gulfcaptain

I'm in the IPT group myself. Ratio's are just the number of rotations of the spool per handle turn. Most of your standard 7:1 ratio's are going to give you about 29-30" per turn depending on the size of the reel. But the different techniques mentioned about are all good. Anything where you will have to pick up a lot of line in a hurry is a good choice. So yes jerkbaits could be included. But cranking I would stick to the lower 6:1 or even 5.3:1 which will give you that IPT of about 23-26" or so. So don't get too hung up on gear ratio's and learn what the IPT on the reels you fish are(at full line captacity).

Think the most I use if I go to FC is 17lb Seagar Invis-Ex. And like others, I only use a small topshot (5ft at most). If I need heavier, it's straight braid in either 30 or 40lb.

Flip and frog fish you want the reel that is going to give you the most IPT, but frogging you want more line capacity and flipping it isn't needed. This ofcourse is also up to what size braid you plan to use. If you're looking to fish 30lb, any of them will work. But if you're looking at 50-65lb then I would look into a higher capacity model probably in the JM series or if they have one that is close in the PQ. The Carbonlites are nice, but not sure if they would hold enough capacity for frog fishing.

When the water temps are above 55 degrees they will work, but work better when the water temps hit the low 60's. https://youtu.be/Ese0oBt7Zx0

Happened to get a great deal on the new Quantum TourMG and having got to fish with it, decided to give a quick review of this reel since it is such a new product. First look, has a great look to it, nice handle, very light, solid, no back play in the reel handle, seems well built. Filled it with line and took it fishing. Casting....this reel will launch baits. Never touched the break settings, only adjusted the tension knob, but with a Fat Ika, was easily side arm pitching/casting 50yrds without really trying. Never backlashed on me (30lb braid with 12lb FC), smooth retrieve, very comfortable to palm and hold. Happened to catch one bass and didn't feel any hesitation, no grinding noises, no rough feel in the reel what so ever. Having fished the EXO, this reel definately has a more refined feel and has a much nicer feel to it. If anyone is on the fence about giving this reel a try, I would not hesitate to do so.

Those Wels Catfish aren't something I'd mess with. They are pretty agressive and I think I'd pass on the eye to eye meeting with one of them. And sticking my hand in a hole waiting for something to bite me just isn't for me when you don't know what it is that's going to bite you.

Fish the Yums but they will break eventually. The Yellow Hornet A-rig with the blades is by far the most durable I've found. Fish that one and the Eco-Pro but the wires on the Eco-Pro will break after a dozen fish or so and re-straightening the wires. But has some of the best action. All of them I fish with blades and all 5 wire with 2 dummy heads. They seem to run better then the 3 wire rig. Read the rules closely as some will only let you fish 5 baits and 5 spinners total. You replace the spinners and put dummy baits on it could be outside of their rules (FLW Rules 5 baits and 5 blades, no more then 3 hooks or State Regs if less).

good jig color especially in a swimjig or bladed jig. And yes, that is a variation of a bluegill pattern. Has a bit of orange, chartruese, and looks like black. You figure a male bluegill has an orange coloring on it's throat during the summer when spawning, the chartruese color works for the lighter greens on it's sides, and the black for the back.

Maybe the reps are new and well have never seen the older colors because I've seen that color before.

Look into Fishing 13's Black *** Cranking Rods. Run about $180, and their Black *** or Black *** Casting rods are nice. Depending on what you're looking for the Omens run you between 119-129, and the Envys are about 250 or so. I use on of the 7'6"MH Omens and that rod is a beast. More of a heavy compared to some other companies but very light and sensitive. Wanting to get the "Crankenstein" rod on the Black *** Cranking as it's made to throw those bigger deep cranks.

If you like the Kinetic and that basic braking system, then fish them as well as the Accurist. Both fine reels you can find for great prices on the Bay. Or stick with the Smokes. You are the one fishing it. As long as the reels are PT (performance tuned) they are all going to do what you want them to do just some weigh more then others. The Kinetic and Accurist have the same IPT but one weighs a half an ounce less. Fish what you like regardless of what others may believe, good or bad because their always will be both sides.

Fun fishing with friends, before we even launch the boat, I hand him money for gas, launching fees, and cleaning fees when we are done. We use my knowledge of areas I have fished in the past as well as experience taking people fishing. But although I am also offering my knowledge, the financial side should never be overlooked to help defer even a small amount of his expenses. The way I look at it if two people go fishing for fun and you help our right off the bat, the two of you both have contributed to the trip and become true fishing partners for that day on the water. And lets face it, we all love to fish, but it can get expensive, but even then it still reduces our stress.....atleast until we see how much we spent.....lol

Some of us have no problem picking up and using a new lure or technique. We approach the water and use all of our resources to best guess where the fish are going to be located. Then we choose a bait that we think will work but yet will let the fish tell us what they want through analizing each bite, where the fish was located, how it was positioned in reference to the piece of structure, as well as how the fish ate the bait. Then adjust to what the fish are telling us to improve our presentation and bait selection. Then there are some of us that are hardheaded, fish a few different baits, fish the same way, cast aimlessly and do happen to catch fish but have no idea why the fish were where they were or why, will not change their approach even if they are getting smoked by their fishing partner, and have a hard time with adjustments and tend to lack of confidence in trying other techniques. They fish the same way each time but still stumble their way into a fish or two but have no ambition to utilize all their resources that would make them a better angler.. Then their are some of us that over analize everything. Like stated above become their own worse enemy due to impatience or just mental overload. They second guess their own tactics and approaches, thus defeating themselves before they ever start. As for myself, I choose to be the first one. Years of experience on the water in both a recreational as well as professional angler have helped me hone my abilities to be able to adjust on the fly and read the water, fall back on experiences and conditions in the past that were successful and use them to continue to be successful and adjust while also learning from every fishing trip and continue to pick up new techniques with new and unfamiliar baits.

