MarkH024

Are you guys replacing the original trebles on these Live Target cranks? I for one don't replace all my crank bait trebles unless they're really garbage. I dont fish tournaments and rarely to I ever lose a fish on the crankbaits I throw, so no need. I was just curious if the hooks that come on these are quality. I'd hope so for $13 a pop but I really would like to try them out because the detail on these are incredible. Also how well does the paint stand up? Do they chip really easy?

Welcome

Welcome

Welcome

Does someone just "abandon" gear of that value? I highly doubt it. Why would someone abandon their fishing gear period, that would be a first for me hearing that. Whether your car/boat is broken into or something is swiped off the deck of your boat or your pier...stealing is stealing. If it's not yours don't touch it. Its not like he left his gear in the middle of a forest or in the junkyard.

Isn't that the truth.

I have all St. Croix rods. I have yet to have any problems with any of mine. I have nothing but great things to say about them.

Awesome man! Nice work!

I didn't reference size of fish at all.

Perhaps you're just a more exprienced fisherman? Throwing in the better spots, targeting the better pieces of cover, fishing the frogs more methodically? I don't think it has anything to do with the gear you are using to be honest. As for the subject of the post, I use spinning for finesse fishing only. Casting for everything else. I don't believe in the finest finesse situations you can beat a really good finesse spinning rod. I use a 6'8 St Croix Avid, XF medium action. It's a dynamite rod for finesse fishing, but that is all I use it for. I power fish more often than finesse, so I tend to throw my BC's more often. I say stick to what you're comfortable using. If you catch fish, no reason to change.

Thanks for the info. Voyager is where i have been fishing. Only from shore at this point. When I bring my bass boat home I might try it out here. I've caught only smallies and one musky from this location.

Yeah I have been a member on LL for quite some time. The knowledge and feedback here is about 100 times better I feel, and in general Bass Resource users are just more friendly. I use LL for checking out lakes, reviews, but hardly ever for user forum feedback. Thanks for the thought.

Hey guys, Anyone fish the Fox River in the Chicago land area? Specifically for smallies/LM/or musky? I fish the stretches from Carpentersville down to Elgin/South Elgin. I have also fished in the Geneva/St Charles stretch too. I've been searching for other areas to fish, does any one have any recommendations of a good stretch. Looking for a little more privacy to be honest, some places are flooded with "people" not fishermen. Plan on getting my boat out there maybe at the end of this fall or next spring. I keep my boat up in Wisconsin for most of the year.

If you don't have a trailer I'd skip this. Find an aluminum if you want to throw it in and out of a truck and what not. You'll end up cracking this fiberglass boat at some point.

Don't move to IL, or Chicago area. It's just as bad unless you want to live in a trailer park or some awful neighborhood. Property tax, Gas, food, electric...its all through the roof here.

I reel with my right hand on both BC and Spinning. I flip/pitch with it in my right hand and switch over quickly. Doesn't affect my fishing at all. Lefty is too awkward for me, not so much for reeling but setting the hook and just rod handling in generally. I have a guy at work that said I should switch because you can get more casts off with LH reels. I fished with him a few times and squashed that theory in a matter of 10 minutes. Not that quantity of casts matter but quality of your casts do...either way, more control, more action, more efficiency as a RH'er. Stick with what you're comfortable with, don't let someone try to tell you differently.

Northern states will present better smallmouth fishing, northern pike, musky. Fish that you generally wont find in south in abudunce if at all. On the flip side, LMB don't get nearly as big up in the north like they do in the south. By North i'm referring to IL, WI, MN, Michigan and alike states. South is Kentucky and below. I guess it boils down to what are you wanting to target mostly? There is good fishing in any state for the most part, it just depends on what you are going for. Minnesota is a great fishing state along with Wisconsin. I have never really fished Michigan but from what I hear it's a wonderful state too. Plus us Midwesterners have all the Great Lakes at our finger tips which presents a huge array of fishing opportunities.

If your toad gets hit, do a one-one thousand count, then set the hook. That will allow the fish to get it all the way in its mouth. MCS tips are spot on. 5/0 on the soft body frogs unless they're really small then 4/0, nothing less than that.

The rule of thumb with trolling motors....get the most powerful one that your wallet can afford and the boat can handle. Either way, it will work with that 40lb thrust in most conditions. It will be challenging if you fish very windy days, or extremely weedy lakes. It's a start, and if you love the boat get it. You can always upgrade or ask Santa for a Minn Kota this year.

Excellent fish. Thanks for sharing.

Nice Musky in the avatar, what was the length? I still don't get steamed if I get skunked, I'd rather be out on the water than in the office so I'm happy either way. But a tall cold one helps to think about what I could have changed.

Personally I like many different hollow body styles, like the Strike King KVD Sexy Frog, or Booyah Pad Crasher, or even Scum Frogs. SPRO frogs are really popular, but for what they cost you can get two of the ones I mentioned above. Koppers Live Target frogs are really nice too, expensive though. I prefer hollow body style over soft body frogs but Rage Toads are good if you go that route. Zoom makes the Horny Toad, that's another decent soft body frog.

Get a frog if there is any weed mats or lily pads. You should have a frog no matter what in your box. Snag a pack of Zoom Super flukes or fluke jr's. Those are fun to fish and they produce.

Try a swim jig, chatterbait, texas rigged creature baits or craw type. Surface baits like a Rage Shad, Yum Money Dog, KVD Sexy Frog, Booyah Pad Crasher. Try flukes or wake baits for something sub surface, or near it.

That is a special day! Whether its panfish, bass or musky, at least you got your little one to experience it for his first time in the boat. Now he's got something to remember for next time. Congrats to you. Cant wait until my twins are old enough to do the same thing. Counting the days down.