EmersonFish

I'm a St. Croix Avid user, but you'll be happy with that Dobyns. As far as split versus full handle; if you've used split-grip rods before, and you are not sure if you should get a split-grip rod, you will probably be perfectly happy with one... meaning, if you really didn't like a split grip, you'd know it. (I say this as someone who doesn't like them, btw) I know some are better than others based on the length of the handle and the space between the grips, but people that don't like them tend to hate them across the board. If you haven't used a split-grip rod, it would be nice to chuck a few baits with one before you invest in a rod that has them. The problem is when you handle a rod at a store, you kind of wave it around in one hand. The time a split-grip bothers people is when you put both hands on the grips to really sling a bait. With a 734, I imagine you'll be making a variety of casts. I can't speak to how the different grip options might change the balance of that rod. In any case, if you are younger, it probably won't bother you, because you haven't been using the full handle for 100 years like me. Us old dudes are not always receptive to change.

I'm pretty stoked about it as well. I plan to start making a few trips down to LOZ to fish, and although what I do in the Summer will not translate to October, I'm going to be looking for certain areas to mark on my Lowrance and come back to in the Fall.

That's one of those things I hear about a lot that I think is bound to happen eventually, but it hasn't happened yet. Closest I've come is reeling in a tuna on a saltwater boat and a shark eating it.

I keep it simple. Typically I'll use Zoom Shaky Head Worms, Finesse Worms, or Trick Worms. I also like to use crawdad baits with a thin profile that stand up well.

Summer bank fishing can be tough, particularly during the day. Ideally you'd fish early and late; but if you are like me, you realize, the best time to fish is "whenever you can." Some times, that will be with the sun straight up in the sky. If you are out there at those times, don't expect to be able to catch them like you did in the Spring, or will in the Fall, or even like you will in the morning or evening. On hot days, I try and fish tight to cover, the thicker and shadier the better. Places that look like a cool area to rest. And I fish theses areas SLOWLY. Try a shaky head on the outside edges. Maybe pitch a jig that's less likely to get hung up into the thicker stuff. Let it fall and twitch it. If you have to work harder to get to certain spots to fish them, it's probably a better place to fish and worth it. If you can locate some weeds or structure in the deeper water you can reach from the bank, fish that as well. If there is some current or water moving into the area from a creek or even a drain, pay attention to those areas. If there are steeper areas, where fish can move to deeper water without moving far, try those areas. Concentrate on these areas in the daytime. Don't waste time in open water. Morning and evening time, there are a lot more options for you

There is a lot you can learn on here about the specific techniques and strategies you can use. My initial advice would be to be patient. I remember before I had a boat thinking that boat guys had it easy, and if I ever got one, I'd get out on the water and start tearing them up right away. Of course, when I finally got a nice boat, that was not the case at all. I was just like you. Without knowing specifics about your body of water, and when you are fishing, and what you have tried, it's hard to say what you should do next. You obviously know how to fish from the bank or a smaller boat. The fundamentals are the same, you just have access to more areas, which is overwhelming. Find out from the locals what areas you should be targeting now, make sure you understand how to locate those areas, and focus on fishing them. You'll find that boat control is as big a challenge as anything. Whatever you do, don't get caught up running and gunning around the lake hoping to happen upon some fish. If you know someone who knows the lake well and catches a lot of fish, invite them fishing; unless you are like me and terrified of people. The main thing is, have fun on that boat. It's a boat.

Those are some sweet looking plastics. I looking forward to trying those Bugs and Twin-Tails, especially.

For the versatility, portability, and fishability you are talking about, in August, my vote is for a finesse jig w/ some small crawfish style trailers. A 3"-4" stick bait or tube would be the other option for me.

I love my rubber net. Easy on the fish, hooks never stuck in it, fits in my rod locker. I'm sure it wasn't cheap, but I don't even remember what I paid for it. I've had it for a long time.

