EvanT123

A fishermans best friend. Seriously though Ive never really had a problem setting the hook. I don't really fish heavy duty hooks. I feel the fish or feel some thing off, crank the handle, lean back and lift the rod to 12 o'clock and the fish is hooked. This is one motion and can take some practice but works for me.

The last sentence intrigues me here. Would a trophy bass in a larger body of water such as a Great Lake , Or large River system ? Be easier to catch if caught before and why ?

Plum, I know what your saying about the cabin fever. My problem in the winter is I think of all these situations. Where I might need a bait I buy it and never use it during the year. I was sitting in the man cave last night looking over some stuff and thought to myself damm it will take me a half hour to load this in the boat and that's time better spent fishing. I decided I would leave a box in the boat of tubes flukes and some senkos. The night before a trip I'll pick a top water or two, spinnerbait, crank bait some odds and ends and bring 2-3 rods. Leave the rest at home and fish what I brought. As contrary to the bait monkey theme. I'm really going to try and use up what I have before I purchase more tackle. Notice I said try lol.

Working the ice cream stand at a minor league ball park. Putting smiles on the kids faces, lots of pretty ladies walking around and talking baseball. What's not to like? I even dressed up as the mascot the last game. My other fun job was working as a lot guy at a car dealership. The bosses left me alone as long was the job was done. In the summer, I drove around doing errands in a convertible and had a gf with an apartment across the street. What are some fun jobs you have had? I'm not talking doing what you love or your career but just a random job that you had growing up or otherwise.

Natural gas with forced air. I hate it dries my sinuses out crazy. I keep a water pot next to every vent and it helps. Growing up we had oil and radiant heat through the floor. I haven't lived in a place with radiant heat since but that's my favorite type of heat delivery.

I mostly use 1/4 exposed tube jigs with a 3.5 inch tube. I throw these on either a 7'ml st croix or 7'm st croix. After a season with both I like the medium better for the tubes but the medium light is better for drop shot and many other presentations for me.

Good thing you have some sunglasses. That thing is bright lol. Glad you like it. Like others said let us know how it works out.

Measure your hand from the tip of your middle finger to the top of your wrist in inches. Convert it to millimeters and multiply by .11-.135. Doing this will find the "optimum" grip diameter for your hand size.

I have 10, 12 pound mono and 40lb braid on my baitcasters. I decided awhile ago I was going to use baitcasting gear for lures 3/8 and above and these lines work good for me with these types of lures and the cover I fish in.

I've handled my fair share of veritas, own a loomis imx and a lower end daiwa Procyon. A medium heavy veritas in my opinion is much heavier not in weight but back bone than a 3 power loomis. My medium daiwa feels about the same as the 3 power loomis. They both share the same lure rating 1/4-3/4 and closing my eyes I would be hard pressed to tell the difference. I love the Procyon. If you were looking for a nice spinning rod I would look for a sjr782/842 and if you felt you needed more power a sjr783/843. I like to fish light so I would go for 782 and I think you would have no problem getting a hookset with that rod.

This is what I use as well. I always always have a fluke tied on one of my rods and found this combo works the best for me. Something about that ml tip? Power? I dunno what it is but I get the best hook ups with this setup. I think it lets the fish get the bait in its mouth, you feel it, yank and hooked.

If you have the option to take it back you could do that. If not I don't think its a big deal. My first baitcast rod was a $25 daiwa strike force a 6'6 2 piece medium heavy fiberglass rod. I threw everything on it flukes, senkos, t rigs and heck even Bettie spins. It served me well caught a ton of fish on it and never had w problem. I guess "I didn't know any better" i moved on to faster and higher priced rods but I'm about to purchase a 1 piece version again. Point is let him fish it and make the decision. With the rod. Love some bettle spin bling.

On a spinning rod I love a tennesee grip here's how I build one. Glue some corks rings up on some 1/4in all thread. All buttered up. Tighten with washers and wing nuts and wipe off excesse glue. Turn down on the lathe; it makes quick work of cork. Rubberized cork takes alittle work. In the dungeon; reaming with a round file in another drill. Ream and check fit then ream again. Note my gf missed this and took s pic for me with an old practice grip. Didn't get pictures but mark off the blank where you want handles and cost with 2 part epoxy and again wipe off excess. Ready for a reel. Thanks for looking.

Yes and no. I don't fish stick baits a lot a bag can last me months so I will generally spring for the real deal but at the same time have caught my fair share on other brands. I used to use the wal mart strike king kind but they don't carry black and that's my goto color. So yea, yes and no.

For the last two years my first fish of the year which I generally catch around the second week of April has been caught on a zoom super fluke. I was lucky last year and caught one on 4/5 but around here it can be 70 or 40 so we will see when the spring arrives. Here he is actually and it was the first fish I ever caught on a rod that I built. I picked up some pointers both literally and figuratively so will be trying some be things this spring.

I'm no winter smallmouth expert and your situation would drive me crazy as well. Have you tried dragging a tube and dead sticking it at times? Maybe a silver buddy as well?

I used those for quite awhile, I found them to be very sharp and never had a problem sticking a fish. They did seem to rust alttle faster than other brands but not to bad. I've since moved onto other brand worm hooks that I can buy 25 packs during sales but use nothing but eagle claws on my jig hooks. Don't really get the disdain for the eagle claws.

Try this http://www.tackleworks.org

I'd be glad to moderate. You guys just need to sponsor me.

I'm interested in the 722 and 721? Glad to see them keeping short light action rods in the line up. Was looking for a 783 crankbait rod. Maybe in the future.

Caught this guy on an xfast selus And this one on a mlf at croix You don't need to worry about a smallie breaking your rod.

Sc3 69mlxf I don't think the legend would be much different.

I'm in NY to but rarely fish clear lakes. I fish s stained River and at this point keep it pretty simple. Black and white.

Im going to drop shot more this year and try different plastics but one that has caught me some nice fish is the jackal I shad on a 1\0 offset worm hook.

My forum philosophy don't talk about two things politics and pitbulls lol.