Logan S

Accuracy and consistency with low-trajectory casts are the real keys to skipping. Simply making the bait skip doesn't do any good if you can't hit a small target area. So while you can't practice the actual skipping part, you can practice your accuracy with the types of casts you'll be making...Which will probably help when you get out on the water. I've been known to practice pitching and/or roll-casting into coffee cans or flower pots (or anything similar) in the back yard. Put them on their side so can't you just plop the bait into it from above . When you get out on the water you will probably need to adjust slightly. One good tip is to follow-through like a golfer, keep the rod tip moving toward the target and moving up...It's surprising how big of a difference that can make.

IMO proper etiquette would be to simply discuss it with the other boater if it was something where you'd be crossing paths frequently. You don't have to, everything is public water after all...But if it's something like a guy's favorite spot or somewhere he's known to spend a ton of time, it might be worth it to just be upfront and talk about it. Example from personal experience: I had another boater ride as a co-angler with me during a tournament some years ago. We both did very well in an area that is one of my favorites on this particular lake. It's not a secret spot, but I know the area better than most so I can often pull some really nice bags from it when others might only get a few....At the next tournament on that lake, the same guy was back in his own boat and he just asked me how I felt about him going to fish that spot. He didn't want to encroach on it since I showed it to him. I just told him that I was planning on starting there, but if he came by and I wasn't on it, it's fair game. I don't own it. I thought that was a really good way of handling it on his part. He didn't have to, of course...But it was a nice gesture.

I always have rewards points to spend from my BPS credit card, plus I get BPS gift cards pretty frequently. Yea, it's a little more expensive than TW...But I can't spend that 'money' anywhere else so it doesn't really matter . I also happen to enjoy going there in general just to be able to check things out and walk around. My local BPS has really improved in bass fishing stuff over the past couple years so if I need or want something, they typically have it now. I've never been to a Walmart that had anything more than basic fishing stuff, to me there's no comparison.

Right on, it's great. I use the clear version for topwater and it doesn't have any tint to it.

For Dypsis - The Potomac, like most tidal rivers, fishes differently from 'normal' fisheries...The majority of fish are shallow year-round, even in the coldest of water. You'll catch more fish from deeper water (8-12' or so) in the winter but there will still be plenty up in shallower water. A slow lift/drop or yo-yo retrieve is a good way to start out. Most bites come as it falls, so try not go completely slack when you drop it. The trickiest part is not losing all your baits to snags . Someone else already said it, but it's definitely true...Every species of fish will eat a blade. FWIW I like to replace the hooks on the Silver Buddy with similar sized Owner/Gama/etc...But I don't add a split ring. I cut the hook-eye with wire cutters, bend it out just enough to slide into the hole on the Buddy, then bend it back (so they hang directly from the bait). The hooks foul way to much if you add a split ring and the stock hooks are junk.

Yes. It's one of the best winter time baits you can throw on the Potomac. Some of my best bass fishing days ever were in freezing cold water on the river with a Silver Buddy. I use the 1/2oz most of the time. Shallow or deep...But even 'deep' on the river is usually not that deep by normal bass fishing standards.

Spent essentially 4 straight days throwing a jerkbait for a tournament last weekend...This combo is so good for jerkbait fishing it makes it even more fun. We had 20-30mph winds, heavy rain, and temps in the upper 30's/low 40's for the entire tournament, so I took very few pictures...But but the few I did take turned into some fish/rod/reel show-off pics . (Those jumbo perch were disappointing during the tournament, but fun at least). Scorpion 1000XT Cumara 6'9" M-XF 10lb Red Label MB Vision 110 Jr - several colors

