K_Mac

Like slonezp, I live in Illinois where it is not legal to carry a loaded weapon in a vehicle or boat. With that said, if I'm fishing with my wife at night on any public lake, it would be a mistake to assume I am not armed. This is not because I live in fear. If I have my wife along on a remote rural lake, esp at night, I will not put her at risk. I have had a couple of situations in the past that have brought me to this decision. I have been told by some that if there is that sort of risk to find another lake. The places I fish are in as low a crime area as one will find anywhere, but there are always some who will look to pray on an easy target. I refuse to be that guy.

Well said Fluke. I completely understand a preference for a given brand. I do not understand, or have any use for those who think that they are superior based on their tackle purchase decisions. Really? And while I'm at it, this idea that if a product is made in ????? it is inferior, is also offensive. Are you kidding me? Junk is made in every country, including this one. Tell me why you like your stuff: I'm interested. Tell me why you don't care for mine: I'm good with that. Tell me my stuff is inferior and imply that any serious, intelligent person would not own it and I don't care what else you have to say, I'm not interested. Life is too short to suffer fools those who can't treat others with respect.

Welcome to the bass fishing community! It will not be long before you find there are other items that must be added to complete your gear. This will be an ongoing process that will last as long as you fish. The collecting of stuff is a big part of the fun in my opinion. Good luck.

Basswhippa I think Shimano makes fine stuff. Your argument though that,"if you stockpile the right parts in the event they quit making those parts, will last your entire lifetime", is no more valid for Shimano than it is for any other quality reel. That includes Revos, BPS, Pflueger, Lews, etc. Your "throw away reels" statement does exemplify the attitude that the OP is talking about. Well done.

Well done Goose. I enjoy reading your comprehensive analysis. As you know, I am a PQ fan. Your experience after more cycles than many will have in a lifetime, confirms my opinion that the PQ is a very good value. I have yet to have any problems with the 4 that I have. I will check for wear on the braking surfaces. Two of the reels have many hours of use. I have no idea how many, since I do not keep accurate records. I appreciate that you do. Thanks for the post my friend.

Having had knee surgery three times, with a partial replacement the last, your story and film makes my knee hurt. My solution for managing pain is a combination of Ibuprofen and acetaminophen. It's better than nothing. Sometimes walking or fishing causes my knee to hurt. I walk and fish anyway. With the damage you have to your knee, it is going to hurt whether you ride your bike or not. You have to figure out what your limitations are, and try to find a compromise that allows you to live as normal a life as possible. Good luck.

I would take some time and read some of the many articles on jig fishing on this site and elsewhere. Jigs are one of the basic tools for catching bass, and learning how, what, and why will make you a better fisherman. When casting to cover I will often use the method JM describes above. When fishing structure I may take a couple of minutes to work my jig through, up, down, or over whatever is there.The trick is figuring out where the strike zone is, and keeping the jig there for as long as possible. Football jigs are great for rock, but not so much in grass or wood. A chatter blade would not be my choice on a jig in heavy cover unless I'm working it above, or ripping it through grass. Heavy is not always better when it comes to cover, grass, or anything else. Sometimes a 1/4 oz or lighter jig with a bigger trailer falling slowly will kill; other times a heavy jig and smaller trailer will work better. What I'm saying is matching the jig to the conditions will improve your chances. Fishing jigs is not rocket science, but I've been doing it for a while and I still have days when I don't seem to get it. Keep the faith. Jigs work, and are worth the effort to learn. Good luck.

I am one of the guys who owns all the wrong stuff. With that said, I have used the reel and it is a very good one. Good luck with your new gear!

A Trickworm on a shakyhead is a go-to deep water bait for me. I can at times catch more on a Zoom finesse worm, but the quality is almost always better with a Trickworm.

I didn't read the post correctly! You are of course right. I have seen suggestions of shimming, using tape to keep the reel from moving in the case of movement on the rod when tightened. If the foot is too large to fit a seat properly, I would take it back.

Sounds like something is wrong with the seat. Using pliers will not fix this. Usually the threads are slipping under stress, allowing the reel to come loose. Tie your line to a tree, and watch what happens as you apply pressure. Good luck.

I fished a small tournament yesterday. High for the day 105. 24 anglers, two keepers (16") weighed in. This is a lake I know well and have have been catching decent fish on lately, until the weather was turned to "broil". My partner and I zeroed for the day. He had one good bite that we lost at the boat. Everything else was just small fish. On the positive side, the night bite is pretty good. It's too hot to fish during the day anyway!

Well done by both of you. Most people won't make the effort to get to a spot like that. My wife has caught the biggest fish the last couple of times out. That is OK with me. If momma is happy...

I would guess you have fishing tackle older than 49... Happy birthday.

