McAlpine

I've been collecting M1 carbines for about 20 years now. Feel free to shoot me a pm if you want any background info on the manufacture of your rifle, SN range, production date, etc. Enjoy it and keep it in the family!

My wife is always good to me at christmas but she also knows that the big things are best if I pick them out myself. This year I took advantage of the $100 off plus $50 bass bucks sale at BPS on the 100MPH suits. Got a full set of bibs and long jacket. Spendy but wow, really really nice. After fishing tournaments through a couple downpours last year and getting some tears in the Frogg Toggs, it was time for a good rain suit.

I never understood the point of the flippin' switch other than to have something else to break.

A huge win for me was sticking with baits that made me slow down when the need arose. Caught some clutch fish in tournaments on shakey heads. Finished this year with a 2nd and a 3rd. Better than usual but not where I want to be. More work ahead! Boated a 5-6lber early in the year and tied into two that either would have been a new personal best, one of which we had at the boat and my own stupidity of tightening down the drag allowed that sow to take another lunge and break the line. Still, had a couple good 7-8lb fish on and nearly in so things are going the right way. It's funny. When I was a young boy I could always go out and catch bass. It amazed me at the stories the grown ups had of days getting skunked. It has taken me a long time to realize I had it figured out back then. Don't have to do what some pro says is the right way to do it. Just have to do it your own way. It's like coming 360 and it's good.

Bought a new Supreme XT, put it on a Ducket rod with 10lb braid and a flouro leader this year. Used this as a tube rod and the whole rig is really great but that Pfluger Supreme XT is an incredibly smooth reel for the money. I would highly suggest one.

I tried out the Arashi's this year when they came out. Just couldn't help myself I love the look of them. However; never did catch anything but I didn't give them a solid chance either. They are a little bit larger than a KVD 1.5 or Excalibur 100, both of which are phenomenal baits. I found the wobble seems a little more wide and not as frantic as the KVD or Excalibur and went back to the known quantity when the heat was on. This spring before tournaments start up I'm going to give the smaller Arashi a shot again.

Another great one. I like to take a white twister tail grub and bite off the top half of the grub part and put it on so that the tail is at the curve in the hook. The action you get out of the thing with a grub tail on it is amazing.

The #9 black and silver jointed Rapala. I still throw it but it seems that nobody else does. Has always been killer and always will be.

In the winter, this is my favorite football head jig. 1/4 and 1/8oz. WooT!

Wish I would have had time to send a note on each of the items in the box but yeah, definitly wanted to outfit you for some brown fish! Those Bomber mini-whackers are the one bait I have caught more bass on of every type pretty much ever. They work everywhere. The excalibur is money when you have to boat some fish early and late in the year. The gulp twister tails are smallmouth killers either with a small jig head and bounced on the bottom or you can rig them up with that same jig head and a small saftey pin spinner so it looks like a small spinner bait like the old bettle spins. If you don't catch river smallmouth on that rig I'll eat my hat. I've caught up to 5lb largemouth on that rig and more smallies and spots that I can think of. The live target frog in black is just fun as heck to catch largemouth on especially in the morning, just after the light breaks, when the water is still like glass. Work it around cover and wait for a bloody heart attack when it happens. ;-) Enjoy!!!

Ok, neither myself or the little boy could make it to Christmas. We opened up our box from Mr. Scrogg and everything is just great! The man definitly did his research, he included 4 of the greatest baits ever made, the titanium T1 terminator and in the right color and blade configuration too! Well done! To top that off I have a couple bags of chigger craws which are by far my favorite trailer and in a couple colors I have never used which is good. I'm always stuck on watermellon green and this will make me branch out a bit. Love it. Finally, a bag of some really cool little "worm nose jigs" with an example worm rigged up and a bag of elastec worms to use on them. I have never seen a jig like this and I think it will just be killer in the river for smallmouth and spots. I'm excited. Now I need some time to get out on the boat. I hope you liked your box half as much. I tried to do some research into the area you lived in and some of the waters you have chatted about fishing so I was shooting for a few of my favorite largemouth baits and then feature in on some smallmouth baits that I love that I thought would work in clearer waters and small rivers. I really hope it all works out for you this year and you catch 'em all. Thanks Mr. Scrogg, you did great! Merry Fishmas! -McAlpine

