the reel ess

I lost my first big fish of the year last spring due to a snap. I got it near the boat and it just kept going under the boat. Then I reeled up a straightened out snap. Drag was set and the fish was taking it, but it took too fast of a run on braid to keep up I guess. I stopped doing it then, but I'd go back if I had snaps I could count on. I just don't want to lose a PB because of a needless piece of terminal tackle.

Yes! You see, since you weren't in the $50K boat, you have fewer rights than they. There's a definite snobbery that permiates the expensive boat crowd. Not all, by any means, but a select few, would run over their mothers to fish a spot before everyone else gets to it. Then they prefer to roar out of the creek past everyone they beat to it rather than idle. After all, there are other spots to ruin. My dad would always say "I hope he hits a stump" when they would do that.

Rule #1: Go where there are a lot of fish over your PB. That's more important than any bait or technique you can employ. You'll never catch one in a body of water that doesn't have one. Use big fish baits. I agree that big baits catch big fish. But so do spinnerbaits, jigs and worms. It's more important to fish where they are. Fish at night in the summer. That's how a lot of people have caught their PB's. Fish in FL. TX or CA. Take an El Salto vacation.

I don't have a rod that gets thrashed. But I have an older ML (feels light by today's standards to me) 6' Eagle Claw rod that my dad bought me when we were headed to the lake when I was about 17. It was less than $10 and claims to be composite. I have it paired with an UL spinning reel that is Academy's cheapest house brand model. I take it along often times. It's my primary creek/small river/crappie/bluegill combo. When bass just won't bite anything, I'll tie on a Roadrunner or Rooster tail and start targeting the dinks. I catch some nice bluegill and crappie that way. It beats getting skunked and the fight is fun on the light action rod. BTW, Academy has that reel on a combo for $20. That's what I paid for the reel alone. http://www.academy.com/shop/browse/fishing/rod--reel-combos/spinning-combos?facet=mfName_ntk_cs%3A%22H2O+XPRESS%22

I saw Fireline dirt cheap at Academy. I assumed they were either not going to carry it, it was not going to be continued by Berkley or they were updating the product.

His assertion that you don't own the lake is correct, but it's really his way of reasoning that he does. You had every right at that point to crank up and motor on front of him down the bank he was trying to fish because he doesn't own the lake. You're a better human being than him and he's the reason I don't fish public lakes much anymore.

Washing machine & dryer.

Starting to? We are every bit as snobby as fly fishermen. We want all the shiniest and newest equipment and can't catch fish without a $50K boat and 3 graphs, PowerPoles and 24V trollong motors.

I forgot I also have a 7' M one for live bait striper fishing (which I've never done). It seemed like a great idea at the time.

Good for kids who could break an anvil. I bought a GX2 spinning combo for my daughter. It' decent for pond bass and panfish. It's pink, but I'll still use it or take for buddies to use.

I have two older baitcast LR's and a newer spinning one. The cork on the older BC models is starting to break away. The newer spinning rod is of better quality. But I've never had a real problem with any of them. All they do is work.

Good ideas and I'm not arguing, but the bead has never broken on me. But pegging the weight might make it click even better. Food for thought.

This will help If you don't use a bead, the tungsten weight can cut your line. That's why I started it, but I've come to believe the slight click of the two together produces better.

When the sun came up this morning I took the time to watch it rise And as the beauty struck the darkness from the skies I thought how small and unimportant All my troubles seemed to be And how lucky another day belonged to me Today is mine I think this was Bill Dance's song when I was a kid. I'm not sure if it was the Glen Campbell or Jerry Reid version, condensed. But it's fitting poetry.

Any time you catch a fish there's a chance you'll kill it. If the population isn't suffering, you're not hurting it. On the other hand there are a lot of fisheries that are in need of fewer bedding bass. At least from the standpoint of average size. We have over-conserved fish in a lot of bodies of water.

I fish beds in the spring and when I'm in my buddy's boat we even keep most smaller fish. I let every bass I catch over 3 lbs go and lately i don't keep much at all. If you take too many they'll get bigger on average. I think the places that would be adversely affected by fishing during the spawn have seasons set so you can't. Anyway, I have no problem catching big mama off a bed. I let her go right back.

If you were fishing with a Chigger Craw they'd still have it.

That's just smart. I'm not even smart enough to give drop shot a good chance. A few times last season I used a split shot rig, which is just a poor man's Carolina rig or a "finesse C rig." It's a killer rig for getting bites when NOTHING will get a bite. After it worked, I switched to a regular (but lightweight) C-rig though because the fish don't feel the weight of it.

I have a leftover bag of Gulp Mullet. Have you ever caught a bass on one?

Yeah, I meant to say at Academy. Hey, they'll all catch fish at some point.

I'd pay that for one. Actually, I guess I wouldn't because the Live Target Sunfish was in the clearance area last time I was there and I passed them by. I'm still dubious of this bait because they look like such a gimmick. I could see myself fishing this thing for 5 summers without a single strike.

Hootie has one for $100.

You can do 1 & 2, add backing to another reel, then reel up the old braid onto the new reel. BOOM! New (free) braid!

Weightless Trick Worm Spinnerbait lipless crank lizard Topwaters

And there would be some jerk there trying to get her down to $15 for the whole lot. I'm a veteran of many a yard sale.