Choporoz

I load the car usually around Easter. Kayak comes off usually before Thanksgiving. Average about 20 min at ramp on each end of outing.

Stretch limos?

Unpegged Rage Bug behind 1/16 oz weight. I have never been too confident crashing brush with heavy t-rigs and jigs, though I know many who do it well. I prefer to get them by working bait up to each branch and slowly work it up and over. I just feel I have much better control and feel with light weights. After working a pile thoroughly from a ways back, I'll go back over and if I'm marking good fish (and it isn't windy), I will sit on top and use a dropshot, starting outside and work my way to the middle.

I still don't hesitate to recommend YZH. It is co-poly but acts a lot like fluoro....and still pretty cheap

I'd never heard that. Thanks. I'll try it. Love my Smokes, but my one Tour S3 is crazy noisy....always said it doesn't bother me. But....if it stopped doing it, I'd probably be happier

I use 6 vertical tubes lashed to my crate behind me; and two built-ins that angle out....also behind me. I have had rods go in...maybe three times if you don't count the time I flipped in river and four went in, but stayed close. Changing behavior was a big factor in reducing my risk. I won't use leashes or floats. (I would be willing to try the butt floats, but always thought them overpriced, and probably prevent me from using any rod holders.) But this post got me thinking that it shouldn't be too hard for a manufacturer to offer a rod holder that just sort of gripped the handle a bit....wouldn't have to be real tight....just provide a little resistance when pulling it out. Any innovative engineers here want to take a crack at this?

It was said above, but I want to emphasize two points. 1. Learn to use your thumb. Sure, it'd be cool to always get max distance with no thumb and no backlash, but it isn't realistic to expect to be able to set up and execute 100% of the time. Winds change, angles change, lure weights vary....get your gear dialed in, but always have your thumb on speed dial. 2. Keep in mind that backlash only happens when spool rotates faster than the line going off. Lots of things going in in a cast....many variables ...but one simply stated factor. When the line slows for some reason.....any reason.... but the spool doesn't....you get an overrun.

I answered assuming it was TW. However it wouldn't be the first time (today, even) that I was having a totally different conversation than the people I was talking with

Skeeter Toyota Shell Oil

My TW Memorial Day order with everything discounted PLUS an additional discount for being a veteran was shipped free and arrives today. I'm perfectly happy with them right now.

Too often I snag old line. If it is flouro or mono, it might be just a few feet. If braid, it might be 20 or 30 feet. If I have to break off, I'd rather leave part of a leader, than have to cut it at the surface.

Fished a tournament on my new home lake yesterday. Felt pretty decent headed back to the ramp with a limit anchored by these two. Turns out I was a full five inches out of the money. The lake was giving up some real hogs. I think I counted ten fish over 20 inches in a 46 boat tourney.

Lots of nuances to sizes, shapes, colors, and even textures. KISS: -faster and/or deeper and/or clearer: willow -slower and/or dirtier and/or shallower: Colorado Tons of combinations and variations, but you can get a head start with this. I like to start with large willow/small Colorado combo spinnerbait in most conditions and work from there.

More than enough for another freeTW t-shirt

How many times have I read "Let the fish tell you how they want it"? Well, I'm old and pretty set in my ways....so, a jerkbait in 76 degree water gets fished fairly fast most of the time. Until a long cast with a slight overrun. As I reeled it down a couple turns I noticed a loose coil, so I took the time to peel a few yards off and get everything in order. Wasn't til I reeld up all the slack that and went to jerk it that I had any clue there was a bass just sitting down there trying to figure out what he had in his mouth. For the next hour, far longer than normal pauses were just what the fish wanted.

I made a few with hitchhiker, swivel and small willow blades...screwed into a trig senko. Never found fish that get excited about them.

True. I did. But the advice was more informed by having a lot of experience fishing from bank and dock over the past year. It had been years since I spent a lot of time bank fishing. Now I get to fish a nice cove from a dock a few times a week. There have been a number of occasions when I cannot buy a bite on the bottom, but a moving bait will bring a good fish. Particularly in the spring and fall.

Pretty sound advice. I agree with @QED, that having a 1/16 or 1/8 option is good if your gear can cast it. I think adding a spinnerbait to the op would be a smart move. You can throw it on the same rod, and there are going to be occasional days when you can drag a t-rig past fish for an hour without a bite, but they will crush a moving bait.

No exaggeration to say I forget I have it on....even on hot days

I'll be casting before sunrise each day. Rare to see a wake boat or jetski before around 1030 or 11.

Kistler Memorial Day sale puts Helium close to your neighborhood. Once I got my Helium, my DX 744 is relegated to spinnerbaits. Admittedly, I have not used XP 744, but neither the Fury, nor the DX ever felt comfortable throwing 3/8-1/2 jigs. Great for a long spinnerbait rod, however.

No adjustments yet. But the 220 mile weekly commute in my 5.7 Dodge has me considering whether to look for something that gets more than 17mpg

I'd agree with you, @TnRiver46, if the driver doing the speed limit is in the right lane. The problem I'm referring to is when there are 3 or more lanes and has much more to do with flow and dangerous broader situations. If the average speed on an eight lane highway is 75 MPH and you are driving 60 in second from left lane, you are a problem for the entire immediate driving population, whether the speed limit is 55 or 70. Being able to say, "But I was the one obeying the law" doesn't mean you haven't increased the risk for everyone out there. Highway traffic driving requires some expectations and assumptions about the other drivers. Flow works when slower traffic is to the right and all other drivers can safely assume that most of the time, that will be the case. When it isn't the case, there are ripples affecting dozens, if not hundreds of other drivers....most not in a positive way

One more reason for Fish Grips lashed to one side of kayak. You can grip the fish at surface before ever touching your jerkbait. Then hold fish with the grips and dislodge hooks with pliers. Dont need to touch the lure and hooks never get near skin most of the time.

This saddens me. Not first time I've heard it...but only last couple years. The President used to be such a solid value. Hope they can unscrew whatever they screwed up. Better be fast .... reputation is taking a hit