moguy1973

I have a Garmin Echomap 73sv at the console and a Garmin 53dv CHIRP at the bow. The only thing I don't like about my set up is that I didn't wait a few years to get much better units (touch screens, UHD, etc) for the same price I paid for mine. Love Garmin, wouldn't change to a different brand. I just wish I fished more because I would go get two of the echomap 93sv UHDs they have on sale right now for $600 to upgrade both of mine.

My older Echomap 53dv does the same thing with my Minn Kota Maxxum. I've heard getting a ferrite core to wind the transducer wire through a couple times can help, but I haven't tried it.

I've never fished it but from what I understand they are there, just hard to find especially south of St Louis below where the Missouri and Illinois Rivers dump in it's much more muddy. Above that is better. Mississippi River Bass - MidWest Outdoors

A good video from Jason Christie on how he mixes things up to make it stand out. (296) Why Use Contrasting Jig and Trailer Combinations - YouTube

Jann's Craft and Barlows

I've ordered stuff from fishingskirts.com before. They have a massive list of colors to choose from.

My wife almost always out fishes me from the back of the boat because of all the other stuff I'm having to do. Usually it's because I'm putting stuff away after I have to retie her after she gets hung up and she's fishing when I'm not able to.

I had my best smallmouth day on one of our local rivers using a PB&J rage rigged Rage Craw. It's a good color. It's also probably my primary color to use on a Ned Rig with a half of a ZinkerZ.

I've been using the Power Pro SuperSlick8 V2 on most of my reels for the past few seasons and I find it much more manageable than the normal Power Pro. Much quieter going through the guides due to it being rounder and having less friction.

Yep, that's the difference. All the places I fish I can catch a largemouth one cast, a spotted bass the next, and a smallmouth the next. Not really many smallmouth only fisheries around me.

I'm not sure why people think fishing for smallmouth is any different than fishing for largemouth. They both pretty much eat the same thing. "Smallmouth" is a misnomer as I've had them take 6" baits just as easily as a 2" bait. Whatever tackle I'm using for largemouth is what I'm using for smallmouth. No special setups are needed. In fact, I like to have my beefier setups for smallmouth as they fight 10x harder than largemouth typically do. As others have said, if you need to throw something lighter like a Ned rig get a good spinning set up that can throw something that light.

I disagree with this to an extent. True, if you cast right onto where a fish is sitting you may spook it, but in my experience, the commotion from a splash is almost always an attractant as they are curious to what just landed in the water that they can eat. There's been many of fish I've caught just moments after the lure hits the water.

Some food for thought. You have a kayak already that seems to do what you need it to do right now. If you are wanting a bass boat eventually (AKA bass "hole in the water you throw your money into"), I would just save that money and build it so you can afford what you really want later.

I'll pay more for a floating bait. If I'm fishing in where the fish typically live and I get hung up, 99% of the time I can go in and get the bait back. If you cast out a $25 Megabass jerkbait and you get hung up, usually it's going to be underwater and it's not as easy to get it back. Now granted if you break off while fighting a fish, it's adios to whatever bait you have on there. I just wish there were more jerkbaits under $10 that worked well. Best ones I have found are the SK jerks, but even those are right at the $10 mark unless you get them on sale. As other's have said, it's usually the hardware that is on the bait that raises the price, e.g. hooks and split rings. The paint job also catches fishermen and raises the price too. I don't think fish really care about that though. I've had several super realistic looking baits that have caught more after they've gotten beaten up and nicked and scratched.

I don't know about Ohio but our smallmouth in Missouri typically leave the creeks and head to the bigger rivers (and return to the creeks in the spring). The wintering holes are usually deeper slow moving river pockets with plenty of cover for the fish to have current breaks to rest in. Usually, as Drew said, if you find one fish in a river in the winter here, there will be several others hanging out with them in the same hole.

If you watch KVD fish a jerkbait in summertime, he uses the same jerkbaits he uses in winter or colder water, he just fishes them a lot faster without as much of a pause.

Maybe the Jika Rig? It's like a short drop shot where the bait is attached to a split ring which is also attached to the weight.

Shady Rays here too. I had to use their lifetime warranty recently on a pair of mine when the frame broke when I dropped them. They sent me another pair no questions asked. I've also have had Fish Gillz. They aren't as high of quality as the Shady Rays are, and they have pretty cheapo lenses, but they float. Which makes them great for anything I'm doing in the water such as floating or swimming.

Mouth spreaders make things easier too. Just remember to take it out of the slot sized pike's mouth before throwing them back.

There are a lot of power plant lakes that do really well in the winter months around here. It's just so darn cold air temperature wise it's not all that fun to be out in a boat.

We caught them on big 6" Doctor Spoons and big Storm GT360 swimbaits when we were in Canada last year. They would hit our bottom bouncers with spinners and crawlers and crawler tipped jigs when we were fishing for walleye too. Caught few on big walk the dog and plopper type baits up on top too.

It's a shame Adidas bought Five Ten in 2011 because the Five Ten Water Tennie boot was an awesome wet wading boot. Not much out there like it anymore. Academy has a cheap pair of neoprene wading boots. Never used them before but they seem to get good reviews. https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/magellan-outdoors-mens-neoprene-wading-boots-200611143#repChildCatid=14404

Take a look at Tackle HD’s hellgrammites too. They are super lifelike although much bigger than a real one. Rig them shakes head style. Can find on Amazon or their website.

The part number listed on the BPS website does not include a transducer according to the Garmin website. But who knows. It's all so confusing. Hopefully it does have a transducer.

Let me guess, the P-Line you used was Fluoroclear? I've pulled myself across the lake in my kayak with 10lb CX Premium to get a snag out without it breaking.