Logan S

For another option, JLS has left hand Exsence DC's for $240ish. I have one on one of my jig rods and love it, 8:1 and DC braking on the Chronarch D frame/body. Metanium XG would never be a bad choice though .

I wouldn't get too excited, they picked this event since it will only have 8 anglers...It's a whole different thing when you need to outfit 100+ boats with the stuff necessary to do this. Not to mention the impact it would have on the weigh in event and crowd for the local host city....Which is a big deal for both BASS and the host. I enjoy MLF, but I also realize it's a made-for-TV product. I don't think I'd like it if the major tours adopted that format for all regular events. There's been 100+ boat tournaments on the river every year for decades now, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I think the smaller local tournaments do more harm honestly, the local anglers are more likely to not have brand new and properly functioning livewells. The volume of local events is much more overall too, there are multiple tournaments on the river nearly every single weekend from about March through October. Just think of the BASS event as a stocking program for Mattawoman Creek .

If you will be living in the central MD area... The Potomac and Upper Chesapeake draw most of the attention and are great fisheries...The Potomac has been on a downswing the past couple years but many of us believe it is showing signs of turning around...Even still, it's a great fishery. There are some great reservoirs in central MD, the only downside is that they are electric-only...One of these lakes kicks out 18-20lb+ limits for tournaments pretty frequently so many of us are willing to live without running our outboard for the day . The upper Potomac is also a decent Smallmouth river and has numerous access points for wading, kayak/canoe, and aluminum boats (it's shallow/rocky). Within a 2-hour drive there are many other tidal rivers (both in VA and on the Eastern Shore), the Susquehanna River (which includes a great reservoir called Conowingo), Lake Anna, and a few smaller reservoirs. A little further out, but still close enough to be on our tournament schedule are some really great fisheries. Deep Creek Lake and Youghiogheny Lake in western MD, Lake Gaston and Kerr Lake at the VA/NC border, Smith Mountain Lake in central VA, along with a few others that get a little less traffic. All in all, its a good area for bass fishing...While not the best, I think it's often underrated.

Taking the part about the cheapo-spincaster out of it... People underestimate just how good the top pros are. We all know how dominant KVD has been historically...But take a look at a guy like Edwin Evers...He has won Elite Series events by targeting all Largemouth (St Johns River and KY Lake), all Smallmouth (Lake Erie and St Lawrence), and all Spotted Bass (AL River). Talk about versatility, victories all over the country and on all 3 major bass species against the best in the world. You think someone like him isn't going to be able to catch fish from your local pond/lake/river? Not saying a good local angler doesn't have a chance 1-on-1, because they obviously would...But that's also assuming the 'good local angler' is actually GOOD . And even then, more often then not the professionals come out on top. For proof you can look at how often Elite Series pros win or finish near the top in BASS Opens, where the fields are presumably filled with the top local sticks. For me personally, I'd consider myself a pretty big underdog in a 1-on-1 match up even on local places....But I'd like to think I'd have a small fighting chance. Who knows, maybe one day I'll get to see how I stack up against them for real .

Pretty sure TW accepts PayPal... You're Welcome .

Nothing surprises me anymore with the Potomac... On a somewhat positive note...Even though 9000 gallons is a lot of fuel, the river is huge and it's really just a drop in the bucket. Just for reference, last year in the spring there was a sewage spill that was something like 5 million gallons. There is some kind of spill or accident every year it seems. Not defending anyone or anything, I hate how the river is treated...But if it's 'only' 9000 gallons it could have been a lot worse. At least that's what I'm hoping.

The HookUp Tackle has more MB colors than any other retailer I've seen. That's where I got mine. I've seen other colors I'd like to try on Samurai Tackle but haven't pulled the trigger on an order yet. I already have quite a few that work well for me so it isn't a top priority. They sure are good lookin' though .

Shimano on a Daiwa...Because I can I've been using a Core 100 on my dock skipping rod for a while (and a Curado 100B prior) but wanted to try something a little different so I treated myself to this Scorpion DC. Figured I should pick one up before they are gone, they won't be around forever...Right? -Shimano Scorpion DC 6.3 -Gen1 Daiwa Zillion, 6'9" MH/XF

They do, a few actually...They just aren't as common. I really like the Baby Bluegill color, but the Bolt and Cold Bolt are good perch/bluegill imitators too. A few others from Japanese retailers exist too but I haven't seen them in person. This one is a dead ringer for the young of year bluegills at a few lakes up here...Size, shades, and the clear tail are all a perfect match. I've caught a ton on this exact one this fall.

