MassYak85

I have a ram mount attached to an 8" Yak Attack GT90 rail. I really like it. It's a very solid mount, and the only flex comes from my kayak physically warping if I apply too much pressure to the ram mount.

This. If it's a shallow pond, I can get away with just bringing my stakeout pole. But once the winds get up around 15mph I don't even bother going out unless I bring an anchor. You just can't effectively fish at that point.

I'd look to that for flipping, punching, or frogging. Maybe a jig rod but a little long for my tastes for that.

Exactly. Lures are tools, the best lures will still produce bad results depending on the conditions. I think what you observed is that small differences matter. Both topwaters with similar styles but very different results. I've experienced the same where they won't touch a buzzbait but absolutely destroyed a plopper. IMO the whopper plopper is more versatile than a buzzbait but I'd still take the buzzbait in certain scenarios.

Some good suggestions so far. Definitely heed Tom's advice, don't try and toss big baits on conventional gear. You can get away with it until you start to break the 2 oz mark and then you're asking for trouble. I would also advise against braid unless you want to buy an extra spool for topwaters. Like BlueBasser said there is little forgiveness on a backlash. Think of it like a collision. It takes a significant amount of force to stop something in a couple millimeters than to stop the same object in a couple feet.

Tackle Warehouse and Monster Fishing Tackle are good places to start for your one-stop-shop kind of purchases. Keep checking by your local Walmart though, they can have some sweet deals sometimes.

If it truly is just the handle I would just buy a new handle and swap it yourself. Unless you broke something internally it should just unscrew. Now if you can't afford a new handle that's a different story. I would just leave it aside until you can fix it. If you REALLY new money, I;m sure there are plenty of people who would buy a stradic with as broken handle for a decent chunk of change and do the repair themselves.

Nice! It seems when the bite is on at Webster it is ON! I had an unforgettable day there last summer with a 4.8, 4.4 and probably 15 other bass in the 2-3lb class. Most coming on topwaters.

The FG is the best (as far as knot strength and slimness) once tied....getting there can be a big hurdle and one many don't find worth the effort. I personally do but that's just me. For tying lures with mono/fluoro I go with the san diego jam knot. For braid I usually go with an improved clinch or Palomar. For drop shot you pretty much have to use a Palomar (or a special hook). And I'll snell live bait hooks or punching hooks.

This I used to use them when I first started but I had way too many break. Plus you don't need the extra terminal tackle messing with your lure action.

Hmmmm.... That's an awesome story though, always fun to catch a big bass on UL spinning gear. I used to fish worms on a 4'6" ultralight uglystick (out of ignorance not because I wanted a challenge).

I've had that happen with pickerel especially. My friend broke off when one bit, then later I caught it and got his lure back.

Lol once per use? I don't see the need. Unless you're running your bearings without shields and drop your reel in the lake every time you go, there's no way the oil is going to get depleted that fast. I would think doing it every trip would just be adding too much and would eventually HURT performance.

I forgot about these. They're beefier but all it takes is one twitch of the rod and they'll plow through whatever grass is in their way. They can double as punching jigs too.

"Honey, what is that in our driveway?!" ..."That's my new rod"

Probably a custom Spiral Wrapped swimbait rod from MOAM with an ALPS seat and a cool paint design. I mean just look at some of these... http://www.moamsticks.com/showroom.html

I'm a big fan of swim jigs and Lethal Weapon IV's are the best I have found at coming through grass and weeds. They have a VERY pointed head design, and a pretty compact profile when swimming. The hooks and weed guard are lighter so I usually do not fish them around wood. The bait keeper is very good too so you don't need to worry about trailers coming off. I also like the Eco Pro Tungsten Sick Boy ones, they are a little heavier duty, still come through the weeds pretty well, and will be more versatile I think.

I have a 7'11" H guide select from Okuma and it's good for the money.

If the line is curved like that it probably means the knot slipped and burned the line when you were tying it. Which would weaken it and cause it to break. I personally have never had issues with the improved clinch but I use San Diego Jam for everything except braid now. I find it's a little less prone to burning the line. Make sure you are wetting the line properly though no matter what you end up sticking with.

A wacky worm. Really my whole interest for bass fishing started when I hooked an 18" bass on a plastic worm at summer camp. I had never used worms until then and it kind of made a lightbulb go off. So I used a wacky worm almost exclusively for about 2 years. And I got some nice fish, but picture this setup.... 4'6" UL Ugly stick, 15lb straight braid, and a 3/0 EWG worm hook as the wacky hook. It worked, I caught a lot, also lost a lot. It's still a confidence bait and seeing slack line start to swim off on the surface is still one of my favorite things in fishing. Aside from probably a topwater blowup.

Don't give savage gear any more ideas

Not trying to burst your bubble but I think what he's trying to imply is Northern Strain Largemouth don't get that big, period, for a number of reasons. Also...you said the old man told you a fable of a fish. It sounds like this was from a long time ago. In which case even if it was a 21lb fish, it's dead now. Now I'm sure there are still teeners swimming around that are absolutely worth pursuing, and I'd loooooooove to know what kind of stuff is swimming out in the middle of Wachusett reservoir that hasn't ever seen a lure before. But I think the 21lb bass is likely a case of a lying scale or lying fisherman. The real question is by how much? A 12lb fish exaggerated to 21 is still a fish I'd spend serious time on if I knew where it was. All that being said I like to think there are still fish somewhere in the state capable of breaking the state record. Whether they can actually be caught is another story. There are just certain fish that will never see a fisherman unless the state regs change.

Which ramp? The fisherman's one I don't even bother going to on the weekends unless I get there early since it usually fills up, the memorial beach ramp I don't go to period during the summer because of what they charge you.

Well said. If you are spending so much it's affecting budgeting for necessities between you and your wife then obviously it's a problem. But everyone I think should have at least one hobby they are passionate about, I think that's healthy. If she has hers and you have yours, I don't think it should be a big deal. But at the same time if she thinks you have too much, it wouldn't hurt to analyze whether you actually do. If the quantity is the thing, you could always just replace and sell old stuff and get nicer stuff over time instead of expanding how much you have.

Where do you live? I'd imagine it's just a fisherman's tale but I guess in certain parts of the country there's a slim chance.