gulfcaptain

Right now you can get a Fishing 13 *** for under $200 with a 8:1 ratio at TW with the sale. Have an A and a C concept and they are great, Have 30lb braid and fish frogs with mine as well as punch grass.....probably step it to 40lb, but might look at them.

Could always get your feet wet in the swimbait market.....you know those ones that only work in California.

I crank with braid and a FC leader. Lenght is all personal preference. So if you're wanting to go back to braid use a FC leader. I would probably drop size in braid down to 20lb and then you can vary your FC or mono leaders to achieve the depths you're looking to hit or bring them up a bit.

Have done it with micro's, minima, and standard. Micro's if you're going to use a leader.....18"'s keeps the connection out of the tip and works fine. I don't have to worry about freezing temps. Haven't noticed any difference in all three for pitching and flipping with braid or when using the shorter lenght leader.

If that was a stocker to start with then it's been there long enough that I wouldn't consider it a stocker. Your fish looks great, nice fins and color, even looks as though it's got some shoulders on it. Congrats, nice looking trout either way.

Well I wanted to work on a sportfishing boat after I first started fishing on them. Decided to give it shot, quit doing it for a few years and went back to it since the normal 9-5 wasn't for me. Worked up to running the boat, but the bad news, the fishing regulations make it really hard to make a carrer out of it unless you own the boat. So once I was married and a child my career shifted more toward the comercial marine industry. So working in the Gulf of Mexico running boats in the offshore oil industry isn't a bad way to make a living if you can take the time away from home. But on the bright side, I get a two week vactation every 28 days and make a pretty good living at the same time. So although not fishing for a living anymore, still on the water with a consistant paycheck. But still miss the challenges of findng and putting customers on fish everyday and don't mind doing it from time to time but as a career I'll keep the job I have now.

Black Friday isn't a bad thing. Time to start spending money for Christmas, some deals to be had as well. Normal people out looking to make their money stretch a bit farther with sale items. Now lining up days before, rushing in to buy that cheap 52" flatscreen tv, full contact Thursday "Midnight Fistfight" sale for those special sub par sale items they only sell for that time and never stock otherwise. No thank you, I'll wait till Monday when they are done and most are back to work to start my shopping that must be done in the stores and not online.

Hey, if Gronk shows up late for practice, he'll watch the game just like Gray did. And they beat Cin at Cin and Indy at Indy. If you want to pick the Packers by 3, I'd take that bet and spread to Vegas. Think we will have to discuss this say.....Sunday right after New England gives the keys back to Green Bay and thanks them. Yes they got beaten by KC, but like I said, the media awoke a sleeping giant in the Pat's. Since then every team they have faced has lost by no less then 21 points. But I'll let you believe the Packers win by 3

No, I'm past the bait monkey. I only stopped at $200 because that was all the gift card was good for.

The Deep diving cranks, well that depends on what you consider deep. I would say Storm Wiggle Warts are always good early cranks, and I like Norman's DD-22's, SK 3XD and 5XD's. Throw in the SK 3's with those four baits you are covered from 7ft to about 15ft. Dropshot, I know there are mixed thoughts of the VMC spinshot hooks, and cylinder sinkers....lead would be my choice and some Kietech Live Impacts and robo worms. Have to agree with the Siebert Fogy's for blades as well as some of his football jigs. Small football jigs, I would go with Bass Patrol's football jigs. Don't fish a lot of big worms or shakey heads so no opinion on those two.

I'm going to have to say the Pat's. Brady getting blasted by the media and hearing that he was all done, old, time for him to go, etc. Well the media lit a fire under him and each game since has been a statement. The last few years they have been playing hurt and with rookie players and still getting it done. Now that they are firing on all cylinders with the defense playing great, 3 healthy backs in the offense (ty steelers) and a fired up Brady. This weekend will tell the story if they go into Green Bay and dominate them like they have been, I see a 4th championship.

Just my opinion, maybe it's the person holding the rod. I fish straight braid a lot, seen a lot of others fish FC, finesse, etc and do quite well if not better right there with them. But I can regularly outfish a most of my friends on a consistant basis using braid only. But then there is a time and a place for leaders/topshots also.

I'd start with Raul's advice, and then look at th steeper Northern shores where there is deep water close to the bank....bluff would be good if you could get access down there. Fish can move vertically as the day warms or drop down without ever having to relocate to a different area. The reason for the northern shores....they warm up due to more sunlight through the day. Also docks with black plastic floats if there are any there would be a good stop since they can absorb the heat during the day and the fish can sit right under them and get the benefit of the radiant heat.

Dropshotting, I find you probably won't need anything lighter then 3/16. I use a lot more 1/4 oz dropshot weights more then anything else.

Well stocked up on cranks and jigs that I may need in a few months. Boy that $200 gift card didn't go far. I feel atleast another 2 purchases before TW 20% off sale ends on the 5th. I need another *** and another Concept.

There aren't many "creeks" to fish in around where I live, but there are some bass in some of the flood control channels. Just have to find the right holes. And when you find the right hole it's pretty good fishing in some of those overlooked places. Found dropshottng works really well.

Always got to make a new shiny penny when the older ones still work fine. They will be black again if their "new" models don't sell as good as their older ones did. They will change the handle and the labeling and call them a new model.

Local dealers carry some nice things, but depending on the needs you may not get the selection of what you're looking for. If I was only saltwater fishing like I used to for years, then all my equipment came from local guys as big name companies didn't stalk the lures and baits or have the selection the local dealers did. Bass fishing is so varied, it would be tough to have it all under one roof. So the combo of the "Big Box" stores, local guys, and internet shopping allows us all the ability to locate and purchase the items we feel we "need".

Any reel at 50% off is a great buy for the most part......there are exceptions when they are inexpensive to start with.

Guess white is gonna be the new hip color of fishing rods since the Duckett's and Veritas's are white and seem to be quite popular. Saw they changed the color of the Bionic's as well, at least the mico line anyways.

Finesse, well fish Netbaits Chunk and Tiny Chunks as well as Kietech's Swing Impacts 3".

All subject to fishing needs. Spinning: Normally fish 8-10lb FC but will also use 6lb mono with 10lb braid Baitcasting: Normally fish 12-20lb Mono or 10-20lb FC. with 20-30lb braid. Swimbaits (8" 3+oz baits) 40-65lb braid with 25lb mono/FC topshots depending on the bait.

Welcome to the forums. Lot's of good places to fish in the Metro area of LA/OC itself as well as the larger lakes.

Just different designs. Some go through brush better and others rock. Heavier hook, different fall patterns. PM Seibert jigs and ask. I'm sure he will give you a better break down and more technical info about the aspects of each head.

well the fogy's are basicly a chatterbait vibrating jig. The swimjig is used anywhere you would use a spinnerbait. Just think of it as one without the blades. Arky's and brush jigs are basic cover jigs, but different heads. Then you have football jigs that work best around rock/rubble and are used to drag as they don't hang up as easy.