Spankey

I eat about the same things as most on here are eating. I just stay away from caffines, chocolate, ice tea and stuff like that. That stuff and the sun give me a headache.

Like the others I use quality mono and some fluorocarbon. Have been doing so for 40+ years. I've been kicking around the idea for a few seasons of trying some braid but haven't pulled the trigger. Are you using the BPS Excel mono? I still use some of it but the quality of this line has dropped off over the years. This was great stuff at one time. I change my line very often. Don't experience much in the way of line issues.

Maybe a 2000/2500 Shimano Sahara or Symmetry. Maybe a President. Too many out there. Take your rod to a guy that has a lot of reels and get something that balances good.

You won't regret getting a ML for the variety of soft plastics you'll fish with it. Give some thought to the fast/x-fast actions better suited for the soft plastics and a longer rod will get the line off the water faster. Hook set will be faster. Let us know what you do and how you are doing with it.

I would like to see him settle into a show like Zonas or the dude from Boston I think it's Charlie Moore with wide range of guests.

ike will be back. He's a bit more laid back than a few years ago. Don't know him, just a fan. Come from the same part of the world. I think Ike is pretty straight forward when he gets into techniques and baits.

Good luck with the hernia repair I had that back in Feb. 1998 have never hand a problem since. Lug and tug at component parts for equipment repairs every day. Just try to work smarter and not harder every day. If I remember correctly it was the first couple of days walking around were like walking on glass and the first few days if in a car or truck were not the most pleasant. I believe dr. gave me off 4 weeks. Sort of remember being out a whole month with it. Good fishing. Everything will go fine.

Well yesterday was the big day had the surgery. Though touching a fishing rod, shooting sporting clays or hooking up my boat seems a long way off I just need to heal up. I feel like I regret it right now but it will be the right thing a bit later. Grandson will have a personal trout guide in a few weeks. Looking forward to that. Surgery must have worked because my hand did not go numb during the night. May have been uncomfortable the first night but not numb. Thanks for the responses. Good Fishing.

I would have thought all of us would have cut our teeth on a version of that. Will always be productive. Always can tie that on at a slow day to try to make something happen. I still have my versions from the early 70's when I was a kid. Old school........I mean that in a good way.

I'm S.E. Penna. got slammed here. Could be worse. Snow would have been worse in my opinion. River is a mess. Structure fishing will change up a bit. Won't be on the river for a little while anyway.

Guys thanks. I believe I'm still on for Monday to get it done. They saw something in my EKG that they didn't like but they will most likely do it so I'm told. Can address that later. If I'm about 100% buy May 1st I'll be a happy guy. I have a grandson that I've been getting into fishing so I think I'm going to be like a personal guide and work with him on his trout fishing in a few creeks close to home here. I think I'll get some self satisfaction by just doing that. I got him hooked up with some waders and shoes over the winter to get him off the banks as he's been fishing the last few years. Got him hooked up all the way around. Just need to get it done. Can't take it much longer. It's bad enough while working. And if I have a weekend when I consider fishing hard for two days, and I'm NOT as extreme as a lot of you guys, by Sunday it feels like my hand is falling off.

Just wondering how long it took any of you guys who had it done to get to a point that you could fish pretty hard after surgery and things felt good. Can't take my pain any longer and getting it done next Monday the 29th. as long as scheduling goes ok. I'm heavy industrial electro-mechanical on the job. I'm sure I'll have some downtime on the work scene, Just hoping 4-6 weeks will be max on the fishing scene. I feel good about my upcoming bass season on the river. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks, Spank.

A lot of good info here. You can learn much from just the home page and article section. Guys from all over the country and not just a local scale. I've seen what were a few good sites get ruined from some d-bags. This site is in check and very well put together. Hope it helps in the new season.

Bassmaster and Bass Times also. For many many years now. I agree Bassmaster is not what it was. I like the conservation and state issues that get brought out in Bass Times. Don't know if you guys remember the old Smallmouth Magazine and the Black Bass Journal . I used to love getting that. Don't know why it died.

Wish I could do it all flawlessly. Could use improvement all around. Have to improve my spinner bait and deep crank bait 12+ foot fishing.

I have a pretty decent tube kit. But many years of fishing to get to that point. Have never fished a mag tube. 2 1/2 - 3 " range. No real big favorite. Fish with Cabin Creek, Gitzits Power Tubes. favorite colors: pumpkin/orange, pumpkin/chart, pumpkin, black/blue, sand, roadkill

Maybe look an a St. Croix Avid X. Just a thought.

Finesse fishing various soft plastics by far is my favorite way to go at smallies but, way too often I get hung up throwing a spinnerbaits or crankbait longer or more often than I really want to. Over the years. My larger smallies have come off plastics.

Florida, thanks for the post and effort you put into it. As a young guy back in the 70's he was an inspiration to my smallmouth fishing. I'm a river rat and addicted to them smallies. I will be till the day I die. God bless his family.

Just a tip for river drop shots in high snag areas (most likely fish holding area) use a premium round split shot crimped on the bottom of your line vs. tied on drop shot weights. Cheaper and easier to deal with the sacrificial split shot when you get hung up. Your rig won't get lost or ruined, pinch on a new one.

I have no idea on where you are talking about fishing for these smallies but I like the choice of black. Slider, Power Worm, Zoom will work. Clearly a productive color, all version styles will work. I've had a lifetime addiction to these smallies.

Drop shot / Split shot rig is my favorite way to fish. Too many styles and colors to name my favorite. If you are starting out or new. I would suggest Berkley Power Worms, Lizards, Tubes and Grubs. This is a good base line product to start out with and they will catch bass anywhere.

I've always found those Berkley shads and Norman cranks to be the worse out of the box.

I have no complaints on 2015. Early spring fish location is always an issue for me. Did get a few nice pre spawn bass on jerk baits. Worked hard at it but it paid off. July to the first of November I had a great time this past year. When I can pull off some 18"-20" smallies I have to be happy. 3+ pounders. Disappoints : Felt good about some Baker Lures I wanted to try. Thought I'd do better with them. Won't dis them. Just will revisit them this season. I'm a Rapala freak, thought I'd kick butt with some of the new real image baits they put out. They worked great on channel catfish. Was not really fishing for cats. Great fight on light tackle though. I didn't topwater fish as much as usual. I let some poor results get into my head. I should have fished my way through my tough time. 2016 : Hope to have a season equal or better. I'm going back to a few lures and patterns that were very productive in the past that I've worked myself away from. Old school fishing with some old school baits. Going to try to not overthink some tough situations.

Wednesday and Saturday for awhile I'm sure. Too windy to fly fish this past Saturday so I'm Jonesing to get out. Won't be for bass but for trout. Trying to teach myself the fly fishing game. Good luck, happy holiday.