K_Mac

Beautiful fish. A 55 minute battle seems like an "epic" fight to me. You rarely catch a bass that will fight that long. A-Jay at the end of 50 years $300 may not buy a tuna sandwich.

I don't know nothin bout no Tuff line, but 20# line that has no damage to it or a bad knot should take some serious effort to break.

Preston I have had great success with the PQ reels. At $80 on sale they are a fine value on a quality reel IMO. Goose52 has a five year PQ study on-going and his results have been impressive. If I were going to spend $200 on a new reel the Chronarch would be my choice. If durability were the only criterion a Calcutta would be my pick.

Kenneth I will add my thoughts, worth exactly what they cost... At one time I thought I was pretty good at pitching. I now fish regularly with a guy who is a master, and now know I am not that good...I have learned a thing or two watching him pitch silently into impossible spots though. Holding the rod a bit to the side will give you the ability to move more fluidly. The "roll and snap of your wrist" as alpha jig says, is really where the magic happens. Lowering your tip a bit more, then raising it a little while rolling and snapping your wrist will generate speed, producing distance. Following through and lowering the tip as your bait touches down will help give you more quiet entries into the water, and greater accuracy. Done right the bait never gets over a foot or so above the water. This is not easy to do and takes a lot of practice. I recommend laying a five gallon bucket on its side and trying to pitch silently into it. One reason Dave purchased a new Nitro was the deck is very close to the top of the rail, allowing him to keep the bait lower as it leaves the boat. As far as rod selection is concerned, as with most things regarding fishing tackle, it often comes down to personal preference. I Use a 7' M-XF most of the time. When pitching under trees, docks, and other things that will drive you to distraction and cause you to improve your backlash removal skills, I use a 6'6" M-F. In heavy cover a 7' MH-F rated to one ounce is my choice. If I had Redlinerobert's money I would have an NRX 803 and 854 JWR, and a GLX 895 FPR. Dave has the GLX versions of these rods, including the new flipping stick, and in his hands they are worth a million bucks. My stuff is not nearly as high-end but I manage to get lucky from time to time. Use what you have, and add what you can afford. It's all good. Good luck.

I have caught more fish on beaver style baits (both small and regular) than any other plastic this year, and I have caught a bunch fish on plastics. Even this summer and early fall (including night fishing) when larger baits like big worms and brushhogs have produced well in the past, the smaller profile baits have produced better and more fish. In the past deeper water this time of year would always get a bigger bait. Not this year though. Maybe it has to do with the low water levels? I suspect it is a confidence thing and I am simply using beavers (BPS River Bugs have proven to be a decent alternative to Reaction Innovation beavers FWIW) more this year, but the results have been good. A baby brushhog pitched to cover or C-rigged has also produced for me this year. Like BB86 I will sometimes remove the front appendages for a little more streamlined bait.

I am on record as one who regularly checks and sharpens hooks. I have sharpened hooks right out of the pack, and this is the reason I always use a quality hook. It should be a very rare thing in my opinion. With that said, the only way to "sharpen" a factory sharpened quality hook is to change the point geometry so as to reduce force needed for penetration. Removing metal to reduce force has to be balanced with strength needed to prevent hook damage. Manufacturers spend much time and money engineering and testing hooks to meet the needs of fishermen. A hook that is not sharp out of the pack is defective IMO. If it happens very often I will move on to another brand. I think this is the point RW is making; taking issue with his delivery is one thing, challenging his fishing resume is another, although I think he can hold his own... On topic, I have not used Trokar hooks. They are a little too pricey for my hook budget. Whether they are worth their cost is a personal choice, and just because I (or you) don't use them doesn't mean they are not a good value for someone else.

RW, PM sent.

I like and use the Paca craws and chunks. I have not used any Rage craws only because I bought a large supply of Pacas on sale a couple of years ago and if it ain't broke, why fix it? Big O is a regular on this board and a site sponsor, and when it comes time to replenish my stock I will buy some Rage trailers to see what all the talk is about.

I have used LH reels for so long, in spite of being right handed, that a RH reel feels very awkward to me. If it is not for you selling it in excellent shape should recoup a big chunk of your cost. Good luck.

I have always been more comfortable fishing deeper water and off-shore structure, so making longer casts has always been my go-to style. The last couple of years I have fished a lot with a guy who learned to fish on a river system, and when the water is clear or over about 6' deep he gets a little nervous. We both flip and pitch off the front deck of his boat at hand-to-hand distance when fishing his style. Sometimes it works very well, sometimes my style works better. So my answer to your question is it just depends...

