gulfcaptain

So went today, and it was cold....62 outside, cloudy and the water had cooled to 68. (It's Southern California, 62 is cold....had to put pants and a sweatshirt on) I know it's cold because they stocked trout there while I was fishing....on the bright side, caught one on the swimbait. So not nearly as cold as everywhere else, I really feel your pain. Do not look fwd to going back to Louisiana next week. Hopefully it warms up, but looks like it's gonna be another cold winter for most.

Yep, they only work in CA, and only work on fish that eat stoked rainbow trout. Don't listen to those guys on Southern Trout Eater's. Thank's Speedbead, your ration of exported swimbaits will be headed your way soon.....sshhhh, don't tell those other guys.

Don't be so sure, big fish live where they find the best feed. Odds are she won't move far from that point, just out deeper. You're not the first or last person to ever get excited and pull the bait out of a big fishes mouth. Did it last fall on about an 8lber on the 68. Watched her role open up suck the bait in and I swung which quickly removed my bait from her open mouth.....Yep, user error sucks!!! Watch the water temps and if it doesn't drop too much go out and give it another shot. Worse case, may have to slow role that Huddleston out a little deeper.

I would order from West Marine and use their West Systems Epoxy 105 Resin as well as the 205 hardner either slow or fast cure depending on how long you want to wait. For coating and sealing if you're not in a rush, go with the slow cure, and for taping I'd use the fast. So short answer, order a larger amount of 105 resin and order 1 of each of the smaller hardening agents (205). Follow the guidelines, if you mix this stuff too hot, it will smoke and could ignite flamable materials if you try and throw it away while it's curing (if mixed too hot) When it says 5:1, normally the resin is in a bigger container and they have pumps available for them that accurately dispense the proper amount. 1 pump of each gives you the right ratio. I'd coat one side and let it rest. Then coat the other after that side has cured and dried.

Catt, being somewhat new to these forums, I have read many posts and responses from the long time members. ALL of you have pro's and con's on your views and experiences. But that's the best part. I get to see what point of view from South Eastern fisherman, see the views from the guys out West, up North...etc. See the discussion that incurs and learn or add points of view or questions that we may view viable to the discussion. There are times we all get a bit heated in our discussions....we're fisherman and most of us are pretty hard headed. And the good fisherman ALL may come off arragant because of our sef confidence. But from your list of members, each have their strong points and excel in the way they fish and techiques they use. ALL of which lend their time to posting and letting us learn bits of knowledge and experience we can take from each member where we are lacking and make us more productive and able to share with others that are up and coming in our great sport.

If it's only grass and weeds what is going to damage the braid? I know how hard to pull on fish and have no issues. I'm sorry said it before, I can pull 40+lb amberjacks out of offshore rigs in the Gulf of Mexico fishing 50 and 65lb braid. There isn't a bass alive that will will put up the fight these fish do. Lighter braid does mean you have to pay more attention to your line for wear....is that bad...I don't think so. Keeps me from loosing fish. Come on out to S.Cal and fish these city park lakes and try and fish the heavier line in highly pressured fishing waters. You have to get bit to catch fish, and I've seen people fish heavier line, they just don't seem to get the same amount of bites. Would I fish 30lb on the delta next to the rip rap, no I wouldn't. Would I fish 30lb flipping trees in Mexico....no I wouldn't. Would I fish 30lb in straight grass in most places....yep. As I said, technique will always win over brute force. I fish swimbaits on 40lb braid with 25lb mono or fc topshot....sorry the 25 will break before the 30lb braid will but still no issues pulling them out of the cover they hide in either. Hmmmm, maybe it's technique....just saying. Some people can finesse fish, others can't. Some know how hard they can pull on a fish and know the limits of their tackle, others over compensate. Have yet to loose a fish to a break off on a frog and used to use 20lb on the smaller frogs. People fish what they are comfortable fishing, some choose lighter and others choose heavier. Did a poll and the vast majority fish 50lb due to the comfort of the dia which is what they are used to fishing. I'm more comfortable with 6-10lb mono line sizes as that's what I grew up bass fishing with. But honestly, there is a big difference on how a frog fishes from 30lb to 50 or 65lb braid.

^^^^^Didn't even make it till someone else told you to wait till Black Friday....yeah we all know it's hard.

Denial, keep working on telling yourself that when you see that Black Friday Sale.

I fish 30lb all the time for punching and froging....... I can water ski 4lb fish just fine with 30lb braid and have pulled 6+ out of the weed mats punching. Technique and proper tackle will always trump straight brute force. If the only difference is line weight between same set-ups over powering the tackle will lead to it's failure way before the 30lb will break. You hook a 8lb fish or bigger and have to pull it out of the weeds, once you have it's head burried in the grass and coming they don't fight, just dead weight which can be slowly pulled in with constant pressure. If he has gotten some good fish out of 20lb, he has the technique and patience to be succesful with it. And some of the Deps frogs are $19 not $10.......lol j/k

Few of the ***'s.

I fish straight 30lb when I'm pitching or punching grass....no issues, biffle head dragged across the bottom....no issues, fished cranks....issues only with pulling the hook because I was new to fishing braid....learned to back the drag off. YOU have to have confidence in your presentation, otherwise you have taken yourself out of the game doubting your presentation and causing you to loose focus and end up frustrated. 20lb braid is = to 6lb. If you're worried about them seeing it....color 12 inch sections black with 12 inches inbetween. Now you have broken up outline of the braid.

