Senko lover

I forgot. I love those too.

So smallmouth are almost always going to be much browner than largies, which are typically a green/grey. Also, the mouth on smallies does not extend past the eye. That helped me when I caught some.

Besides that lol.

What goodies do you crunch on during a typical fishing trip? My number one favorite would be cold pizza. Easy to eat and energizing. I also like Doritos, chocolate bars, and Cheetos. I'm a big advocate of healthy eating while fishing, so I try not to binge on fruit or power bars or stuff like that.

I've caught bass in a cemetery pond near my house all summer. It's full of little bass and a lot of fun to fish. However, after the first cold fronts started sweeping through, the bass shut up and I haven't been able to draw a strike or even see a bass. I don't have experience with winter fishing at all, but I've tried most traditional techniques, such as finessing the bottom (using grubs and then bigger baits), and small jigs. Like I said, haven't caught a thing. Any suggestions?

I agree with slonezp. I was considering that idea myself.

Terminator jigs are your best bet for the money. You can get one for about 2.99 and they're better that others in that price range (aka Bass Pro and Strike King). For spinning gear, get two 3/8s of an ounce jigs, one an arkie head and one a football head, one in Green Pumpkin, and the other in Black/Blue. For casting, 1/2 or 3/4s oz. should do the trick. Again, one in arkie, the other in football, GP and the other in B/B.

Yeah. For one, the heat/cold can potentially deteriorate the rods or, more likely, the line. I keep all my tackle inside.

Well, they are pet bass. I was talking about bass outside of aquariums.

Equipment and location.

Nice rack, man. I hesitate to leave my stuff out side ( in a garage), but that's just personal. Not that I have that much, though .

I agree with you, but there has to be some bait or lure that you like fishing better than others. I'd call that a confidence lure if nothing else.

Okay. I'd either go in the 50 dollar range or bump your price range up 10 bucks to the hundred dollar range. I can only think of a couple rods in between there. The Abu Garcia Vendetta being one of them. -50 bucks you can get the Abu Garcia Vengeance. I have one, it's a pretty good rod. Not a G Loomis but it gets the job done. The Bass Pro Tourney Special is in this price range too. -100 bucks you can get: the Duckett Ghost, which I've heard is a superb rod for the money the Abu Garcia Veritas, same thing lower end St. Croix A Bass Pro Extreme I think the Diawa Lexa rods are around there too. Lot more options in this range.

I take one rod when bank fishing. Actually, when fishing at all because I only have one stick. Purchasing another, though. Back to roadwarrior's thread on the only rods you need, where he listed three rods, I totally agree with him. However, there's nothing wrong with having multiple rods! I would love to be able to afford a dozen shimano/g loomis combos. Dream on..... If you're a tournament angler, though, you gotta have multiple rods because retying takes a long time. Sounds like a little thing but it adds up. You have to utilize every second you have (or so I've heard), and so you'll have pre-rigged rods that you can pick up and lay down in a second.

What makes a lure a confidence lure for you? Catching a fish on it? Catching your pb on it? For me, I think the defining factor is that I know that I can catch a fish on it. Having that confidence before the first bite or even the first cast is a big deal.

I definitely see the value in having a checklist if you have a boat. Not having one though, I don't use a checklist. I have one small backpack that all my bank fishing tackle is kept in, so I grab that and my rod and go. Don't forget your boat plug lol

I've experimented with craws as a buzzbait. Never caught anything on them, but I'm sure I could if I tried hard enough. Honestly, though, I'd rather just use a buzzbait or a soft plastic frog. They're designed for the technique.

Interesting. Do you think a reaction bait like a crankbait would change that pattern or perhaps trigger the vicious feeding tear?

I also really like the rubberized cork or the cork + eva or even just a little cork on the end of a otherwise EVA rod like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Quantum-KVD-Baitcast-Combo/22172335. The Browning Medallion is one of my favorite looking rods, with a red blank and the rubberized cork split grips. I like split grips much better than full.

Oh man. Never a weight someone tells you unless it's someone you know and they have a scale. They will exaggerate the snot out of any fish. A 2 1/2 pounder becomes a 4 pounder, ect. ect. Of course, I was guilty of this prior to getting a scale.

Nice job, man. I'm getting a baitcaster soon. Looking forward to it.

Just curious, where'd the "hootie" come from? Is that your nickname?

Do you prefer cork or EVA grips on your rods? I like the classic cork look just fine, but the newer EVA look is pretty slick. That said, I'd prefer cork on a G. Loomis or a custom rod.

Thought so. Just wondering

Love the cork.