Josh Smith

Cancer sucks. I'm sure you'll pull through fine!

C5 levelwind setups drop in. This upgrade maked the most sense, to my way of thinking. I have one reel in which I kept the spool bushings, but it still absolutely got the levelwind upgrade. Done right, the levelwind adds to the inertia of a spinning spool instead of subtracting from it. Josh

Zen and the Art of Bass Fishing?

A recent study showed sharks are (very!) attracted by death metal played on underwater speakers. I'd think bass would have an analog to that. Josh

I would guess that with the recent rains, the bass were feeding on critters dropping in from above. In the conditions you describe I generally toss a jig onto a log sticking up from the water and let it drop in. Bass holding close to that cover usually hit it. Josh

I am also going year round this year, as much as I can, anyway. Last year the rivers froze here in Northern Indiana and I had to stop. I plan to use jigs, spoons and jerks. Anything that can be made to imitate dying baitfish. My biggest challenge will be slowing down. It's essential to do so, but man, it's hard. I've never understood why a bass will strike a deadsticked jerkbait, for example. I wasn't raised like that. Swap notes as the winter progresses? Josh

I am used to lakes, but I started learning rivers again during this year's turnover. Lots to study yet. Josh

Thanks, Tander. The Lew's is destined for retirement simply because I want a similar grip feel between them all, and the Lew's is the last pistol grip. I might look at a setup similar to yours as I really like the rod. Compared to the others, it's just heavy and feels too different. The 5500 non-c is great for cranking; I've always loved these slower reels for that job! Regards, Josh

Hello, Crankbaits have never been my strong suit, and I'd like to get better. I recently put together a jerkbait rod combo using a Daiwa 6'6" M/F Jupiter rod (same blank as the Aird, with Fuji components). The reel is a 4600c3 tricked out with full bearings and fast gears for 31ipt. It's spooled with 30lb Power Pro and 8lb Vanish leader. It's not what I'd choose for most cranks, and the reel seems too fast for that purpose. Slowed back down to 26ipt, maybe. I also have a MH/F Jupiter with a tricked out 5500c3 at 26ipt. That rod seems more like it's in-between MH and H, and likewise between F and XF. It's mostly a frog rod for this reason. The my jig rod is a 6' MH/F Cherrywood HD with another tricked out 5500c3 26ipt reel, 65lb Power Pro line, no leader. My dedicated crankbait rod is a 5'6" Lew's fiberglass with a pistol grip, with supertuned and tricked out 5500 (non-c) 23ipt spooled with heavy mono. It's mostly for medium to deep divers. It's the last pistol grip rod I have in active service and want to retire/replace it. So, guys, out of those above, which would you choose for shallow divers and lipless cranks? What do you use? Thanks! Josh

Yup, I sometimes catfish with friends and, while my reels handle 'em just fine, I sometimes wish for a clicker -- but never remember when I get home! I can see it having an application in bass fishing: deadsticking. Josh

I have been fishing rocks lately and so have been using fluorocarbon leaders when picking those rocks apart. The one on the ultralight is pretty long, in fact, so that the braid doesn't really come into play since it's so thin. If I don't have a crankbait rod spooled with mono along with me, I use a cheap mono leader as cheap mono really stretches and I want that shock protection. Still a pretty long leader for this, 4' to 6'. Funny; I never use leaders on my slop and jig rod, even in rocks. It's spooled with 65lb Power Pro and I never had troubles, even in rocks. Braid has spoiled me, though. I lost two jerkbaits last fishing trip. I was using 30lb Power Pro with 4' to 6' 8lb fluoro leader, and when I got snagged I flat forgot how easily non-braid breaks! Josh

Thank you. I was sure someone here would know!

This is good to know. I could have sworn the one I saw at Walmart was made in China, though... what reels do you guys have? Regards, Josh

My boy loses lures. For this reason I usually have him use plastics and inexpensive lures, including the Walmart $1 lures. He caught his first crappie on one. Would I recommend 'em to experienced fishermen? Probably not. I mean, they'll work, but the blades don't flutter as well as the more expensive spinnerbaits I have. Buy two good ones, and build from there. Regards, Josh

Thank you.

Hi Folks, Over the years I've acquired lures that I like to look at. I don't necessarily fish 'em, but they set around. I don't always know what they are. I was replacing a couple jerkbaits I lost while fishing yesterday, and had occasion to get into the larger tackle box draw in which I store my extras. I got most of these lures from estate sales etc; some appear unused. I'd like to know what they are. Any info is appreciated! This says Smithwick Rogue, suspending. It's 5.5" long. I recall hearing about these while growing up and is probably why I grabbed it. This is a jointed lure with no writing anyplace. It appears to be well-made. 6" long with the bill. Also jointed. 6.5" long with the bill. Well-made. Marker on the bill says "24-28". Jointed shad-type lure, about 4.5" long. Lighter, but decent construction. Oval ring, not round; likely why I didn't remove it. About 4" long. Probably Chinese; doesn't feel like quality and there's some overspray on the bill. Any thoughts, guys? Thanks, Josh

Hello, Last night I was posting from my phone while in bed, trying to relax. I had a couple glitches and I *think* I may have made a couple double posts as it didn't look like it posted the first time, but definitely did post when I re-sent the data. Today I got on the PC to go edit out any double posts I may have made and found no trace of the posts, double or otherwise. I am wondering if a mod deleted these posts? They contained nothing that was not allowed, but would have just been doubled. I'm not whining/whining/complaining. I'm just wondering is all. Regards, Josh

FIFY. Josh

Tree branch. Josh

The same bass generally has its own hangout. If you catch a bass at a stump on the other side of a lake and release it at the dock, more likely than not that bass will find its way back to that stump in a day or two. Josh

I remove the rings and use dual lock snaps. I find this beneficial on jerkbaits as I can change the action subtly, while fishing, by using different size dual-locking snaps. Josh

Dang. Looking at mine, it appears I have Berkely and Daiwa, mostly, with a Quantum and BPS or two. I have some ideas about what I need next. Been shopping and will likely have to go custom. Josh

Dad had a Lew's Speed Stick that did everything for him for a long time. Worms, cranks, jigs, topwater... All with that rod and an Ambassadeur 5000 reel. (To be fair, he had a spinning rod, too.) Now he has an Ambassadeur 5600c4 Mag on a 6'6" BPS MH/F BPS rod, a couple I've gotten him, and a few spinning setups. The spinning setups are on Ugly Sticks. When I go to buy a new rod, I do consider this. Dad was a GM engineer and can pretty much afford what he wants. I asked him why he chose the Ugly Sticks and he told me that they have the action he wants for the way he fishes. I find that my go-to rods are a Cherrywood HD MH/F 6' with an Ambassdeur 5500c3 mounted, a MH/F 7' Daiwa with another 5500c3 mounted, and now, a M/F Daiwa with a 4600c3 mounted. This last replaces a 5'6" Daiwa MH/F "Bill Dance Spinnerbait" rod with modified 5000 mounted. I retired this last this fall. Were I to choose one rod for everthing, I think it would have to be the Cherrywood HD. It's not great for topwater, but works for cranks and has the action I prefer for jigs. I'm choosing it because I fish jigs and other critter baits the most and am best with them. Just some things to think about! Josh

I would choose the Shimano, because Lews is now made in China. Shimano is what Lews would have been had Shimano brought out their own line. Originally, Shimano made Lews. Josh

Magnesium oxide is a supplement. Magnesium sulfate is Epsom Salts. Josh