dgretz

I've used 8# FC for years on my Pfleugers with minimal problems. As a rule, co-poly is a bit more manageable however.

Couple nights ago I tried some watermelom Jackall cross tails I'd had for a couple years. Caught a mess of LM and was down to my last 2. Tried a green I-shad. Nothing. Tried a green Zoom Meathead. Nothing. Put the cross tails back on and caught 2 bass in the next 3 casts. Never had an experience like that before. Ordered six more packs from TW that night.

I want a tangle free landing net with a collapsing handle. Tired of cutting treble hooks out of mesh. any suggestions are very welcome.

I have a couple wallets but prefer to use gallon-sized ziplocs inside my small backpacks. Each ziploc can hold 6-10 pkgs; sort them however you want. I label the bags with a permanent marker for quicker ID. Not perfect, but it helps.

Finally got on the water this weekend. There was still ice on the lakes on the opener, May 5. Last Friday got on the water, temp was 40. fished in the rain and was struggling so I tied on a blade bait (Damiki Vault) and tried "ripping" as I had read an article recently in In-Fisherman. Wow, caught 15 or so bass and 4 walleyes. Went out the next day on a larger lake, there were still some ice flows and the water temp was 38. Caught about 9 smallies. What a blast. I am sold on the merits of blades in cold water. One problem I have is the line fouling in the hooks on just about every cast. Tried keeping a tighter line but didn't seem to make any difference. I like the technique, but any advice on preventing foul-ups? I was using 10 lb fluoro on spinning gear.

I was lucky to buy a Cumara drop shot rod when TW had them for 25% off this spring. Its sensitivity is phenomenal. I can tell the bottom substrate and can detect when a fish has plucked the plastic off the hook. Everything else I have feels like a broomstick in comparison. And I have Avid, Crucial, Dobyns champion and others; all nice rods, but not as light in the hand and as sensitive as the Cumara. a bit beyond a $100, however...

Ten inches here last night. Opener is in 2 days. I don't even want to talk about how much ice is still on the lakes...

I valued the first page of posts. Got a bit petty at the end. Better to not say anything than talk trash. I appreciated skeletor6's detailed responses; it was the type of information I was hoping to receive. I was really hoping to hear about the fast vs x-fast actions and what the benefits/risk might be when using lighter line.

I plan to purchase a dedicated drop shot (spinning rod) this spring. I will be using it primarily on very clear waters for small mouth and plan on loading it with 6 lb fluorocarbon. I notice that most drop shot rods have an extra-fast action. Why is that preferable over fast? On 6 lb line, wouldn't an x-fast action be more prone to snapping line? Any insight would be welcome; thanks.

X2

The only way to go: http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Utility-Box-Carriers/product/59192/70523 You can pull out any box without having to dig through a stack of 'em. allows you to easily swap boxes depending upon the techniques you plan to use for the day. Heck, get 2!

I have been using these with biffle bugs to great success this year. Both small and large - mouthed bass. They are fairly snag resistant in rocks too; though not perfect. Drag 'em slowly along the bottom.

This is the handiest bag I have found. Holds 7 3700 size Planos. Super easy access. For small stuff and soft plastics I use a cheap book bag from Walmart. http://www.cabelas.c...80;cat104619780

I don't know that area well. Here in the Hayward area in the lakes I've been fishing, the spawn is well underway. Water temps in the low to mid 60's. I have been having great luck with fat ikas. You need a wide gap hook. I've been using 5/0. They cast like a bullet, and are easy to fish in a breeze too. have fun!

5:30 a.m. a medium-size mayfly hatch was in progress on a particular bay in Lake Owen (WI) this morning. The water was boiling with bronzebacks breaking the surface. I could not scratch a hit to save my life. Tried half-a-dozen various lures, surface and shallow. Eventually I had to leave in search of bass feeding on crayfish; which I found. Every summer I seem to have this experience. Has anyone found something that works other than using a flyrod?