Djman72

I didn't like my vertias. I went with a Fenwick HMG ML-F and I love it so far. its $100 dollars so you'll have some cash left over for some tackle.

Try using some more search baits and fan casting (shallow crankbaits, rattletraps, spinners, etc). Shadows and weed patches are going to be your best friends in pond fishing. Fish don't have eyelids so in bright situations they will relate to shade. Senko's and soft jerkbaits are great for weedless cover. My biggest tip would be to get some top water going. Poppers/frogs/buzzbaits have been my best friends when fishing shallow ponds with little cover/ structure. Cast them parallel to the bank and work them back to you. I've caught more fish on a simple rebel Pop-r that any other bait aside from the worm.

RoLo hit it right on the head. Explore that drop off from every angle possible, with a ton of different methods. I would crash deep cranks of the ledge to find some active fish then slow down and dropshot or carolina rig up something to drag around the area.

Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida.

Dropshot and jig, Never tried either technique, but i've got the gear for it now.

Awesome thread! When I get a chance to live near a lake/afford a boat first thing i'm recruiting is a fishing buddy of the canine variety.

Jig, Ashamed to say that, but i've never caught a fish on a jig. Granted i've probably fished with a jig a total of 1 hour. Chatterbaits too.

Jerkbaits/flukes worked extra slow. jigs and trigged worms fished slow as well. Lipless cranks are also a go to if the conditions are right.

Drove around this afternoon with the Window down, it was fantastic.

Fenwick, Fenwick, and Fenwick. If i'm fishing on a budget i'll go with a Berkley Lightning rod, those things are amazing for their price point.

Rapala is the highest priced lures I have ever bought so roughly $7-9 dollars.

Not a big fan of abu rods (the reels are fanstastic though). I owned a Vertias and it was stiffer than an inmate after his release going to a gentlemans club. I kid, but the rod was much stiffer and less sensitive than I was anticipating. Add fenwick to the list of rods for you to check out. They are fantastic and mostly on the starting end of your price range.

Guilt as charged! I do name most of my combo's makes things a bit more interested and makes me chuckle in my head. I'm not a very normal person so I do some pretty unconventional things. When I was in highschool I named my bat. Ole Evelyn helped us go to state one year.

Perks of being 23 and single. I get to bar crawl with the buds and not worry about my wallet thinning out from anyone else. On a side note, the fact that you fish with your wife is awesome!

Stopped out to BPS after work today to meet a fishing buddy and cruise around. He wanted to pick up a new reel and I didn't need anything. That was until I spotted her sitting on the rack just gleeming. I've wanted to replace my weightless soft plastics/dropshot rod for some time now, but never really pulled the trigger. This pretty girl you might ask? A Fenwick HMG 6'9" ML-F spinning rod. They were on sale too $79.99 from $100.00. Paired it up with a Pflueger Supreme XT that I got as a gift this Christmas. Well balanced and sleek bass catching outfit (I HOPE ). I think I'm going to name her Veronica...

I am the majority. Right and Right. My friend only uses left hand retrieve reels. I tried to use his and i just couldnt do it, but he swears by it.

I've got three that I can't really decide between. 1) Sitting on the boat right as the Sun is starting to crack in the A.M. and gunning the boat with your best buds to your favorite spot to start a full day of fishing. Always so serene and beautiful. 2) That twitch in the line when your fishing painfully slow. 3) When your drag starts to scream when you hook into a biggun'

Was fishing for pike/lmb in some small creeks that run into Lake Michigan well before the trout were supposed to run. I threw a spoon out and something smashed it, thought it was a massive pike. First jump I saw the silver sparkle of those magnificant fish and my heart started racing. Less than a minute later, the fish jumped again, spit the hook, and flipped me the bird. Still an awesome time though.

1) ice 2)Ice 3)ICe 4)ICE I fish a lot of local/private ponds most of the time without permission. I practice catch and release on ALL fish in this situation, aviod people's property and keep to myself. Yet, people still will come down and kick me out, even go as far as to call the cops. That ticks me off more than ice.

Caught a boot once. Also, a fully intact bike when I was 10 fishing with some neighborhood kids. We dried it off and one of us rode it home and used it for a year. Huffy street racer for the win.

DNR. They come around these parts often.....

Vote for Fenwicks here. They are fantastic rods that are very sensitive and light. I own three and don't think i'm going to get any other rods from now on aside for St. Criox(my other go to brand). I cant say anything about the Carbonlite as I've never fished with one.

This had me going haha

I am fortunate enough to live within a 15 minute drive of a Cabelas and a 30 minute drive to a BPS. I prefer Cabelas IMHO. The staff in Hammond are extremely friendly and knowledgable. Hell, I was debating between a Revo BC or a Pflueger a few months back and the guy at the reel counter came up and helped me decide. We talked for another 30 minutes just shooting the **** fishing. That being said BPS employees seem to brush me off when I have questions. BPS does seem to have a much larger selection of fishing gear compaired to Cabelas. I only go to BPS when they have a good sale or if they have a specific lure that Cabelas doesnt carry.

Bought a BPS branded popper and it was trash. I have used some of their soft plastics (Stick baits, creatures, etc) and had decent luck with them.