I have yet to find a bait that produces in ALL conditions. If I had to catch something on an artificial bait, an 1.5 or 2" grub on a light jig head would probably be my choice. If I had to catch a bass, a small weightless wacky Senko would likely be my choice. I rarely fish either of these since just catching something is not my goal. When I take the grandkids fishing and have to catch something to keep their interest, live crickets are my choice.

I am looking forward to hearing your and others input on these glasses. I have been threatening to get a good pair for a couple of years. My last pair of prescription glasses were hard pushing $400 with no tinting. I might be willing to go another $100 or so if they work as advertised and are very well made.

I would bet that soldering the clips will fix the problem. You're probably good to go!

Hootie I would also check to make sure the cable isn't damaged right at the clip. If the wire is damaged it may be getting hot as a result of too small a conductor for the amperage being drawn. If the clip is dirty or loose it will also cause heating. Good luck.

I have 4 PQs that work very well with a lot of use. They are often on sale for $80. Whether they are the "best" in the price range is a matter of personal preference. They are what I spend my limited dollars on...

Capt Bob you do not seem to understand that your opinions are just that, opinions. You are certainly entitled to believe what you want to, and within the bounds of civility express those opinions here. For every "FACT" you throw out, there are likely others who will offer an opposing point of view PERIOD. ww2Farmer has strong opinions based on his experience. He also has a long history of honest and helpful posts on these forums. I value his input and respect his opinions. Your superior and condescending attitude has the jury still out on you IN MY OPINION.

A 3" grub on a 1/8 oz darter jig is always a backup for me. A light scrounger jig with a 3 or 4" gub is another good choice. My best producing plastic this year has been BPS River Bugs in 3.5" or RI Smallie Beavers T-rigged on a light bullet weight. Sometimes smaller is better!

I can't answer the question regarding Shimano's actions compared to other manufacturers, but in my experience an XF action on a Medium or lighter power rod (whether baitcast or spinning) is great for pitching. For heavier power rods a little slower action works better for me. For MH a fast action is good, for a true Heavy power a Mod Fast action may work better IMO. As MarkH024 says, when up close and personal, esp in heavy cover, a little slower is not a bad thing.

A jig or T-rigged plastic has produced a very high percentage of my night fishing bass. Stroking or bouncing a spinnerbait, working a chatterbait at various speeds, and topwaters of all sorts have all worked well at times, but a dark colored jig and craw (with or without a rattle-depending on the fish) or a dark colored plastic (usually a big worm, although this year a smallie beaver has been my best bait) will usually catch more and better fish for me. These are what I like to throw, so your mileage may vary.

A jig is always a good choice, but when the fall bite really turns on a chatterbait is my favorite. As a friend says, "Be careful, you might get your arm broke."

No, not really in my opinion. A spinnerbait thrown to or into specific cover can be just what is required. A jig worked down a rocky slope may not require a specific target. When I start out the day this time of year, unless I'm locked in on a specific bite on that lake, I will have a jig of some sort, a C or T-rigged plastic, a spinner or chatterbait, a sqarebill crank or top water, and wacky-rigged Senko/knock-off ready to go. I will work from fast to slow, shallow to deep. Once I find where they are I will experiment with different baits (size, color, action) that target that speed/depth. For me a spinner/chatterbait is a shallow water or upper water column moving bait, a jig can work anywhere in the water column at a variety of speeds. The only way to know which one is the better choice is to throw both and let the fish decide in my opinion.

Your generalization is generally true, generally speaking. Bright bluebird days will often require presentations tight to cover, more stained water, or deeper structure in my experience. As has been mentioned the problem with generalizations is they can get in the way when fish don't behave like we think they should. Sometimes the reasons for changes in feeding patterns don't fit the norm. My wife and I fished all day Thursday catching fish deep most of the day. From about 3:30-4:30 we caught fish along the same rock banks, but in less than 4' of water. Everything else on the day was caught in 15'-20'. Based on my observations, nothing changed but the depth of the fish. Why? I don't have a clue...

That is a motto I can live with. Well said!

SirSnook I think it is just human nature for us to elevate what makes us happy. There is a bit of elitist in all of us. Bass fishing is certainly not the ultimate fishing experience, but it is the best available for many of us.

Do a quick search and you will find catch and release is a topic that stirs passion in many bass fishermen. I don't mind a meal of bass fillets occasionally. I regularly fish a lake where keeping a few smaller fish is good for the lake, and a couple of times a year I do. I fish though because I love the time on the water, the hunt, the gear, the fellowship with other like minded folks, and a hundred other reasons that have nothing to do with meat. Catch and release in conjunction with selective harvest is a common sense approach to managing a limited and valuable resource. You need to help your fish eating friends see that bass are better left to fight another day, than fried in a skillet.