blckshirt98

I fish from shore and usually bring only 1-2 rods with me, so the tackle I bring is usually limited by what the rods can handle. I have one 3500 size Plano that I always bring with me wherever I go, and that holds all of my dropshot stuff - weights/hooks/swivels/plastics. If need be I can throw in some beads/larger hooks/bullet weights/rubber pegs for c-rig/t-rig or even a couple of shakey heads. I'll carry a second Plano, usually the 3650 - the big square compartment will fit spinnerbaits, odd sized wide baits, and swimbaits; the other compartments will carry a ton of chatterbaits, squarebills, rigged underspins, jigs, etc. Basically I'll squeeze in whatever non-soft-plastic/direct-tie lures I feel will work at the particular body of water I'm heading towards, and, I always end up bringing way more than I ever end up actually using.

Just make sure the reels weren't used in saltwater

Fresh cork feels great but over time it shines up and can get kind of gnarly. EVA I like because it's consistent from one rod to the next and comfortable. I'm really curious about these new Winn Grip handles...I've used them on golf clubs and the grip/comfort they provide is off the charts. Just waiting for the right rod/deal to come by to give them a shot.

I subscribed to In-Fisherman but let it run out because they're pretty "thin" and they cover all freshwater species, not just bass, so there was too much info on species I don't target (pike, catfish, walleye, etc). For just bass I found the two best ones to be Bass Angler Magazine (BAM!) and FLW Bass Fishing. Just all bass from cover to cover.

Kids nowadays all need to be "on-grid" to interact with friends. Social media, video games, texting...I don't know too many kids nowadays that would regularly go off-grid for a few hours every week to fish. I'm guessing a lot of you that take your kids fishing, if they get reception they'll want to spend fishing time texting with friends and whatnot unless you make them leave their phones at home.

I can't stand Ike. Whenever he catches a nice fish he's like the basketball player that dunks a ball and then screams at the top of his lungs while flexing as hard as he can. Tone that act down a bit, son!

If a fish gets unhooked I give it a subtle nod of "well-played my friend" and say I'll get him next time.

Detecting bites on the fall. I hear pros and other people saying that 90% of the time a fish will bite a jig/plastic/creature on the fall. My detection rate is like 0%.

I mostly use a size 4 Owner Mosquito since I like to buy the bulk Pro Packs. The Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot hooks also work well in a size 4 or 2. I like the smaller hooks because I don't have too many weedy lakes around here and like to nose hook everything. I wouldn't use a circle hook for dropshotting! For minnow style baits the Basstrix Flashtrix are awesome but pricey. The *** Bento minnows are also awesome, but also pricey. A really effective shad style bait that's done well for me has been the Jackall Crosstail Shad. Not the fancy Super Crosstail, just the plain old Crosstail that are $6 a pack. My go-to bait is the Molix Sator Worm - that'll catch anything in the water from bass to crappie to bluegill. If you want something super cheap look into the new Yum Kill Shot and Warning Shot, but for those I'd use a larger hook, like a Size 1, since those baits are pretty large in the nose area.

I'd say a lot of pros use what their sponsors provide - a local guide is sponsored by Fenwick, he uses and talks up Fenwick rods like they're the best rods on earth. KVD uses his Quantum stuff which doesn't get a whole lot of traction on any forum I've been on. With the number of models and rod lines all the manufacterers are putting out nowadays, I think any pro can find the rods they need from any manufacterer to win tournaments, but the ones they talk up are going to be their sponsors'.

Heya, I'm in the South Bay Area, usually fish the Santa Clara reservoirs like Anderson and Coyote, and will make a run up to Los Vaqueros for trout when the bass bite slows down, and fish the surf to mix things up. Went up to the Delta for the first time ever on Sunday at Holland's Tract...only got 3 small ones on Rat-L-Traps, and I can't believe how weedy that place is...

