loudcherokee

well i just got back. Seems middle of the day with upper 80 degree temps are no good. I was throwing two different frogs, a tequila sunrise yum worm, a watermelon black flakes senko, a white chatter bait, and a rattlin rap. No luck at all, not even a nibble. I did get excited when I saw a big swirl come up behind my frog, until a dinner plate sized snapping turtle popped its head out of the water to investigate my frog. I may be going back here tomorrow morning. I had much better luck earlier in the day on Thursday. I had two hooked that look at least like they were 3-4 pounders, but I didn't have a solid hook set so I lost them both. LC

Discovered this little place back in the woods in PA. I fished it for awhile and caught 2, and had 3 get off. The two I caught were both less than 2 pounds. One was on a weightless watermelon black flake senko wacky rigged, the other on a black and blue buzz bait. The buzz bait scared the crap out of me! The fish followed it all the way to the bank and decided to launch itself out of the water to swallow the buzz bait about 2 feet from me. Anyways, I'm looking for ideas on fishing this location. I bought a KVD sexyfrog last night at Walmart. the only color they had was leopard. LC

I love my Mitchell 300xe and I will soon be putting it on a lightning rod. I've been using them for years and I just don't think you can beat the sensitivity on a budget. After the success of my Lews baitcaster, the Lews speedspin spinning real had peaked my interest. It seems to get good reviews everywhere. LC

Let's not forget the "bubble gum" craze of the 90's. At least it was that way where I was at in TN. LC

I really like my Mitchell 300xe picked up at Walmart for $50. I currently have it on an ugly stick but will be switching that soon to a Berkley Lightning Rod Shock after getting one for my baitcaster. I didn't see many negative reviews on the Mitchell when I was shopping for a new spinning reel. The only thing I don't like is that the spare spool that comes with it is plastic and not aluminum. LC

My dad would always swear by a culprit grape worm. You'd think he had stock in the company with as many as he had. He caught fish on them, so i guess they worked. LC

whatever they may be, plastics, cranks, plugs, etc., what is the driving factor behind certain things going on clearance? sales? successfulness of a given color? I ask because I came across several bags of Yum baits at Walmart that were only $1. Most of them, whether it was saleemanders or worms, were all a shade of blue. I picked up an assortment of different types just cause they were a buck. Are these on clearance because the color doesn't attract fish? I've also noticed other baits that will have a certain color on clearance for $2.99 but the exact same lure in a different color is still full price. LC

IDunno. I never messed with any of them thar fancy high tech chemicals. Now, with the right amount of turtle wax, that might buff out. LC

Theres going to be a learning curve going to bait casting reel from a spincast. Its more than just stopping the line with your thumb. You have to set the spool and brakes correctly, then feather the spool. Look up some of the bassresource vids on baitcasters. they were very helpful for me. LC

tagging for update since this will likely be my next reel. Hope you get it fixed! LC

hmmm....I see nothing here that a little duck tape won't fix! LC

I tried drop shotting for the first time this weekend too. I used 30# power pro in moss green in stained water with no leader, a 3/0 offset worm hook, a wacky rigged 5" watermelon senko (off brand) and about a 16" drop to my weight from the hook. I would cast at the edge of the weeds, and as soon as the bait would hit the water I would put slight tension on my line. Not enough to keep it from sinking, but enough to feel the strike. Most hits came within 5-10 seconds of jigging, and I set the hook in a sweeping motion. Never had an issue with gut hooks. The only problem I had was my line somehow wrapping around the senko and cutting it in half each time. LC

I wear a boonie that allows the sides to button to the top, as seen in my avatar. Got it for $12 at Walmart last year. Doesn't get too warm, and the all around brim keeps the sun off my face and neck most of the time. LC

just checked out your website. Holy crap! I want 2 of everything! lol

CiMo, No, its not about refusing the meds. Its about being up front with the doctor, telling them that youre already getting meds from your pain management or pcp, and that you want to stop the "cause" of the pain, not treat the pain. Most specialists now a days probably wont even bother prescribing anyways if they know youre already on drug therapy with another doctor. Like someone else earlier said, they have to watch their rears too for liability purposes. Just straight up tell them you dont want to be sent out the door with another medication, you want treatment thats going to focus on the injury. LC

