jdw174

I have read that a bass will attempt to kill/eat fish up to 2/3 of it's own size. I once was retrieving a Pop-R when I saw what I thought was a tiny splash at the lure. Got it to the boat and there was a LITTLE LM stuck to one hook on the rear treble that probably wasn't half as long as the lure. Talk about delusions of grandeur..... ;D

As House said in one episode....."There ain't no cure for stupid". I see only two solutions to your problem. Either move to a different spot or find another lake. (Actually there's a third solution, but inserting the guy's rod into a very dark place or tossing the kids into the water won't get you anything but trouble with the law) :

I hate to say it but out of that group my cash would be on Lefebre. No personal knowledge here, but from what I've read, you may be right.

Had that very engine on my first bass rig. Very smooth running and never had a problem with it. You'll have to mix the oil with the gas as it's not oil injected...not necessarily a bad thing

Go with the biggest you can afford (this includes towing/gas etc). My first bass boat was 17'6. The second was 18'. My current one is 19'6". I doubt there will be another, but if there is it will be at least 20'. Depends on the water you're fishing.

I only fish for bass.....occasionally bream.....so I don't really care to watch shows related to walleye, carp, northern, catfish, etc.... Of the bass fishing shows, I don't want to watch "home movies" or shows with "special guests", or infomercials. I want to actually LEARN something from these shows. In this vein, the best show on the tube right now is "The Bass Pros". (Keep it coming BPS). Sadly missing are the Larry Nixon and Denny Brauer shows :'( I enjoyed Bill Dance when he used to travel to different lakes and wasn't a half-hour informercial. I refuse to watch Roland......period! I like Strike King lures, but their "Pro Team" is good only occasionally. I also like UMF. For the tour shows, I'll take BassMasters over FLW anyday. FLW spends far too much time on flashbacks, tours of the city, and if someone catches a fish you get views of the same fish from several different cameras (can't stand the "cap camera" > )

My 8-pounder came from a log jam in the mouth of a tiny feeder stream. She hit the spinnerbait twice.....got her on the second cast

haven't ridden in a "Z", but have heard a lot about the "getting wet" part. (Take that for what it's worth ). If I were buying new today, I'd have to take a serious look at BassCat, Triton "X2" series, Skeeter "I" Class, or.....dare I say this....a Nitro Z9 (LOVE the way the storage is laid out in these). All this is assuming that money is no object

Try the original "Gitzit" with one of their 1/16oz jigheads. You can skip those things a long ways up under docks with spinning tackle.

During the months of July/Aug, I more or less go into "fishing hibernation". If I manage to go at all, I'm on the water at 5am and off by 10am. The sun/heat/humidity around here can boil your hide. In short, I gets kinda miserable in that weather in spite of the fact that I work in it every day.

You don't say what your budget is, but....IMO, I would stay away from this boat, regardless of the shape it's in. I'd do some web searching and try to come up with an older model Ranger, Champion, etc. if money is a factor.

This is where a good LCR would come into play, but just off the top of my head I'd say points with t-rigs/jigs. 8-)

Don't fish it around rocks. It has about ZERO abrasion resistance. Tried it one time on Lake Erie and after a couple of casts it looked like it got pulled through a cabbage grater. I use Super Silver Thread 10lb for most of my light line work. Slightly larger at .011, but it works well for me, and is far more abrasion resistant than the MagnaThin.

I'm sorry, but for the life of me, I simply can't picture anyone not being able to catch a fish on a spinnerbait Like any other lure, success depends on current conditions, retrieve, and color selection. I pitch them into brushpiles and blowdowns like a jig.......bang them off of stumps/trees....let them flutter into crappie stakebeds...the list in practically endless. True there are days they just don't want one. If the water is calm and it's sunny......forget it! There are better lures for that. But if it's cloudy with a ripple on the water......

You can pull your rig successfully with a good-sized V6. I tow a TR20 with an '05 Tacoma, V6/5spd auto with no trouble whatsoever. Before you buy, check the tow rating for the vehicle. I'd want at least a 5000lb rating. Check the engine stats. You want an engine that brings max torque at a lower rpm rating. That's what gets you going. A decent frame under the vehicle also helps. There are a lot of so-called SUV's out there that are built on passenger car frames....not the best for towing. JMO here of course

I too disagree with the "no net" rule, however the rubberized nets are better at protecting the slime coat on the fish than the standard mesh variety. I'm sick and tired of seeing those fish beat around from one end of the boat to the other. As for allowing nets in FLW, I watched the final round from Beaver Lake yesterday and saw as many fish banged around in the boat as I do in BASS tx's. Just don't like that at all >

Personally, I can't stand that gooey, greasy stuff that comes in a tube. I changed over to Banana Boat Sport Spray. Sweatproof, waterproof, sprays on and dries so it's non greasy. For my face I spray it on my hands and then apply it. I spray my ears, neck, etc. UV protection and you can get it up to a 50SPF. Good stuff.

Your lure selection doesn't sound all that bad. Have you tried varying the retrieves? A Pop-R can be just "blooped" with pauses.....it can be literally "burned" across the water.....or it can be "walked" like a Zara Spook. Vary speed retrieves with buzzbaits. Change speed a couple of times during the retrieve. I'll give you a tip given to me by a local fisherman here on Ky Lake for use when fish are hitting shad on top and won't pay any attention to "normal" lures. He absolutely swears by a Roostertail dragged thru the shad. Says bass will hit that when nothing else will work. Never tried it myself, but what the heck....can't hurt!

Man, I'd love to offer advice, but what's happening to you is just the opposite of the way it usually goes for me :-? I love those misty mornings and the overcast conditions. Add just a slight hint of a breeze and things are good.

That is indeed a nice LM for Ohio. I'd guesstimate the weight in the neighborhood of 4lb, give or take. 8-) BTW, you DID release it.........didn't you?

This is the kind of question where the answer is, "One man's meat is another's poison" . Call me paranoid, but I refuse to buy a rod that I haven't seen/used in person. I suggest this...... Go to your tackle shops. Carry a small piece of carpet in your pocket (in case the floors there aren't carpeted). Put the carpet on the floor and test the rod by placing the tip on it and flexing it. Do this until you find one that suits your taste and budget. If the shop will allow, take a reel with you and run the line thru the guides and test it that way.

If it's a tri-hull, I'd steer clear of it unless you only plan on fishing calm water. Most of those will pound you to death in a heavy chop. The boat is 21 years old, so if you're really interested in it, make sure you go over it with a fine tooth comb! Take it for a test ride. You may not have a lot of $$ now, but if you end up with something that requires repairs you'll have a whole lot less. Good luck.

Thunder/lightning may not scare the fish, but it sure scares the Bejesus out of ME . You're standing in a boat with a graphite lightning rod in your hand through a t-storm!!! Not cool........

" No disrespect to the great state of Tennessee (cuz we of course have the best Smallmouth fishing! " No disrespect to either you or the great state of Tennessee, TNewsome, but I think a couple of days on Lake Erie might just change your mind about that

I understood that BumbleBee went out of business. Am I wrong here? :-?