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I've got one on a 115 Optimax and noticed slightly better hole shot. I've heard that as the motor gets bigger, they are less effective. They're not that expence (as compared to other performance upgrades).

I use them on C-Rigs and always use SPRO brand!

Make sure you are letting the Senko fall on slack line and watch your line. You want it to shimmy as it falls and this is what will entice strikes. The beauty of the Senko is that slow fall with the shimmy. So in my opinion, it's better to not use weight. Some guys like to use weight, though. Since you are letting it fall on slack line, you probably won't feel the bite...so you really have to make sure you are watching your line. Also, I am in big favor of using fluorocarbon for Senkos. It has made a difference for myself.

Nice pics. That place with lilly pads looks like hog heaven! We don't have anythig like that out here in AZ :-/

Awesome man! Those are the types of things he will always grow up remembering!

Hey TXGuy, Powell is the most awesome place on earth. There is so much more to it than just the great fishing. You are going to have a blast. For smallmouths...hulagrubs around follen rockpiles (rockslides and such). For stripers...I never fail with a green light and anchovies. It's best to do this during a no moon phase so tha tyour green light has more impact.

Clubs are a great way to start. I would highly recommend letting him backseat with as many different people as possible. he will learn a lot.

Absolutely. I just started doing that about 3 years ago and boy what a difference. now I get all anal when I let a friend borrow arod/reel with good line on it and see them using the handle to engage the reel.

stay with fluorocarbon with Senkos. That stuff should work fine. Try a few brands out and see what you like. They are all a little different. I personally like sugoi the best but it is more expensive. I will use P-Line when I don't want to spend that much.

This is VERY common when you get started with pouring. It's an easy fix. Over pour your molds. Don't try to be stingy or pretty with your plastic, just pour it so it almost flows over the sides of the mold. Then pour the next cavity. As you pour this cavity, watch the first one...as soon as you see it start to suck in, top it off again.

Those bad boys must swim like a snake 8-) Good work!

24 volt = more power + longer run time.

I've been in the same situation for years now. the problem is that the bass boat "fish and ski" models are still too much fishing...you can't really just invite a bunch of friends out and go skiing like you can with a deck boat or runabout. On the other hand, the deckboats that are "ski and fish" models...they have a more recreational fisherman set up. I like to tournament fish and have not found a deckboat that is serious enough for a tournament. Let me know if you find something. You might want to look at the Hurricane boats.

Get a hook sharpener and keep them sharp. It takes 10 seconds to sharpen your hooks and it makes a big difference. You know if they are sharp if you slide them acros your thumbnail and they stick. Be weary of any really cheap lures. You can inspect the hooks and if they seem brittle or like they will bend, replace them.

My best tip for you is that you will significantly increase the number of bass you catch with a crankbait if it is BOUNCING OFF STUFF. When people are new to crankbait fishing, I find they are too afraid of losing baits. This means they won't run it into rocks, weeks, logs, etc. then they don't get bit and they give up. Go with the mind set that you are going to lose some baits until you get the hang of it (I hardly lose them now) and go fish the good stuff. If the bass are sitting in 10' of water, I throw something that runs 10+ feet. I like to hit all the rocks.

During summer, I have done well around bridges and docks. The bass will seek out the shade.

Depends on the season, but for most of the year in the lakes I fish...plastic does the job. During fall and prespawn, though...I will only be throwing crankbaits and spinnerbaits and pound the shoreline. When the time is right and with the right technique, cranks/spinnerbaits will outproduce a softbait. Just my opinion...

I am not familiar with VA, but have done some swimbait fishing in CA. The key is to match the hatch. If you have trout in the water, that would be a great bait to throw. If you have bluegill, get a bluegill bait. If you have shad, the paddle tail tube swimbaits are the hottest thing going right now. Try to not only match the type of bait to the forage, but also the size. If you don't have confidence in a 6-10" swimbait, then start with a 5" shad imitation and build some confidence. Remember, usually throwing a swimbait means less fish being caught, but the quality will improve. You can literally fish all day and not get a bite (happens to me often). Fish something that you will have confidence in because you need to stick with it and not just throw it for a half hour.

They both look pretty darn nice. If it matters, I do like the driftwood.

FYI - I saw Yamamotos at Cabelas on sale for only $.88. That is a smokin deal.

Nice catch. The coloring on the second smallie is beautiful!

Welcome aboard. You are going to love catching those smallies! I like caching them waaaaay more than trout and pickerel!

What are you stirring with? Wood stirrers may create bubbles. Another possible cause is moisture getting into your ingredients. Seal the mold before you use.

LC, you can almost never go wrong drop shotting at Pleasant. Bring the clear water baits...

I live in So. Cal. I moved here from AZ 2.5 years ago and can't wait for the day I can move back. It's crowded (1 in 8 American's live in CA and it probably has the largest population of illegal residents on top of that), it's expensive (I live inland from the ocean where it is "cheap" and the average home price is nearly $400K) and it's just dirty. Diamond Valley Lake is my home lake. One thing they failed to mention on that Bass Center clip is that they were fishing behind the bouy line, the forbidden area by the pumping tower. My average size bass out of that lake is 3.5 pounds which is a real nice change of pace to what I am used to in AZ. I don't catch a lot of numbers like I used to in AZ, though. Most people don't know this, but 23 of the largest 25 LMB ever caught were out of CA. Reason being...ideal weather year round and the fact that they stock these lakes with fish food in winter, TROUT! If I move back to AZ, it will be bitter-sweet though. The fishing here is pretty darn good...