mjseverson24

My setups: 1) Shimano Clarus 7' 2" MH/FLews tournament MGwith 15 lb invisx 2) shimano compre 7'2" M/XF Daiwa T3 B 12 lb invisx 3) shimano compre 7'2" MH/XF Abu promax 15 lb abrasx 4) st. croix triumph 7' M/F quantum kinetic 12 lb invisx 5) st. croix mojo 8' flipping stick quantum kinetic 20 lb floro 6) gander mtn GSX tournament 7'6" MH/F daiwa tierra 50 lb PP hoping to add a tatula combo before the season starts here up north... Mitch

i store mine in the waterproof plano boxes, I add either megastrike or YUM F2. Mitch

I have both bocas and HT bearings, I do like both of them, and have not had any issues with either. for the price I think HT is the way to go. Mitch

on heavier lures Dual breaking is not as necessary unless there is a strong wind or you have a relatively lazy thumb. the magnetic portion of the breaking really helps to prevent issues towards the end of the cast usually associated with either wind or lighter lures. at least this is when I use only one of them. Mitch

I would also get the TP in your options, but outside the options you gave I would get the Lews super duty in the 7:1, it is a workhorse of a reel. Mitch

I fish the drop shot quite a bit, I feel it is an extremely versatile bait that can be fished fast slow, deep and shallow, vertical and horizontal, small baits and big baits. The C-rig to me is used in a few very specific situations, very effective when used properly, but the strike to land ratio is also quite a bit worse with the C-rig as compared to the drop shot. Mitch

I have a gander mtn here and the shimano replacement warranty is exactly as advertised at least in my area. The fishing staff looks at the rod then lets you choose another of equal or lesser value shimano. I have not had warranty issues with any company, I have had veritas break, no problem sent the rod out very quickly. st. croix not a problem either. I think you just have to know how to deal with the customer service department. Mitch

Personally I would go with the Skeeter, they are a little better bang for your buck compared to ranger. The ranger in my opinion has a better ride, while the skeeter seems to have better top speed, i also feel the skeeter drafts a little less water than the ranger. both are great boats, you really cannot go wrong with either. Mitch

You will loose some of the added sensitivity that an all braid system would give you, that being said is the difference going to be really noticeable, probably not. Mitch

I dont like using a long leader mainly because I only use a leader on moving bait presentations and I typically use a quick snap to be able to change lures quick. When I do use a leader it is typically about 24" and I will use it until it is about 10" or if the knot gets messed up. on spinning setups I typically run anywhere from 15-25 feet of leader attached to a braid main line. Mitch

things it takes to go pro... 1) you must to have the ability to catch quality fish anywhere in the country at any time of year. 2) you have to be dedicated. 3) you have to be intelligent. 4) you must have a competitive nature or be a perfectionist. 5) a great family that supports you in your career. 6) good social skills. 7) lots of money. 8) experience. Being a great fisherman is the prerequisite to becoming a professional tournament angler, but every guy out on tour is a great stick, the things above are what sets apart the top tier guys from everyone else... JMO... Mitch

I have 4 compre rods 3 casting and 1 spinning. I love the rods I have the 7'2"MH/F 7'2" M/XF, 6'8"M, 6'8" M/XF casting and the 7'2" M/XF spinning. as far as sensitivity I think they are among the best at the price range, maybe the *** has better sensitivity. the balance is a perfect on the rods under 7' and just a tiny bit tip heavy on the rods over 7'. the durability of these rods are some of the best i have ever fished, which is partly why they can offer a lifetime warranty on the 100 dollar rod series. I also feel that the reel seat on these rods are the best of any at its price point. Honestly I would take a look at Ron's deal on the tatula rods 100.00 if I needed another rod that would be the one. Mitch

the long leader will help with very clear water, but more than anything else you will get bad line twists by your knot and avery about 15 fish or so you will most likely have to cut and retie assuming the pike don't do it for you. the long leader will give you the ability to fish all day without having to retie on the leader. I dont necessarily use braid for strength as much as i do for the manageability while using spinning gear. Mitch

I have three rods designated for drop shots, a 7'ML/F st. croix triumph spinning with pflueger president 10 lb power pro with 20 ft of 8 lb invisx, the second is a 7' M/F st. croix mojo spinning with a president and 15 lb power pro and 15 ft of 12 lb invisx, the third is a 7' M/Fst.croix triumph casting with an abu pro max spooled with 12 lb abrasx. I typically target the outside weed edge(most of the time 12-20 ft), some days it is best to cast up the break and work it back down, but others casting deep and bringing it up the break works. I would not suggest using a line as light as 6 lb because pike really like drop shot baits and you will have to constantly retie. Mitch

i would probably go for the lews the bigger handles will make a difference when they are thick in the slop. I also would not suggest this set up for A-rigs just not powerful enough in my opinion. the citica E with hawgtech handle would also be a good option. Mitch

i use both megastrike crawfish and yum F2 in crawfish and shad. Mitch

I personally have the most fun tournament fishing, especially since my father is my partner most of the time, but I do typically call fishing a lake that I don't have a tournament on "fun fishing". Mitch

the Pflueger is about as good of a spinning reel as there is for that 100 dollar range, but i think the shimano is a close second. quantum has some good offerings especially when on sale, but i think the two you already mentioned are about as good as it gets. Mitch

the best answer I can come up with is depends... in clear water situations I believe that color is much more important than action (not saying action is not important) these fish have adapted to be more reliant on their eye sight to catch prey based on their clear water environment. In dirty water situations I think action is much more important than color, as these fish rely mainly on their lateral lines and other sensory organs to find and catch their prey. The hardest decision is in low light and or moderately colored water, the action and color both play an equal role in my opinion, i dont think having the magic color alone will get the job done in these conditions much like having the right action wont either if it doesnt have a color scheme that the fish are naturally feeding on. Mitch

if you are fishing braid use the superline hooks, otherwise the chance at bending the hook out is much greater. Mitch

I would say the fish is between 8 - 9, it would appear to be about 23-25 inches long. it is pretty skinny on the bottom but the top looks pretty thick and healthy. it is hard to compare it to Dwight's fish since his is short and fat (probably not even 22") and yours is long and skinny. it definitely looks bigger than 8 though. Mitch

I am going to buy a few of these for the next season, I see good potential for this bait going for suspended fish in clear water, also the jerkbait looks good for smallies early in the year. not good for stained water as noise and vibration win in those conditions. At worst they will produce as well as any other crank bait, and at best better. Mitch

I use both the EWG and the straight shank hooks. Personally if I am not punching I tend to like the EWG quite a bit more, especially in the 4/0-6/0 sizes. I am not sure where all of the missing fish on EWG comes from I have about an equal strike to land ratio with both types of hooks. I also use a snell on both of them. I personally like the way a bait sits on the EWG a little better than the straight shank flippin hooks. Mitch

I use hot sauce for my spool bearings and ardent reel oil for the inner bearings and levelwind gear. Mitch

there is most definitely both luck and skill in fishing. An example I like to use is tournament fishing, say you go to a spot early in the day that you know holds numbers of small to medium size fish to catch your "limit fish" (2-3 lbs) and you pull up a five plus lb fish, that is luck. now say later in the day you are trying to get that "kicker fish" in a spot that is known for bigger fish and you again catch a five plus llb fish. that is a well designed plan coming together aka "skill". Mitch