Silas

We have lots of "Bowfin" down here in South Louisiana....but if you called them that name, few would recognize what you are talking about. We call it the "CHOUPIQUE" (pronounced Shoe Pick) and it usually is found in shallow water in the bayous. It puts up a great fight. Very few people actually go out fishing for them. They just get caught as we are fishing for bass. As for eating them, many consider them poor table fare. One "could" eat them, but they are somewhat difficult to clean. One method is to split them with a machete and scrape the meat from the bones with a sharpened large spoon for they are a very bony fish. Lots of work. Once the meat is scraped off, it is mixed with many spices and then fried and called "Choupique Boulet" A Cajun dish for sure.....maybe even an "acquired taste.." I personally dont like the taste. Very similar are "Garfish Boulet" where the garfish are cleaned and cooked exactly the same way. Put both in a brown "roux" and spoon over rice and you have yourself a true Cajun Feast. At least, from what you guys are saying, the Snakehead is pretty tasty. Does it taste better than sac-a-lait? (Crappie?"

Just ordered my alternate Shakey head rod today: Megabass Orochi F-3-610X4S Aaron Marten Limited Ed. rod from Tackle Trap. Reel will be Shimano 2500 Twinpower. (with a JAWS spinning reel pouch....does a great job on the spinning reels!) Line: Sunline SX-1 Braid in 12#. (Yozuri Hybrid 6# backing to save braid to put on another reel!) Leader: Sunline Biwako Guide FC 7# Of course, I'll be using the rod back and forth for DROP SHOT (for which it was REALLY designed) and Shakey heads. Gotta try that forward grip for sure. i've been checking that rod out for quite awhile and did a lot of research on it. Figured I may as well go all the way!!

My TILLEY AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK hat!! Maybe 40 years old? I call it "Vintage." The good thing was that I was actually wearing the "right" hat....one with lots of brim and shade, years before it became popular to do so. The inside reads: "This is the Tilley Hat. It is the best outdoor hat in the world. It floats, ties on, repels rain and mildew, won't shrink, and will be replaced free if it wears out. (Yes, put it in your will)" Can't beat that!!

Two shakeyhead setups at the moment: Spinning: Shimano Cumulus 6'5" Medium with a Shimano 2011 Twinpower and Yozuri 6# Casting: Shimano Cumulus 6'5" Medium with a Purple Daiwa 103 and 7# Biwako Guide Special FC. (use a fluoro knot) Baits: Jeff Kriet Squirrel Tails on a Picasso 1/16 or 1/8 head. At times, a Baby Brushog works well. I'm super impressed with the discontinued Cumulus rods. I also have the old style Cumara 7'2" Medium that I use with the Sustain 2000 sometimes. Some comments have been made about comparing the Loomis NRX and GLX with the Cumara.....well, I'm quite excited about the super sensitivity of the Cumulus.....the Cumara, side by side, is simply NOT as sensitive. I only have the Loomis IMX casting rods, and the Cumulus is much more sensitive than they are. I'm speaking strictly bottom fishing here. Eventually I'll get yet another Cumulus spinning rod for jerkbaits.

Great advice!! Or the Curado 200E5 or Pflueger President.

What did Einstein say......Crazy is doing the same thing time after time expecting different results. I don't think it is "failure" on your part to "give up" on a certain body of water. Simply choose another body of water.....life is too short to beat the dead horse. Don't let your pride get in the way of success.

For THIS season: I'm waiting on a custom 16 rod, rod rack to come in from Washington. Lined up against the wall, awaiting it: Casting: JB Custom 7' Baby Snake with a Daiwa SOL Megabass Rattle Viper with Steez 100SHA Shimano Cumulus 6'5" with 2004 Purple Alpha 103 Dobyns 764CB Randy McAbee with Custom Black TDZ100 Dobyns 704 CB Glass with Custom Red TDZ 103 Daiwa Zillion 6'6" with Zillion 100SHA Daiwa Zillion 6'6" with Daiwa US Trails 100M G Loomis CR721 with 2005 Orange Pixy Dobyns DX702C Finesse with Steez 103HA St. Croix LTB 6'9" Dropshot with 2005 Tuned Airy Red Pixy Spinning (new this year) Shimano Cumulus 6'5" with Shimano 2011 Twinpower 2500 Shimano Curado 7'2" with NIB Vintage Sustain 2000FB Dobyns Champion 703SF with new Vintage Sustain 2500FG And one more incoming: Megabass Orochi Aaron Marten Limited Edition Dropshot rod ( I just couldn't help myself!) Shimano Twinpower 2500