This is a new one to me, but if you absolutely insist on using snap swivels, it seems like a fine idea. I know you could take a small piece of tubing and put it right behind the bend which would keep the swivel from sliding down the wire. It might not last as long as your method, but it's simpler. With a bait like a buzzbait or spinnerbait, you don't have to worry about sensitivity doing it your way, so no reason to mess with it.

To be fair, where I live, there are a ton of Spotted Bass (and Largemouth of course), and there are plenty of people who still have a hard time telling the difference. Maybe not the kind of people who live around here AND frequent bassresource.com, but people who fish quite a bit. So I don't give people a hard time about asking. Incidentally, the fish in question here are Largemouth.

Man, if it's tough out there, and I figure something out, I've got to tell someone. Unless it's a tournament, and there is a weigh-in where people will see visual evidence of my genius, the only way for me to demonstrate my genius is to put other people on fish. Unfortunately, my moments of brilliance are few and far between. Most of my contribution is helping people who are closer to beginners figure out how to get a few fish hooked on a good day, which I'm very happy to do.

I use to fish team tournaments with my dad. He would never admit it, but they were really taking a toll on him. I think he felt like if he came out and said, "I just can't do this anymore," I'd be disappointed (which I wouldn't have been). But he is prideful. So I basically told him I wasn't really interested in fishing them any more, for financial reasons (which was half true at the time). He tried to hide his relief, but I could tell he was glad. The problem is, I want to fish tournaments again. To make matters worse, the boat lives at his house. I bought an older, ugly boat that isn't really ideal for bass fishing (it's my catboat, primarily) and I'm leaning toward fishing tournaments by myself. I have social anxiety issues, so I doubt I could find another partner. My dad and I are a real mess, but he has enjoyed our fishing trips a lot more lately.

I can't tell you what's best. They all have their advantages/disadvantages. If you are trying to keep it cheap, it might come down to what kind of boat you can get a good deal on. jhoffman is right, however; you'll be glad you got something a little wider. If you are gong to fish on a lake where there are a lot of big boats and traffic, a little flat-bottom might be a sketchy out there. Tinboats.net is a lot of fun to look at. Their are a countless boat projects people have put on the forum there, where they go through the build step by step. They have them broken down by V-Hulls and Jon Boats. Another cool thing to do is look around Google for Small Japanese Bass Boats. Over there, they have narrow roads, high priced gas, small lakes, and small tow vehicles; so they tend to use small bass boats. You can see some really cool looking bass boats that just look like little 12'-14' v-hulls or jon boats converted over. Those boats will get you fired up about building your own.

I'm another one who didn't secure a rod. The lake was rough, and a Falcon Lowrider I hadn't even got to use yet bounced off the side. That was back when a rod like that, plus the Quantum reel on there, was a lot of money to me. It was ay Table Rock Lake in about 60' of water, so I just kept on trucking. Knocked my spinning rod in the water stepping out of it at the dock a few weeks ago, but was able to fish it out. Have almost lost a few rods bank fishing for catfish and not securing my rod very well.

Believe me, I'm not knocking Shimano for the warranty change. I imagine that policy has been abused for years. If I were selling rods, even if they were of the highest quality, I wouldn't be so generous. But, I know a lot of people bought Shimano rods because they were comforted by the warranty. I'll wait and see what the green looks like in person. I liked the black, but there are a lot of black rods out now. Maybe something different.

I don't lose a LOT of Spinnerbaits, but the way people talk, apparently I lose more than most other people do. Of course, I throw them right into the junk. I'm like DVT; I look at them more like a jig than a crankbait, as far as their expendability, and where to throw them. I guess the point is, I prefer a spinnerbait that won't break the bank, but won't let me down. I know on some spinnerbaits, the blades are less likely to start turning well on the fall. That is unacceptable. Otherwise, I really just need it to be sharp, durable, and the color/weight/blade combo I like. I'm sure at some point I've tried one of those $1.00 spinners, but I don't recall being surprised at their quality or disappointed. I'll have to do a review.