I have several things I really need to work on this year. 1.) Have to get off the bank. I have been slowly trying to move out and fish structure and deep crank baitfish balls with bass streaking up through them. Have to work on paying attention to the electronics. Need to become more succesful during the summer when the fish move out. 2.) I need to slow down and spend more time fishing spots and not areas. 3.) I have got to get the fly rods out. I have ignored one of my best tools for too long.

Be patient Oh Scroggy one. Should be there any moment. BTW, your's arrived safely and I am deciding if I should wait for Christmas or open it now. I have a very impatient 4 year old who want's to see what's in the "Fishy Box". Thanks for the present and I hope you enjoy your goodies! ;-)

1.) You want to catch big fish, follow the big fish. They move in the water collumn in a deliberate fashion, go where they do. 2.) Match the hatch. 3.) Not that anyone wants to hear it but...Use live bait.

This year I put Lews 5.4:1 Tournament Pro's on my two deep crankbait rods. They are awesome!!! I can really tell a difference and can crank all day with not wearing out now.

I used to use Flouro then moved to Braid for Spinnerbaits. The low stretch line is really nice because you can feel the blades rotating and keep the speed where you want it. I think it made me a better spinnerbait fisherman. However; I lost the biggest bass of my life last year on 10lb flouro on a break off a the boat. I went to 15lb mean green and have definitly lost some sensitivity with the spinnerbait but the line is great, no memory, still relatively low stretch and I have a ton of confidence in it's strength. I only put it on for the last 1/4 of last season so I will know more after this year.

One of the guys here turned me onto McCoy Mean Green and it is really great stuff. I highly recommend it. I am using it in 15lb for spinnerbaits now. Switched over after I had an ~8lb'er bust some 10lb flouro clean in two at the boat and break my heart simultaneously.

When I'm looking for a rod it's generally for a specific type of presentation. Based upon this I will find a couple that fit the bill for that type of use then start looking for the best sale, even waiting for major holiday sales or overstocks. Not stuck on any one manufacturer at all. They all have their plusses and minuses.

Lews TP on sale for $119 shipped. These guys are just super smooth. A buddy of mine convinced me to try one when they were on sale early last year. I think the only reel I have that I still think is superior is an Abu MGX. Totally different price class there though, that's how good the TP's are and if you can find them on sale, WooT!

Great way to save money. When the sales come around I pick up the cheapest braid available and use it as backer. $1-3/100yd backer is better than $15-20/100yd top shelf line when you are spooling 20 rods.

Keep an eye on TW 25 days till Christmas sale. Just picked up 1000yd's of 10lb Inviz-X for $60 with free shipping.

Scotch is ok but you need a good bourbon. How about some Grandpappy for fishmas? ;-)

I'm in again. Sent you another PM. I think my last one must have been lost in the site crash.

JT, I think what the man was saying is that professional fisherman are not marketable to his demographic. He just had a different way of phrasing his point. If anyone has fished tournaments religiously through an entire season they will know how physically and mentally demanding it can be. I can't even imagine what the pro's go through with their schedules and driving, stress and dedication. Absolutely a sport.

I have gone to Nanofil with a mono backer and fluorocarbon leader on all of my spinning rigs. That white line is unbeatable for visibility when you are line watching, it has zero memory, stays limp and is super strong with minimal diameter. Its also way slicker for better casting and no rubbing in the eyelets on the retrieve like other braids. The flouro leader sinks and is almost invisible while preserving near zero stretch and sensitivity. The backer keeps the price per spool down. It's an awesome rig.