I understood your take....you like fishing and enjoy fishing the finer fishing equipment because it makes you happy and by all means you should enjoy fishing with what you worked hard to purchase and aquire. I don't hate on people that enjoy fishing with nice equipment or choose to because they want to. Think the conversation ended up discussing that for most there isn't enough difference in midrange equipment and the higher dollar ones for most to make the jump and fish with. Some people like a fine wine, others like a cold beer. But some and I do say some, not all, look to buy the higher priced equipment thinking it will make them a better fisherman or do it to brag and show off what they have. I'm sure there are many that think my comment about saving $200 and buying 2 swimbaits was a joke, but honestly with taxes it would come out to about $220 for the two of them. We all purchase the equipment WE WANT which it the great part of this sport and we make it work for us. Weather it be a $39 reel or a $500 reel, it's all about what we want. The fish don't care and each of us is only as good as the amount of knowledge and skill we have and understand how to translate it into catching fish.

I have braid on all my rods, if needed, I'll put a 3-6ft topshot of fc or mono depending on what I'm fishing. Use 10lb pp to fish trout on UL tackle with 3lb fc leader....why....because it's easier to keep that 2-3ft leader in good shape and nick free instead of worrying about 30yrs of 3lb mono. Fished a dropshot for years with a fc leader tied to a swivel attached to braid. Thinking of actually trying the Hi Vis yellow next year for my flipping/punching needs as so it's easier to watch the line then moss green.

When the fish are on the frog bite, they are commited to destroying the bait. Have caught 4 up to 5 1/2lbs in the last couple days fishing the frog, and everyone has had the frog down their throat and inhaled the bait. I don't think they were worried about the 30lb braid it was attached to when they come up through the scattered grass to hit it. And I have had some that have hit the bait the minute it hit the water like they were watching it fly through the air and waiting....or I hit them on the head. Heavy line would make it tough to get them to walk as well I believe where braid has such low memory and limpness it lends itself to walking these baits nicely.

The short answer to your question of really needing braid to fish frogs.....YES. FC sinks and the dia you would need to really pull the fish out of the grass on longer casts would probably be unmanageable on most baitcasters. Could use mono, but then you're back to fishing 25+lb line to be able to pull the fish out of the grass. If you choose to fish a frog on 10yrd casts then you may get away with either FC or Mono on 20lb. But much easier to stick with braid where 30lb has the dia of 8lb mono/FC.

Maybe you scared the crap out of him and was thinking you were going to put him on a stringer and take him home destined for the deep fryer.

It's kind of like mono and braid, everyone has their opinon and their favorites. I stick with SeaGuar and Berkley Brands depending on my needs.

http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/plant-identification/ that should cover about all you're wanting to know.

You know how many swimbaits I can buy if I get a $300 combo instead of a $500 with that $200 savings......well 2, but that's a different topic.....lol

It's only going to kill you if you happen to be one of the test patients. Hopefully the patients expire after spring so at least you can get some fishing in before then.

Great minds think alike

Have both micro's and regular rods. The only downfall of micros is if you are wanting to use topshot's of mono or FC with braid. Have to make sure the splice is small and tight or it catches. As far as distance and accuracy, I can honestly throw a frog farther on a micro rod then regular guided rod due to less line slap. I have used/use both for pitching and didn't see a big difference in pitching baits. My accuracy is good with both so I can't really say if it is or isn't on that.

Weeds you want them to tick the tops not dive down into them.....this way when you make contact with the top and feel it touching the tips you can "rip" it free. Squarebills work best when they bounce off structure/cover and normally get hit after refecting off of it. Deep cranks, you want to fish cranks that will hit the bottom in the depth of water you're fishing. So say your fishing in 8-10ft of water, you are wanting a crank that will dive to 10ft. Depending on your line size the bait will hit bottom and dig a bit, but not hang up. The bigger lips help keep it from hanging up and if it does feel hung, stopping it will cause the bait to float and back out. I've had best success cranking when you can drive the bait and cause it to be bounced off the bottom (fishing points and drop offs) where fish are schooled up. The bites normally came after driving the bait and feeling bottom then as it worked off the point and ledge to deeper water it was inhaled. But if you tried to throw it out deeper the fish wouldn't react. The contact with the bottom seemed to cause them to react as well as giving me a feel of where my bait was in relationship to the point and ledge. Biggest factor is choosing the right bait for the depth of the water you're wanting to fish as well as retrieve and having confidence in the bait you're using.

Reels, I think anything in the $100-180 range is going to preform as well as the higher dollar stuff....may weight a little more. It's a tool. Being I fish braid on everything, I feel the need for a $300 rod for sensitivity is not required. Can find a lot of rods in the same price point between $80-150 that will fit the bill. I can't see spending $900 on one set up for bass fishing. The few guys I know around here that consistantly catch fish don't fish $900 set ups, they simply know how to catch fish with the midrange equipment most fish. Now the ones that do have the high dollar Steez, core's ext.....you wouldn't believe the days they tell you about with all the 5+ lb fish they caught.....unfortunately some of those days they forgot to notice a few of us were there too and those 5+lb fish were all of 10-14inches. Reels and rods are a tool to be used. I can buy all the Snap On tools I want, but it's not going to make me a better mechanic if I have no idea how to work on an engine, where the guy that's been doing it for 20+ years with his midrange tools he's had for years has no problem fixing anything he works on. $$$$ doesn't = success. Experience and knowledge do though.

5 1/2lb on the bronzeye shad in "bad shad".