blckshirt98

Yup, spot on. When I start to get burned out I look for a completely new body of water to explore, or, pick some random tackle/lure from my hoard stash and experiment with it out on the water. My expectations that way aren't always to catch fish, but to learn something new. Of course there are days when you just want to lay down on the couch and watch a movie, which is perfectly fine.

I have a spreadsheet with my rods and reels along with what kind of line I have spooled on the reels. Doing it with all tackle would be a monumental headache and I'd be spending too much time maintaining an accurate list.

I only fish from shore and you want to look for points/dropoffs/transition areas(like rocky bottoms to bare flats)/creek inlets/vegetation on retrieves/anything unusual that you see in the water that a bass might use for either cover or as an ambush point. Keep your eye out and scan the water surface in all directions and look for scattering baitfish either close to the shoreline or in open water as it'll clue you in if there's feeding bass nearby. Pay attention if there's any wind/current, as you generally want to cast into the wind where you're reeling back your presentation with the current not against it. When casting I usually fan cast at 30-45 degree angles each way to the left and right, most of the fish (at least early to mid morning) will be feeding within 5-15 feet of the shoreline. As the weather warms up I'll cast straight out and a few degrees to each side to deeper water to try and find vegetation like grass/milfoil etc because that's where I feel the bass will retreat to as the sun rises and temps go up.

Right handed people use right side retrieve baitcasters because that's all the manufacturer's really offered for baitcasters. People that used them adopted to it and it's now the prevailing retrieve for the majority of users.

Thank for the info, and, didn't know Low Down has a backlog that long. I was looking at their "production" rods that I was hoping were already made and ready to be shipped. Still a ways away though, maybe look into the getting the rods for next season as I'm still starting out with the bigger swimbaits!

When I first started fishing I used those worm binders and loaded them up, but now have stopped using them completely. With so many soft plastics nowadays being scented, those plastic worm pouches eventually get pretty gnarly where you want to replace it. They also get weak and I've had a couple rip at the bottom. Now I carry a few bags of plastics in their original packaging all in a Zip Lock Freezer Gallon Bag. The standard bag size of plastics fits perfectly side by side in a freezer bag. I'll also carry a 3500 size Plano with my finesse terminal tackle and any plastics that I use but don't want to throw away (I never put used plastics back in their original bags).

Nice choices, you're gonna have a ton of fun with that setup.

Budget? I've really been looking at and considering a MH and XH from Low Down Customs, especially since they run an acid/spiral wrap on their rods.

That was possibly the best online sale of all time. I got one rod for myself and one for my brother, looking back I wish I would have grabbed a couple more.

The KVD square bills are, for what you pay, possibly the best bargain in squarebill cranks.

The good news is the rods they have on the site are still all the rods they had at the start of the clearance. Plus earlier on the rods were $10 more and didn't come with free shipping/hat/stickers! Would very much be interested in the Avid rods if they hit the clearance bucket!

I'd use 10-15 lb braid, and use a 7 lb FC leader. Only tricky part is the connection between the braid and FC, but I use a power swivel to avoid any breakage issues (FC is prone to getting a weak spot and breaking if you're not spot on with your knot).

It's the clear bill piece that came off cleanly on a topwater where I'm getting a new bill sent to me. No residue or nothing to clean, just a bill to put into the slot that I need to hold into place. For the 2 ton epoxy how does that work, do i use it like glue? or do i glue the bill to the bait, then cover the base with the epoxy to seal it/hold it in place?

My brother golfs a ton legit and he'll sometimes golf with people who will throw a rod in their golf bag with their clubs. They'll throw a line out into the water hazards while waiting for other people in their foursome to hit their shots and he's told me stories of getting a fish on almost every cast at some courses. I *think* all bodies of non-flowing water are required to have mosquito fish of sorts to keep the mosquito larvae in check, and I assume they have a whole ecosystem in place that includes carp or catfish to keep the bottom/water clean.

I'll add some stuff to the list - Havoc Pit Boss - one of the best trailers out there and can used as a normal craw bait for punching/flipping t-rig/etc. Also pretty cheap so you can get a mix of colors. Yum Sharpshooter - I dropshot 80% of the time and have tried almost every eye catching dropshot plastic out there. Yum hit a grand slam with their three new dropshot baits (the Sharpshooter along with the Warning Shot and Kill Shot) in terms of bang for the buck. I like the Sharpshooter the best followed by the Warning Shot. Note though that hte Warning Shot and Killshot are fairly large/bulky for dropshot baits, but the Sharpshooter is perfect for nose hooking on a #4 or #6 hook. The Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot hooks are nice, I use those and also the Pro Packs of Owner Mosquitos. The Strike King cranks are good bang for the buck! For jigs I like to get jigs that are tied with twine/string, as opposed to the rubber/silicone bands. The rubber/silicone bands can tear/get brittle over time. Bass Patrol, TNT, and Skinny Bear are all jigs that are tied instead of banded.

Yamamoto has the salt/sand/plastic mix just right so their plastics have the right action in the water. Especially the senkos, people can imitate the shape but it's that suble Yamamoto wiggle on the fall that's hard to replicate.

Another one for the Mustad KVD hooks. Also because of the short shank you can upsize to a larger hook without worrying about getting the trebles tangled up.

One of the local guides here swears by pork in the wintertime when the water gets cold. I just got some pork trailers are the local store on clearance to mess around with when the time comes!

I prefer the original PP to the SS8...the SS8 is like silk and can get horrible wind knots that tighten down easily. I've had to chop up/splice SS8 more than any other line.

Boomerang snips are the best line cutters on the planet and it gets big bonus points since it has the retractable cord and you can attach it to a belt clip/keychain caribiner so it's always handy without having to fish through your gear for a cutting tool. One thing though is that it will dull over time so you need to use different parts of the snip until it's time to get a new one. I typically buy a new one at the start of every fishing season, but it's probably my single best investment every year that I have no qualms about.

At this very moment I'd get a Rage rod on clearance on St Croix's website. $89, free shipping/hat/stickers.

I have a bait that needs the lip replaced and was wondering what the best way to attach it is? Will normal all-purpose glue like Gorilla Glue work or is there a particular brand you all recommend? I don't have a way to glue/seal/paint/epoxy/clearcoat etc etc, just hoping to slather some kind of over-the-counter adhesive on the bait and plastic lip where it'll hold firmly. Let me know, thanks!

+1 on the Phenix M1. They also have a 7'4" for an extra $5.

If people are keeping fish per law, that's their prerogative and it should be respected. If people are poaching and keeping illegal sized/counts of fish, those people can eat a d***. If you're not one to confront people about that, at least report it to the local Fish and Game. I was one surf fishing and caught a little baby lingcod, no longer than the palm of my hand. I let it go back into the water. A half hour later I looked into a bucketeer's bucket, and there it was, dead in the bucket. I don't understand the mentality or ignorance of people who take undersized fish or even something that small...I guess they'll get what, 2-3 bites of food for it? Bravo to you, d-bag.

D&M 1st Gen Piranha Swim Jig in Sexy Shad...just got my new 7.5 lb PB this past Saturday! Before that it was a 6 pounder on a 3.5" GYCB Kut Tail on a dropshot.