Kevin22

3731's, BASS membership bags, and regular 3700 series boxes. 3731's for my trailers, craws, creatures, frogs, etc. BASS bags for smaller baits, grubs, minnows, drop shot worms, senkos, etc. I use the 3700 series for two things. One is full of flukes, and the other soft swimbaits. Those two things it is crucial to keep the tails straight so they are in boxes, with the boxes stored flat.

No, but I have caught plenty of largemouth on that "crappie crank" (its a series 3 with smaller hooks).

You have a lot of research to do. Zoom can charge so little because they make a million baits a day and buy components by the semi load. You will be making 100-1000 baits a day. At zoom prices you will not break even, even if you don't pay your taxes. If you want a bait company like zoom, better have a couple million dollars laying around for startup money. Then you can sell your baits for $2.50 a bag.

I never unplug mine unless I am storing the boat for the winter.

Mine has that as well.

My concern with the dog leash or chaulk line would be getting your lure hooked on an old catfish rig, then getting your knocker hooked on the same line. Not sue what the pound rating is on those items, but I don't know if they could straighten a 1-2X treble or break 25# catfish line. Might lose the whole thing! I need to fix my home made plug knocker. I had it on 80# braid on an old $5 reel mounted to a broken rod but I though the braid was too thin. I have some 1/8" nylon cordage to use but I need a new way of containing it. I think I might use the "handle" off of one of my jerk strings for duck hunting. You can see it here http://www.cabelas.com/product/RigEm-Right-Step-Up-Jerk-Rig/1993314.uts?productVariantId=4118793&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=43-159530391-2&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=04131221&rid=20

Thanks

I forgot to say they were casting rods! Probably 12-14# fluoro.

Trying to decide between two rods, I'm hoping you guys can help. I need a weightless senko/fluke rod. I'm trying to decide between a 7' M F and a 7'3" M MF. My gut is saying I want the Fast action for penetrating plastics, but then again there's almost nothing to penetrate on a senko and a fluke... I'd like to have the longer rod, which will help for casting weighless flukes.. but again, I want to be sure to get good hooksets on the end of my cast. If there was a 7'3 MF option in the rod I want I wouldn't have this problem... WHAT TO DO? Possibly, I might also use this rod as a secondary shallow crank rod if I need it, but for sure the primary use is weightless senkos and flukes.

Youd better find out who owns the pond (city, park, county, state) and see if you can have the fish. If you take it, and they find out, you could be charged with felony grand theft. The fishing behind bars might be of a different nature...

FFO and ebay. If I'm paying retail, good ol tackle warehouse.

I use 4# high viz gold stren for panfish. When I hit a clear body of water I drop down to either 2# trilene sensation or my favorite, 4# seaguar red label. I would NOT suggest 6-8# line for any kind of panfishing other than bobber fishing. I tried the braid and nanofil for panfish, didn't like it. Back to mono and fluoro. I tried yo-zuri, didn't especially care for it. The ultra soft went bad on me very quickly, and the regular is very thick. For bass I like 10-15# braid. Either power pro, power pro slick 8, or sufix 832. All work well. I don't really care for tying leaders, so when I'm in clear water I go ahead and use 8# seaguar red label fluoro. I don't use mono on spinning rods for bass anymore. I tried fireline, still use some of it, but I really don't care for it. The PP and 832 are much better. The spiderwire I tried was pure junk, I wouldn't give that to my worst enemy.

Have you watched live coverage? Zona talks about it quite a bit, saying they will not show some angler's lures because the pro asked them not to. If you watch REALY close you will see non-sponsor baits tied on and hidden on the deck. For instance on the classic I saw had an old wiggle wart (assuming old) tied on and hidden in the corner, he is sponsored by megabass and TW has the megabass diving flap slap as his crankbait for the classic. Did he throw the wart and not tell anyone? We will never know. Same thing happens with the senko... I'm sure every single pro on the tour has a bag of yamamoto senkos in their boat, possibly inside sponsors bags to hide what they really are. I bet you they get used way more than they tell you! Ike once said bass fishing is a game of offense and defense.

Trailer tires should be replaced every 6-8 years, and regularly checked after 5. Any flat spotting, side wall bulging, or uneven tread wear means time for new tires. Always replace ALL tires, unless they are relatively new. While you have the wheels off be sure to inspect the trailer. Tires don't just flat spot, something happened and you need to find out what. Is your axle welded or held on by U bolts? Check those for a crack.

6'9-7' ML would be my suggestion.

Who owns the "public pond"? I'd contact them first and see if you can have the fish if you catch it.

I was looking at that rod also, at "the discount store in Iowa". Very good price. That would be a KILLER squarebill rod, which is exactly what I would buy it for.

Yes, that is fine but be sure to use a thermometer so you don't over heat the lead. A better idea is a fish/turkey fryer if you have one. Set a cast iron pot (one just for lead! NEVER to be used for cooking again) on the propane burner and you are ready to go.

Nope, sorry!

It gets real old on the horseshoe chain! Those things nip off a crankbait as fast as you can tie it on. They especially love $10-15 topwater frogs in Becker. They turn them to swiss cheese every 10 casts. Exactly right! Pike has a great taste and can be cooked in many ways that panfish cannot. My favorite has to be grilled, but it is also great cut into strips and fried then dipped in spicy seafood sauce.

Whose fish is it? Someone got busted locally for catching koi out of a city pond and selling them on craigslist. City charged him with grand theft since he sold them for thousands of dollars. Since it is classified as an aquarium fish, you shouldn't have any laws to worry about, unless you "steal" the fish. While bass fishing I caught a koi out of a creek that flows into the Miss river a few years ago, it was 31" long and a bright yellow color with orange blotches. I took a picture and tossed it back. I posted the picture on FB and got a message almost instantly with an offer of $1500 for it by a koi breeder in Michigan. He offered to have a shipping service pick it up from my house and everything. Never could find that dang fish again!

Theres no way your ducer is hanging level and giving you a good reading. They have to be perfectly level or you are going to get false and inaccurate readings. a self leveling ice transducer would work like that,

I use a spiderwire 3700 series bag. Great bag for $50.

Theres also plenty of websites where you can sell your gift card for only a slight loss. Walmart 50's usually sell for 45-48. That way you can get whatever rod you want instead of stuck with abu.

Theres only two places in this industry where an average joe can make a living. Bluebasser hit one. Carve and design swimbaits. The other is painting lures. Both are skills though, but both can be learned and mastered with time and practice. You can't make a living with soft plastics, you can't hardly break even after taxes. You'll find that there are a lot of people "hobby pouring" and making basically the same baits as you are, but they aren't paying taxes or trying to make a real profit. They will undercut you to the point you lose money. Who is going to pay $5 a bag for GP sticks when you can buy the exact same baits from some kid on ebay selling them for $1.75 a bag because daddy bought all the materials for him. If you have unique ideas you better drop a few grand and get a patent lawyer and a patent now. As soon as a pro staffer for one of the big companies sees the bait and ships them off to R&D, you will not have an unique bait anymore.