TheBig1

I'm all about Dick's getting a better selection of the "Right" stuff in the reasonable price range instead of the big box store original junk that is there to be sold to the guy I used to be. I'm sure you're very knowledgable but at the same time perhaps you might be served better by keeping things to yourself since you're the new guy. Maybe later on when people get to know you and you level of knowledge they'll take you a little more serious instead of laughing at "the new guy who wants to change the world." My point is, they've been there for how long selling the same crap and haven't cared, they're not just going to change. I swear the guy who does their buying for their Lodge section is probably someone who's never fished on his own before and probably lives in NYC or Philadelphia. He probably gets courted by the big companies and taken to dinners by them so that he'll get their products in Dick's stores. We have a personal shop here in Wilkes Barre that is a better store than the local Gander Mountain, Dick's and all 3 local, drivable Wal Marts combined. As far as I'm concerned, the next closest thing comparable to the 6 rows of fishing equipment that he carries is Bass Pro and Cabela's, both of which are approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours away. Whatever you choose, tread lightly and choose your words wisely if you value your new job.

Thank you everyone for your replies, I appreciate it. I went out earlier today and picked up some Rage Toads in Green Pumpkin Pearl Belly as well as some Rage Craws and Menace in both Green Pumpkin and Black Blue Flake. I'm excited to get the opportunity to get out and try all three.

Well thank you fellas, I appreciate your input.

Ok gentlemen, I’ve heard so many things about Rage products being “All that!” that it’s gotten me thinking. I’ve seen others say that they even use Rage products 99% of the time. So below I have listed all of Rage’s products in the hopes that I can begin to understand a few things. What Rage products you use exactly? Your top 2 ways of rigging said product? Your top 2 fish producing fishing techniques/styles for said product? Your top 2 go to colors for each product that you use. Baby Rage Craw: Rage DB Craw: Rage Tail Craw: Rage Tail Lobster: Rage Cut R Worm: Rage Tail Recon Worm: Rage Tail Anaconda: Rage Thumper Worm: Rage Twin Tail Menace: Rage Tail Grub: Structure Bug: Rage Hawg: Rage Smokin’ Rooster: Rage Tail Lizard: Rage Tail Shad: Rage Tail Shellcracker: Rage Tail Space Monkey: Rage Tail Toad:

I too am from central PA, Mifflinburg to be exact, but unfortunately I now live up in NEPA. I'll be honest, everyone that I've been talking to this summer, even us hacks who can normally catch dinks all summer long and have fun, have been having a rough go of it this summer. That's pretty much across the board here with most of the people I talk to. Now of course you have people who are better than I who will dispute this fact but I haven't had much success this summer myself. I've only had very sparse success on frogs in the pads, senkos in the pads at all times of day as well as some dropshotting the weedlines where they drop from 8' to around 12'-13'. That's really the only success that I've been having. My buddy did roll about a 5-7 pounder last weekend on a 5" black senko texas rigged weightless in the pads which is about the most success I've seen all year and then all of the sudden they shut down. We were getting a lot of hits until they shut down. Just from hearing these guys on here talk, because they're the ones who helped me with the dropshotting, go smaller on the bait and just leave it sit. When I dropshotted I was using a Roboworm in green pumpkin w/red flake. I wish you luck.

Enjoy it! Mine starts kindergarden on Tuesday. They grow so fast!

My wife and I had an agreement that I was going to get my boat in 2 years. I was going to get a Tracker Pro Team 175. Well this past spring while looking at Craigslist, because it was spring and I'm dying for a boat, I found a '99 Lowe 180 w/70hp Johnson on it for $5k. I told the wife that if it was everything the guy said it was and wasn't a piece of junk that this was a good buy. When I looked at it, it was all that!!! He sold me everything that was in the boat also which was actually a lot of gear as far as boating items. All I did was swap out the stock 42lb trolling motor for a used Craigslist 24v Minn Kota Maxxum Pro 80lb thrust trolling motor as well as put a 3 bank battery charger on there and my wife is now hooked on bass fishing herself. We're out once to twice a week. The point of this story is, I was looking at all of the brands of boats, Bass Tracker, Lowe, G3, etc... for their lowest "Bass boat" model which usually runs around $13k-$15k with prep and delivery which makes payments around $150-$200/month for 10-15 years but when I found deal I had to jump on it and we couldn't be happier. For me to have bought an 18' boat brand new it would have cost around $18k-$20k if not just a tad bit more. And be willing to look a few hours away on Craigslist, that's how I found a good deal on that trolling motor, it was 3 hours away and he met me half way in between. We were actually fishing two weeks ago and a brand new looking red Tracker Pro Team 175 trolled past us as we were fishing a weed line and I told the wife that was the boat that we would have gotten in two years and she was grateful that we didn't. It looked so small compared to our boat.

I saw him in 2002 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, PA when I went to Penn State. It was an amazing concert. I had a great seat. I'm so grateful to have gotten to see him when I did because I wasn't able to see him this past January or February when he was in Philadelphia.

Other than my wife, daughter and son, I've dreamed about fishing with guys such as Brad Paisley or Hank Parker. I've always liked both of them and think that it'd be a pretty decent day on the water.

