Logan S

It is faster than your typical glass cranking rod. It's kinda tough to really compare glass to graphite, but this rod has a soft tip and strong mid section and backbone...So it definitely feels like a fast action while fishing, but when loaded up you really see it as more of a Mod-Fast. I don't buy the 'pulling the bait away' theory either....The glass rod for the chatterbait is more about actually fishing the bait. It's much easier to fish through heavy grass, especially when popping it free. It's tough to explain and I was also skeptical at first, sort of something you need to try out for yourself. The 736CB Glass would also make great a spinnerbait and squarebill rod, although I prefer graphite for both of those personally. I'm sure it could handle deeper cranks too if you wanted...I only use it for chatterbaits, but it's not a one-trick pony .

736 CB Glass. I have one and love it...I generally dislike glass rods, but for chatterbaits it's gold. That deal on the factory mislabeled rods is awesome, if I didn't already own a 736 I'd have one on the way to my house right now.

I've actually been to some of the DNR committee meetings on this particular regulation topic - And I do have to give them a little credit, SOME of the stuff they want to do makes sense. But overall it's mostly nonsense like we are talking about here. The committee itself is more dysfunctional than you could ever imagine, which is why none of this is finalized yet lol .

Actually yes....If you are not fishing in a bass tournament you catch catch and kill your limit of bass no-questions-asked. They really gotta crack down on us bass fisherman that practice catch and release and do everything we can to keep them alive...You know, to save the bass and all...Wait, what? Only a government agency could make that much sense

Nothing is finalized yet, but I would expect it to get there relatively soon. FYI - As it stands currently, none of this applies if you launch from a VA or DC ramp. If these rules do go thru it will likely negate that 'loophole' though....No such option on the Upper Bay either. Using no tags isn't an option either since the rule states that you must use some form of culling system and that it also can't pierce the lip. I've been using tags that have a soft wire loop thru the gill and then clip back for several years now...I've really liked it and I think it's great for the fish since it doesn't clamp anything and doesn't obstruct anything either. Unfortunately, the labels have all washed off and I don't remember who makes it, but I haven't seen it for sale in quite some time so it may be out of production. It would be pretty easy to make on your own though - And that might be the best option for those of us that fish the Potomac and Upper Bay since commercial options are so limited. EDIT: Those ProCull clips in the video above looks very similar to what I have...Not exact, but close enough.

Fun day on Lake Anna today...Shame that first one was so skinny, it was looooong. Couple good fish and filled the day with 14 to 16 inchers, awesome for February. I also caught several sight fishing in less than 2 feet of water, which was fun and a little unexpected given the 49 degree water temps. Crankbait, Swing-head, and shakeyhead accounted for all fish.

There's not really a wrong answer, but I use a casting rods most of the time. I do use a spinning rod for smaller jerkbaits like the Pointer 65. I'll also use a spinning rod with 6lb flouro if I want get maximum depth and action from a standard jerkbait...I might surprise you to see how much a jerkbait 'wakes up' on that light line . As was mentioned already, lure weights are 1/2oz or 5/8oz for most standard sized jerkbaits and that is usually easier/better handled on casting gear. I also like to use 10lb to 15lb flouro for jerkbait fishing and that also is done much easier on casting gear.

The boater/co-angler system is not perfect...But it is what it is. It sounds like your group doesn't have separate divisions for boaters and co-anglers...I don't want to disparage whatever group you're with - But IMO that can really suck for the co-anglers and explains a lot about the differences in your posts versus mine. The trend has been clubs moving to the split divisions so the co-anglers aren't competing against the boaters. For the co-angler that means they are all on the same playing field in regards to the challenges of being in the back of the boat. It also makes it easier for the boater and co-angler cooperate without tension since they aren't competing against each other. Our club has been this way for the last 10 years or so and I see more and more clubs adopting this system. It mimics the "Pro/Am" format. If it's not a team event, this is the only fair format for the co-angler IMO. I don't think any of the posts so far have been negatively slanted toward co-anglers..But I do think it can be a little difficult for a boater to put their perspective into words on a forum without someone thinking they are selfish or 'elitist'. These statements you made are essentially exactly what I said in my post...Although they sort of contradict some of the stuff in your first couple posts. This is where it came from. This is also one of the statements that prompted the "I'm not a guide" response in my mind initially. I don't think any of the posts so far have indicated that the co-angler is simply along for a boat ride. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Not trying to argue at all...It can be a tough topic since many times each side doesn't really know what it's like to be on the other side.