I don't like mono/nylon for cranking, I use flouro. I like flouro because I have better feel on my bait, stretch doesn't really factor for me. The reasoning behind the 'specialized' setups for cranking (and treble hooks in general) is that you want to keep an even and steady pressure on the hooks so they can't come loose. Even when the fish runs, jumps, head-shakes, etc...IMO the key piece here is the rod. The rod is the shock absorber, and the key is that it works in both directions - It flexes toward the fish and also rebounds when pressure is backed off. It helps prevent both too much and too little pressure. Drag only goes one way - out, so it does nothing to help when there is too little pressure on the hooks. Line stretch movement is actually very minimal, even with mono/nylon, at the pressures during a typical bass fight. Also, before either of these actually happen the rod will need to flex...So it all comes back to the rod. Just my opinion based on my personal logic/reasoning and a lot of time on the water . But...Even after having said all that, I don't think any of it is as vitally important as many people do. For example I use Extra-Fast rods for all my jerkbait fishing and also a Heavy/Extra-Fast rod for squarebills, while using the traditional Moderate actions for 'regular' cranking. I don't think I would ever use braid but that's just me (If I were to use it, I wouldn't worry too much as long as I had a Mod. action rod).

Lots of power cords to run from the house down to the dock...Some houses are too far from the water and this isn't possible. Some houses do have power near the docks too, but most do not. I carry my cords with me for every tournament or trip where I stay overnight, never know when you need a long run for power! Was just up there for a 2 day tournament this weekend...Brutal weather, 20-30mph winds, heavy rain, and cold! When we launched on Saturday morning for day 2 it was 39 degrees, raining, and blowing about 25mph . The fish were still biting for the most part but it was a challenge to be out for sure.

Generally speaking, lower pitch props will get on plane faster but sacrifice top end....Higher pitch props are better on top end and sacrifice hole shot. At the very least, in order to make a change you'll need to know what is actually on the motor in the first place. 3-blade, 4-blade, venting, prop make/model, motor height, motor setback, weight distribution, and probably a bunch of other things all have a measurable impact on performance. It's usually not a simple process, sorry to say. Having said all that, if you want the simple shot in the dark answer...You should have him try a 24P Raker, but there's a good chance that's what he already has.

The LC Pointer 65 is similar in size and available pretty easily, they also make 50 sized and even smaller Pointers. MB makes a few jerkbaits in that size too but they are harder to come by, only seen them on Japanese tackle sites and haven't pulled the trigger on any yet. I have some Duo 63 size jerkbaits in the mail from TW as we speak. Lots of options out there for the smaller sized jerkbaits. For the OP, you think LC's are bad...Don't even try Megabass. Both are addicting

Cat's outta the bag now, can't put it back in....Consider it a lesson learned. I fish public water so I have no delusions of having any secret spots. I'm pretty open with general stuff to other members of my club, but outside of that nobody gets anything!

I wouldn't change your treble hooks out for pike/pickerel, even though they can be a nuisance...I wouldn't have any confidence with single hooks, you'd never hook up with those fish that just swipe at the bait instead of actually eating/inhaling it. For dealing with pike/pickerel, I just use extra long needle-nose and shake them off without ever taking them out of the water, works probably 90% of the time and doesn't let them mangle your hooks as much...If they are hooked in a way where I can't do that I'll bring them in the boat and pin them down with my foot while working on them so I can use both hands while keeping them from thrashing. I don't stomp them or try to hurt them, just enough pressure to keep them in place.

This one: Scorpion 1000XT/Cumara 6'9" MXF I have 'better' and/or more expensive setups but this one does it's job so well that it makes it even more fun. Plus, one of my favorite ways to fish is with a jerkbait.

Tough time of year for Anna, once we get into October it starts to get better. It's worth the drive especially with how tough the River has been fishing. Traffic on 95 in the afternoon/evening coming home does suck though .

You need to re-learn casting with flouro, especially if you've spent years on mono or braid. It's possible to cast far, skip, pitch, or do anything else you want to do with flouro on a baitcaster...I do all of it with no issues, using one of the 'cheap' flouros with no conditioners. I say this not to brag about how great I am, but to illustrate that it's possible. Not saying that flouro is as managable or easy to use as mono or braid...Because it's not. But with practice you can become just as proficient.

You should be fine. I sometimes fish cranks, even deep divers, on a 7:1 reel in the warmer months when I want to move them quickly. 8:1 is a little fast for me personally, but theres no reason it won't work for you. With moving baits I like to use gear ratios to help me speed up or slow down. Fatigue has never been an issue in my experience and if a crankbait doesn't run true at the speed I need it doesn't last long in my boat.

