Garnet

I would use horse do and beans if I got a bite. You are asking the wrong guy but send it up and I will try. Garnet

I have owned every grade of rods from $25 to $800 customs. I also get the deal on any grade rod and reels. And cost is not really a factor if it's what I need to win. I use Clarus Spinning css 66x and css68x for a little meater stick with 2000 or 2500 reels except for tube dragging then it's a 4000 reel. I also own clarus 6,66 and 6-10 baitcasters. Garnet

Getting hung up on this touchy feely thing is tough. If you turn it in to a visaul thing success will be easier. Most rods don't have soft enough tip for all fishing. You should be able to cast your jig let it fall to the bottom. Then when you pick your bait up a noticeable bend should happen but not to the power point of your rod. All mine are 70/30 so the power point is 1/3 down from the tip. So if I pick up my bait and can't get this bend thats a fish, if the rod over bends thats a fish. Then add all the other things decussed and jigs, t-jigs, dropshot, tube jigs become all one. C-rig are a little different because you dragging bottom. Garnet

Every trailer is different and every ramp is different. Puting the trailer further in the water is ussally the wrong thing to do. Less trailer in the water. Look at the placement of your bunks when the boats is sitting right they can be against 1 strack or sitting on 1 or a bad angle. Just get a couple cement blocks and 4x4 slide under your boat and use your trailer jack to lift off the boat. do the back then the front. Your mast and winch can be the wrong hieght and the boat can be to far on the trailer just a good look will show these problems. Garnet

Jack plate is over kill. Look thru the BPS catalog marina you will see a thing that bolts on the transom that makes the transom taller. If you are handy making 1 is easy. Below the motor on the piece that turns is a screw that you tighen until the tiller has a little resitance you can over tighten so take the time at the ramp to get it right. Most times it's to loose if you trailor this boat if it flops around easy it's to lose. Hit all your grease fittings You need to center that motor. Just a measuring tape is good. Measure both sides high and low, then stand back and look. Garnet

I have 1 win on vr natural perch (walleye) these baits were made by Renosky for Banjo. I was using a 1/8 jig and fishing 12 ft of water. They still work but I have not found a jig that holds them good. Garnet

At 16 I would be going wide open to get to Jr. championship at the Bassmaster classic were you get to fish with the big boys get to call KVD a buddy. Garnet

I had lots of problems with flouro until I learned to spool up a few days early and let it sit. Also do not change line very often. Here in the land of zebra mussles were we rety often I change line when casting is effected. Garnet

That Clarus is the rod I use. 8 lb is a little light for t-rig I've used 10 lb with great success and stepping to power pro will bump it up more. You should run your hook strait thru the worm and skin hook the point. Garnet

Just to add my rods are all 70/30 so the hook setting power is 1/3 down the blank. Most rods that are termed fast or exacter fast are these 70/30 the ones that just keep bending will be mh or m with no exacter terms and are 60/40 blank so the hook setting power is close to 1/2 way down the blank. Garnet

You really can't replace map study. In the 10-12 lakes I fish regular it doesn't matter were anybody else is fishing I'm aware of whats on the map and possible bottom content. So every boat on the water is prefishing for me (nice people). If you just go up and down shorelines it proably not that important. Garnet

You want a rod with soft enough tip that it bends when running your spinnerbait but not to the power point of your rod. I use Clarus mh 6-6 -cssx for general spinerbait work as mentioned I use a 6 ft Clarus mh for target fishing. And a 6-10 clarus cssx mh for very clear lakes for smallies were distance is the deal. They all have this quality soft tip but not to soft. I get the deal on shimano and can get any quality rods but chosse clarus because they have the right action. Garnet

Did you tape to the spool or add on to mono. Braid likes to be tight on the spool if it's laying lose pull it off and apply pressure and respool. Garnet

You only need to look in the water and if you generally see light sandy color thats the tones of grey fish and minnows if it's brown same thing. In a world were you are the food blending in is good. Garnet

I use a very small swival. Garnet

The only way you can fish wrong is throwing your bait on shore and leaving it. More info. Garnet

I ice fish with Flouro thru a stupid hole and never had any problem with fish of every size. As RW said it gets stiffer and a little hard to mange. Garnet

the biggest i could afford..........turning them down is easy. Garnet

All your pumps and switches and hardware will all be just catalog stuff TC Marine proably. Very few (Ranger) only parts so just fined a dealer that will order out of these catalogs. Garnet

It always comes down to you can turn the trolling motor down but you can't turn it up pass max. And you can get those power drive models with the long cord cheap. They are not great for dock fishing but cruising shore lines and slow trolling they are super. It's easier to pull a boat than to push a boat. Garnet

I use a daichi copper head hook on 3x jerk baits worked fine. The copper head has that copper spring screw in but I like the hook disign also. BPS has a knock off with the same hook. Garnet

Stop at a electronics store they will give you a bunch. Garnet

I don't use snaps but do use the electrical shrink tubes on the r bend to keep my knot there. Garnet

Twisted wire spinnerbaits are great. Every bait needs to be tuned before packaging thats the reel reason for the r-bend was invented. Simple little process very repeatable and they doubled the price of spinnerbaits. Garnet

Buy shrink wrap electrical tube and use on your spinnerbaits works great. I like red. For me smallies straiten spinnerbaits and the shrink wrap leesens this. Garnet