Logan S

I think it depends on how often you fish with jerkbaits...If it's something you do frequently you might find them to be worth the cost. If it's something you rarely do, you'll probably be happier spending your money on the stuff you throw more often. As to the durability claims, I've been using them for several years now and have never broken one. It does happen...but everyone I know personally that has broken one did so by banging it off rocks or something else hard. I've also heard multiple times that MegaBass will replace them for you if you mail it in. I like them, use them, and have success with them. To me they are money well spent.

You want a 'pro-staff' title, patches for your jersey, and a small time discount? I'm sure if you write a few letters and present yourself professionally you can achieve that. I can't see how that is going to help you 'make it' in any meaningful way, but that's just me. If you want them for the 'coolness' factor that's OK too...Fishing is about enjoyment so if that's part of it for you, go for it. Nothing wrong with that. You want to be a semi-pro or pro angler? Worry about fishing. Win a club/local/regional AOY title, those show more than individual wins. Fish different types of water. Tidal water, non-tidal rivers, reservoirs, natural lakes, power-generating lakes, etc. Go look at the BASS Open or Rayovac schedules, those are littered with all different types of waterways...And that is the road you need to take to 'make it'. Throw all the different seasons and weather/water conditions into that mix too. The other side of the coin is that pro-fishing, unfortunately, is very much a pay-to-play sport. Boats/trucks/tackle/gas/lodging/entry fees/etc all add up. Nobody is going to foot any those expenses for you until you've proven yourself (Nationally, not locally) and even then, VERY few get even half of that stuff paid for...Which means you're own your own for quite a while. Unless you are fortunate enough to be born into money, you'll need a job that can support all that stuff while your starting out. For the OP, don't take offense to criticism...Most of what I've seen here is constructive. Personally, I have dreams of fishing at a higher level some day too...I've had them since I was 15. I chose to take the hard-work to afford the boat/truck/tackle and work my up route. Bought a boat at 15 and have been fishing tournaments all over the east coast as a boater since 16 (on average, 13 per year). It's a long term plan, you're never really too old to be a 'rookie' in this game. At 29 now, I feel that I am an extremely good angler, won many tournaments and multiple AOY titles, but I still don't think I'm quite good or consistent enough for the top ranks. Never had, nor cared to get a 'pro-staff' position...I've worked hard and can afford what what I need for the most part, small time discounts don't mean much to me in the grand scheme of things. I'm still focused on gaining experience. There is no substitute for experience and it's the number one commodity in bass fishing. Take it or leave it, just advice from one guy who shares a similar goal (I think).

In the top level tournaments the drop off in winnings from 1st to 2nd is huge, while the difference from 2nd thru 10th or so is not as significant (still a lot, don't get me wrong...Just not as drastic as the 1st-2nd). Points wise, it's only 1 point per place (I think). He had made the final day already, so he had a great overall finish for points and also for cash in the bag already. Being 8.5 lbs back I'm sure he knew he needed to take some chances to have a shot at the win. If he was leading the tournament on the final day he may not have risked loosing that 4 lber. All I know is that I would have probably been on autopilot trying to get that 4 lber in the boat ASAP so I wouldn't have even thought about going for the double up until it was over!

It's a great line, the best value in FC line IMO. I've used it nearly exclusively for my FC needs the last 4 seasons. I've found that it's downfall is longevity, it wont last nearly as long as some of the more popular and more expensive lines before getting coiled and unmanageable...But I replace my line very frequently so this doesn't concern me. If you spool up once a season and want it to last all year, it might not be a good choice for you. When fresh, it is on par with many of the more expensive lines. I buy 4000 yards of it a season in bulk (2000 yards of 15# and 1000 yards each of 12# and 10#) and then filler spools as needed of 20# and 8#. I could do the same with a more expensive line, but I don't feel the difference in performance is enough to makeup for the $200+ difference in price it would cost per season.... It's a good line at a good price. Not the best, but the price to performance ratio is the best in the business. My experience and opinion only, YMMV.

