Brian Needham

I rig them on the hook or coil keeper but will not poke them until ready to fish(leave the hook open for the keeper on the rod)

you will have 120+ yards of line on top..... no worries about taping it. I got some reels that don't even have tape on since they are wiffle spools.

I buy it by the gallon!

if it lands in a fishes mouth.... it was just long enough

rigged up ready to cast all the day before for me

masking tape, scotch tape....... anything really to make it stick while you turn the handle twice

no you dont....... once you catch a smallie, you aint wanting to live in Florida anymore!!! ZING!!!!!!

follow the contour FTW!

If I make the weekend I will be chunking a big hammer for sure, and possibly a bullshad. but by then, I am sure I will just throw what everybody says they are catching them on, LOL

you are right, you do have to be careful..... I for one am learning how to fish slower and slower, and catching more fish because of it. I wasnt disagreeing with you. A guy does have to watch it with the fast reel.

I fish all my bottom contact baits on a 7.1 reel in general no issues there, IMO

true. A lot of what happen on this particlar fish is: 1. I was one the trolling motor, setting up a new angle so I didn't get to set up on the fish like normal 2. As soon as the fish bite/hook set ensued I somewhat panicked and decided to drop the power poles as you see me stand still instead of moving to fight the fish 3. I didnt play the fish either like normal.......still jittery from set up and trying to get the poles down 4. I flat didnt think 5. when setting up the fish for the swing.... I saw it was skin hooked in the roof(caused by a bad hook set)..... saw the bend in the hook and the barb/point. but it was already too late. lesson learned. My net blew out of the boat last fall....and have fished wothout one, including my PB fish spring. I lipped her. Net will be purchased by sundown.

Mike L, you got the right idea!

that is an excellent idea A-Jay! not as "sexy" as boat flipping.....but since the name of the game is "in the boat" not "near the boat", you have hit the nail on the head.

I been called lots of things........ but that aint one of them. HAHAHAHAHA! (also note the camera was promptly turned off)

I never, well very rare, do I boat flip a smallie.

sounds good to me

I have had some issues lately judging how big a fish is boatside. I probably flip more fish than I should. This fish was right at 4#, maybe a shade more......for whatever reason I didnt think it was that big. Not making a "the one that got away" story, I really have issue judging fish at the boat. so the question is........ what do you do? To boat flip or not to boat flip, that is the question! Lets talk about it!

its true, very true. I am learning how to beat up an area instead of an entire lake, LOL. Maybe in the future there will be a episode of the Jeffro and Needham show on trolling motor basics.

OK here is a question...... many of those were 11+, a few 12+ and one I know of would have been a new state record at 15+ question is: Do they gain that much weight prespawn? ] all of those I have seen caught were caught Feb- April

didnt we just have like a double digit page thread on this?

as stated you'll love it. I have about a dozen of them. The Lew's TP is quickly becoming the Glock 19 of the reel world...... well maybe not that good but they are sweet reels.

this thread is way to reasonable to make sense to me, LOL. I use FC on everything...... though I have dabbled with the thought of braid n' leader setup. for jigs, shakyheads, stuff fished on a semi or full slack line I cant make myself buy into braid. FC just has more sensitivity in those applications....... real or perceived I don't know, but it is what I have made myself believe. Jon, IMO if you are not fishing clear water, I don't know if I would even worry about a leader. I have fished the XPS and felt it was good stuff. as with most stuff fishing it boils down to what gives you confidence...... for me it is FC, for many it is braid....... I still know guys that use mono on everything and have no issues putting plenty of fish in the boat.

just keep at it, nobody came out of the womb running a trolling motor...

IMO the main idea of coming to a roadtrip is to fish with other folks. I was very excited to fish with othes last year... to see what they throw, to see how they fish, to see their favorite baits. I learned a lot in a week. I learned new baits, new techniques. case in point: 1.as crazy as it sounds I didn't know how to fish a senko until the roadtrip last year. I owned them, had a box full of them, but never caught many on them..... Glenn gave me a GREAT lesson. Now I don't launch my boat without one tied on. 2. 00mod taught me how to how to be a better shaky head fisherman..... I fished them before and had a box full of them, but never felt that comfortable..... now a year later I feel like I am a decent SH fisherman and never launch one without it. 3. Bassinisaddicting never caught a jig fish until the roadtrip last year. It wasn't the style of fishing he was used to being a co-angler in his club...... ask him if he goes to the lake without one now! Plus I learned from Jon about fishing in general, and cranks(even though we didn't fish them) just hanging out and talking every night since we were room mates you are about to fish the TN River at arguably its peak time of the year, especially for numbers....... just bring your favorite baits, your favorite colors.... and the stuff you struggle with or want to learn. There will be someone that is on your "struggle bait" bite, and you will learn, that I guarantee!