Mid-MO

Anyone got any good ideas/ways of storing hooks, sinkers, etc? I've currently got all mine in a Plano clear plastic box - most kept in the original packaging. They fit - but not real well. I've got bags laid on top of bags. I know that someone is making a box with weight and hook size engraved in the bottom. Anyone got a better idea?

I do the same thing - I take a sharpie and write the depth range on the underside of the bill right at the body. They've been on there for over a year and not come off. I thing nail polish remover will take it off though if needed.

Thanks for the posts. I'm probably going to switch from braid to flurocarbon or a copolymer. Looking back I probably was setting the hook to hard and that in combination with light hooks, the braid, etc was causing my problem. Thanks!

I've never fished a carolina rig much - but I've started using it more this year. I've done pretty well with it so far - until yesterday. I lost three 17-18" fish right at the boat (tried to lip one, tried to swing one) - they all flopped off right at the last second. I know I got a good hookset on them (using braid, so no stretch) and two of them jumped on the way to the boat and didn't throw me. The first two I lost and the first one I caught all opened my hook up (was using a lighter wire). I switched to a heavier hook (but not as sharp as the light wire) and broke one off and lost another right at the boat. I'm not real sure where my problem is but thought I start by finding out what hooks people are using. Thanks

I hadn't been there yet this spring but the water had been clearer the week or so prior than it was yesterday (according to reports). I realize that runoff will affect the clarity but there hadn't been enough recently to change the water so much. It has also been warmer a couple of days prior than it was yesterday. For example, my friend who lives down there had found water in the mid 50's a day or two before and couldn't find any near that yesterday (despite the 70 degree days and fairly warm nights - high 40's). As for the article, a very interesting read. I hadn't ever heard specifically of a lake turning over in the spring.

I fished Pomme de Terre in southwest Missouri yesterday. It is a deep, rocky lake that normally has clear water (3-5' visibility) up around the dam. We've had pretty good weather here for the last week(60-70) and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday had been the 3 warmest days of the year. We had a little rain last Friday night. I went to the lake expecting to find fairly clear water, and water temps around 50 to mid 50's. That was far from the case. The warmest water I was found was 51 land that was late in the afternoon. Most of the water was 46-48. It was also heavily stained (about a foot of visibility around the dam). The water level was high but it had been for several weeks and they have been dropping it daily (about 2"). There was also a lot of slimy moss up close the banks. This is really unusual for that lake. I've got a friend who has retired down there and fished the lake for 25+ years and he doesn't ever remember moss like this. He said the fishing has been tough the last few days - but you would think it would've been pretty good given the recent good, stable weather. When I took out, a local muskie guide was putting in. He thought the lake was turning over. I thought that sounded like it made sense - but then I wasn't sure if a lake would do that in the spring (I know it will in the fall). Anyone got any good guesses?

ReelMech - Thanks for that information. I hadn't heard or seen anything about that until I started looking at the two models side by side. The guy helping me didn't seem to have a clue either. Good to know.

I bought one this winter but haven't been gotten to use it yet. I got it for $69 after it was on a sale and I had a $10 off coupon. I looked at it and the accurist. The accurist said it had permanent lubrication with Hot Sauce but the VanDam didn't say anything about that. I asked the guy behind the desk but he couldn't tell me if the VanDam model did as well. I looked in the catalog and it didn't mention it for either reel.

I tried P-Line last spring and wasn't a big fan due the memory of it. I bought some Seaguar after that and liked it a lot better. I ended up buying some more of it this winter. I also started using reel magic on it which probably helped as well.

I mainly use Wiggle Warts, Strike King's up to Series 5 and Deep Little N Normans - I don't use them much in anything deeper than 12' or so. What ratios are used when throwing jerkbaits?

I bought a new reel this winter but I'm wondering if I should exchange it. It is a 6:3 ratio but I think I'm going to use it on a St. Croix crankbait rod. Should I get a 5:2 instead? Thanks

Thanks again for the info. As for the sensitivity - I am just trying to find the best thing that is going to let me feel as many deflections off of cover, bottom, etc as I can. The idea that it is made from the same material and therefore probably doesn't change much from one rod to the other makes a lot of sense.