I was about 12 when I was fishing a "borrow pit" behind the levee in Southeast La. I was fishing with a fly rod for bream with popping bugs. An friend of my dad's came up and started casting a casting reel with a "Sidewinder" on the channel between the two pits, and caught about 10 while I was watching. Went home and saved money and bought a Pflueger Supreme casting reel. Started bass fishing! I imagine not many on this board remember the "Sidewinder."

Yep, that method's been out for years. Nice little sling addition. I just used a doubled fishing line. Took a hook out of my buddy's hand, and later, out of his 8 year olds hand (it had a one pound bass dangling from it......first, remove the bass!) The real trick is that it is better for someone ELSE to do it to you, because you might flinch and not jerk it out hard and fast enough. It has to have a hard, fast jerk! I tried to do it gently with the 8 year old and it really hurt....then I just jerked it and it came out. No pain. Amazing and strange, but it works.

Just a couple of days ago I saw a newscast where a guy who bought the Scanoe, took it out and it sank with him and his buddy, first time out. Seems they put the 3 HP Coleman ouboard that the Scanoe stated it was rated for. Didn't get all the details, but he was suing Coleman as the Scanoe should really only be rated for a trolling motor.....not the outboard. Something about truth in advertising. I don't know anyone who has a Scanoe so I cannot say how reliable they are.

X2!! One of the best analyses of upgrades for the Alphas I've ever seen. And, I totally concur with the findings. In ALL cases, I think that once one has an Alpha, he should fish it for a season....at least to see what the reel CAN do. It can probably perform superbly out of the box. Many of us like the idea of "tinkering" with reels to squeeze out even a little more performance. Nothing wrong with that. And I think that Ghoti has "nailed it" with his observations!! I went this same route with motorcycles.....always "improving on the product." In some cases I even found that a "stock" machine was built just for the likes of me!! I feel the same about reels. But the urge is strong.....I think it is basically a "making it my own" type thinking. And it's fun! And it gives lots of guys on our forum something to do in the winter when snow and ice are facing them for months. I'm going to resist the urge to "ugrade" anything for awhile. But once you've opened the door to "The Dark Side" , it's hard to go back!!

Dobyns Champion 704CB Glass!!

Congrates on the Daiwa!! My Purple Alpha 103 is absolutely amazing.....on a discontinued but still available Shimano Cumulus!! Even the colors match.

When the Dogwood blooms in Southeast Louisiana, the Sac-a-Lait bite is on!! (Crappie for you Northerners!) I DO know that water temps about 58-62 degrees is helpful too.

I've been really impressed by the Sunline Super Natural Mono! Tried the 12# on 2 baitcasters and just now ordered a spool of 6# for my incoming Twinpower spinning reel. Fluoro fine, but a little stiff and doesn't cast as well as I'd like. Only use it for bottom baits. And leaders.

I wouldn't say "lazy." Sometimes, it's pretty smart. Right now, the crappie, bream, and some bass are being caught by fishermen in boats, trolling along the banks, with a spinning outfit, or a spincast, a slip bobber set to about 1 foot, and a shiner, worm, or crappie jig. Throwing to the sides of stumps and laydowns, popping the bobber a couple of times, and moving it a few feet. Works well! It is the preferred method of catching fish here for about the next month.

I'm surprised you guys are not using the bait that was designed to be fished with the Jika Rig....the YUKI BUG! comes in 2 sizes. I've been doing pretty well using the 3/16 oz Owner Jika(I know, it's expensive!) with the 3.5" Yuki in Watermelon red flake. I HOP it rather then drag it. Works well in the mouth of a slough coming into a river/bayou. Invariably, there is a drop-off from the shallow slough when it enters the bayou. When it falls off the ledge, they hit it.

