primetime

I have held the President combo spinning rods and reels and the Rod is an IM8 Graphite and feels nice especially when you figure the combo is only $25 more than just buying the reel. I like the President reel and for the extra money you can always use a decent spinning rod as a spare for that price. I recently was checking out a rod my friend purchased for I think half price for $35 and it was a Field and Stream Tech Spec blue rod and I have to say it felt really nice, and was very light, I looked it up online and it sells for $69 but I think that is still a good value but the Academy rods are sweet, and so are the Bass Pro rods. I have 3 extremes that are over 10 years old and I still use them even though they are a bit heavy, but I trust them and are good rods.

I purchased some Storm Twitch Sticks at Dick's when they first came out and they said "Suspending" but they are now one of my favorite floaters as they didn't suspend the slightest. I was not upset with the purchase as the baits have a great action and for the price they look really good. I may have to try the newer models as I like the size and shape. I also like the Price, although I find my Rogues and Bombers suspend quite well without changing the hooks, but alot of suspending has to do with water temps and line as well. I have a few Pointers that didn't suspend out of the package but last week when I tried the same one again, it was suspending and I didn't change anything. I think all batches of lures made at different times behave differently.

I struggle with the same problem in bottoms full of weeds or silt especially if bank fishing since you can't pitch a jig vertically all that well unless you have full access to the entire shoreline. I would try a dropshot like mentioned above or simply use a modified c-rig or split shot rig with a worm and split shot 18" above the worm, this way the worm will rise above the weeds every time you move it and not get full of weeds...Even then, often I have to go weightless or nail weights and just fish slower since some weeds are too much for any weight.

Thanks for the info I have never heard of Rego Tackle but I will check them out. I am thinking about throwing the Creme worm rigs on my next trip since I used to catch fish on that rig when I was first into freshwater fishing at the age of probably 7-8 and for 2-3 years, I don't think I used much of anything else and I remember doing really well with that rig even though it does look a bit silly, but then again, who would have thought we would be looking at $15 spy baits which are kind of the same look/vibration which may be why they work well at times. Once I learned how to fish a Culprit with a Keeper hook and it never caught weeds that then became my favorite worm for the next few years until the Power worm came onto the market and that was a gamechanger for sure....Tough to beat a power worm to this day for a ribbon tail....

It looks awesome regardless of what name they give it.....I love those colors for all lures.

Every time I rig up a senko with a willow blade to swim through Hydrilla, I am temped to dig deep into my box and pull out a few packs of the old school creme midget crawler pre rigged worms with the helicopter blades like on a spy bait. I think that was the first plastic worm I used when I was a kid and caught hundreds of bass on that rig to go along with the Mepps Comet Minnow and Countdown Rapala, lures I never use anymore....

craw tubes are fantastic baits that fish do not see all that often. Some of my best fish came this year on a shaky head jig with a creature bait rigged on it and the more appendages the better which is why I like the Chigger craw or Crack Craws as well. The Yum Mighty craw is also a great bait on any jighead and I like to swim em slowly along the bottom, same with a brush hog style bait.

Bomber Long 15A and Timmy Horton Pro Suspending Long A and of course.....The Smithwick Rogue and Yo-zuri crystal minnow and sashimi series.

I need to place another order from Seibert as I also purchased a decent amount of Jigs a few months ago and they keep vanishing from my box and I am not losing many in the water, they seem to stay on my friend's rods and not come back but I have used a few of the swim jigs in Sunfish and shad patterns and I never touched a weedguard on any of the Siebert jigs, I did fan a few of the brush jigs just because I like to do that, and they come through everything I throw them at as good or better than any other jigs I have used. I used to cut my weedguards off of some jigs or cut them short but it seems to mess up the balance of the jig so now I leave em alone...I plan on making another order soon and plan on buying alot of the jigheads he sells without the skirts as I love the design and detail of the swim jig heads, they look awesome with any swimbait on the back. The jigs from Siebert are done right imo, and the guards are good for the heavy weeds where I fish. Get the Wire on the skirts, they hold up really well and it is not expensive to add the wire Jigs without weedguards can still be good if you fish the high in the water and sometimes they are surprisingly weedless if the weeds are not super thick.

