gulfcaptain

you can if you like. You asked how, I explained how I do it. Think the pliers I have came from Wally World for about $6 and are simple fishing pliers with a little wedge on the tip. But you can spread the split rings with your fingers and edge the small treble off of there. If you can't pry it open with your fingernails, then a hook will work. Don't worry, you will poke yourself a few times till you get the hang of it.

Get yourself a set of pliers that has a split ring spreader on them or split ring pliers. Hook size is probably going to be a size 4 or 6 depending on the bait.

Anyone who says they never have fished a bait or a spot because they saw someone else do it well is full of it. We all do it. When we fish we watch the locals fish, observe and make mental notes of where and what they were doing. Someone who has the sense to be observant of others and what's going on around them is using his head. Yeah, if I saw someone knock a 25lb bag out off of a brush pile or section of bank I'd definately make a mental note of that area for later use. Would that be my primary way of locating spots? No, but it could key me into what depth, structure, and cover the fish may be using to look for other locations that have all the same pieces. I'm with J Francho, being observant to what's going on around you as well as your electronics is part of the game especially on unfamilar waters.

I live in the LA area. But honestly if I could move, I'd go to Texas. Yes the fishing is good in CA, but the traffic is horrid, the cost of living is outragous. But yeah the fishing's good.

Nice colored male.

Yes your competing against one another, but don't be a well you know. If he has a nice fish and asks for a net sure why not. But he should be willing to do the same, and I've seen pro's on tv net their co-anglers fish when it's a nice one and help them with that aspect. But as for asking, I wouldn't. If he offers that's another story.

Mine cost $9 from a tropical fish store that floats and is attached to a string.

Ande Tournament holds the records. Ande mono is soft, and not very abrassion resistant. I'm with Tom, I'd go with Ultra Green Maxima. Saltwater jig fishing it held up the best. Then I would say P-Line CXX and the Big Game.

Another thing you may want to get while shore fishing, a pond thermometer. It's always good to know what the water temp is so you can adjust your presentation or tactics as well as get an idea on how active the fish may be. Seen water temps drop 6 degrees overnight and totally have to switch my approach from what worked the day before.

Fish a 5 wire rig and 2 dummy heads....take some with blades and some without. Kietechs are great baits, but you need to go out and fish this rig to have faith in it and find what works for you. Also use some Lunker City swimming grubsters and Big Bites 3" shad bodied baits along with the Kietechs. All rigs with the lighter wire that give good action will break, so bring spare rigs, only rig I haven't broke which consistantly catches fish for me is the Yellow Hammer Spinnerbait rig.

Fished a litle pond in LA at a friends house I stayed at for a week. Told me there was a few fish in there. Lets just say there were more then a few fish and all were suckers for the dropshot. So X-3 on that tactic. Also, look into some Fat Ika's and try those slowly worked.

What about a flipping/pitching rod? Having to do the same thing this year, although I will bring more rods then I need for the tournaments so I can adjust on the fly as well as pack a couple extra reels in my tackle bag incase I need to swap. Heres How I broke down my options 7'6" MH Flip/pitch, jig, spoon, worm 7'7" H A-rig, swimbait (6") flip/pitch 7'3" M jerkbait/soft jerkbait, swimjig, finesse jig 7'6" MH crankbait rod (squarebill, deepcranks) 7' MH Lipless crank, spinnerbait, blade bait, worm 7' M Spinning Set up for dropshot, shakey, wacky....etc All reels backed with 30-40lb braid (except Spinning which will have either 10-20lb braid) and I'll adjust the topshots of mono and FC as needed. Have extra rods as mentioned incase I see something during the tournament and adjust my tactics as needed. Also am going to get with the person I'm going to fish with and as him what his plan is before we go out after the meeting as so I can adjust my tackle to his plan. But will have onhand incase needed for 2nd day 2- 7'11 flipping sticks, a 7'3"H, 7'6"MH, 7'M Mod, and my 7'6"MH large swimbait rod. Driving 6hrs to a venue I'm not leaving any tools at home that I may need as well as tackle. I can adjust my options there, but you can't adjust if you don't have the options on hand to do so. Guess I'm just saying is don't limit yourself.

Hootie, spring/summer I would burn the willowleaf just under the surface. When I lived in OK, the lake I lived and fished on was always murky/muddy. Only time the willow worked was when it was burned. Other then that all my fish came off colorado blades. Black and Chart/white being the best for the colorado baits and all white for the willow bladed spinnerbait, although I did have good success with chart/white buzz baits so..... But that would be the only time I would use a willowleaf blade in murky water with the vis you have.

A stack of rods from Dropshotting to fishing swimbaits. All go and adjust my plan of attack on my observations and conditions of what I see.

I have no problem buying rods from TW, their tubes and the way they ship them are great. Not an issue with anything from them. And if you get a defective lure, or rod and call them they will ship you a new one without any issues and have a pre paid shipping label in the new box or tube for the defective item.

Sorry sir, that is not the way it go's. That total weight(1390lbs) includes all tackle, fuel, batteries, baitwells full of water, etc. The max weight calc for passengers in that 1390lbs is 600lbs. It's not 600lbs per person, then the weight of 2 bigger boned persons would be 1200lbs plus the fuel at 6.5lbs per gallon roughly would be somewhere around 250lbs....that math would put you over the 1390lbs of total weight allowed. And we haven't even figured in batteries and livewell water weight.

Well it's plain to see.....that smallmouth was adopted by gobies.

Edit....change the Walker to a Ishs Phat Frog.

Worm - 4" Kietech Live Impact Creature Bait - SK DB Craw (with tungsten punch jigs) Jerk Bait - Not really a jerk bait but use it like one...Heddon Swimming Image Spinner Bait - Yellow Hammer Spinnerbait Rig (yep it's an umbrella rig but it has spinners) Crankbait - KVD 1.5 Lipless Crank - Livingston Popper - River2Sea Whopper Plopper Jr. Walker - Rapala Skitter Walker.

Big worm......um I have 1 bag of 7" worms. Think I've fished them once, just not the most productive bait where I fish normally. But you could probably use them and just fish them really slow. I mean people us big jigs, why not a big worm.

Have one at home. It doesn't get used as much as it used to though. Still a good rod.

you could get a regular binder and some freezer gallon bags. Or seperate you worms by technique and put them in gallon bags that way. Then when you need a dropshot worm, grab the dropshot bag and find your worm or what ever you're looking for.

A worm wallet or two.

Since it's the first of the month, everyone must of hit it up at lunch time.

A lot depends on what size heads and baits you're going to throw as well as which A-rig. I mainly use the Flashmob Jr, Eco Tungsten's Roll Tide Rig, and Yellow Hammer's Spinner Bait Rig with 1/8oz heads and 3-4 inch swing impacts. Go up to a 3/16 at most so I guess mine would be a lighter A-rig. But you just have to manage the baits and head size to the rod you're wanting to use. If you're going big, then yes, you're going to need a bigger set up to handle it.