I'll give you my perspective as someone that's fished tournaments as a boater for over 15 years now.... Chipping in for gas/expenses/ramp fees is always appreciated. The $40 or so is really just a drop in the bucket compared to the total costs and effort put forth though. I don't see it as a fee for service, I simply see it as a good faith gesture and I appreciate the thought. I don't mean this to be harsh, but there's not really any other way to put it...You aren't entitled to anything as a co-angler. I fish tournaments becasue I want to fish them, not to becasue I want to guide a co-angler around the lake. Having said that, I certainly don't go out of my way to make things any harder for the co-angler. On the flip side, I'm not really going to go out of my way to make things super easy on the co-angler either. I'm just going to fish my plan for the day. I'm friendly and I'll help my co-angler where I can, describe what we're fishing, describe how I'm catching them, etc. Sometimes the way I need to fish means the co-angler won't have the best angles or targets - That's not me 'front-ending' them, that's just the way it is. It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen. The bottom line is that it's a two-way street. It's not a free for all, I'll give the Co a fair chance to fish - But if he's going to sit back there and try to snipe everything out from under me, I can make it very hard for him to do that. The way I see it is that I can give you decent shots at stuff that I either fish or miss (every boater misses stuff, be observant) - OR - I can give you absolutely nothing if you want to play hardball with me. It will be the same for me either way, but I'd much prefer to do it the first way since it's more fun and I'm a friendly guy . I've fished with a lot of Co's over the years and I'd like to think most of them enjoyed their time in my boat and maybe even learned a thing a two. I don't want this post to seem like boaters are doing some noble deed to be commended or that co-anglers are some kind of inconvenience...I just want it to be a little perspective from the front of the boat.

Snowden said he would normally use a drop shot but the fish were very tight to the bottom, so he used the Damiki rig. Other than that I just chalk it up to the local thing being the local thing for a reason...It works . The small shad bait on a jighead does have different appearance and movement than the same bait on a drop shot. Something about that bait just seems to work in that part of the country. A lot of lakes/regions have a 'local' thing like that...Even around here where both of us live. Avocado Stingray grub on the Potomac in winter, Speed Shad down on Kerr/Gaston, Toothache spoon on Anna, etc, etc...

In that price range I would strongly recommend the Megabass XX Extreme Mission Type-F (7'5" MH/F). It will handle all of those techniques well as long as the 1/2oz football is the heaviest you go...But it sounds like you have a rods for heavier jigs already so the EMTF should be a good fit. IMO the Megabass XX line outperforms it's price tag and the EMTF is one of the best rods in the series. I would personally use 2 (or maybe 3) rods to cover those techniques you listed...But I would have no problems at all if I wanted to or had to fish all of them on my EMTF.

It's a shame I didn't catch any fish when I ran way up here with the gopro on since it's such a great backdrop...

That was eye opening to me, more so becasue a lot of it was with frogs which is low on the "color matters" list for many. I think it's also important to note that it mattered to him on that day. Put him on another body of water at a different time while fishing with different techniques and it may not have been as important of a factor to him. I'm in the camp that it matters when it matters...And sometimes it matters a lot, other times not so much.

One fluid motion and the follow through is very important. The follow through is just slowly lifting the rod tip up as the bait travels. It is also important to not get right up on the dock/cover, leaving yourself more space will actually make getting more distance easier. Use your normal reel braking settings but tighten the spool tension just a hair. You don't need to over power the cast, just a nice fluid motion...Typically the bait is not travelling very far. Any head shape will work and flat shaped trailers with a little bulk can make things a little easier starting out. The actual bait itself doesn't make a huge amount of difference though, technique and practice are the keys to getting it down. Shameless showing off below, but it's a good example of the proper motion .

Either of those colors would be a good choice. I have both colors in 580 glass and would be perfectly fine if they were my only pair. The one difference between the two that I've found is that the green is better if you are looking for fish/objects that are in/around stuff like grass, wood, etc. Silver is better at spotting fish/objects against more uniform backgrounds like sand, rocks, etc... I think for the fishing you're going to do around here green is the way to go.