The first gen D&M Piranha's are my favorite but you need to find them on eBay since they had to change the design (Z-Man patent violation). ZMan chatterbaits are fine, but I'd get the ones with the trailer keeper (the Project Z's have them, not sure about the Pro, and the Original does not). I've also used the Picasso Shock Blade which is built like a tank and I think has the best "fall" presentation...goes down at a nice angle and the blade flutters softly back and forth. Only downside with the Shock Blade is that if you reel in too fast it'll start to "spiral" like a corkscrew through the water, so you need a slow/moderate retrieve on it.

I was going to say something similar to this. With a spinning outfit you can get by just fine with a $30-40 spinning reel, you wouldn't notice a difference between that and a $100 spinning reel. At this very moment if someone asked me for a spinning setup for $150 I'd say get a Shimano Solstace 2500 that Cabela's has on sale for $30, and a St. Croix Rage rod for $89. With a baitcaster setup you should probably put more money on the reel, it seems like with baitcasting reels you really see a sweet spot in the $150-200 range, and you could get a reel in that range for $100 or less used if you look around and are patient with online sales or used gear posts on places like the forums here or ebay. Something like a used Citica E series would be perfect.

Check city hall - usually there's a department that keeps topo maps of basically the entire county, which would include all bodies of water, though not sure if they can make copies to send your way, that depends on where you are and the resources available (some will, some won't).

Bass-O-Matic?

I gut trout at the lake, and just throw the guts back into the water. Birds/seagulls will take care of the guts quickly. As for carcasses i don't filet, usually bake whole, and just toss the bones in the trash.

I remember this article last year and wondering what everyone's opinions are on "engineering" a world record bass - http://www.bassmaster.com/tips/building-world-record-bass I think right now California has the best shot because they probably have a few world record bass swimming in their reservoirs, there's a lot of people going after them, and with the drought there are low lake levels across the state and therefore fewer places those fish can hide. Florida and Texas probably have some world record bass, but places like Okeechobee, Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend are freaking huge, and those bass might never come within 100 yards of a lure in their lifetime. On a sad note, Lake Mission Viejo was a private lake in SoCal that a few locals thought had a world record bass swimming around in it. Earlier this year a golden algae bloom killed off almost all the fish in the lake.

It comes down to confidence. Confidence in your lures, in your presentation, that you'll get the fish to bite. If you have no confidence it'll affect how you attack the water, you'll get lazy in looking for the right spot, you'll pay no attention to finding the right color or depth, and your presentation will be sloppy. You might junk fish and get lucky, but you'll never find a working pattern, and the majority of your presentations will suck and more than likely scare fish away. If you don't have confidence it might be time to pack it in early and head home.

1) There's no right or wrong way...let it fall, speed burn it in, change up speeds, bounce it off the bottom. Treat it like a swim jig because that's basically what it is, just with the extra vibration blade. 2) Anything you'd use as a jig or spinnerbait trailer will work. Standard rules apply (match the trailer to the lure, match the lure to the conditions). I've had success with a single tail grub, and paddle tail swimbaits. 3) Nope!

A lot of stock hooks are great right out the package. If you're buying a new brand/bait, I'd check the stock hooks and only replace them if the hooks are flimsy or cheap.

Having used spinning reels for 3 years without touching a baitcaster, and then starting to use baitcasters just over a month agao, it's a big switch from baitcasting to spinning and vice versa. I used to be able to cast my spinning reel to pretty much any spot I was looking at. I can't do that yet with a baitcaster, and, when I go to a spinning reel my casts are off to the right, and it takes a while for me to adjust back.

I like the Missile Baits Tomahawk...more durable than the Yamamotos.

PowerPro, you pay more for braid up front but you won't need to respool for a while. I have 3 year old PowerPro on a lot of my spinning reels and the line is still good. All I've had to do is add more line every year or two as I go through line from tying on lures/leader and whatnot.

A lot of those Shimano's still have the paper handle wrap on them...

Once the sun goes up and heat rises, at around 10am, the bite just shuts off for me. I fish from the shoreline and I'm assuming all the fish are schooling up in deeper water and I have horrible luck finding them, so I just pack up and leave.