#1: Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted (in the few places I've been that have them). I usually throw the Jr. in smallmouth waters, but they will eat the full size just as well. The Jr just matches the bait size a little better for my local smallmouth waters. #2: Yes. I use the 110 the most, with the Jr. a close second. The 110+1, X-80, and Ito Shiner all get regular use too...They all have their time and place for me. Every model I've tried has worked if I used it in the appropriate conditions. #3: I don't know exactly, but it's a very slow floater...I still consider it 'suspending' honestly, but I'm usually not fishing extra long pauses...2 or 3 seconds is the longest pause I typically do and it might rise an inch or two in that time. Swapping the hooks to Owners is enough to make it fully suspend, but I usually don't bother because I like the Outbarbs. The Jr. and 110+1 are true suspenders.

If I'm not burning/waking them, I've always fished spinnerbaits at the depth right where the disappear from sight... Outside of spinnerbaits...On a few lakes around here, especially in the fall, a good pattern is fishing the depth right after you stop seeing the bottom. That depth varies even on the same lake. Uplake it might be 2 feet, midlake it might be 4 feet, and downlake it might be 6 or 8 feet. Knowing this will keep you from fishing in 6 feet uplake or in 2 feet downlake and you'll get more bites. Obviously doesn't apply year-round or 100% of the time, but it's definitely a fish-catching pattern for me at certain times. 'Sight Line' is a good term for it, I've never really had a name for it. BigBill ain't wrong, it can be a small thing that makes a big difference.

My favorites are Megabass, but you don't want those...After that it's XRaps and Pointers, which you already have . Besides those, the only ones left in my box that see much use are the old standby Smithwick Rogues and more recently Duo Realis. Every bass fisherman should have at least one Rogue in their box and I've been impressed with the Duo baits I have, so I'd vote for those two. When you want to come to the darkside, the Vision 110's are waiting to catch fish for you .

The Rage Bug has become one of my favorite baits over the past 2 seasons...I've had one tied on a texas rig pretty much year round at every fishery I've been to. It's also good jig trailer, especially for skipping under docks with it's flat sides. I've been using it as a chatterbait trailer with success too. They get torn up easier than most other craws I've used, but it doesn't bother me too much since I use the ripped ones as trailers. I've never been big on the original Rage Craw and other Rage stuff for some reason, but the Rage Bug is definitely among my favorites now. It's accounted for good bit of tournament winnings since I started using them, that always makes me a believer .

Sometimes you need a reminder of what historically works for you, a 'panic box' is a good way to bring you back to earth if you start spinning out on a tournament day. It's very easy to get away from your core strengths while in the heat of competition... -Your practice/previous patterns falling apart -Buying into 'dock talk' -Worrying about what you 'should' be doing -Weather and/or conditions keeping you from doing what you intended -There's a ton more, but you get the idea... The box is there to re-focus your attention, but the key is to put stuff in there that has worked for you personally. Taking suggestions from others will get you a nice box that could probably be labelled 'Finesse Fishing 101', but if it's stuff you don't have experience or confidence in you might as well just keep guessing. Just my take on it anyways... Personally, I don't have a panic box. I always try to have a fall-back plan that includes some of my core strengths. It would probably only have 2 things in it anyway, waste of a box .

Evers is interesting, his two biggest sponsors are Megabass and BPS. One is the big box store 'everyman' type of company and the other is (arguably) THE top-tier of high end gear. I think he is an enthusiast tackle guy behind the scenes...His deal with BPS likely has stipulations for using their gear most of the time at public events.

When Boyd Duckett was with Carrot Stix they were giving him rods that were different from the normal production models...Not sure how much different they were, but from what I remember they were higher performance rods not available to the public which looked identical to the production models. Boyd claimed he didn't know and made the issue public when he found out, it was a sort of a big deal when it happened. So there is at least one example of the pro's getting 'special' rods. Despite that, I would still bet that most if not all of the pros are using the same stuff you can buy off the rack. They go outside the sponsor box on baits all the time. They do it with rods/reels less frequently, but it happens. Just an example I noticed this year was Edwin Evers using a JDM Shimano Exsence DC as the Havasu event. He didn't really make it public knowledge but he certainly didn't try to hide it given that he had BASS live cameras in the boat the whole event. Speaking specifically of the Ike rods, I'm not really interested in them...But a friend of mine had a spinning model at one of our last tournaments and I made a few casts with it during practice. I was surprised at how nice it felt, I don't think I would buy one myself but I was impressed for sure. In my book it is a quality rod.

You're overthinking it. No reason you can't fish jerkbaits on a spinning rod (with the spinning reel ). I use spinning tackle for smaller jerkbaits and every now and then I'll use it for full size ones too... FWIW, the 'gold-standard' jerkbait of the past 10 years or so, the Vision 110, was designed to be fished on spinning tackle from what I've read.

If you are going with the lowest end line from each brand I think Red Label is a little better than Sunline's offering in that price range. Above that, I think they are pretty equal per price point.

