Grape 32. Zoom Ol' Monster-Watermelon red magic 33. Zoom Trick worm-watermelon red magic 34. Zoom Trick worm-Green pumpkin red 35. BPS Stick O 5"-watermelon purple flake 36. Zoom Baby brush hog-blackberry 37. Zoom baby brush hog-watermelon red magic 38. Rage craw-California craw 39. Pit Boss-Black and blue 40. Pit Boss-Lime purple passion Casting 1.7' 6" MH/F Pinnacle Perfecta DHC5/7.3:1 Pinnacle Optimus LTE/20lb Sunline Super Fluoro 2. 6' 6" MH/F LTB/6.4:1 Lew's Speed Spool/14lb Mustad Thor 3.7' MH/M St. Croix Pro Glass/200E5 Curado/10lb Mustad Thor 4. 7' MH/F Ethos/200B Curado/14lb Mustad Thor 5. 6' 8" M/F Ethos/H2O Mettle/10lb Big Game 6. 7' MH/F LTB/200E7 Curado/14lb Sunline Super Fluoro Spinning 1. 6' 10" M/F LTB/2500 Stradic CI4/10lb PP Super Slick/10lb Sunline Super Fluoro leader 2. 6' 10" ML/XF LTB/Pfluegar Supreme XT 30/10lb PP Super Slick/8lb Sunline Super Fluoro leader Lakes/Rivers 1. Table Rock, Missouri 2. Grand, Oklahoma 3. Beaver, Arkansas 4. Melvern, Kansas 5. Milford, Kansas 6. Hazel Creek, Missouri 7. White River, Arkansas 8. Stockton, Missouri 9. Wabaunsee, Kansas 10. Wilson State Lake, Kansas

I've fished both the President and the Cardianal, President wins hands down.

Don't cast too hard and backlash with that braid, you can kiss your swimbait goodbye if you do.

Those size make great cut bait for blue cats. You can catch hundreds of them that size at one of the power plant lakes I fish during the winter time.

I have a H2O combo (Mettle/Ethos micro guide) combo that I bought both the rod and reel on sale and got out for right at $100 with tax (reel was $29.99, regularly $59.99. Rod was $59.99, regularly $79.99). I've been thoroughly impressed with both and would suggest looking into them even at full price. One thing I would say is if you do look at the Ethos rods for a jig/trig rod, go with a 7' H/F instead of MH/F, they seem to run a little light powered IMO.

I agree 100% that I want to land every bite possible. The OP's question was if he could get away with copoly instead of fluoro because it's cheaper. I was saying that if you're fishing for fun and can stand to lose a few or not get as many bites, it'll work just fine.

Welcome!

I hope it all works out for you. I tried very hard to research the local lakes for productive baits and patterns but just did not come up with much. So I went with my confidence baits and colors and going off what little I learned about the lay of some of the lakes around there. I think you'll manage to find something in there you like Merry Fishmas

They were made differently, sounded differently, and swam differently, if only slightly. The colors were better too IMO, but the new ones catch fish very well also when the time is right. I have both and some days the new ones work best, sometimes it's the old ones.

If I'm throwing a Carolina rig, I've basically given up all hopes of catching anything.

If I'm not fishing a tournament and I lose a fish or don't get as many bites because I'm not fishing the best line for a technique, it's not as big of a deal.

Hi Salenity and I were back at it last Friday. It was way tougher than it was last time we were on the same body of water a couple weeks ago but the upside was when we caught a fish it was generally a pretty solid fish.

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