Wind is your friend, it may require spinning gear, but all the advice is good, since fishing is fishing and one person may think spinnerbait when I may think Lipless crankbait or bomber long a.....One of my favorite techniques for Stripers and Florida Inshore gamefish, and also largemouth, is slow rolling a large Cordell Redfin on the surface as no other lure gives off the V wake that a red fin does, and if you watch shiners on the surface, they look exactly like the Red Fin..It looks like a big lure for freshwater but in the wind, it is one of my go to baits all year round,especially in gold/red as they only offer a few colors. It is an inexpensive lure but one that is a classic for a reason. I think all Bass Anglers carry a Redfin in their box either jointed or just regular but for a wake bait slash jerkbait, it is one of my favorite in small ponds to large lakes and produces good strikes.

When I was growing up and in high school my older brother was a huge fan of night bass fishing and he loved to throw large Crazy crawlers and he would not get as many strikes as I would get throwing a smaller torpedo, Rebel pop'r, or black worm, but the fish that would hit, would usually be quality....I have never tried it myself for more than a few casts and then I get impatient as it is a lure you work slow, and I hate fishing slow with topwaters as I only pause or slow down near an area I am expecting a blow up so that time is never slow when your expecting to see a blow up.... ' For $23 you can buy 3-4 crazy crawlers but I see it as a lure you buy and then rarely use, at least that is my exerience. It makes ALOT of commotion, I know bass eat baby birds, but let's face it, how often and what size bass?

most baitfish and critters like Leeches, Crawfish and anything else that is an easy meal for fish, birds,or other larger predators will naturally develop a way of blending into surroundings whether it is sand, weeds,or mud etc..Ever catch a deep water bass compared to one that was in the same lake hiding in shallow weeds? They often look like 2 different fish. As for color, we don't know what Bass see, but certain colors work better at certain times. I find when in doubt throw Green Pumpkin since it is never going to be overbearing or unnatural and I then mess around with red or candy flake....Green Pumpkin candy, Black and blue, Neon Black, and then a smoke silver flake will usually cover most situations, but solid black, pearl, and for some reason Metholinate can be colors that catch fire. Pumpkinseed is another color that I have seen really make a difference where I can say it was color and I think it was during the Panfish Hatch....Stick to Browns, Greens, Blacks, purple, and maybe a few with flash like green pumpkin gold, smoke silver, and you should be good. I never throw a bubblegum or Lime worm however I am guilty of carrying them all for the most part...I always start with a color that matches the water and backround and then pick a flake that is going to be most visable and most times it is Red or Purple, so GP candy is a great color for me.

That is a great question that will generate many different opinions and none of them are right or wrong as many people feel that a green braid in say 20lb test with 4lb diameter is more stealth than 8lb fluoro or Mono in clear or green etc...I have changed my opinion of whether or not this matters several times over the past few years and I have done lots of my own "Testing" in the neighborhood ponds and when the water is stained or colored I feel it is probably best to tie direct since fish can feel line in the water with the lateral line so if you have 6" or less visibility, Going direct is my preference. I will use Fluorocarbon as a leader when fishing from shore almost all the time for 2 reasons. 1- Nothing is more abrasion resistant than Fluorocarbon and it you cast into some bushes or trees, braid will fray much easier than Fluoro so if you get a fish on that cast, good chances you can land it since fluoro can take a beating and still hold up. I do believe 100% that fluorocarbon in clear or moderate color water will generate more strikes but that is just my opinion from my own experiences. I used to only use copoly or Mono as I hated fluor due to knot issues and the stiffness, but I now tie my knots very carefully and check the line for any issues as after catching a fish or two it may be necessary to retie. I grew up on Long Island in Suffolk County and I see you are from L.I. so I can relate to how tough fishing gets in the fall and before Ice out. I rarely ever used anything higher than 6lb or 8lb on spinning tackle and I would rarely have issues and I was using Trilene XT as my main line back then. I used to use a split shot with a bass pro Spring grub and put the shot 18" above the grub and simply cast and just lift and drop super slow, and I always used smoke and natural colors. Sorry for the long ramble, but I know pond often get a ton of pressure and so do lakes and many times the key to success is walking up to the water quietly and not laughing with your buddy and also staying low and not letting your shadow be seen over the water. If you walk a shoreline make sure you walk as quiet and far back as possible because when you see fish take off from the shore rarely is that fish going to strike but usually in fall you will find them on the first break in depth, and if the afternoon gets warm, think rocks and fish will still come shallow but unless you need heavy line due to weeds or structure, most times 6-8lb is fine, and I still prefer 15lb fluoro or copoly over straight braid in clear water. I only use braid for frogs, flipping and pitching and even for that I am starting to experiment with 20lb fluoro as I think braid is loud and since it is a solid color I would try to add a leader.....Experiment, that is the key, sometimes color and size of bait, or depth, speed of retirieve can all matter, and you can catch fish all year round in NY, some of the biggest fish we ever caught were threw the ice Upstate NY on live bait while fishing for Walleye etc...Big Bass eat in the winter just not as often.

