Choporoz

Those are respected jigs...though I have limited experience with them. Here's a good starter kit https://siebertoutdoors.com/products/ols/products/gift-pack

Last year in North Central NC was bad. This year is shaping up to be even worse. Found more ticks on us and the dog by mid April than ever before. This with minimal time in the woods or long grass thus far. Mostly just lawn, garden, fishing, etc.

@Pat Brown, good answer. @August, you are likely to get more helpful answers if you ask more specific questions...or at least provide more information. Things such as why you chose arkie; where you fish; will you use it in rocks, wood, grass, etc. Arkie is an ok all-around shape, but there are better options if you are only in rocks, or only in grass, or only in wood. @Siebert Outdoorsis a great option for almost any jig. Most of my jigs are primarily Green Pumpkin, Brown, Black or Blue.

For many (most?), this sort of grind is preferred to alternatives, like 2 separate trips to Florida with the cost and time away from home....or insert another week in between with its own costs and time commitment. Last year, one of the bass podcasts had a tournament organizer on who described in fascinating detail how hard it is to set up a schedule. I know how challenging it is just for a state or regional organization. National trails are a whole other level of logistics nightmare.

My wife saw that picture in FB the other day. She said "How do you know Melissa Smith? And, why does she have a picture of your car?"

If I have a ned or drop shot tied on in April, I am probably in a foul mood by that time. One spinning rod on deck with a senko or fluke. Baitcasters for chatterbait, lipless, t-rig, spinnerbait, 5-6 in swimbait, swim jig, buzzbait...to start. Too many rods? Nah....too few in the hypothetical

Wacky senko isn't a bait I'd recommend for someone working on bite detection. Sure, I'd like to be better at detecting senko bites, but fact is that the senko is frequently going to get picked up and moved without me feeling anything....no matter how good I get at bite detection. If you want to focus on line-watching as a means of bite detection, then by all means, practice with a senko. As to the braid recommendation....I am far better at feeling bites on fluoro than braid/fluoro. Fluro slack-line sensitivity might be said to be a myth, but in my head, it is very real

Pat summed it up nicely for me, also. Some day I might learn when it is time to just put down the Rage Bug. @ol'crickety, I taught myself to fish laydowns by: Working on it out of the current and wind; and start by using well-buried hook in any plastic, along with 1/16 oz tungsten. It takes a bit of time to work on vivid visualization of exactly what your bait is doing. I find it helpful to close my eyes and 'see' the bait maneuver through limbs. Working light weight very slowly will teach you to know exactly when that fall off a branch happens so you kill any forward movement (and drop your rod tip). You can crash them with 5/8 oz jigs, but I think it helps to first work on understanding wood with lighter weights.

A few things that MIGHT make a difference for you: Pay attention. Put a finger on the line. Pay attention Use fluorocarbon, if not already Fish often Watch your line Use tungsten Pay attention Remove wind from the equation Remove/reduce movement as a variable Focus I don't understand. Is bite detection actually a big problem with your moving/vibrating baits? I HAVE watched Bigmouth Forever, so I know that I miss bites on moving bites, but nearly all those that I miss on moving baits, I am not going to improve upon. The bites I always work to improve my detection on, are still or falling

Funny....the tournament organization that bills itself as setting the standard in fish care has its members hold them by the jaw, AND wave them around

Not too hard to find sale on Native Slayer Slayer Propel 10 on sale for 2k. Very stable.

I turned on Live on my phone late in the coverage. Only saw a couple catches, but knew it hadn't been did an easy day for at least one angler with a camera in the boat. Wish I could remember who it was, but I counted 18 rods on a guy's front deck. Impressive...lol

Sustained winds over 20, gusting over 40 all day. Every time I got tempted to go out a big gust would come through. Tomorrow morning may be OK until 11 or so, then wind's back again.

There is a sense of entitlement among some pros that rubs me the wrong way. More than a couple have said that they are there just one weekend and it is their job, so locals should give way. On the other hand, I have had guys ask me if I am fishing a tournament and when I said yes, they have backed out of an area they were on first. So, I will often do the same. But it always comes down to tone and attitude. The most respectful always get the most grace.

Mojo glass rod is without a doubt my single worst rod purchase. Heavy and dead.

I don't like that they spray my lake, either. (Not the ones I mentioned earlier). They already sprayed a couple weeks ago. I think if they feel the need to spray, doing this early does not seem to hurt all too much. First growth was only 12"-18" or so. I will be pulling slime off my lures for a bit longer, but new growth will start showing pretty soon. I am told that this lake, like many (most?) in NC are sprayed because of the power company, vice State Dept of Wildlife, or homeowner whining.

I say that it is hilarious that multiple bass utubers can cash a check saying just about anything. Chatterbait is the worst, because it really can work fished so very differently. Wouldn't be hard to find five more contradictory videos about a bladed jig.... they're good around wood, avoid wood because you will lose them... fish them like a jig, fish them like a crankbait... fish have become immune to them, or the vibration is such that fish will continue to react to them no matter how many they see.... don't use braid; only use braid...sweep hookset, or jam 'em....

Killing me sitting here waiting for workweek to end, but knowing the lakes and rivers are going to see gale force gusts for the next 60 hours. I don't recall 3 straight days and nights of sustained unsafe wind. The fish are probably eating everything in sight right now. I've been looking for a launch within 2 hours that won't be unsafe this weekend

I assume the funky url counts visitors direct from br. At least I didn't get Rick Astley.

Lol. Once a fish gets to crunching a tail, she's got 6 treble points stuck in her mouth...probably does not matter much how realistic the tail tastes by that time

@MediumMouthBass, I used to hate a couple big pond/small lakes that would get choked bad in the summer. Tough to get around and fish for a period, but they remain truly great lakes for bass. I very much hope they don't ever get carp introduced.

I have spent embarrassing amount of time stalking and casting to movements in pad fields that end with gigantic carp finally jumping, as if to say, 'Hey, Dummy, no bass here...just us and the turtles"

My half dozen Smoke PT's are right there with Zillion. The Smoke S3's are not far below.

I have needed readers for 20 years, though thankfully, no prescription lenses yet. Somehow, the market for polarized readers must not be too great because there really are not as many options as I would expect. About 9 years ago, I found comfortable polarized bi-focal readers at a tent vendor outside a BX, base exchange, in VA. They were $40, of moderate quality, but had clear lenses with decent enough magnification. They came with a lifetime warranty, so each year, when the gal came back in May, I'd get a new pair for the $10 warranty fee. A number of years ago, that vendor stopped coming back, I started earnestly looking for good replacement option. @A-Jay's favored choice, Onos, was good...but.... I do not care for my glasses like he does, and the inside lenses got scratched and pitted within a year. Onos replaced them once on the warranty, but I didn't want to do that annually. I love a lot about Onos; the magnification portion is perfect size, they are extremely comfortable and the overall coverage is great. I just don't can't put them in a case whenever they aren't on my face, and the lenses don't hold up more than about 10 months. Last year, I found Costas on Amazon at a price too good to be true. Turns out it was true. Real Costa Finch readers for a little over $100. They aren't there all the time, but keep checking. They have shown up repeatedly. For 110-120. Mine came with the box, case, papers, and lenses properly stamped. They are, by far the clearest lenses I have ever owned. Only minus is that the magnification portion is small. It is fine for tying knots, but for reading, or using phone, I'd like it to be about twice the size.

TTT Got my annual reminder last weekend. Not too bad, but my ears are peeling