Notice the weights they were using with their plastics? Lots of 1/16 and 1/8, some up to 1/4 or 3/8....So that tells me they weren't flipping/punching heavy cover, but probably casting or pitching to beds or other cover A lot of the guys were fishing in areas with current, wind, or both so they probably wanted the benefits that flouro can provide in that situation. This is paraphrased from a post I made yesterday, but it fits here too. In order to feel anything with any line you need to have at least some tension on it. Fluoro remains 'sensitive' at lower tensions than braid..This is why you will hear the misleading term of 'slack-line sensitivity'. Meaning that where you would lose feeling with braid, you could potentially still have it with flouro... Personlly, I like flouro for most things for those reasons....I will use other lines where advantageous to do so, it's all about using the best tool for the job to me. (Most of the time that's flouro IMO)

Braid is the most sensitive, but there is some gray area. In order to feel anything with any line you need to have at least some tension on it. Fluoro remains 'sensitive' at lower tensions than braid...Which is important to many people (including me). This is why you will hear the misleading term of 'slack-line sensitivity'. Meaning that where you would lose feeling with braid, you could potentially still have it with flouro...Even if the quality of that 'feel' is less. Braid/flouro-leader is a very versatile option for sure (I use it frequently as well), but it can't replace everything that one or the other can do. IMO anyways .

That time of year is probably the best time to fish the river, at least IMO. I actually have a tournament there on the same day, different ramp though. It's a crowded fishery, so don't expect to have anything to yourself. Pay attention to the tide. The tide for that day is not the best, but it's decent. You don't have to go crazy with it since you're new to the river..But remember the basics. Generally speaking, the fish will follow the tide up as it rises and out as it falls. For a very general example, as the tide begins to fall, the bait and fish will start retreating from shallow grassy/woody areas so you can try to intercept them on the outside grass edge or first drop off of about of foot or so. The fishing is usually best for about an hour on either side of a tide change. That means you want to be fishing (preferably on a good spot) during that time. If you are running up/down the river, eating lunch, or otherwise not fishing during that time you're really hurting yourself. It's a huge place, so picking out spots can be challenging at times. Generally speaking, it's pretty basic. You want grass/wood/rock, and combinations of these are usually better...But the predominant thing is grass fishing. A typical day could be spending a good chunk of time fishing in grass, then hitting specific hard cover targets at various points during the day. The overwhelming majority of bass are caught from less than 5 feet of water, so don't go looking for 'deep' stuff. All your standard shallow water and grass baits will play. Texas rigs, jigs (swimjigs especially), spinnerbait, chatterbait, shallow cranks, buzzbaits, frogs, senkos, etc... The best for a given day is highly variable so just be ready for all of it and go with your gut. I'm not one to give out really specific stuff outside of my club, but hopefully this can point you in the right direction. It's a fun place, hope you enjoy it! If you see a red/black Stratos Extreme with an ETEC that day, that's me...Stop and say hi .

MegaBass Sexy Shad and MG Wakasagi are the two colors I use the most....They have both worked everywhere I've thrown them. Smallmouth really seem to like the Wakasagi color around here. I have several others that I really like, but those two see the most action in my boat. One piece of advice when picking out colors on MB baits...Sometimes they can look different in person from what you see in pictures online. One personal example of this is the Table Rock Shad color, it is much brighter in person than it appears on TW...I still like/use it, but not quite what I expected. Sometimes I will do a google search for a color if I haven't seen it person just to get a few alternate views before buying.

It certainly tells you something about the Vision 110, huh? Still, I wouldn't feel bad about buying the KVD jerkbaits...IMO the entire KVD/Strike King line are quality baits with a good price. I haven't tried the jerkbait myself, but if it's anything like the KVD 1.5 Squarebill and Red Eye Shad in terms of quality/value, it should be a solid bait.

They probably just don't sell at your store. Our local one used to have things like LTB's and Cumara's but they never sold. I remember the same LTB casting rod sitting in that store for well over a year. I knew it was the same one because the of the placement of the tag on the grip, my buddies and I joked about it all the time. I eventually bought it when it went on sale for a great price... Felt like buying the Charlie Brown Christmas tree . Ever since that big sale there's not much above the Avid/Crucial level. The store does have high end reels, but I doubt they move many of those either.