I am not certain about the % of strikes we do not detect, but some fish can flare their gills and inhale a lure and exhale that same lure in one swift motion that may cause a slight jump in the line, but even if it did, you would never have time to swing. I mess around in a clear pond with all kinds of lures and baits and have seen fish do this but usually they will hold it for a bit longer if not just curious and looking to feed. Line watching is key and I will see my line jump before feeling anything and I just swing.....If my line starts swimming to the side then that is just a great feeling because that usually means a good hookset and not an empty one.

I fish alot of ponds that are full of weeds and if you throw a shaky rig or pegged worm it simply vanishes in the silt and the fish never see it...I use alot of Nail weights or weighted hooks in this situation or I will throw any lure that ticks the tops of weeds. Windy days allow you to use larger and louder lures than usuall and in ponds fish rarely see 1/2 ounce chatterbaits but they are quite weedless and ripping them out or ticking can be alot of work but also put you into bigger fish usually. I used to fish a 4" grub in smoke or firetiger or even a 3" grub on a split shot rig with a good 2-3' leader and simply work it slow. I would texas rig the hook and bury it all the way and go super small and light line-lb test and spinning gear from bank and in wind at ponds....Spinning gear, slow down, and smaller baits like a 4" finesse worm should work year round if you find the fish, they usually group this time of year or suspend, so darter head jigs are a good choice as they hit it on the drop if rigged with smaller bait. Good luck, I fished 2 hours today in the cold and in a pond full of fish and had nothing....If I was you I would maybe tie on that bluegill or catch some shiners....Live bait is not the enemy as long as it is legal and it helps you find the fish as a big bass rarely passes up a live shiner...

I alway's thought the Banjo minnow was a joke since it came from an infomercial, but when I was in High School my Fishing buddy purchased them and at the time I was all about Spinnerbaits,Buzzbaits, and Power Worms, and learning the Jig....Swimbaits were never on my radar but I watched him simply cast and reel with those things and I remember they had a silly way of hooking them, but He caught fish on them all day long and at a similar pace to what I was using. The colors were silly imo, but the Banjo Minnow was nothing more than a segmented swimbait that was well ahead of it's time and belive it or not it is still one of the best selling fishing lures on some sites and I am guessing they still hook the person who only fishes a few times a year since swimbaits have come along way. Like everyone said, I would never buy the set but I know that lots of people do, I have not seen them in person myself. I would never tie one on unless I was getting clobbered and I could say with certainty that it was the strobe lights working. If you have ever seen the Blaze Lipless cranks which have a flashing light inside (I was given one as a gift and it is now on a Keychain" as I just don't buy the blinking lights and think it is too much, but who knows.....When they went on sale for $1.99 at a shop here locally, they sold out but I would also have a hard time tying on a Blaze lure before any lipless crank in my box even the one's I never use.... If fish are feeding, I am sure they could work, and for saltwater, If the mackeral or Bluefish are hungry, then they will work for sure.

