Tucson

I'm definitely in favor of tandem axles. I had a 2nd axle added to my trailer for just that reason even though the weight of the boat doesn't justify it. Peace of mind. Also tandem axles seem to track better, eliminating the need to oversteer going around corners.

I've caught a fair number of bass on a flyrod, mostly smallies. I'm not exactly world class with a flyrod but when you do hook up.......pretty exciting. A real primal way to fish, bass on one end of the line and you're holding the other end of the line in your fingers. Gotta agree with barnettjc about the line - don't skimp on the line quality!! You can easily get by with an inexpensive reel, they don't matter all that much but GET A GOOD LINE! I've always used a 9' - 8wt rod but could go lighter. I'd like to try flyfishing for pike someday so the 8 weight will do both. I'ts a real satisfying way to fish but the learning curve is significant compared to spinning equipment. However, the challenge and satisfaction are greater.

If you got nine years out of your boat covers you're way ahead of the game. Here in AZ they are good for about 2-3 years tops. Maybe the UV does a number on them.

I have a couple of different names for exceptionally large bass: Someone else's fish Look at the fish that guy caught Wow, where'd you catch that?

I could be all wrong on this but my approach is to use a skirted jig when I want to drag or hop a bait along the bottom, and a spider jig for a slower drop and a swimming retrieve. I know a lot of fisherman will swim a regular skirted jig but it seems like it takes too much speed and I'd rather fish slower. Usually.

Here's a list of some of my favorite screw-ups. Note that these are my everyday screw-ups, not my Sunday bests. 1. Forget to pull up the anchor and wonder why my trolling motor isn't doing the job. 2. Forget to pull up the anchor and wonder why the boat is acting hinky at 3000 rpm. 3. Forget to set the bail before I cast, followed by staring at the rod like it's someone else's fault. 4. Carefully tying a tricky double-fisted, left hand tyrolean locking knot and then accidently trimming the running end instead of the tag end. 5. Casting my brand-new lure and immediately losing it. (Usually a Rapala black & silver shad pattern for some reason). 6. Coming back proudly after catching two bass and having someone (usually a crippled old blind lady or kid with a barbie rod) telling me they had a lousy day and only caught 18 fish. 7. Diligently tracking fish all weekend on the fishfinder only too find out it was in the simulation mode.

They aren't exactly soft and cuddly are they.

I tried using a ball-head jig for a weight but it kept hanging up on bottom snags so I swithced to a hook-free weight. Sometimes, just for variety, I'll tie on two hooks about 18-24" apart. This rig also allows you to fish two slightly different depths.

I'm afraid this puts me in the dweeb class of anglers but I just use a reusable split shot of the appropriate size. I'm not of the expert class that requires a special weight made of tungsten-chrome vanadium or whatever. I tie a figure eight knot on the end of my line to keep the split shot in place. If it gets snagged I can pull it off the snag and the splitshot will usually give it up. Of course as soon as I'm rich I'll start using the Officially Recognized Drop Shot Weight with a name that includes "mega" "ultra" or "max"!

Now I'm getting excited about fishing tubes again!

I'm new to tubes so pardon my ignorance but I thought the idea behind tubes was the slow drop & spiral. I've been trying to find a way to maximize this presentation but maybe it's the wrong approach. So tubes work even when they're held on the bottom?

I figure that once I've got him in the boat I can count coup so there's no point in killing it, just seems a little rude. They've got those big eyes and.......... One point for me, thanks for the sport now swim back home and tell your story to your grandfish.

I use an 8wt usually with surface poppers/hair frogs etc. It's a fun way to fish when conditions are right.

Ultrasoft is my line of choice too, very happy with it. Great all around line. It doesn't seem to come up on the Cabelas or Basspro websites when you search for it but I used the item number from a previous order and it came up that way.

I've heard it makes a good dressing for floating flylines. Any fly-fishing guys heard of that?

As with most anything you buy there is a point of diminishing return. An $80 rod is a big step up in quality over a $20 rod but if you opt to spend $160 don't expect the quality difference to double. I look for the price point that gives me the best quality for the money and that point is up to the individual. A minimum requirement for most (but not all) applications is some type of graphite. After that level is reached it becomes a question of smaller returns for the dollar. And of course, everyones budget is different and that's a huge factor. The real price of anything is the amount of lifetime that you must exhchange to acquire it. If you earn $200 an hour then a $200 rod is not a big deal. But if you are making minimum wage it becomes a BIG purchase.

I'm not a fan of the jointed minnow though, it seems to just snake on the top and not dive at...maybe thats the point though. You might try fishing this lure (or the floating Rapalas) with a split-shot about 18" ahead of the lure. By varying the size of the split-shot you can determine how deep you go.

Spinnerbaits have either a wire loop in the bend of the shaft or more commonly an small open bend in the same spot. If you're using the more common open bend just tie into the bend. I use an improved clinch knot. Be aware that if you use a snap, it will frequently ride up or down the shaft and foul the action so I don't reccomend using a snap with this lure.

I use a combination of sweat, beer, bug spray, chewing tobacco spit and SPF30. Not on purpose of course, it just works out that way.

If you run out of a certain type of lure, play with some new ones. I like some variety, having fun and playing with "fishing stuff". There is no magic lure so learn to fish different techniques. Gives you a multi-faceted approach to fishing and keeps your interest level up. Life is short, don't take your avocation too seriously.

Anyone remember these? Used to be THE standard, now you never hear about them. I found a bunch of them (prob 30+ years old) in a plastic box I'd forgotten about. I replaced the hooks on most of them and think I'll give them a try next time out. How many of you still have them and how many of you still use them?

I use a tapered leader as a matter of course but I finish it with a couple of feet of 8 lb mono for a bite tippet. That way I'm not using up my $4 leader every time I tie on something new.

Hula Grubs are my go-to bait for largies or smallies. But that's just our secret. Don't let them other guys know!

I've heard that some dedicated crankbaiters feel a graphite rod is too sensitive for this method and they have started using fiberglass instead. Apparently the sensitivity of graphite causes them to react too quickly to strikes and the small difference in reaction time doesn't give the bass enough time to hook up. Can't vouch for this personally, I'm just not that sophisticated with fishing......yet.