I researched jackets about 3 months ago. Decided on the Mustang H.I.T. model. The other models use a different method for the start of the inflation.....moisture. But, in very HUMID regions, and possibly in the rain, they may self inflate. I live in South Louisiana. It rains all the time!! And the humidity is always high. So I went with the model MD 3183 Mustang Survival. Type II PFD. Hydrostatic Inflator Technology (H.I.T) They are pricy: around $300. I looked around online and picked up one for about $230. I am super pleased with it....literally forget it's on. I wear it ALL the time in the boat. I'm getting pretty old, and I'm likely to lose my balance one day and fall out. It takes 4 inches of water to inflate automatically. Or you can pull a cord manually, or you can blow it up orally. Pretty fail proof! Also this one has more buoyancy than the normal 24 lbs. Comes in red or blue. Mustang makes several cheaper models from $109 to $175. I looked at those. Nowhere near the quality of this one. As you stated, how much is your life worth?

Yep, the ONLY reason I carry nail clippers is to cut that fluoro tag end super duper SHORT! Been through that too many times.

Tied for first: Daiwa Alpha 103 Ito Ai Daiwa Steez 103HA Close third: Daiwa TDZ 103 Didn't realize how many Daiwas I have.

I'm with you!! Easter weekend is the absolute WORST time to fish here in Louisiana! EVERYONE is out in his boat with his kids, his wife, girlfriend, and their dogs. Riding up and down the bayou. Breaking down because this is the first time the boats been in water in months. Bad gas, clogged fuel lines. I, too, live right next to a bayou and sat out this morning watching the parade of boats come by. NO ONE was catching any fish. A MUCH better day would be MONDAY or TUESDAY! I remember HAVING to fish weekends. It was super tough. Especially this weekend. Good luck!

I remember I was catching bass on a motor oil worm. A boat with 2 guys came by and asked, and I threw them a handful of the worms we were using. My brother questioned my generosity. I told him, "spreading good Karma!" Later, when we pulled up to the dock, I backed my Dodge Van down to pull out the boat and it quit. Right in the middle of nowhere. A few minutes later the SAME guys came in with a boatful of fish caught on my motor oil worm. Turns out one was a mechanic and fixed the problem right there and we were able to go home! I turned to my brother then, and said, "That's why!" I know I will be a minority on this forum, but I am having real doubts about the overall consequences of competition fishing. I'm not sure if more negative consequences outweigh the good ones. I've been fishing over 60 years and have watched things "change." I still believe in the "humanity" of man, and common courtesy will always outweigh personal gain. But, that's just me.

I'm feeling more and more confident now! I like the idea of the "back flick" and also I've done the "feathering" with dropping my index finger on the lip of the spool to slow it down. And I see, that I can now use my handle hand to get even more control. I went back and looked at the Challengers and put a Stradic 2500 on it at the shop and absolutely hated the top of the all metal reel seat with all of the threads under my casting hand rubbing. So, that ones out. Maybe that's why they didn't sell well in the first place. Saw a Veritas that I liked pretty well. Will keep a lookout for some good buys. Ordered the Twinpower a couple of days ago from Japan and I'm sure it will be a couple of weeks. Will be sort of a new "adventure" for me. I LOVE baitcasting and will never give it up. But, I need to pitch because there is a lot of laydowns and cover along the banks that casting cant reach. I think the 6'6" -7' M in the 1/4-1/2 range should be fine too.

No G. Loomis at my Academy in Hammond, La.

You have a good point Darren! I really don't NEED another reel. I guess I just really WANT a GREAT spinning reel at this point. I love my Stradic 1000FE....ultra smooth. But I want to keep it on a finesse rod and use it for crappie and 3" wacky worms. And, of course, to LOAN to my brother and brother in law, who neither brings ANYTHING when we go fishing. I really don't mind, buy they tend to tear up equipment right and left!! What rod are you pitching with the Stradic1000? I went to a little local rod/reel store this morning and he had some old discontinued Challenger spinning rods....selling them at $39 each. Said they were originally about $130. Company shut down and he had lots of them. Looking at the 6'9" Medium/Heavy for the Twinpower C3000. Pretty cheap.....but I'll keep looking. Feeling better now that I know that SOME people pitch with spin outfits. The guy at the rod/reel shop says he does it sometimes but is not very accurate. Apparently I have to learn to "feather" the line.