McAlpine

6.2 Nice fish

I wouldn't take it if you gave it to me. I tried some a couple years ago and while it was decent line I kept having break off's. The next season I went to inviz-x and found out that the XPS had problems with kinks in the line due to how they were spooling or something. They kept it pretty quiet and I certainly never got my money back for that bad line and even though they knew they had a problem they still sold out all their stock. Bad way to do business but about what you can expect from BPS.

Probably 10-12 casting rods and ~4 spinning rods in the boat for the average tournament if I am the boater. ~6 rods total if I am the +1. Local pond, 2-3 rods.

The TFO fly rods are really impressive for their price point. From that I was excited when the partnership with Gary Loomis started. The bass rods are ok, not bad, but nothing to write home about. For the same money there are better rods out there.

Only one I use any more unless koppers are on sale cheap.

Heck yeah I'm in. Spot's are my one chance to not get whipped by Dwight, I dont think spotted bass can live anywhere they dont serve grits with breakfast without actually asking if you want them or not. Gonna have to go find a big Kentucky Bass on the river this spring.

Dont feel sorry for you. I have a BPS 20 min from home and they built a Cabela's here last year 20 min from work. Boo to the Monkey.

I honestly don't know why anyone would want to do it. Think of how many guys are out there busting hump to make it as pro's in this sport and how many are really pulling in bank? For those that are trying desperately to make it I respect their guts to stick it out. However; they are never home, there is no money in it, and it's a constant fight to keep funded. Your better off buying lottery tickets and keeping the 9-5. Now, if that lottery ticket ever pays off then you'll see me out there in a boat with a wrap that says "sponsored by me". Independent wealth does make some things easier.

Hat. Miserable without a hat.

Indiana resident fishing -$17

Get him a lightning rod with a decent spinning reel. If you want to spend more get him a tackle box and some baits. That rig will serve him well. What your doing is awesome. This will be something that young man will remember for the rest of his life and it is acts of kindness such as this which build character in youth when they can see the right way to treat others.

I've caught bluegill on a 1/8oz spinnerbait and I've caught a 5 1/2 lb bass on a Beatle Spin.

Wow, what a beautiful fish! I wonder if it will actually be a record? From what I have heard the only way to really get a fish registered it ends up dying. Awesome that he let it go, sad if it can't be registered as a record becuase it was let go.

I have all of my braid trimming needs sent to Chuck Norris and he just tears it to length.

1/16 and 5/16 1/16 my suggestion for a slower fall which can be deadly. 5/16 Denny Brauer's suggestion for the most useful all-around weight for flippin. If nothin' else listen to Denny.

Maybe he's using the drop shot to win tournaments by bagging a quick limit that can be built upon after finding a group of fish and doesn't want anyone else to understand how effective it can be. ???

And to add to RW's input, a 5/16 swimbait 4/0 on a Rodent or a rage craw.......

Flipping a creature bait with a weighted swimbait hook to get a flat profile on the drop with flapping claws and a drag instead of hop on the bottom instead of a nose drop with a bullet weight doesn't work. Yeah, it's terrible. Don't try it. And don't tell anyone because it's a terrible idea......

Booyah pad crasher in white. No, in black. No, in white. Um... Can I have 2?

A good day for me means I'm on the boat. That's good enough. Now, you want to categorize success with numbers, that depends upon the fishery. We have large, 8-10,000 acre impoundments around here that you can go all day without a bite or get on a mess of them. A couple fish a day is fine, a limit of legal fish is really really good especially with 15" size limits. We also have a couple managed lakes with limited access. On these a buddy and I will hit them a couple times a year and our mark for a good day is around 100 bass. So, it depends but as long as I'm casting it's a good day.

I think it's a bit more complicted than just water temperature. The bass will get ready to spawn based upon water temperature but also length of day, moon phase may kick off movements once the daylight is around for so long, or the water temperature is at a certain level. Just saying it's not a linear equation. A cold front or other nasty weather can push them back out, as well, etc. Pre-spawn and post-spawn movements are also equally variable based upon weather, light, etc. My observations are made from living on a natural lake, the headwaters for a small river system for 30 years and being able to walk out the front door and catch fish off the dock, see them bedding on the beach where I laid pea-gravel, every single day through a spring. This is in northern Indiana, so your mileage may vary. I'm in Southern Indiana/Kentucky now for the last 6 years on a large river system rather than a lake so I'm still figuring that out. It's amazing how long it takes to really know the heartbeat of a body of water. Bass are catchable in shallows as soon as the ice comes off but it's interesting how they stage. The small 1 year old bass seem to come in first and their numbers grow as the water warms. Sunset on the east side of the lake with a west wind coming in is a winner. The buck bass that are going to make beds seem to come in and pre-spawn feed next. At this point you are targeting 1-2 lb fish. The big ladies dont seem to come up until they are pretty well ready to find a mate. These phases roll around the same time as water temperature hitting about 40 for the small guys, 50ish for the bucks, 60ish for spawning. But at the same time, if you have a cold or late spring those fish dont have to come up to the shallows to spawn something else is triggering them such as length of day or that combined with a new or full moon phase. They may spawn and stage deeper and you never see them come up in huge numbers. Or things may be going great and you get a week of rough spring weather and they all push back out to the first break. Hard wind and rain will clear those fish out fast for a few days before they come back. They don't like bad storms. Some of the observations above I think are very accurate about dogwoods or lilac's blooming about the same time. Nature is funny the way things are connected and I have observed through the years certain consistancies. Flowering trees and such seem to be blooming about the same time that animals are starting to make their spring moves such as bass and crappie and squirrels. The crappie first, then the bass are moving in. The cottonwood trees seem to be dropping that d@mn cotton on everything about the time the bluegills are bedding. etc. The first small leaves of the year on brush in the woods are just popping out and are about the size of a squirrels ear when the Turkeys are ready to get it on. The baitfish start to move shallower about the time that the red-winged blackbirds show back up from their wintering areas. Etc. So, the advice I give is this: Pay attention to what's around you. Pay attention to nature in general and I think what is happening above the water will tell you alot about what is happening below the water. In the spring, be sensitive to how the flora and fauna in your area are behaving and I bet it will help you to posistion the fish.

Great topic. I have been looking for something comfy to wear in the boat that is also waterproof, or with venting that dries very quickly, or breathable, etc. Something that your feet can be rained on and either your socks stay dry in cold weather or you wear them in the summer with no socks and the shoes dry out quickly...etc. And above all are comfy!!! I've been wearing hiking boots during cold weather and hiking sandals during warm weather and these have worked out for both the warm weather and cold weather needs, but neither is super high on the comfy scale in a boat. The boots are clunky and the sandals leave some soreness after being on your feet all day. I've been interested in the Zeko's but they are so stupid looking that they are not worth the price of entry unless they are really great.

Be aware that it is common for reels sold on ebay to be returns or warranty repair parts. It is also generally assumed that if you purchase a reel off of ebay you will may not get warranty support. There is no absolute, so I am sure that there are people that have purchased brand new excellent equipment and received warranty support from ebay purchases but I wont bet my money on it. The manufacturers have prefered vendors for a reason. Think of ebay as "grey market".

I'm going to modify my list and add lipless too. I can't catch anything but snags on them.

You forgot the Banjo Minnow.