Spankey

I don't see your problem. You like it. Fits your needs. You'll enjoy it. Probably use it a lot. Hence your getting your money's worth. Will you most likely need or really want that MH set up? Yes. So you work toward filling your needs. You most likely don't need a $500-600 set up. Don't know you but most likely are not the type of guy who will go impulse buy and take food out of your wife's and kids mouths. Your expressing remorse over a combo. Seem like a good dude. Enjoy it. Enjoy the MH set up when you get it. Life is too short.

R.I.P.?

I tend to use Rapalas. Countdowns, Husky jerks, shadow rap, x rap. I only have them in natural colors. Don't own that many. The wife ordered me up a few I wanted for Xmas. There is something about carbon and Halloween that I feel real good about that pattern. Can't wait to try them. Last season I didn't jerk bait fish that much. I'll kick it up a notch this year. Great way to fish. As some one else had said, fluke fishing is about the same with plastics. Great way to catch fish.

Berkeley Power Tube or 4" Power Worm. Life or death I'm pretty sure I could make something with these or one of these.

Rapala Jerkbait of some type or a Rat-L-Trap. Cant wait.

Soft plastics are relatively cheap. I like the natural bait fish colors and black also. But if you see a color you feel good about. Pick it up. It will work.

I get real anal and become personally attached to some of my rods. Should let a few of my older stuff go. I have this older Rapala spinning rod that the guides and cork handle are shot. The exact rod can't be replaced. Thought about getting the guides redone. Not worth it. I've caught so many smallies with it that I can't let it go, and still use it for small topwater pop-r's. The grooved guides have not caused me any fish. But someday it will I guess. I guess it will become a wall hanger for posterity's sake shortly.

I take it you came into this site due to its bass fishing nature. But maybe not. You should try to keep it simple and try to settle into a type or types of fishing you like. Certainly don't get overwhelmed with all the high $$$$ stuff out there related to bass fishing. You might fish live bait. Nothing wrong with that. But I can pass on what I saw at a recent trip to Wally World they had Berkley Shok Rods for $9.00 and Garcia Vendettas for $25.00, clearance I guess you call it. They were new with hang tags. Worth asking your local Wally. Decent rods for a new guy.

I got lucky again today and found a DT-10 version of the Live Look Largemouth Bass that is the Canadian Series. Had to pick up a new HDMI cable and went to a Wally World that is not a local one to me, was just convenient to get it there while I was out. Couldn't help to go through fishing department and low and behold like my last find there it was in the $1.96 bin of lures. I just find this real odd. I really don't care if I ever use it. I'm a Rapala junkie but not a "live look" fan. Just a weird thing. Some corporate buy I guess. Only the one as the 06 find and none of the other Canadian versions were there. There were a couple of odd Storms in there also.

Crankbaits. Love throwing them. Got a lot of best crankbaits on my boat. Bombers, Bandits, Rapalas, Cottons, Normans and SKs. Are talking about getting into lipless? Gotta have them. Don't make crankbait fishing out to be more than it is. Pretty simple. Keep it simple. But you do have to have an idea how deep you want it to run or get down to.

We'll have to get together sometime during the summer and do a tidal Delaware or tidal Zookill and see how we do. Smallies, Greenies, Striper who knows whats gonna hit.

Just throwing this out there but I have the Mojo 6'10" ML XF also. It's one of the rods I use for Dropshot, splitshotting, jigging and light t-rigs. Like it as much maybe more than the same Avid rod. A lot less $$$$$$

I'm kicking around the 6'8" med xf Bass X but going to wait until the show to compare it to the Mojo 6'8" med xf. Picked up the Mojo last year, like it so much I'm thinking about getting another. I'll walk out with one of them. I'm sure the Bass X are nice rods but can't buy a rod without seeing/touching it first.

I love fishing soft plastics. The most disappointing thing for me, gone but not forgotten are a few items I just can't get anymore. Mr. Twister Silk Worm 4.5 Mr. Twister Exude Worms Culprit 4" ribbon tail worms Guido Bugs (craws) Don't exist anymore. I'd like to have $1.00 for every Smallie I caught on a Silk Worm 4.5 alone. Have just a few of these left and time is not helping them. Oldies but goodies.

You need a quality brand of side cutters. The fish will fare better if you don't do anything if you can't do it properly. Hook will rot and dissolve on its own.

A lot of areas where there are cans, coons and crows will make a s#!+house out of a place real quick also. But agree. A lot of trash leaving trash.

Fluke and jerkbait fishing I have to get back into the mix some more this season. Just got overwhelmed with other things.

I use to keep logs also. Than for some reason or another I stopped. Kept some decent info. I still have them. Maybe I'll bring it back this bass season.

You claim you have no Rat-L-Traps. You don't have to break the bank on these either. You only need three to start with. A chrome w/ black back, chrome w/ blue back and a gold w/ black back this is all you need to get catching. I would buy the 1/4 oz. Mini Traps. If the Cotton Cordell Rattling Spots are easier for you to find, they are as good and as productive.

I'm not a real tournament fisherman (small time stuff) but have fished them over the years. Back when I was a young guy 18-20 years old, this was a time that I was making a transition to fishing for bass exclusively with lures. I attribute this conversion to BASS Master magazine back in the late 70's - early 80's. The subscription has changed over the years but I can't honestly say if it has gotten better or worse. I just enjoy getting it every month.

A few Bomber A's in Firetiger Craw. Do you own a crankbait? If not buy these. Do you own any Rat-L-Traps?

Pretty cool. Did they give you a whole year? I've been a member for many many years. I just renew at the longest cheapest span I can. Good deal.

I'm a pretty big Rapala fan. For many years. I throw many. Its easier for me to tell you what I'm not a fan of with their product lines. * I'm still out to lunch on the Scatter Rap line of baits. * The Live Look that they put to their baits means nothing to me. Their original patters and patterns that are not photo process or whatever you want to call it out fish the Live Look hands down. I can give examples if you need.

Outside of stuff I got for Christmas I would not say all that much. I'm not including some plastics because I have extra unopened bags of my go to plastics, why open it. But I have my share of Bass fishing tackle for sure. In season if I buy a crankbait, spinner bait or something I order one because I want just that bit of a color variation. It's getting used. I'm ready to throw it. It's not setting around. I will pick up items during the winter to have for spring. I keep a short list of colors, compare different manufacture similar style (ex. Rapala vs. Baker), Maybe pick up proven crankbaits in a shallower and deeper running version. But they will not be in an unopened package long. I know I don't impulse buy tackle, What I do buy generally works.

I have a few of the Avids in my mix of rods. Great, great rods the best I own. I like the split grips. If it feels like a winner it will go out the door with me. If another Mojos strikes me. Thats what it will be. I have in mind how I'll use it. I'm as addicted to St. Croix Rods as Rapala and Bandit baits. I sick but not compulsive.