RandySBreth

You could get a float tube for almost nothing, at least under 50 bucks. If you're stuck wading, look up where your Smallmouth rivers are at, you'll do better wading and fishing them versus thrashing around the rip-rap of some huge lake.

I throw lots of jigs on spinning gear, especially when targeting docks. I'm not the only one, Guido Hibdon winning the Lake Champlain event on the FLW Tour in '07- here's his technique..."Once he got a solid limit from the grass each day, Hibdon moved to shallow docks to do what he does best: stalk big largemouths in hard-to-reach places by skipping a jig. His skipping jig was a 3/16-ounce jig teamed with a brown Guido Bug trailer. The jig was tied to 15-pound-test Trilene braided line on a spinning reel. I use bright yellow braid so I can see my line better up under those dark docks, he revealed. I color the first few feet of the braid just up from the jig with a dark green marker, but the rest of it is bright yellow so I can see when one of those big suckers starts swimming off with it. Hibdon caught his kicker largemouth today on the very last dock he fished at 2:30 p.m."

Those would be awesome to fish with some Pink Floyd playing on the boat while night fishing with the black light on dude - or not! :

I fish them both ways, but the wacky rig gets the nod for behind current breaks or anywhere I want to fish a little more thoroughly. Oh, for wacky rigging in the river, you could use a weedless hook you know...

I would drill out a spot a little closer to the middle hook hanger between the front and middle hook hanger of the F11 or F13, then use either split shot or just trim chunks of lead I had on hand (I cast a lot of revolver bullets) until I could get it to slowly float up in very cold water in the sink, then epoxy the lead in place, and use spray paint to re-do the finish over the epoxy, then re-do the clear coat. I'd "tune" the lure as water conditions needed with lead wire or stick on weights to get a perfect "suspend". I still do that with suspending lures today, but I don't have to go through the pain in the ... process of making them in the first place. How I found the right spot to drill was simply by taking an F11 and F13 Rapala and cut them apart to find exactly where the wire ran through the body. I'm glad we have out of the box ready to run lures today. ;D

I have an '03 Lowe 170W w/ a Evinrude 90HP on it, and compared to all the Trackers of it's vintage I've seen, it's a far better boat. ( I live right near Springfield Mo, Bass Pro's main store and Bass Pro owns Tracker, so I see lots of them.) The bad thing is the newer (I think '07 on?) Lowes have lower horsepower ratings than the older ones, a comparable new Lowe 17' is only rated for 75 horses, I don't know why they did that. I know when I re-power my rig, I'll put the max HP outboard on it - 115. It already does low/mid 50's with just me and regular tackle in it running the 90. It should really fly with the 115. I need to post some pictures of it sometime.

One of my favorite spinnerbait colors is firetiger. I'll use it anytime the water has some color to it, or anytime for River Smallmouths. Smallies really like "hot colors" when they're active.

I used to drill them out and add lead to make them suspend way back in the dark ages before factory made suspending jerkbaits were available. But not anymore. I know In-Fisherman's Doug Stange likes to bend the line tie of the original floater and Husky Jerk down a tiny bit with pliers to get more "wobble" out of the bait, but I just use something that already has more "wobble". Lots of lure choices out there these days...

For regular tackle, I like soft jerkbaits worked very fast on top, any good "walk the dog" bait, and the poppers, like the Zell Pop from XCaliber or the Yellow Magic. I really like my own popper for fly gear though...can't beat topwater Smallmouths!

Of course you could use a version that doesn't get snagged easy...http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.cabelas.com/is/image/cabelas/s7_116719_renderset_02%3F%24main-Small%24&imgrefurl=http://www.cabelas.com/p-0012985116719a.shtml&usg=__UCeoi0p43BxZcEZE5-FRNf5Kx6o=&h=110&w=380&sz=4&hl=en&start=16&um=1&tbnid=e4al3W5Yzyx-LM:&tbnh=36&tbnw=123&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dterminator%2Binline%2Bspinner%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3D9Ey%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1 Comes through weeds and timber easily, and the fish love it. Killer on River Smallmouth :-X

Jig trailer (Smaller Beast on Booyah Baby Boo) for skipping docks. Skips like a flat rock. Also, try one on a split-shot or Carolina rig for early spring bass staging on gravelly points leading to spawning coves.

The best I've ever used for leader material w/superlines is Orvis "Mirage" 1X tippet, made for fly fishermen. 14.5-pound test, about 8-pound test (mono) diameter. Not very likely to be manageable on the spool of a spinning or baitcasting reel, but still. Tough, thin, and strongest I've ever seen. Only for leaders, I suppose. ;D

You never said where your hand is when you grip the rod. If you have your hand mostly behind the reel, it will probably be tip heavy. I hold the rod either ahead of the reel, or have only my pinky behind the reel on the grip. Makes a difference. I use a lot of longer 7' to 8' rods for Smallmouths and have never had that problem.

