Junk Fisherman

Oscar Robinson?

Do you find it makes a difference for something like swimming a grub or a ned rig? I always order unpainted jigs since they are cheaper. How say you?

I don't believe in any superstitions or anything like that and it's a pet peeve of mine. The fish don't know what kind of fruit is in my boat. My wife says I am no fun.

Coffee, banana, sunflower seeds If it is the summer, I will have a jug of water. I don't eat much on the water. Just enough so my blood sugar doesn't crash.

Columbia Craw said it well- brand satisfied. I buy Dobyns and Daiwa since I am extremely satisfied with their products and I have confidence in ordering their products based on reviews. I am not a gear junkie and I don't shop for rods and reels in stores. I use Tackle Tour and forums such as this one to research and then I order most of the time without ever handling the rod or reel beforehand. But I would buy a Shimano or Kistler rod if the need came up and they had a product that was drawing rave reviews. One other thing- I do like having the majority of my tackle from one company rather than a hodgepodge. I'd like to have all matching rods and reels but that is not realistic. In terms of lures and lines, I have no brand loyalty. There are certain companies that I have confidence in, Zoom, Berkley, Jackall, Yamamoto, ect... but I'll try and use anything.

I am brand loyal to Daiwa and Dobyns. I started using Daiwas about 15 years ago and have stuck with them. I know that others make great reels but I have had great success with Daiwa so why change? In terms of rods, I was a Loomis and St Croix guy for a number of years until I bought a Champion spinning rod a couple years ago. It was clearly more sensitive than my St Croix Avid. 4 Dobyns later and I am continuing to turn my rod arsenal over to Dobyns. Their spinning rods are great and the 703 Champion I have is nearly as good as my GLX and it's $100 cheaper.

I have mostly been a Texas rig guy but last year I started using the Ned Rig. I only used the open hook. I lost a few on snags but nothing terrible. For those of you that use the weedless Ned rig, how dramatically did it cut down on getting hung up? Did you fish it in heavier cover because of the weedguard? Thanks for any info.

Got the 701 ad 702 HPs today and WOW. They feel great. A lot lighter than the 741 and 742. Looking forward to get on the water in March to try them out.

Here are some things I have not seen on the list that I carry: Bag of gloves, hat, hand warmers, thin long underwear Baby wipes Empty Coffee container (keep it in the livewell) for going to the bathroom Extra coffee cup Spare sunglasses

Love this topic and always create a new list of goals of every year. 1) Continue to improve with finesse fishing. Several techniques put a lot of fish in the boat for me last year and I want to fine-tune my finesse fishing. 2) Enjoy tournament fishing more. I always feel anxious and worry about something unlike fun fishing. 3) Get my daughter into fishing. She is 6 and while we have gone a couple times before she is at the age where she will have a little longer attention span. 4) Catch a 5 lb smallmouth in Lake Michigan around Chicago. I have caught plenty of 5 lbers in northern MI and WI but I have only caught a 4.7 around my local water. I definitely had 2 on last summer but one broke my line and the other came unbuttoned under the boat. 5) Use the double uni knot for dropshot and learn the FG Knot. Like Aaron Martens predicted, the Palomar knot let me down a couple times in a tournament last year. 6) Learn my local waters better by using my electronics more and fishing different spots. I was on a local, heavily fished lake this past fall and there was a big tournament. All the common areas had a lot of pressure and I went to spots I had never fished. I did really well. How many other spots are like this?

I have put a reel on them but I haven't used them. They just feel heavier in my hand than the 701/702. Those are split grip rods while the 741/742 are full handle. I do prefer the split grip. I think I am just going to exchange them for a 701 and 702 HP. I

Thanks for the explanation. I was just going off the specs for the rods which are identical on the 701/741 and 702/742. Too bad I couldn't feel them in the store but I ordered them.

I bought the 701 and 702 XP rods a couple years ago and I love them. So I ordered a 741 and 742 Extreme HP and I am surprised that they feel quite a bit heavier than the XPs. Granted they are 4" longer but I didn't think I'd feel that in terms of weight. I went to the Dobyns website and they don't list rod weights. Contemplating returning them. Any thoughts?

The 702 for DSing will be the number 1 choice for most bass fisherman. A couple years back I was doing this research and the 702 was the most popular advice. Once I bought the rod (Champion), it was a little heavier than what I wanted in a DS rod. I use the 702 for heavier tubes and when I am DSing 3/8 oz and above. I bought a 701 which I love for lighter DS rigs and the Ned Rig. But I do like my rods a little lighter than the average bass fisherman. I love these rods so much that I bought a Champion Extreme 741 and 742 yesterday through Tackle Warehouse's Black Friday sale. Hope it helps.

So I was using this rig this year and was fairly successful with it. I bought some VMC 2/0 and 3/0 hooks based on something I read and they were way too big. I have been using some Gammy wacky hooks but I am looking for something better. My questions- what hook are you using for a 5"-6" worm or Senko? And what are your favorite worms for a Neko? I am looking for something a little more slimmer than a Senko for the tough, pressured bite. Any advice is appreciated.

Just about every boat manufacturer will list the length of boats on their trailer with and without a foldable tongue on their website. Check out a few of the boats you think you'll be shopping for and you'll have your answer.

Hit Newton Lake on Thursday. Temps in the low to mid 60s on the cold water side. Caught 30-40 fish with the biggest being 17". Caught a bunch of 14"-16" fish. The better fish came on windy points and when I caught some feeding on shad. Caught a lot on finesse plastics. Blue bird sky day and was rather surprised at my results.

When I bought my boat I gave a lot of thought to color. I decided to go with a navy color with a silver/gunmetal panel. Overall, when the boat is clean it is gorgeous and I love the color. When the sun hits it right the color really pops and there is just the right amount of sparkle in the silver panel. I have been told by several people how gorgeous the boat is. One of the negatives are the water spots. It gets dirty easily. I would never get a truck in this color but I can keep up with cleaning the boat. Since I live up north I am not as worried about the heat of the summer as you southern fellas. I didn't fish in any 100 degree days last summer and all of my summer fishing trips are on the Great Lakes where it is usually a few degrees cooler. Here is a gratuitous boat shot.

I know the Arachnid baitcasting is a rebadged Tatula. What about the spinning reel? Thanks

Just came here to post that on my '92 70 HP Johnson I had removed the VRO and went 50-1 and never had a problem. Ran the motor for a good 12 years before the selling it. Still running strong. I'd continue mixing my oil over paying the $500 on a unnecessary item on a 19-year old motor. Good luck with whatever you choose.

For that price I'd consider a Legend 191 and a Basscat Pantera IV or Caracal (not sure on their price). I'd look at a Phoenix too

I heard a tip once that you use a cheese grader and shread Ivory Spring soap all over the floor of the boat. Keeps the mice out and when you vacuum it up in the spring you will have a nice clean odor in your boat.

I played with them at a fishing show. The mag light was was way too limber for my liking and I like a softer rod than most. I went with a Dobyns Champ 702 instead and then the 701 for lighter dropshotting.

Is there any one in particular that you recommend? I looked at the Sunline leader line and it promoted the stretch in the line to absorb shock which is not my primary concern. I am concerned with abrasion resistance first and foremost. Thanks

What do you think is the best leader line (w/braid) for fishing in rocks? I have been using P-Line Fluorocarbon but I am looking for something better. Thanks for any advice.