If there's a loop/coil of line on the ground/deck/water at your feet, you're not going to feel anything no matter what line you use. There has to be some tension in the line no matter what in order to feel anything. The amount of tension you need to feel varies with the line type...With flouro requiring the least. Flouro transmits vibrations better than both mono and braid. I've read that it's because it is much more dense than both. The fact that it sinks also means that the surface bow in the line will be less, meaning less distance between you and the fish....So the advantage is two-fold (better at transmitting the movement and less distance that transmission needs to cover before reaching you). I'm sure someone can get into all the scientific reasons why, but it's logical to me and my experience confirms it...So I've not put too much more thought into it. You don't need it to catch bass, as other have pointed out. However I believe it maximizes your potential for many techniques. FWIW, I use all 3 line types, each when it is most advantageous to me. Back to the test, it's a good starting point but not the ultimate answer...The OP did a great job with his testing parameters, maybe he would string it up again with different weights? Also, I'm not defending the 'stretchyness' of flouro since I've already known that it does in fact stretch, but I do believe it is generally less than mono at lower stress levels.

Very cool post, thanks! Does anyone else think that the rate of stretch may be different for each? I think that if you made a graph of stress vs stretch, mono would be linear and flouro would be exponential. I've always sort of felt this way based on my own personal experiences, but I've never put in the effort to test it like the OP has. Maybe a test with a 1 or 2 pound weight would show this? To give one example of why I feel that way...Ripping traps through grass is much more efficient for me with flouro instead of mono, it feels as if the line stretches less - making it easier to rip or pop the bait through. However if you only look at the #'s in the OP's test it would seem to be the opposite. That's why I think that flouro stretches less at lower (more 'normal' for fishing) stresses. It 'catches-up' to mono in the amount of stretch as it gets closer to the breaking limit. I could be wrong, it's really just guesses on my part...and it won't change my choices, but it is a cool winter topic .

My face when reading through this (and the other) thread --> As far as the actual topic...I learned a lot about the blade-runner/fish head technique by watching and re-watching the live coverage and GoPro footage of Ashley. Probably something I will add to my line up this year where applicable.

Know how to get back into your boat from the water in case you decide to take an unplanned swim. Bass boats in particular can be difficult to get back into from the water. Figuring it out on purpose on a hot summer day is much better than trying to learn unexpectedly on a cold day. Fortunately, I've never fallen in..But if I do, I know exactly how to get out quickly if the shoreline is not an option.

Yep, I'm about to order a new one...My current Aurora cover has lasted over 10 years. They custom make the cover for your specific model and features.

I had a great year. For me everything is related to tournaments...I do plenty of fun fishing, but it's always on waters that I have events on so I'm sort of always prefishing . -Won AOY -Cashed in 8 of 13 tournys, worst event all year was a 5th place finish. -Caught a limit every single tournament day but 1 (17 total tourny days) I put it at a solid A-. I can't give it the highest marks because I feel that I left a lot out there. I won only 1 event as opposed to 4 last year. I also made some bad decisions that really cost me in a few events. The biggest blunder was at Smith Mountain. Day 1 of the tournament there was the one day all year I failed to weigh in a limit. I was really trying to force an offshore bite and I just stuck with it way to long. Halfway thru Day 2 I scrapped everything and went to a shallow dock pattern (which is one of my strengths) and put together the heaviest limit of the event to salvage a 3rd place finish. If I had just gone into the event by playing my strengths instead of getting cute with my offshore deal I probably would have done much better. It bothers me just thinking about it now. Getting a limit every tournament day has been a top goal of mine for the past 5 or 6 years. It is very difficult to be that consistent and I've come within 1 day twice now...Boneheaded decisions cost me both times. Missing it by only a day is still something I'm proud of since it took a lot of hard work...Just stings when you know it was likely within reach if not for a bad descision. But all in all it was a great success...and most importantly, I had fun every time the boat left the trailer!

LOL I get what your saying, I guess...But short of sinking your boat or someone getting physically injured there's not much worse blowing your motor up...Replacing a lower unit sucks, replacing the entire motor sucks more . Anyway, sorry for the side track...back to the stories.

