corn-on-the-rob

I love the isg tubes. The 2.75 inch is a finesse tube but is still fat which makes a nice profile and so I can use homemade football heads inserted inside for less snagging in rock. Good colors and nice and soft but durable. I use them on drop shot too.

Yea spiderwire FC has a lot of bad reviews all around the internet. When I was researching lines last season I quickly scratched it off my list of potentials. Spiderwire is technically a "berkley" product (both are pure fishing) but I fell in love with the trilene 100% FC professional grade they came out with last year. I replaced my sufix FC with trilene. That being said even though something has consistently bad reviews, it doesn't mean it won't be sufficient for your needs. If you already own it, give it a chance until it gives you a reason not to like it. You very well could be happy with it.

1. Tube/small spinner 2. 5" fat grub/chatter bait

catfish are the worst... I hate dealing with them

I love mine too, to each his own, you can get them for about $27 and for the price/quality for that cheap I can abuse them and lose them and not care (not that I do intentionally but it is nice not have to walk on eggshells with expensive glasses).

I always treat a chatter-bait almost like the jig of spinner-baits. I do not get a ton of bites but when I do, they are good ones. Honestly there aren't too many ways to throw it wrong, just keep fishing it like you would any other moving bait, crash into//out of things and with time you'll get those key confidence fish.

drop shot near rocks, anytime

I have always considered the hook set up weight or not to be a t-rig and I am up north

My favorite is during the fall when the shad feed is on, a big white thumpin' chatterbait with a big white trailer brings the big ones to it.

If it is a club tourney I assume the lake is local or near the college and likely one they fish every year. Ask the other guys in the club, I am sure they will give you good info if you can't find it on here. They won't give up their hot spots but will give you the basics like general lures maybe colors.

to get a slight buoyant effect I would try as long as possible, maybe 5 ft or more.

tying a decently long mono leader to the FC then tying on the topwater might work.

try googling "pvc trees". They seem like a relatively cheap way to introduce some cover and are relatively snagless.

tubes - 2.75'' to 4'' - watermelon or green pumpkin or chartreuse (any color) grubs - 3'' to 5'' - any color senkos - same as above jigs - any size, any color, any trailer drop shot baits - minnow types in 3'' or 4'' For most things pick a color you like, or even a color that you think the forage is, doesn't matter too much most of the time.

might actually make an awesome bed fishing bait.

Does that work well? doesn't nail polish get sticky?

If you are throwing at a mat or pads far away you might have to do an extreme lob and get it really high in the air so it comes almost straight down in order to punch through from the angle.

61 lbs 3 oz

I have only been on Milton once so far and didn't do very good, but neither did the club. I have heard from the locals that it can be very tough most of the times but it is a cool little lake to catch both small and largemouth.

Very cool. How well do you do on Milton?

Lake Erie is my main lake, but this past year I fished a bunch of new-to-me lakes in the Akron area like West Branch Reservoir, Lake Milton, Mogadore Reservoir, and Portage Lakes (north reservoir, turkeyfoot).

Get a baitcaster. I am only 24 but I have been fishing since I was able to hold a rod. This past year was my first full season using a baitcaster. I was always so resistant to learn to use one since I was so comfortable with a spinning rod and shared the argument that you don't have to use a baitcaster ever. It is true, but I cannot see myself throwing any size-able (>3/16oz) moving baits like a spinner-bait with out a baitcaster ever again. I always tried throwing heavy flipping jigs on my MH spinning rod and I can't see myself ever doing that again either. I am not gonna claim to have hard data to say that baitcasters are more efficient for throwing certain lures/presentations, but it sure feels that way. Get the BC, put in the time, deal with the learning curve, but once you get a season under your belt, you will be glad you did.

My choices don't depend on the bait, they depend on the weight. For 1/4oz spinners, swim jigs, dont use chatters this small: 5' 8'' shimano speed stick (pistol grip) medium power moderate fast action - 30lb 832 braid For 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, spinners, chatters, swim jigs: 6' 6'' Abu Garcia Veracity MH power moderate fast action - 50lb 832 braid For the small weights I use the small rod, it can cast them a mile and has great control, land plenty of big fish on it too. The bigger baits I want enough power to drive the big single hook home but a moderate action because it is a moving bait.

I am from NE ohio and do this but not as much as minnow imitations. I like the havoc slop craw or powerbait crazy legs chigger craw (any smaller beaver bait works too for me). I do use tubes a lot on DS but they can represent either craw or fish. I like to use thick or bulky things for craw on DS because the minnow/fish baits already give me the slim profile.

those are absolute chunks...