Full Disclosure: I probably catfish more than I fish for bass. (GASP! I know.) Anyway, catfish eat all of the same stuff bass eat: minnows, shad, bluegill, other bass, worms, crawfish, bugs, etc.... They are known to primarily seek their food by smell and taste, but they have great sight as well (particularly channel cat), can feel vibration in the water, and they are predatory fish. After all, the primary method of catching flathead is with large, live baits. People drift fish with live bait for blue cat (although without question, fresh cut, native shad is the king of all blue cat baits). I use bluegill and other live sunfish to target big channel cat. There are those who target catfish with artificial lures. I think they see it as more of a challenge however. Although you can catch cats that way, that is definitely not the most efficient/effective way to do it. I've been in a few catfish tournaments and have been to a lot more. You won't see guys with a lot of artificial lures on the deck any time soon. In any case, I've accidentally caught some nice BASS when I was fishing for CATFISH; although it's not quite as exciting because the tackle is usually a little too heavy.

Great deal. Which Crucial did you get?

I've been on the fence about giving the Crucial a try for a long time. Coming out with models that have the full cork handle would have pretty much sealed the deal for me, but... they had to go and mess with the warranty and turn the rod green. To be fair, I've always thought Lifetime Warranties ("limited" or not) on fishing rods was crazy, but it was definitely a nice selling point. And the green might look pretty sharp in the sunlight, but how about with a Lew's reel on it? I guess I'm right back on the fence.

Depends on what you mean by "making" your own lures. If you consider buying an already made jighead with a weedguard and putting a skirt on it making a lure, that's a good way to save some money and catch a lot of fish. I take those Arkie jig heads (1/4 & 3/8 oz), a spool of wire, a couple of rolls of living rubber, and some silicone strands for accent colors, and make a bunch of jigs that I catch a ton of fish on. I have thought it would be a lot of fun to make my own molds and design some soft plastic baits. Seems it would be satisfying to catch fish on something I came up with. Maybe I'll look into that this winter.

It depends on what the quality rods you have are, and what you are trolling with. Trolling is tough on gear. If you have bass rods that are designed to be "crankbait" rods, they are more likely to work well than another bass rod might. If you have a lot of money invested in bass rods, it might actually be cheaper in the long run to bug a couple of trolling rods. You can get them fairly cheap. Most rod holders are adjustable, and will allow you to positon your rods in a manner that will distribute your baits okay. The problem is finding good ones that don't require drilling. Extreme Fishing Concepts makes some no-drill holders for fiberglass bass boats. But again, we are back to spending quite a bit of your money. Tite-lok makes some pretty decent ones for more narrow boat rails.

I'm no expert, but I know high speed reels are good for presentations where you use the rod to move the bait quite a bit and have to pick up a lot of slack. They are nice when you are pitching baits fairly far, and have to crank in quite a bit of line between pitches to hit every spot as you work a bank. It can be exhausting to do that if you have to crank super fast. If you are making long casts with a lure, it's nice to be able to get that slack out quicker, if you might be getting a bite on the drop. Some people like them for buzz baits, as it is easier to get on top and keep the bait there. I've typically used reels that were mostly the same gear ratio, so that I have one less variable to think about, except when it comes to crankbaits, where a higher speed reel will wear you out. But I might buy a higher speed Super Duty for my Heavy action pitching rod.

I used 'Viscous Flourocarbon' once. I don't remember what pound test it was. It's been a few years. All I remember is that it was terrible. Thick (compared to other flouros of the same test), high memory, garbage.

Well you definitely don't "suck." Fish you can see are often difficult to catch. It's just frustrating because we can see them. What we don't see is all the fish in deeper water our lures go by as we fish that never strike. It'll just be that much more satisfying when you figure the pond out. Carve that thing up with a jig or another bottom contact lure. Find out what's out there that you can't see.