Ah, gotcha...You post was a little unclear. Man, it would have been awesome if I could have stuck my co-angler with the bill when my motor blew up during a tournament! (Joking of course)

Do you think it's unreasonable for a boater to expect the co-angler to at least offer to share some of the operating expenses for the day? More to the original point, I've never had any really bad co-anglers...I'm pretty upfront about how I operate in the beginning of the day so there are no surprises or anything like that. Things like where will be fishing, how I will be fishing, netting preferences, and where they can store their stuff....I think this is important to break the ice. I'm also a pretty friendly guy so I get along with everyone, at least so far . As for funny co-angler stories, I have a few but there is one that stands out. At a tournament down on Gaston my co-angler had a limit and caught his first cull-fish. As he was fumbling with the fish he just caught and the one he was culling...Another of his fish jumped straight out of the well and flopped in the lake, culling tag still attached! We chased the culling tag around trying to snag it for about 30 seconds until it was out of sight. Tat was the last keeper he caught and he ended up getting 2nd place on the co-angler side, missed first by less than a pound. I don't know if that fish cost him the win, but I do know it would have been awful close! He learned the hard way to always keep his livewell lid closed!

Flipping is flipping, use the big flipping rod whether you've got a jig, punch rig, or plain Texas rig on. If you're doing anything else...Like casting to open/deep water, swimming a jig, or using a football jig...That big flipping rod is not going to be ideal (at least to me). Jigs have a lot more to offer besides being flipped to heavy cover...and the flipping rod is serious overkill for most of the non-flipping applications. (Do you think I mentioned 'flipping' enough in this post? LOL )

In this case with Ashley, there is a rule that specifically allows what he did. Not a technicality or 'unwritten' rule, an actual rule that allows exactly what he did. Not only that, the practice of planting brushpiles is a part of bass fishing...There's a reason that the rule specifically allows it. Heck, Edwin Evers did an entire episode of the Bass Pro's TV show about how to make/plant brushpiles...Is anyone 'unsure' about him now? I've done it, it's a ton of work for what amounts to a very small reward. It also benefits the fishery and anyone with modern electronics can find them easily.

You will need a MD Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport license for anything that is tidal (boat or shore fishing). MD has a separate non-tidal license for anything not connected to the bay or above the fall line in rivers, which you won't need if you only fish the upper bay/flats. There is also a federal NOAA registration but it's automatically done with the Bay sport license so you don't need to worry about it. You don't need the boat sport fishing license, that covers everyone in the boat...it's similar name to the bay sport license is confusing. Also the fact that the bay sport license covers freshwater and saltwater depending on where you fish is a bit confusing. Boat-wise you don't need to do anything, same safety standards apply everywhere. Quick and easy answer is that you need a non-resident, Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fish License license to fish the Upper Bay for bass. ETA: Megastink is right about the PRFC license...We never worry about it because the Bay sport license for MD residents is the same price. Might be cheaper for a non-resident to just get the PRFC.

Of all the things that are now common in modern bass fishing, pulling the 'sporting' card on dropping brushpiles is funny to me. It's been around as long as the sport has and has been a long accepted practice of enhancing a spot. I can honestly say this is first I've ever heard of bass fisherman believing it to be negative or unsporting practice...Everyone's got their own way of looking at things, though...It doesn't bother me any. If Ashley wins it will be because he turned in 3 impressive days of fishing in tough and changing conditions against the best fisherman in the world....Nothing more, nothing less.

Ashley caught his entire limit plus one good cull live on camera, he has probably 13 to 14 lbs. He caught most on a fish-head spin with a fluke style bait. Ike caught 2 fish in the 4.5 lb+ class plus a smaller keeper. Caught them on a jig in a deep brush pile. Howell caught 4 fish, 3 are 3lbs+ and then lost one that was over 4. All caught on a crankbait Those were the big moments I saw, Basstrack shows Skeet in the lead unofficially with 17 lbs. The live stuff was pretty incredible, very cool. No issues for me at all. FYI the live coverage is only from 9AM - 1PM.

It's not a huge deal, some new users are a little more prone to backlashing...But taking it easy for the first few will help you adjust. Wet your knots and check for fraying periodically, but that should be standard practice with any line already . As long as you know that it will handle differently you'll be ahead of the curve. I don't change it because the line suddenly becomes poorer in quality. It is still usable, I just prefer to replace it for a few different reasons. Most guys I know have a similar methodology. It's common to see guys respooling a few rods in the evenings on our tournament trips...Not saying one way is right and the other is wrong, just pointing out that this is not an uncommon practice.