It was a Sportsman outfitters? one of those websites that has Hunting and Fishing gear and an add popped up while I was on Ebay looking at Flipping sticks. I believe if not a member price was 54.99 down from $129 for Casting and spinning from light to xheavy 7'10" and if a member 49.99 and it said $5 to join. I am sure if you do a google search for Okuma EVX casting rods and hit shopping and then search by price it will come up....I have never purchased items from this site but I have seen them advertise good prices many times.... I have an EVX Telescopic Flipping Stick and 2 spinning rods and I like the spinning rods, but the Telescopic is not my favorite but it fits in my car for fishing from the bank or from shore for saltwater but I still am looking for a new Light FLipping stick and the Fenwick Rods are going down all over as well. HMG's for $74 I also saw....

Big Bass move slow when it's cold and many will not chase any presentation unless they are actively feeding, and most times they will not move far or expend valuable energy for a small meal. Big Fish also know that chasing a larger bait is not alway's a "slam dunk" so if you fish a big worm super slow and make it appear like an easy meal, it can work all year long. Doug Hannon alway's stressed fishing long thin baits for big fish since they are easiest for a fish to digest, so if they are willing to chase a 4-5" suspending jerkbait, there is no reason why a large worm would not work. Like anything else, you can't force feed fish, but in the cold, I truly believe that casting accuracy and making multiple casts from different angles to a spot that looks to be a good ambush point can be effective with any bait or lure you have confidence in. Here in Florida lakes still get tons of pressure in the late Fall and Winter and fish are seeing all the finesse worms, suspending jerkbaits, and slow rolled jigs, so it is worth a shot throwing a 10" worm but vary your retrieve from slow to super slow, lift drop, or just cast a big worm near some structure and let it soak for a few minutes....I usually throw a 9" Tripple Ripple Ribbon Tail soaked in Megastrike on almost all trips and I usually just let it sit still for a few minutes while I relax for a bit and I watch the line for any movement as the extra tail action will move on it's own, and some days they will pick it up and you will see your line moving off to one side or another and usually they are good fish. FIsh are not aware about the "Rules" for cold water fishing vs. Summer, and sometimes going against the grain can work, other times not so much, but that is fishing.....

It has memory like all coplys, but stretch is not an issue on P-line cxx or fluro's from the times I use it.....It is a good line for sure and you don't need to go as heaavy as you normally would....15 cxx and I am confident I am landing any fish as long as I am not flipping or puching heavy cover.

I look for good reviews, reels that have been in production for at least a year, love to buy last years model of a new reel, and I only buy a reel when it is on clearance and is a steel of a price. I will buy a reel from Okuma just as fast as I will from Daiwa or Cabela's if the price is right and I am getting a great VALUE since I hold my reels and do not sell them to upgrade after a year or two...If you like to have the latest or greatest, then I would suggest buying Shimano,Daiwa, Abu Garcia, and Lew's as they seem to hold their value the most and it blows my mind what people pay for used reels from those companies. Okuma makes some nice baitcasting reels that rarely get mentioned, and that is simply because they never looked to make a name in the low profile casting market or Bass fishing market until roughly 2010 so it takes time, but you can find the Citrix, Komodo, Serranno, as well as the Helios and Cedros for crazy cheap right now. All are good reels with warrraties that will get honored and I am now a fan of Okuma since they have great customer service, have gone way above and beyond to help me out with issues, so I am alway's looking to find a great deal on a new Okuma reel. Used, they lose 50-70% of value once you make a cast.

I was just checking these out at Walmart but they wanted $64 or $69 and I was hoping they would be half off because they felt nice for $30 but for $60 I would say it is a fair deal and good rod for $60 but I know you can find much better for the same price....The Bass Pro Bionic blade is $79.99 and much better in my opinion, and Extremes and the Morris rods are $99 right now.... Black Friday is coming and November is the time when companies need to move inventory to get ready for XMas and older models from 2013-2014 will start to drop big time. I have already seen some deals on ebay that are crazy cheap and $100 rods are down to $50 etc....Quantum Tour Rods are half off on Ebay to $60 and are super nice rods and I do like Daiwa rods, I actually was looking at a heavy Lexa rod for $55 on Ebay which is a good price from what I can tell.... Okuma EVX rods are half off online as well on a site that is common but I forget the name, and the EVX is lifetime warranty and now $49.99 not $129

