Tartan34

How heavy of a rig?

Fluke

O - H

I fish it around holes. I'll throw to the top of the hole, then work it down the slope slowly...or do the opposite and work it up the slope.

6'6 M/F (treble hook baits) 7' MH/F (Jigs, T-Rigs, Single Swimbaits) 7' H/F (Frogging) Those three pretty much cover bank fishing for me.

Father's day means an extra weekend with my daughter, so I cherish it. USWNT vs. France followed by a trip to the beach this morning. A nice getaway weekend!

I'll be at ICAST this year, I'm pumped. Looking forward to the *** "trick shop" parts, as well as the KP line.

They are great baits, and I have 3 colors that I use regularly. I've found the Pro Blue to be the best, for me. Can be fished a number of ways, but I've had success burning them on the subsurface setting around submerged grass. I like the larger size more than the smaller one. They can be a pain at times though, as the snap/split ring can get lodged behind the lip....taking a little time to fix every 20 casts or so.

4/0 Owner Beast, 1/8 weighted

I don't think you want a lighter power for that application. The 3 Power NRX XF Rods are terrific, but in order for me to maximize distance when casting, I needed to practice with it for awhile. I found a sweet spot release point for the rod, and it is different than the 3 Power F NRX rods. Just give it some more time on the water, and find your comfort level with the rod. Also, I get better casting distance with a "pop" cast vs. a "sweeping" cast. If you are thinking about exchanging it, I'd look at the MBR 843 NRX.....a sweet stick for your application, for sure.

7'3 HF - Light A Rig 7'1 MH/F - Keitech Swimbaits 6'6 M/F - Topwater/Flukes 7'1 MF/F - Bladed Jigs 6'8 MH/XF - Texas Rig 7'1 ML/XF Spinning - Drop Shot / Shakey

D&M Beast/Baby Beast. D&M blade and skirt with a screw-lock Owner Beast hook. This is one of my go-to baits, and always have at least one tied on.

There is a lake near BPS that I have found to be good fishing from the bank. A good address for it is 4700 Millenia Blvd, and it is a mile and a half away from the store. I usually fish the Southwest Side, and have had great luck in the past. Topwater poppers and senkos are usually the ticket here.

Costa will still repair the lenses, but they will charge you. I think a replacement set for mine that I cracked was $89. Well worth it, IMO.

I have worn Oakleys and Costas. I have two pairs of Costas in my rotation, both 580G, one in green and one and blue. I wear the Green in lower light situations than the blue. I prefer the blue in days where there are no clouds and the sun is intense. Both are really close in terms of performance of seeing whats going on under the surface.

I didn't think I would care about what place I came in when I first start fishing tournaments, but I was dead wrong. Finished 2nd yesterday (for the 2nd time in 3 events), and I was ticked off! It was a huge letdown. Granted, it is really nice to get paid to fish.....but I want to win the darn thing.

When are you losing them? I've lost some big fish that I had buttoned up well when they jumped. I realized that when they jumped, I was taking some pressure off, and they were getting off. Now when they jump, I make sure I put more tension on the fish.

I have a couple 6'6 rods, and think they are too light for 1/2 spinnerbaits and bladed jigs. I can fish 3/8 spinnerbaits or flukes with much more comfort if I don't have a popper tied on them. You might be able to get away with a 1/2 oz spinnerbait, but I think it would make for a long day with a bladed jig tied on due to water resistance.

Agree with aavery. Find a reel with the braking system that you are most comfortable with.

I change my color up, and that usually helps.

I throw straight 50# Smackdown braid, but I've thought about adding a 20# leader. I fish really clear water, so I think it would help...but needed motivation. Thanks!

The problem with fishing pads is after the fish takes your lure, you need to go after him or horse him out. 20# in the pads is asking for trouble. You need heavy braid when fishing pads, no matter what you are throwing, IMO.

I'd go 50 min....20 would cause me problems in the FL pads I fish.

Swim jig with heavy braid

I made the mistake of buying a spool of Sunline Defier. Since then, I've been respooling all of my mono/hybrid reels with this line.