Sometimes you just want to take a picture of your limit...I do it from time to time, usually when I'm fishing with another person and we want to see how big of a limit we can get outside of a tournament. What I don't like is seeing people drop fish by trying to hold too many at once...Or keeping them out of the water for a long time to pose for the picture. The actual act of keeping the fish for a picture is a non-issue to me as long as you don't drop the fish on the ground or leave them out of the water excessively. The same thing happens at tournament weigh-ins. We once had a guy drop a fish onto the dock while trying to pose with his entire bag and the fish died, he got the dead fish penalty since it wasn't released alive despite being alive on the scales. So for me, I think it's great to get picture of your fish together...Just don't be an idiot about it.

Bring Out Another Thousand Surprised no one said it yet . Seriously though, there is some good advice in here so I'll just add this....If you are prepared for the unexpected expenses and don't overextend yourself to buy it, you'll be doing fine. Just remember that it's a whole package. Boat, motor, and trailer...All need to be vetted and all need to maintained regularly. I have done my best with my boats and they have still left me headaches and empty wallets every now and again...But I can't imagine not having mine. As for affording it, only you can answer that. The biggest mistake you can make is overextending yourself to buy it, because it will add an extra layer of stress when something goes wrong. You need to go in expecting to lose money, because you will. Not meant to be doom-and-gloom, just reality....I love owning my boat despite the expense, that's just part of it for me.

My order must have been on that truck too, getting the same 'Delayed' message from UPS. I ordered over the weekend and paid the $5 for 2-day shipping, so hopefully it'll get out today and I'll have it by Friday. First time I've ever had a shipping issue with TW and I've been ordering from them since the days of their old site...So I'll cut 'em a little slack . They can't control what UPS does anyway. Hoping it'll get here on Friday so I can use the stuff this weekend! If anyone hears an update, post it in this thread since it seems many of us are effected.

I prefer Red Label over the XPS flouro, RL is a good bit cheaper too...But even if they were the same price I'd still pick RL, I think it's the best of the budget flouro lines. Best way to save money on line is to buy it all at once during a TW sale. I usually buy all my line for the year during one of the early season TW sales. TW is cheaper than most other places anyway, plus the 15% discount for the sale and free shipping .

You only need about 50 yards at the most on reels for anything that is 'normal' in the bass fishing world. Filling a reel all the way up without backing is wasting line/money IMO. Bottom line, you'll be fine with 14 lb on that reel .

1/4 - 1oz lure rating. 12 - 20lb line rating. You almost have to ignore the power rating since manufacturers are all a little different, I always base my decision on those 2 ratings on the specific rod.

Too short IMO. They work well for sure, but I think they give up too much on the other end. I've actually used the 5'10" LTB and a few other 6' rods and don't like them. I don't like giving up the extra length once a fish actually bites...Just felt like I wasn't in control with the shorty rods when setting the hook and then fighting fish. You need to be able to move that fish once you set the hook to get them away from whatever nasty stuff they were hiding in/under...Having the short rod makes that just a little harder. To me, skipping is mostly about accuracy and not the actual skipping of a bait. It doesn't take too long to get the casting mechanics down to actually make a bait skip across the surface...Placing the bait in the exact spot in order to skip under/between/around the obstruction and on to the fish is the hard part. So, if you are as accurate with a longer rod (or can practice enough to become that accurate ), I think the longer rod wins overall. One other advantage I find with the longer rods is that I can make those longer casts/skips a little easier....So I can back off the dock and skip from further away if I need to. For spinning I use a 6'8" or 6'10" M/XF and for casting I use a 7' MH/F, they perform equally as well for me as the shorty rods but don't sacrifice anything. Just my opinion of course, however I'll qualify it by saying this particular technique is one of my strengths and I spend a lot of time doing it .

Here's mine...Stratos 20SS Extreme with a 200HP Etec. HBird 998 and 898 and hopefully soon a PP or Talon (or 2 ). Snapped this while beached for a lunch break on the Potomac. Cool pic with a bunch of other FOBA boats the night before a tournament.