What happens is the tubing slides up the hook and out of the way allowing a full hookset. Try it, even if it doesn't work for you, you're out what, $1.50 in tubing or however much it costs. But I can almost guarantee that you'll like it and that $1.50 will last you a lifetime. Again, I've been using the same ring and Senko for 8-10 years now. I actually just threw the Senko away and am continuing to use the same ring.

Absolutely, I'm just grateful that I actually have a tidbit of knowledge to add. I'm glad someone finally tried it. If anything, your Senko will lose its luster before it's ever destroyed or lost. I'll be honest, after posting that the Senko I used was that old I threw it away and pulled out a fresh one. Now I have 8 left. Just place it back in the pack when you're done to keep it refreshed. I'm still dumbfounded that people are buying and that others are making money off of Senko tools. I'm glad I could help, good luck to you.

I'm not a tournament fisherman either, and like I said before, we live on a tight family based budget. But with that said, I'd like to find some decent quality equipment for UNDER $100 and upgrade my gear. I'm honest with myself, I'll never be able to afford the more expensive equipment, but when I do upgrade to some decent stuff I am the guy who takes care of my equipment and maintains it for many years to come.

That's pretty decent of you. It's that kind of willingness to lend some advice and help, while not giving allowing your business to tank, that shows others you're the type that I want working on my stuff when it needs done. I'm fairly new here but I've been seeing more and more of this type of mentality from many other BassResource.com Advertisers also, I'm liking it here.

I've always thought that also but much like how I always bought a set of Wal-Mart Bushnell binos before experiencing the true quality of Bushnell binos purchased outside of there. The quality was outstanding. I just want to see if, for not too much more, I can gain so much more quality and feeling in my rods.

He is most certainly comfortable in his own skin. More comfortable than I am in mine, that's for sure. And he is hilarious!!!

Has anyone else seen this guy's videos on Facebook or YouTube? I just saw one about "The Hook Set" and just about fell out of my chair, literally!!! You've gotta go check it out. "Boom goes the dynamite!!!!"

I'll be honest with you, I could have the nicest and most sensitive rods with the smoothest reels available one the market and probably still have problems catching fish. I don't know why I'm having these issues this year. Even before I'd at least lay it to the dinks in the shallows on power worms but not this year. I don't know what's going on but it's inspired me to try new techniques such as drop shotting and the sort which I'll be doing tomorrow.

Thank you for that tidbit, I will be sure to keep an eye on my line and try to keep my enthusiasm down so I don't attempt to cross their eyeballs and rip it out of their mouths. Thank you for that. I honestly can't wait to give it a try, I'm super excited for my next outing. If this ends up being one of my favorite ways to bass fish the I'll just have to go out and spend money on a new setup designated specifically to that style of fishing. I'd really hate to have to do that.

I ran into a guy at Wal-Mart whose buddy swore by these things. I'd be interested in hearing anything that is to be said about these things also.

I was thinking about picking up some of those longer weights. Although I understand each weight has it's own application I'm sure that you could use the longer weights in any application. I was wondering the same thing about the 4" worm. I'm actually a little bummed that I didn't sign up for the MTB last month and get some of those worms that came in it. But I'm signed up now and can't wait until next week to get it. I agree, although I just bought the weights and stuff, I need to do it. I hear too many good things about it and have waited too long to do so. I have always been the shoot, move and communicate type. I just want to sling baits and reel them back it. Go, go, go! I need to slow down, go deeper where the fish are and learn that by becoming more patient that I may perhaps have more fun.

Thank you for the tips, I'll be sure to keep this in mind. I'll be checking out the #2 Mosquito hooks. It's very confusing, there are so many hooks and varieties out there to choose from.

Well in actually counting it's more like 8 or 9 years, but yes, the same Senko and the same piece of aquarium air hose bought at a pet store. If I'd have had time this morning I'd have taken a pic of the Senko with the ring on it and the pack of Senkos that I bought all those years ago. I got tired of paying the $7 a pack of 10. The price hasn't changed in all these years which is funny. I guess when you think about it, since the price hasn't gone up, it's actually gone down because of the competition of all the other Senko look-a-likes. I must have a dozen packs of Senko look-a-likes sitting in my boxes but don't use them because I have been using the same one for all of these years. As a matter of fact, I offer goodie bags of this type of stuff to people I know who are just getting into fishing and I'll give them Ziplock bags with several of them in to sample because I'll never use them.

1. Go to pet store and buy 1' of clear plastic air line in 3/8" (I think, take a Senko with you) 2. Take it home and cut that 1' line in 1/8-1/4" increments 3. Squeeze end of Senko through ring and pull to center 4. Place hook between ring and Senko I've used the same Senko and ring for the past 10 years. If you'd like, I'll send you a couple of the 11 3/4" tubing that I still have left over. It truly is that easy. It just seems as though all of those zip ties is too much work plus you aren't able to remove them if you want to do so. Good luck though.

I can't wait, I just hope I find success in it.

Thank you everyone for the great tips, I'll be sure and try to be patient enough to allow it to sit. Mike, it's funny you said about the Zoom 4" Watermelon w/red flakes because after a discussion with my wife over the weekend at Gander Mountain, that's exactly what I bought only the Gander Mountain brand. I'm excited to try it and hope that I pick the right spot/terrain to do so to gain confidence. I'll be looking for those points, drop offs and weed line areas to work. Again, thank you to all.