I use 1, 2, 3, 4 and a even 5-piece rods for fishing. Most of the 4-piece jobs are fly rods, but I have a couple of "travel" 3-piece conventional rods that I like a lot, and plenty of 2-piece rods in both spinning and casting. Very handy. The only real problems you'll face is putting the sections together properly (follow the manufacturers directions) and keeping the sections secure when apart. Especially watch the tips, like a regular rod. Many of the guys who will bring up the old chestnut about multi-piece rods not being as sensitive as one-piece stick also still use mono that has 30% stretch. :(Probably not very sensitive, is it?)

A rod shorter than about 6'6" makes it more of a specailty rod to me than an "all around" rod. Do you want shorter to fit in the truck? If so, there are good multi-piece rods out there, and even three piece travel rods that are pretty good if you look. I have a 3-piece Browning "Safari" spinning rod (7' medium action) that goes almost everywhere with me, like my 8'6" 6-weight 4-piece fly rod.

I fish year-round from Bass Boats, canoes, and wade fishing, so I have gear to cover almost any normal fishing condition. From a boat, the worst conditions you'll face is the wind when your are running from spot to spot in the boat, and if you do "get on them" wet hands from landing fish. I like wind-proof stuff from Cabelas or Bass Pro (currently Bass Pro ) for my outerwear, water-proof boots (L.L.Bean type rubber bottom Pacs), and heavy-duty gloves like these for when I'm not fishing. Gotta keep the digits warm. Throw some hand warmers in your bag like other folks said. I like fleece tops and bottoms, and thin layers are better than bulky ones as you can adjust how warm you are easier by taking a layer or two off as you need to. A towel to dry your hands off is a great idea, too.

For all the Bass in the 'Rock (remember there are Spots, Smallies, and Largemouths), primary forage is shad. Colors? Everything. Depends on water clarity. I like bright day-bright lure cloudy day more subtle color. For early spring drop-shot isn't the hot item. Cranks, Shaky Head, Suspending jerk baits, split shot rigs, and swimming grubs or small swimbaits.

Yeah, I hear you. Here where I'm at (Ozarks) you get pools in our Smallmouth Rivers that have trees leaning over pretty low - all the way down one bank, sometimes hundreds of yards long. I realize not everyone has that issue. Most of my smaller lakes that I hit with the solo could be fished just as easy from a rig like yours.

Just remember if you rig your rod holders where your spare rods stick up like most 'Yak guys do (like on J Francho's sweet rig there), you're in deep stuff trying to go under low hanging trees, bridges, etc. I use a solo canoe that keeps my rods inside the boat, but obviously, I'm not standing up in it. Wouldn't want too, really, but that probably makes it a no go if the standing thing is a "must have" item.

Here's a picture taken from my solo canoe, looking upstream, James River, MO. You are in the eddy, looking up at the current break, which in this case is some downed trees around a couple of boulders. I call where the fast and slow water meet a "current seam". If the water is clear and you have polarized glasses, you can tell the depth (kind of) by the waters color. Darker looking = deeper. Doesn't work if the water is cloudy. Oh, hot tea, soft boiled eggs on toast, and an orange. ;D

I use fly, spinning, and baitcasting tackle, but catching Bass on poppers is just plain fun. You don't have to go all "high-end" on the tackle like some others have said. More folks should try it.

Another neat thing about these things - you can grab them in the middle before you rig them and stretch one side or the other to get them to shimmy down slightly more to one side or the other - you know, like under a dock. Pretty neat trick.

You aren't kidding. I've been using these lures since I was a teenager and had to make them myself. Now with the factory made suspenders I learn something every time I'm out using them. Every time.

April/May is sometimes cloudy rising water=spinnerbaits in the brush, or fish are on spawning banks and with clear water anything goes. I fished on April 1st a couple of years ago and caught most fish on suspending jerkbaits, and then two years ago in mid-April it was Shaky Heads and cranks on pea gravel. Anyway, you just never know. Topwaters generally work for numbers, but for big fish it's usually something else. Should be some others on here to answer. Another great place to ask is at http://ozarkanglers.com/ It's my local board, and there are good tournament fishermen and guides that post a lot on the Table Rock section of the forum. http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?showforum=5

Remember, no matter which knot you use braid can make any knot "go critical" due to the same reason we like it for sensitivity - lack of stretch. This is especially true for the smaller diameters. So if you use a fast-action and/or heavy-power rod, something still has to give, somewhere. I make sure my drag slips a little on hooksets or... snap!