Spro Bronzeye Shad Live Target Field Mouse Deps Slither K Snag Proof Ish's Poppin Phattie Snag Proof Ish's Phat Frog

Have a few of their squarebill cranks, wakebaits, and ratletrap style baits. I have no complaints for the price of these baits as well as the color choices.

It's just another tool in my aresenal. I fish them. They excel under certain conditions. And the tournaments didn't ban them, the anglers fishing the tournaments voted to ban it. They are the top of the field pro's and felt the tournaments should be one traditional bait. They still allow them in the lower level tours but must follow state regulations and have a max number of baits, hooks, and blades that can be fished. Is it an advantage? I don't think so, it's a lure and rather large one that must be learned just like any other presentation. It isn't a magic bait and have fished many days where you don't get bit. Then there are days they really want it. So no, I don't think it should be banned.

I cast a jig, and every now and then a t-rigged worm. But a lot of my fishing is done pitching to cover but I do cast lighter football jigs early spring.

If you're wanting to fish weedless swimbaits on an umbrella rig, why don't you fish the weighted swimbait hooks and rig them texposed? That may work but what's it look like in the water? How much open gap do you have once the worm pulls down into the bend of the hook? You could just use some hollow body swimbaits and use the Owner keeper to rig the swimbait weedless on the jig. But let us know how it works for you.

I haven't messed with the brakes at all. May look at the tension knob and snug it a little but that's about all I did with my 300.

I found out how many true friends I had after I got a DUI. I feel fortunate that I didn't have an accident, nor injure anyone in that low point of my life where I was no happy with who I was but continued to tell myself I was. Decided to quit the job I had and go back to doing what I loved working on the ocean. All the friends I thought I had vanished, but the few that were there from the start were still there for me. It sometimes takes a harsh reality check to realize what you're doing to yourself. I've had a few friends I've had to turn my back on that choose to go down the darker paths of substance abuse. I was hoping they would come back but they made their choice which I couldn't follow. Only thing I'm addicted to now is that pleasure we all get from chasing those fish we love to catch. I am blessed to have the life I have. If I had continued to make the wrong choices, well who knows where I would be right now but odds are it wouldn't be close to where I am now.

I would fish them on any 7'MH Fast action rod. There really isn't a special set-up for these. You fish them pretty much like a swimjig minus the jig.

To add to the two above. Let me say that pre-spawn occurs when the water temps reach up into the mid 50's to low 60's. Once the waters hit somewhere around 62, (give or take a few degrees) the fish move up. Normally the first fish to move up seem to be of the larger class(females). The males start looking for hard bottom areas and timber so they can make a nest. Now, all fish do not spawn at the same time, some spawn earlier, others later. Now during this time when the waters hit the mid 50's the fish do go on the feed. Look for deeper water areas, creek beds, drop offs (could be as small as a 1-2ft ledge), these are area's the fish wil move up looking for an easy meal. Like stated, spinnerbaits, cranks, jerkbaits, worms, a-rigs will all produce these stagged fish once you locate them. Now, for some strange reason the fish move up onto beds somewhere around the full moon phases and only stay for a short time. They move in waves and fish may spawn in most areas of the country from early March to mid June. Some just are late spawners. Once they are up looking to spawn site fishing can be productive if you can get past the male who is much more aggressive then the female. If you get her fired up then you probably can catch her. But it's hard to get past the male. Jerkbaits, wakebaits, and plastics all work wonders as will a frog or swimbait. Remember these fish aren't trying to eat, the just don't want it where they are. Once the fish finish spawning, the males stay with the fry for a bit to guard them while the females return to deeper areas to regroup and feed. If you see bluegill beds, these are great areas to target these fish as they feed up to regain their strengh. Normally if there are fish on beds there are fish out past them as well in the pre-spawn mood if you can locate them. During certain times you will have all three, pre-spawn, spawning, and post-spawn fish. Don't just try and fish for the ones you can see, you will be missing a lot of fish just outside them that are willing to feed and can be caught much easier then the ones that have only spawning on their minds.

just blizzards, really cold weather, and of course cabin fever for most except the few that are in the Southwest and Southern parts of the country where they may have to deal with a few t-storms, maybe a tornado or two, but can still fish without having to cut a hole in the ice......lol

If I ever can get my tackle all in one place I'll be lucky. The trunk of my car looks like the bottom of a boat/tackle locker with various boxes of worms, cranks, swimbaits, line, rods when I'm home. Then I have one of those plastic shelf organizational units you can buy at Wally World with one large drawer which will hold 8 3600 size boxes, then 2 medium which hold 3 in each, then a row of singles to store line and other misc baits or sub catagory packs of plastics. Now also have 1 3700 size tackle bag and another 3600 size bag. If I try I can get almost everything in both with 3 worm binders hanging off the shoulder straps by metal clips. But I tend to refine my amount of tackle by where I'm going to fish,but having a boat would def make it nice. Then I would have more room to buy more stuff to put in all the bins I emptied by putting those items in the boat.

sweetshirt, bennie, fleece neck gaiter, jacket. If I'm gonna get cold wearing all that, I'm gonna find something else to do.....lol