Bladesmith,

If you are fishing from a boat, I would surely be flipping a jig or soft plastic (Texas rigged) in and around all those tree roots. If not in a boat I would be dragging a weightless Texas rigged soft plastic through any place I could get it or something like a Moss Boss through those weeds. More information would be helpful.

Which one is better? Both types of reels have their strengths and weaknesses. For instance; casting reels will give you better control of your casting accuracy and control of a fish once he is hooked, On the down side, it's hard to cast a very light lure with it. Backlashes can be a problem. Spinning reels make it easier to cast a lighter lure and backlashes are not a problem. A spinning rig will he a little harder to get the casting accuracy with and fish control is not as sure. That has been my experience with them. I'm sure you will get different opinions from different people. If you are just starting out, I would recommend a spinning rig since a bait caster will require some practice to cast without backlashes. I use both types for different things but use my bait casters most (just what I'm comfortable with). Which one will suit your needs the best is going to depend upon what kind of fishing you plan to do with it.

Before I leave for any fishing excursion I; Check for local fishing reports and water conditions. Check all my gear (including; boat, batteries, rods and reels, tackle and etc.) Formulate my fishing strategy (subject to change on the water) I have several dedicated rods (sometimes I change color patterns on lures). Pack sandwiches and plenty drinks in cooler. Throw stuff in boat. Haul butt for lake! I really do not like to have problems when I'm on the water so I go to some trouble to address possible issues before I get to the lake. I fish to have some relaxation and fun. It's no fun to have a reel working poorly, or a boat seat that will not swivel due to lack of lubrication, or things not working properly due to bad electrical connections. Most problems that occur on the water can be prevented by a little pre-trip maintenance.

I mounted mine on my Min Kota foot control and attached the transducer cable to the shaft going up with zip ties allowing slack at the point where the shaft turns then down to the unit's head. Hope this makes sense.

The pursuit of big bass is a worthy goal but so is the pursuit of a good financial base with which to finance this pursuit and life in general. Go for it. We'll still be here when you have time to get back on the water.

I agree with wnybassman. Put a rudder in the back. I also agree with Traveler, distribute the weight in a boat always. Weight distribution is important for stability especially if it's a small or light boat.

Try them both and see which one works best for you. Some folks like the lower gears for deep cranks because they supposedly don't tire you out as fast. I use whatever rig is handy. I usually carry 6 or 7 rods in the boat and 3 are dedicated to specific lures. The others are open for whatever seems appropriate at the time.

If there are whitecaps on the water, it is windy. If the wind is strong enough to make my boat drag the anchor, it is windy. If I can't keep my hat on, it is windy. Actually, some of my best days on the water have been windy. It does present a problem with boat control, though. Don't limit your spinner bait fishing to windy days. Spinner baits can work well at other times, too.

I guess a person would need a definition of "deep" to answer the question properly. Personally, I'm fond of jigs w/ trailer for anything over 10 or 12 feet. Plastic worms and brush hogs for water up to about 15 feet. A lot of folks use deeper running cranks but I usually don't. Single bladed spinner baits bounced along the bottom have worked for me in deeper water also.

Generally speaking the more expensive lures will have better hardware (hooks, swivels, etc), a little better paint job, and be a little better designed. However, a hungry bass usually isn't that discriminating. I catch just as many bass on my $1.00 Wal-Mart spinner baits as I do the more expensive ones.

Frog, Buzz Bait, or Jitterbug early and late. Texas rigged worm, senko, or brush hog with least weight possible during mid day.

I could be mistaken but I believe it was Tom Mann that made the famous (at least it was famous among the guys I fished with) statement; "Any size or color of plastic worm will catch fish as long as it is 6 inches and purple". That was back when the only plastic worms we could find were purple or black and all of them were 6 inches. Anyway, we took it to heart and went together (the bass club that is) and ordered several thousand purple jelly worms to split up among us. They did catch fish in Lake Dardenelle and the Ark. River that feeds it. I believe I still have a few, I think.

Unless I miss my guess B.R. has an affiliate relationship with any add you see on this site. If you buy through an add on this site B.R. will get a small commission. The same is true with the sites sponsors but always buy through a link found on this site.

