Tucson

Good advice from Avid. A Senko is too bulky for this application, you definitely want a smaller, skinnier worm for this. Only thing I might suggest is to try using a stand-out hook. Much easier to tie into and you don't have to dork around getting the hook to stand out at a 90 degree angle. I'm not sure that you need a special dropshot sinker either. I've started using a medium size split shot instead. Some drop shotters use a bell sinker. This method does work so don't give up. It's especially nice when you're tired of twitch & pause. Some times it's nice to just chill and dangle fish for a while.

I've had good luck using a 1/8 to 1/4 oz ballhead jig with a slow retrieve. The bigger sized ones work well on a 3/8 - 1/2 oz football jighead, retrieved along the bottom.

Great bait! I use the 5" on a 3/8 oz football jig and the 3" on a 1/8 oz ballhead. When the skirt end gets boogered up I trim it off and use the tail part for a trailer.

A 5" Double tailed Hula Grub works wonders. The skirt really shimmies when you twitch the rod tip.

I have a Crestliner Canadian 18 with the vinyl mentioned earlier and it's just great. Have you considered taking it to a place that sprays truck bed liners? I understand that's a pretty good product.

I've hauled my boat from AZ to central FL twice, 4200 miles round trip each time with no problems. I took the precaution of adding a second axle for safety reasons even though the total weight didn't justify it. I have standard hubs with bearing buddies and checked the temp by hand at each gas stop. Worst thing that happened during these trips was losing a bearing buddy along the route and having one flat tire. That's when I was glad for the second axle. I also carry a complete spare hub assembly (about $35) just in case. A long trip like you plan is not any more conducive to problems than a number of short trips. Sounds like you've prepared well. Isn't it funny how the best prepared people have the fewest problems? Must be a coincidence!

As I understand it, it's completely safe to be out during a lightning storm as long as you stay "grounded". ie: extend your aluminum boat hook to its maximum length, secure one end in a seat pedestal socket and make sure you have a good grip on the bare aluminum. Now when lightning strikes it'll pass right through the pole, past the hull and dissipate harmlessly in the water. Or not. If you believe the above, you need more help than anyone on this forum can provide. Being on the water during an electrical storm is nature's way of saying you will not live long enough to procreate. And nature can be very strict.

Since I live in Arizona, it's either night fishing or no fishing, at least this time of year. I pick a night(s) a few days before or after the full moon to get maximum light but even so, I'm kinda lost fishing without being able to watch my lure/line. I find a colorado bladed spinnerbait to give me the best tactile feedback.

I stand it up in front of the steering console, on the casting deck.

I've only been a bass guy for a couple of years but I've found spinnerbaits to be a great all-around lure. Chartreuse and white with a colorado/willow leaf combination is my standard. The willow leaf spins easier, retrieves a little faster and provides more flash. The colorado puts out much more vibration so I usually use the willow/colorado combo during the day and a larger colorado at night. Black seems to be a good color at night along with a black skirt.

I'd have to say a willingness to try new (to me) techniques. I'm fairly new to this game so I'm not hidebound to any specific technique.

An old milk crate is just the right size to hold ten utility boxes, 3600 sized. You can add a strap or bungee to hold them in place but it really isn't necessary. Acquistion costs are minimal. I added a 1/4" plywood shelf in the middle to seperate it into 2 compartments since this pic was taken. Does this qualify me for "Thrifty Bass Fisherman of the year?

Saw some floating ball head jigs in either Basspro or Cabela's catalogs. I think they were in the walleye or panfish section.

I think the most important part of the equation is the rod, not the reel. I tried casting a Matt's lures Bluegill (think it's 2oz) with a medium-heavy spinning rod and it badly overpowered the rod. Did a little better on a medium-heavy baitcaster but to really fish this bait I'll need something with signifigantly more backbone. Maybe a heavy fiberglass (!!) rod would do the trick. Additiionally, I'm not in a position to stick $100 + into a specialized rod for just one bait. Regarding reels, a heavy spinning reel would surely work but a baitcaster really has the advantage of cranking power. Think of it as a 4wd lure retriever.

Thanks for the heads-up. I ordered 12 packs of tiki-worms in Gold Dust. Love this color but can never find it locally.

Astronomers use references such as parsec and lightyear to describe huge distances. I'd have to do something similar, say a "basscast" or something that represents oh, maybe 10,000 casts. Then I could quantify my fishing better. ie: "Catch ratio approximating 2.38 Basscasts, all systems nominal."

I got a package of Reaction Innovation "Trixie" series Sweet Beavers in "Penetration" color. They've got the Trixie Series, Barely Legals, Big Units, Ball Breakers, Double Wide Beavers, Flirts, Schoolgirls, Miniskirts in various colors. Fave colors so far are: "Penetration, Infection, White Trash and Stinky Pinky". I don't know who names their baits and colors but I bet there aren't too many women in that decision process.

I like the 3/8 oz with a big double tail hula grub. Drag or pop it in short increments.

Gotta vote for the skirts full of hot chick. Especially when they smooth it down before they sit. Actually, haven't seen that in years. Haven't seen that many skirts either now that women cross dress so much. Oh, wearing jeans, T-shirts and traditional man-garb isn't cross dressing? My mistake.

I picked up some blades and made my own from some jigs. It gives you the option of fishing a jig as a slow swimming jig. Gotta think the vibrations entice the beasties, especially in cloudy water.

I also use a fine tip permanent marker to mark the bait depths. You can probably find out the running depth by going to the manufacturers website. I update all my Rapalas this way. I also arrange them in plano 360 boxes according to running depth, then I can just grab the boxes that have the dive depth I'm looking for.

One advantage of using a net is that you can drop the fish back into the water if you're having trouble unhooking it. I don't use my livewell because I always C&R but having it full of water might serve to keep the bass alive during hook removal.

You can get little hard foam floats from Cabela's (can't remember what they're called) but they are about the size of a Contact Cold Capsule with a hole through the center. The foam earplugs sound like a good idea too.

Recently had problems keeping hooked up so I stopped to analyze what the problem was. I saw a pattern of losing fish when they came to the surface. At first I assume a poor hookset so I tightened my drag and set the hook several times to no avail. I thought about it overnight and realized I was horsing the fish and losing them on the jump so next day I just set the hook, controlled the fish without forcing it, and kept them from clearing the water. Much better results and just in time. My first fish was the fish of the trip at 6lbs 4oz. This will seem very basic to many of you but I'm pretty new at bassing and was real happy not just to land the fish but to analyze the situation and make the necessary changes.

Anything special about setting the hooks on a fluke? Just started using them and lost my first bass at the boat today. I'm using them T-rigged weightless.