Thanks for the information - exactly the type of stuff I'm wanting. Is there going to be a big difference in sensitivity in the two rods due to the fast or moderate action or is that just mainly going to affect the bend in the middle part of the rod? I'd love to be able to test each rod out before I buy it - but I don't think Bass Pro in Springfield has anywhere you can do that.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong - but St. Croix basically offers three different types of rods (in the Premier catagory) for what I'm looking for. A graphite rod, a grahite rod designed for crankbaits, and a fiberglass rod designed for crankbaits (as well as different lengths and actions for each). If that is right - someone explain what is the difference in the two types of graphite rods. Is it just in the action and tip or is there more to it? Thanks

Thanks for the line - hadn't seen that. I'm always a bit skeptical of things like that. I'd be real interested to see how they got our names too!

I got a flyer in the mail this week from Acadia Sports offering a "buy one, get one free" type of deal. This is apparently a new company that is trying to spread the word about its products. It says the blanks are 98% 24 ton high modulus carbon graphite. They use Grade A natural cork handles, black titanium oxide guides with gun smoke frames and metal thread wrap with epoxy coating. They also come with a poly case. Cost is $39.95 plus shipping of $8.95 (no matter the number of rods ordered) or $7.95 if ordered online. The president admits they are losing some money on this but still thinks it is cheaper than sponsoring someone or advertising costs. Curious to see if anyone else had gotten anything like this in the mail or heard about these rods.

If you have the Cabela's Master Fishing Catalog ... check out page 135. They have all the numbers published there. These numbers are a tad better than Yo-Zuri's. I took a look at that - what are they using for "line A" and "line B"?

What knots do you tie with these types of line?

I've got a St. Croix 6'6" Premier MF that I really like. I'm getting ready to buy another one for smaller crankbaits (Norman Deep Little N's for example) and jerkbaits (Rogues). I want one that will be a little more sensitive than the one I have. I've been to St. Croix's website and used their rod selector. It lists a 6'6" MM fiberglass crankbait rod that is their preferred rod for crankbaits in the 6'6" Premier catagory. It also lists a 6'6" MLF Premier casting rod (graphite). I've had a Bass Pro Crankin' Stick in the past (which was fiberglass) and I didn't really like it. So I'm hesitant to go with fiberglass again. They also have the same choices in the 7' rods but I'm not sure I want another 7' in my rod box. Thought I'd see what opinions and info were out there on this. Thanks!

Thanks, that is the type of info/opinion I was looking for.

I'm respooling my reels. I've got 6 baitcasters. I've got two 7' MH rods that have Power Pro and 20# mono on them. I've got a 6'6" ML and a 6'6 MH that have 10# and 15# Seaguar flurocarbon on them. That leaves me with a couple of 6'6" M (used for spinnerbaits and crankbaits) that I need to put line on. I've been looking at putting some hybrid or copolymer on at least one of them. I've looked at Sufix Siege and Elite, Yo-Zuri Hybrid, and Gamma copolymer. Cost on all of them is similar. All of them are supposed to be tough with low memory (two most important characteristics for me). I'm having problems separating them though. Anyone got any thoughts/suggestions? Thanks!

I haven't had much luck in finding anything to make my own skirts like Terminators. I haven't been able to find much in the way of tubing. I've modified some of the coneheads that places like Barlows and Netcraft sell. I haven't been able to get the skirt to stick real well (I've tried epoxy and another all purpose glue). Holding it all together and in place (without squeezing the tube) was the problem with epoxy (and waiting for it to set). I tried slipping the tube over a dowel rod and then clamping it - but that didn't work (clamp deformed the tube and moved the skirt). Wal-Mart has a glue in the craft section for plastic and rubber. I might try some of that eventually as well. I talked to Netcraft and the guy I talked to wasn't real sure how the Z-man skirts were made. He thought it might be with some type of plastic rivot - but he said he hadn't gotten the chance to look. He said that those had moved fast though and they just got a new shipment of them in.

I called Lee Precision and talked to them. They had a run of bad parts in those - so they are sending me one to replace it with. They seem very good to work with.

I just bought my first airbrush and hooked it up to a regular compressor. I'm using the braided airhose that was included but I'm not getting any pressure through this hose. I bought a 1/4 inch fitting that threads into the braided hose coupling. The air flow (through my other hose and moisture trap) stops at the braided hose (not at the gun). The braided hose has a female fitting that is placed over a tube with a head on top of it (if that makes sense). There is no hole in the top of this tube (on the head) - so there isn't anywhere for the air to go through. I'm guessing there is supposed to be a hole drilled here?

It is the 4lb pot. There isn't any breaker or switch on the outside. There is a cap on it with 3 or 4 screws that need to take off to check I guess. Thanks