Meh, people are going to do what they do. I take pics of fish on the carpet occasionally if I'm alone in the boat. I boat flip fish a lot too. I'm not going to intentionally cause undue harm to the fish, but I'm not going to walk on eggshells either. Everyone starts somewhere, new anglers are often so excited to catch a nice fish that they don't realize what they're doing. As they catch more fish their fish care will get better. MLF is a made-for-TV program and the penalties are just TV fodder...If MLF's rules were actually geared toward protecting fish they would force the anglers to land fish in rubber landing nets while still not letting it hit the carpet. The landing penalties are there to make the angler flip or hand-land the fish, which provides more of an opportunity for lost fish or barely landed fish - AKA Drama. I enjoy MLF very much, but I recognize it for what it is.

I've found that most baits these days don't need to have the trebles changed. I will swap hooks on certain baits but it's more for adjusting float/fall rate or to get a stronger hook, not becasue the stock hooks aren't good enough. There are very few baits that I regularly use where I consider the stock hooks to be junk... If I were you, I wouldn't worry about it at all right now.

I think you're overdoing it with that list and all the extra blades. Since you're new to the technique I'd start small and just get a few. Once you've put some time in you'll realize what works for you and what doesn't and then you can expand the collection. You could just start with 1 double willow, 1 tandem, and 1 double Colorado and be covered for everything. Wait to do the tinkering until after you've learned a little bit. If you want your spinnerbaits to last longer, tie off the R-bend with some braided line. See the pic below. It won't get bent nearly as bad by fish and will last longer. It'll still break eventually, but you'll get a lot more fish on it before it does. I got probably 30 or so fish on this one before it died...Another benefit is that they seem to break when you tie them off, so you'll lose blades but not the fish.

Trailer hook 100% of the time for me. Soft plastic trailer rarely, if I do it will be a swimbait tail to add more bulk in dirty water. Retrieve style varies greatly, but a quick steady retrieve over or around visible cover and/or grass is a good, easy place to start. Pick any brand in your price point, these days they are all decent enough...I prefer the compact styles for my waters and style. I use double willows most often for my waters and they are the most versatile IMO. Deeper and/or slower I'll use double Colorado blades. I don't use tandem blades (one willow, one Colorado) very often, but they are good for when you want be fast but run slightly deeper as they have less lift than double willow. For colors, it's mostly shad patterns for me but I do like a green pumpkin or bluegill color now and then too. MH power rod and most often 15lb flourocarbon. Regarding trailer hooks, it's not just about short strikes...Sometimes it's the speed that's triggering the strikes in the first place. A spinnerbait is an awkwardly shaped bait and many times the bass are actually striking the blades and not the body/hook. Trailer hook is a good way to increase your odds in all scenarios. The right sized trailer hook isn't really any more snag-prone than fishing without one, so to me there's no reason not use one. The 'right' size varies, but it's usually a size or 2 smaller than the main hook...I try to keep the end of the trailer hook about even with the tip of the blade.

3/8 Jig - Black/Green. It gets my biggest LM of the year more often than not...and stuck my #1 and #2 LM of the year on the same tournament day this year . One of these was 6-1 and the other was in the upper 5 range (didn't weigh the second one). Coincidentally, my biggest smallie of the year was also on the same jig, but it was only in the 3 lb class...It's usually a little better and on something different, but oh well...No complaints .

I've done it with a piece of one of those round foam pool noodles. You can just poke the hook into the foam, wrap line around it and then poke the swivel in. Holds them pretty well but will crumble/deteriorate after a while in the boat, one noodle will make many rig holders though so just replace as needed. I think it's more trouble than it's worth and don't keep pre-made rigs anymore...But the foam noodle works well if you're going to do it.

Absolutely, we don't expect people to commit to anything beforehand. FOBA doesn't have any commitment requirements anyway, members can participate as much or as little as they like. Shoot me a PM for more details if you're interested, I'm sure you know where SVHS is but I can give you the room number and all that stuff. (Same thing applies to anyone else reading this as well)

We don't have any tournaments in March. If we did, it would likely be on the Potomac (as was our tradition for a while)...But we start in April now. PS, there are other places to fish around here....You should try them sometime .

Good to hear . First meeting of the year is next Wednesday at SVHS in Germantown (7PM), hope to see some new faces there! Everyone and anyone is welcome to attend. Anyone is also free to shoot me a message for more info.

People may or may not agree with this...But I consider rods to be rated the following regardless of what the manufacturer writes on the blank. It's a generalization, but it's served me well. Medium = up to 5/8oz or 3/4oz Medium Heavy = up to 1oz Heavy = up to 1.5oz To answer your question, yes use the the lure and line ratings to see the 'true' power rating of a rod.