fishballer06

If we're talking fluro and you don't like InvisX, try Seaguar AbrasX or Sniper Pro.

I own 2 of the new Crucial's. Absolutely love them. I haven't used any Diawa rods, but the foam handles alone will keep me from owning any rod. Stick with cork.

Crawdad colors always seem to work. Forage fish colors always work as well (shad, perch, bluegill, etc).

I've been wearing the Frabill F3 jacket and bibs this season. Absolutely love them and they've kept me bone dry in quite a few down pours. The set is only $300, and I'm sure if TW has a Labor Day weekend sale, you could get the set even cheaper.

I'm currently using a BPS Extreme 6'10" MH XF. Looking to upgrade to either a Dobyns or a Shimano Crucial.

*** Bass Pro when they have sales FishUSA.com And I'm also lucky enough to have a Field & Stream store a quarter mile from my house. Also, my local Gander Mountain always has some good sales and a decent selection.

Welcome to BassResource and PA!

Congrats!

My Chronarch ci4 has been doing this exact same thing my past two trips out. I clean and oil this reel about once a month, so I didn't know what could be causing it. Maybe a piece of dirt in there somewhere. So yesterday I cleaned and lubed the brake pipe. And I also cleaned and lubed both bearings on the side of the spool. I'm hoping this will fix the problem.

Look for visible structure. Weeds, wood, rocks, etc. An incoming stream can also be a good place to start.

You changed shirts, put on a buff, and a hat, all in the same afternoon?

Like yourself and a few others in here, I myself started off with the BPS Bionic Blades and Extreme's and I thought my rods were light years better than my friends who were using cheaper "WalMart" gear (as I call it), like an Ugly Stick. And yes, those rods are a much better, higher quality piece of equipment compared to an Ugly Stick. I have since upgraded myself to some very nice Shimano, Fenwick, St. Croix rods, and I definitely think these rods are significantly better than my BPS Extreme's. Now, do I catch more fish with my more expensive rods? Maybe, maybe not. But I feel much more confident, and I prefer the way they perform much better than the BPS Extreme's. I'll also state that I still use my Extreme rods for certain applications (like topwater and trolling). But when it comes to other things like crankbaits, spinnerbaits, worms, etc... I much prefer to use my higher end rods because I think they're just better suited and I feel more confident using them. In the end, it's all up to you and what you like, and what you want to spend on your equipment. I guarantee that if you went to a local shop that sells higher end rods, that you will be able to feel the difference in a $200-300 St. Croix rod and your $100 Extreme rod, without ever even having to throw a lure.

20 pound test is likely too thin for your reel. Should have gone with some 40-50 pound test (10-12 lb. mono diameter).

Topwater bite has been good around here lately to me. I've been throwing torpedo's, skitter props, jitterbugs, and megabass pop x/pop max.

I'll agree with the above posts. Topwater is a lot of fun, but the fish miss the lure more often than not. If I were competing for money, I probably wouldn't choose a topwater lure, but I only fish for recreation, so that's not a concern for me.

They're in the flea market section, trying to upgrade to a Shimano.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting to get different results.

My two Chronarch ci4's.

Suffix 832 for me.

More than likely the direction change is causing the bite. During your retrieve, try raising your rod tip up from time to time. That could cause a bite from those fish that are following it into the boat.

Anything imprinted or painted on the bill?

It's not just your body of water, or state. Fish (in general) are tough to catch during the hot summer days all over the world. Not saying it can't be done, but it is much tougher. Fish are like people. When it gets hot and sunny out, they seek cover and try to stay cool. Some may go deeper, some may sit under the pads.

I've always been a lake fishing guy, but I recently started fishing a local river to me that is predominately loaded with smallmouth. This time of year, I really enjoy fishing topwater right before dark. However, with the current of the river, my jitterbugs, poppers, spooks, etc. get carried down stream quickly and I end up having to reel them upstream once they drift down past me, and thus making my casts pretty much a waste. Because of this, I need something that covers a lot of water quickly, and doesn't get carried down stream by the time I work it in. This is where a buzzbait comes in. I've always had good luck on largemouth in lakes with buzzbaits, but I've never caught any smallies on a buzzbait in lakes that have them. So my question for you guys is, do smallmouth hit on buzzbaits? I only ask because I don't think I've ever caught a smallie on a buzzbait, and a buzzbait seems like it could be effective on this new body of water I'm fishing. I just don't want to waste my time throwing something that won't be effective.

Great catches. A 17" fish that weighed under 2 pounds?! That's very odd.

I've been throwing topwater in the early morning and at dusk.