Goose 52; I really like the way you have your canoe rigged out. I especially like the idea of your outriggers. They would be real handy if you got caught out in rough water as when a squall suddenly blows up. I'm curious to know; do you trailer it or carry it otherwise?

Started froggin' with a Bill Plumer "Super Frog" years ago. Froggin' became my favorite surface bait (you could drag them things through almost anything). Hook finally rusted out of my last one a couple years ago. Just can't find any enthusiasm for any of the current frog imitations. Wish someone would start making the "Super Frog" again.

I have a 1974 model Mirro Craft riveted aluminum boat. It has been used hard but cared for. Never had a leak for any reason. Riveted boats are just like anything else; buy quality and you don't have to worry. Besides, a leaky rivet is a simple repair.

I post this every now and then when appropriate. I have a Bait Ben. Mine cost me less than I could have made one. I have used Mine for 8 years with good success. I swear by it. PS, I have no affiliation with this company, just believe in their product. Also, it's made in the USA.http://www.baitben.com/. Mods, if you consider this post inappropriate, please remove it.

It's actually 60 but when I turned 30 I was told it was 30. That't the point at which you have to accept the responsibility of being an adult. Heck, I know folks in their 80's that probably aren't adults yet. (If you don't believe me; ask my wife...she'll tell you, and tell you, and tell you about how men never grow up, me included).

First, just a note to wish you HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Now, with the amenities out of the way, there is some information you're going to need in the next 30 years; #1, you can no longer consider yourself a "kid" as you just went "over the hill". #2, You will not be old enough to be an "Old Fart" for another 30 years. #3, that means you have about 30 years of relatively good health and energy levels to accomplish whatever you want in life so you can afford to sit back and enjoy life when you get to be an "Old Fart". I wish somebody had pointed this out to me when I turned 30. Not attempting to rain on your parade just passing on some hard learned facts........

It largely depends upon how large an area you're calling a spot, how many different types of cover and structure are available within this spot, different water depths, and ( I know this is subjective) how I "feel" about the spot. If I have established a "pattern", I'll fish the areas corresponding to that pattern and move on (knowing there can be more than one pattern active on any lake on any given day). If I have a good "feeling" about the spot, I may sit on it all day trying to solve the riddle (I love the challenge). I can't remember ever sitting on a spot all day without catching anything but it is entirely within the realm of possibility. Some of our creek mouths are a mile or more wide, so that is a lot of area to cover, and if there were fish there before, they probably are still in the same vicinity.

I would definitely not keep my boat in a slip with or without lift. It's too easy to launch and load a boat at the ramp. If you're going to be spending a few days on the lake you might consider it for that period. Sloanzp made a couple valid points. There is also the fact that with the boat at your house, you can work on it easily. If you can keep it in a garage, you can leave your gear on it. If you live in an apartment or something and do not have protected parking for it, a storage can be found closer to your home, and it will be safer and less expensive than a slip. Just my .02

A-Jay, you are an inspiration to us all. Every time I get on the Forum the first thing I check is this thread to see if you have posted another update. I sincerely hope this journey takes you where you want to go, but I think the journey itself is the adventure.

We all have those days. It just seems that some of us have more of them than others.

WRB, you sound like you had a 10 year head start on me. I didn't start to use jigs until mid to late 70's. At that time they had the "Black Widow Eel", I don't remember seeing the lizards, but they still make the "split tailed eel (product # 260). I just found it on the link posted above. Thank you, Will Wetline for that link.

Years ago when most bass fishermen were just discovering that a jig was an effective bass bait, most folks used an Uncle Josh "split tailed eel" as a trailer.That is what he is referring to as a "jig and eel". Back then the jig was used mainly for cold water bass (winter time here in the south). The bass jig proved to be such an effective bait for big bass that it became popular (circa; mid to late 70's). As it became popular other trailers were used such as the Uncle Josh pork frog and others. Now, 40 years later, it's getting hard to find Uncle Josh pork anything in our local stores as most everybody has gone to using plastic trailers. I still find the split tailed eel to be a good trailer though, and we now use bass jigs year round. Also, most of the jigs we had available back then were hair jigs (I still have and use some of them) rather than the rubber and plastic skirts you normally see now. At least that's how I remember it.