I have alot of random rods and reels that are laying around that I rarely use and I only purchased them because they were fantastic deals, or I was on a trip and "needed" a certain combo for a technique I was not planning on using, or I get to the ramp after a 2 hour drive and realize I left a rod or reel at home that I "Need". I am working on selling off alot of the mid range quality gear or trading it for Higher end gear so I have less,and my goal this year is to only bring 4 casting rods and 2 spinning rods at most on all trips. I never spend more than $200 on combos and I always buy models from the previous year or discontinued rods etc.. I love finding a legit Reel that was selling for $250 just a year ago and then buying it 1/2 price when a company needs to unload them. I also like to check Ebay at night for auctions which can be great for finding steals as people will make a typo and the reel may not come up in regular searches, or search for brands that are quality but not popular, say Okuma or Pflueger baitcasting low profile reels which seem to not get much attention compared to Shimano, Daiwa, and Lew's. Bass Pro reels get plenty of attention, but Browing doesn't, nor does the Academy, or Cabela's house brands, or Ardent, and you would be amazed at how low you can often find a reel for dirt cheap and when you get it you realize why the person never used it and hated baitcasters since they never opened the reel to adjust the brakes.....

Here in Florida alot of tackle shops sell the 600 yard spools that usually retail for $20 or so for $5.99-$7.99 and that includes the new ultra soft hybrid and the older fused hybrid line as the new soft hybrid is not as good imo and it says on the spool-FOR SPINNING REELS. If you search online for deals on Hybrid I have seen 600 yd spools on sale from legit websites for $4.99 and on Ebay you can usually find it with free shipping for $9.99 which is a good price since you don't need to change Hybrid as often as Nylon Monofilament since it is UV resistant but as mentioned above, it has alot of memory, and many guys think this line is a fluorocarbon but it is simply a Copoly only instead of coating the Nylon with Fluorine, Yo-zuri uses a process of fusing both Nylon and FLuorine together to make it a bit different (not sure if I buy the entire "Fused" vs. coated pitch but it is one of the strongest lines if looking at lb test only) Keep this in mind, and the yo-zuri website has a chart that breaks it down so I am doing this froom memory as I have been fishing Hybrid for years and used to sell it when working at a fishing shop where it was very popular especially for the Saltwater guys who liked having 30lb test with a 41lb breaking strengh in smoke color.... 6lb test is rated 10.8lb test so the line is much thicker than what you are used to using, so if you use trilene xl or regular Stren Original 6lb test, Hybrid #6 is going to be like fishing 10lb test when looking at diameter...I like to use #4 on spinning gear which is roughly 8lb breaking strength and #10 or #15 on casting gear which will give 16.8 and 21.2 but I could be a bit off. I don't see the point of buying 8lb or 12lb and a few others as when you look at the chart 12lb breaks at .2 higher or something similar so why use thicker line unless you are getting alot more tradeoff...I do keep #20 in my bag at all times in clear, and if I am not getting bit on braid while flipping, or if I need a line that I know is not going to break and is abrasion resistant, I will use #20 and you are getting 31lbs of breaking power but don't expect to chuck lures really far, but I have pulled in fish with 20lb of weeds on them with the 10lb test so that is my go to line for spinnerbaits and topwaters......Hope that helps, but it is a great line for the money, but does have alot of memory which many do not like, but like all lines, you have trade offs..I like knowing I can tie a quick Improved Clinch knot, or Splice it on braid for a leader in a hurry and it won't slip or break....

I am looking to place an order with TW and I have been intrigued by this lure ever since I first laid eyes on it.....I like the Idea of a Minnow Shaped Wake bait that can be fished over grass....Just not sure if it is worth the money or if I should just grab a new Ima Skimmer in a color I do not have. I am only allowing myself $25 to spend on lures or items I have never tried. Thanks.

I am done buying expensive exotic Japanese baits after spending $18 for the Megabass "Para bug" which ended up being much smaller than I anticipated and the 3 baits lasted about 10 minutes. I hope another company makes a similar version of the Para bug with a heavier floating Hard body instead of PVC because it looked great in the water but was also very light and designed to be thrown on light line.....