RW it is the same around here. Lake levels are way down and crops really need some rain. An easy day or two of rain would be be nice. Nothing in the forecast though... The new forecast for Thurs and Fri is highs of 105!

It is hot here in Southern Illinois and getting hotter over the next several days, with temps in the 99-103 range. I am fishing a tournament Saturday for the first time in years, and the temp is going to be just about the surface temperature of the sun. Should be a lot of fun.

I completely agree with J Franco. My daughter would be heart broken with a little tap on the rear. With her number two son, it does not really work. I think as long as it is done within reason and not in anger, a whipping is an important teaching tool for most kids. The most important thing, and the hardest thing to do IMO, is consistency. Kids have to know what the limits are. Too many parents let their kids run the show and that is a guarantied disaster just looking to happen. BB I understand that spanking your son is much harder on you than him. That is the way it should be. One of my brothers was traveling a number of years ago with his family. His oldest boy, around 10 at the time, was misbehaving. After repeated warning, my brother made the classic promise, "I'm going to pull this car over and ...." His son continued, and my brother pulled into the next gas station. As he took his little angel out the car he was screaming at the top of his lungs that he didn't want a beating. Another meddling old women saw this and called the police. My brother spent several hours explaining why he should be allowed to discipline his kids, while they where being interviewed privately by the local Children Services agent. They finally let them go, only to have a local child Services agent show up at their door a couple weeks later to interview the kids again. That was the end of it, and my brother kept his cool through the whole thing, which was the right thing to do under circumstances that would have probably landed me in jail. Sometimes in an attempt to protect kids from real abuse the system is too intrusive. When a father can't swat his mouthy son on the rear without interference from a meddling old hag or anyone else, something is very wrong in my not so humble opinion.

I generally "fish" off my back porch, though I have lately been pitching from my driveway, yard, street, wherever the fish take me, to work on keeping my bait low to the ground without hitting it. It takes a little practice, but there is no reason that pitching can't be done from the waters edge as long as there is a little room to maneuver. Long Mike my neighbors think my fishing in the yard is odd. I think having the neighbors wondering if I am not quite right keeps things more interesting.

One more vote for the KVD Line and Lure. I use P-Line CXX and the difference with the conditioner and without is huge. It is well worth the money, and I am very cost conscious.

I have caught a bunch of 4+ fish on wacky-rigged Senko/knock-offs over the last couple of years. As 11justin22 mentioned the key is throwing them where the big girls are. The 5 3/8" BPS Sticko has caught most of the bigger fish, with the 6" a close second. Adding weight to the hook will allow you to get a faster rate of fall and make fishing deeper water easier, and at times, more effectively. I use split shot of various sizes. As good a bait as a wacky Senko is, it is not the answer for every situation IMO. Expand your horizons and try a jig, or t-rig, or crankbait, or spinnerbait, or chatterbait, or buzzbait, or spook, or frog, or popper, or jerkbait, or swimbait, or...you see where I'm going here? Good luck.

The one on the right is the one I would pick most of the time, matched with a dark green, blue, black, black/blue craw. I might use the one on the left in a clear water situation, and go with a lighter colored trailer.

I'm a little concerned about the women's socks. Do you wear the kind with a ruffle on top?

I am going Thursday night on my first serious night trip of the season. I will have a chatterbait, a big jig and Paca craw, a big (10" or bigger) T-rigged worm, and a buzzbait tied on. My wife will throw a T-rigged plastic or a jitterbug. I have fished the lake enough lately to be very confident that we will catch fish. I am hoping for one >6lb, which is a nice fish on this lake. Grassy points near deep water, and transitional areas from grass to rock near deep water esp if there is wood close will get a lot of attention.

Eric, I wish you well with your plan. I hope to read your name and see you fishing on Sunday at the Bassmasters Classic; maybe even see you hawking the next big thing on a commercial or two. My point is simple. It is not meant to be critical of you or anyone else. I am old enough to have sat on the sidelines a few times while saying, "I could do that". Many of the guys fishing the big show have committed everything to making their dreams come true, and have put themselves and their families on the line to do it. It is that level of commitment that makes the real difference IMO. You may be a fantastic fisherman and a fine human being. Your commitment to your family and our country shows character and courage. It is those attributes that will make you successful at whatever you do. Equipment is a secondary concern in my view. Good luck and thank you for your service to our country.

So what you're saying Eric is that for maybe $5000 in electronics, you could make it at the top level? If that and a little work with those new electronics is all that separates you from competing, you need to find a way to make the extra cash. I admire your confidence, but to say, "I could have been a contender" while typing excuses on your computer rings a little hollow. Life is too short. If you have the ability then do it. Those that can, do. Everything else is just talk. Good luck.