Here is some related text I found (it's a section of the CA Drought Bill): "(e) Reducing Predator Habitat.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of Commerce shall implement a pilot program— A: to identify natural and artificial factors in the Sacramento River and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta watershed that could be providing favorable predatory fish habitat for fish that prey on juvenile salmon; B: to collect scientific data at those locations to determine whether those natural or artificial factors are contributing to predation of endangered fish; and C: to provide recommendations on whether those natural or artificial factors that enable the formation or continuation of predatory fish habitat could be feasibly and effectively modified, in compliance with all applicable State and Federal laws (including regulations), to reduce predation." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The pilot projects shall— A: seek to reduce invasive aquatic vegetation, predators, and other competitors which contribute to the decline of native listed pelagic and anadromous species that occupy the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and their tributaries and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta; and B: remove, reduce, or control the effects of species, including Asiatic clams, silversides, gobies, Brazilian water weed, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, crappie, bluegill, white and channel catfish, and brown bullheads." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I'm guessing this part is where the regulations will come in? Interesting that habitat destruction is also included...Likely include killing off aquatic vegetation. Makes it even worse. This isn't just a CA bill, it looks like it's a US Senate bill. BUT, it still shows as being in committee as of 10/8, so it hasn't passed yet unless I'm missing something. There is still an opportunity for amendments or to vote it down. It also needs to pass the House of Reps which means anglers should familiarize themselves with how to contact their Senators and Reps (if they don't already know). This all assuming I've been looking at the same thing Tom is referencing. If it's true, I'm sure bass fisherman will 'accidentally' drop the fish back in the water...But I can imagine it will cause problems for tournaments since it likely also prohibits transporting the fish alive, so you can't put them in your livewell. I have many more thoughts on the subject but most would violate BR's 'no-politics' policy so I will keep them to myself...Other than to say I strongly oppose these regulations/laws.

Quality outwear goes a long way, but the best thing you can do to keep warm is layering underneath. A t-shirt, a few loose long-sleeves, and a sweatshirt under your jacket will keep you comfortable. Wear boots instead of regular shoes to keep your feet warm and maybe an extra pair of socks. I also usually wear my bibs/pants from my rain gear as an extra layer on my legs, even when it's dry. For me, the hardest part is my hands...If it's really cold I'll wear gloves, but even on days with no rain they will eventually get wet from casting. The boat runs are the worst part, it usually feels much warmer once you get off plane from the first run of the morning on a cold day . As for the fishing, the fish aren't going anywhere . I've had great days and tough days in the winter, but that's no different from any other season. I typically fish through the winter, not quite as often, but still enough to never winterize the boat.

I use a St Croix LTB 6'3" M/F casting rod for Poppers. It's the 'Sniper Spinnerbait' model which they've since bumped up to 6'9". It's the shortest rod I use but it's perfect for what I need it to do. It's a shame they don't make it anymore but I can see why, nobody was buying them...Mine sat on a rack forever at a local store until it was marked down so much I couldn't pass it up. I'm glad I ended up with it because IMO it's the perfect popper rod, at the time I didn't have a clue what I would use it for . If you can find a used one it would probably be a good choice for you. Otherwise I think they have a 6'4" M/XF in the new Avid-X casting lineup. They also have 6'3" rods in the Avid spinning lineups. Not as familiar with other brands so I can't help you there. Standing on the front deck of my boat I can fish tip-down stuff with rods as long as 6'8" to 7' without smacking the water or the boat so I generally don't go shorter than that since I don't need to...

I think the Ronin may be a better choice in the XX line up. I have one and really like it, it can do just about anything. I primarily use it for smaller jerkbaits, but I have used it for pretty much every finesse/light-line technique at one time or another and it performed great in every case. FYI, even though it's the heaviest power of the XX spinning rods it's still what I would call a standard 'medium' power. It's also maybe just a hair slower than a normal fast action, which I happen to like.

LOL! Couldn't be further from the truth...But thanks. I have my reasons for doing what I do in every aspect of my boat operation and none of those reasons are to screw the co-angler. FWIW I usually explain the areas I'm fishing so the co-angler knows whats going on, whether the console graph is on or off . Sometimes a boater will do things that are not 100% favorable to a co-angler, whether it's this particular scenario, the way he's fishing (docks, for example), or anything else....It doesn't make them inconsiderate, it's just part of the game. Just my opinion anyways, I've been doing it a long time and I'd like/hope to think the overwhelming majority of my co-anglers over the years have enjoyed themselves.

I usually turn mine off unless I forget for some reason. No need to have 2 sonars pinging away, not sure how much of a difference it actually makes...but it's what I do. Sometimes when I'm on tidal water and fishing really shallow areas I'll even turn off the front unit too. Saves battery too when fishing in one area for extended period of time, but that's just a secondary reason for me. If the co-angler wants to know the depth all they need to do is ask.

Yep, our club almost always launches from High Point for tournaments on Anna. Will be be there this Friday and Saturday too .