If I can help, I'd be glad to, even if you are a raiders fan. Go Stillers! lol

First thing, check with your insurance about second opinions. It may have special requirements to cover a second opinion. Also ask them about referral requirements to see a specialist. If you're on an *** or similar type plan, you may have to get a referral from your PCP. Secondly, getting second opinions to treat the problem will not get you black listed. Going to multiple doctors to get pain Med scripts WILL set a flag with your insurance and usually result in a non covered prescription, and sometimes a letter sent to all prescribing physicians. This is called doctor shopping. Check into an orthopedic doctor, or even a good sports rehab specialist. Also, while it may sound weird, see if your insurance covers acupuncture. I work for an insurance company in customer service...whenever someone calls about their acupuncture claims, I casually ask if it truly does help them with pain, due to my own back problems. The resounding answer is absolutely. It doesn't heal, but it can help deal with the pain. I have talked to people that kicked narcotics all together after starting acupuncture therapy. Chiropractic is another option, but be careful. I was told with my ruptures to stay far away from chiro as it could exacerbate the problems. Again, ask about mechanical traction from a physical therapy provider. They lay you on a moist heating blanket, place straps around your hips and under your arms, and the machine slowly pulls your spine apart in an oscillating manner. Traction like this has been known to repair a ruptured disk, due to stretching the vertebrae and creating a vacuum like effect on the disk to suck the herniation back in. I know where you're at with the pain. One afternoon, I was making a sandwich, and turned to nudge the fridge door closed with my foot. The simple act of raising my foot six inches off the floor, with a slightly stretched straightened leg, ended up sending me straight to the floor in pain. I was laying there feeling crippled, at 26 years old, wondering if I'd ever be able to live a normal life again. Not yet having kids, I've wondered if I will be able enough to teach them things, play ball, rough house around, heck, even run after them. Back pain is incredibly debilitating because it affects EVERYTHING. Sit too long, back ache. Stand too long, back ache. twist too hard, back ache. Its tough, but you gotta get through it and get the treatment you need. LC

what exactly is a retrieval system? I'm imagining scuba gear and a pair of needle nose pliers, lol. LC

Mine has to be my first largemouth, caught on my uncles private pond about 7 or 8 years ago. I never weighed or measured her, but guestimated she weighed around 5-6 pounds. caught her on a silver rebel pop-r, that i still have. The first time she taildanced across the water i almost peed myself. She's still my PB bass, all these years later. LC

I dont take it that way and certainly didnt mean for my post to sound that way either, nor was i meaning to discount your suggestion, i was simply stating that i didnt agree. He didnt mention specific therapies, so i figured i would just throw up what worked for me in a similar situation. Had it not been for the spine injections to take the edge off the pain, i wouldnt have been able to make it through PT, and would still be on Vicodin or something stronger. I used to work in healthcare, and seen what long term narcotic use can do. The body adapts, gets used to the effects, and eventually higher doses are needed. The body adapts again and then even higher doses are again needed. you then start hitting problems with your insurance saying they'll only cover 3 a day or whatever. I just feel that constantly treating pain with narcotics is never going to get to the root of the problem, and is only going to treat the symptoms. Again, not trying to be combative or argue, just offering a different point of view. Each person is different and reacts different to treatments, be it medicine or therapy. What worked for me may not work for the OP, or anyone else for that matter. LC

I have similar back issues. Three ruptures in my lumbar, degenerative disk disease, spinal stenosis, and sciatica. Talk to your doctor about seeing a specialist for an epidural or steroid injection in your spine. Then go back to PT and ask for traction. Then look into an inversion table. The above is what got me off pain meds, and walking without a cain again at 26 years old. Im now 30, and while i do have days with pain, its nowhere near as severe as it was before, which was near crippling. A few ibuprofen (anti-inflamatory) here and there on bad days and I deal with it. Its tough sometimes, but you can do it if you put your mind to it. I don't agree with the suggestion for more meds like oxy. that stuff can be worse to get off of in the end. treat the cause of the symptom (herniated disk) and not just the symptom (pain). treating with narcotics only masks the pain and will not solve it. LC

I appreciate all the suggestions folks. I ended up going with the Plano tackle bag. A lot of the places I bank fish are wooded with just a few open spots to reach the water, so I won't be doing a lot of walking around. Also, carrying the tackle bag in my arm is easier on my back than a backpack would be with three ruptured disks in my lumbar. Its a nice system. lots of room, and ease of organizing. I was able to put all my spinnerbaits in a Plano 3700 style box and add it to the mix. so far so good. LC

well below your price point, but i went with a berkley lightning rod shock series in 7' MH and love it. I put my Lews tournament MG on it. Ive always liked the lightning rods. Never fished with any of the more expensive rods so i cant compare it to one though. LC

If they're hitting on the blades of your spinnerbait, maybe try a spoon? If I'm completely off base here, hopefully someone will chime in, but it makes sense to me. LC

I seen this exact thing this weekend at a pond I was fishing. the bluegill were chasing smaller bass in the 1-2 pound range away. there was one larger bass, maybe 4 pounds, that would sit on the bluegill nest when it chased the other smaller bass away. when the bluegill came back, it would chase away the larger bass. I threw everything I had at the bigger bass, even tapping his nose with a generic senko, and couldn't even get a reaction bite. LC