jdw174

I seldom use a trailer at all. However I will ALWAYS use a trailer HOOK.

my mistake....it's not GuideWear, it's their DryWear. Nontheless, it's still breathable and works great.

I would hate to be told I had to limit myself to just one rod/reel/line. However, my vote for an all-round rig would be: Rod: 7' in a MH fast action. You could fish just about any lure and get away with it. It would best handle jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, Senkos, and be adequate for jigs and worms. It would work with topwater and CB's too, but wouldn't be my first choice in those categories. Reel: I'm partial to Shimano Curados or Castaics....something with about a 6:1 retrieve. Line: I've used nothing but Silver Thread since it hit the market and was owned by Bagleys. Super Silver Thread in 17lb test has practically the same diameter as 12lb Trilene so it's not an oversize line. It's a copolymer so it has limited stretch.

If you like Grits you can't be all bad Then I have to be bad to the bone........... ;D

Militarily speaking, the most important parts to keep warm are your head, hands, and feet. If any or all of those get cold, you're gonna feel like you're freezing. On the really cold days, I wear long underwear, jeans, thermal socks and insulated work shoes. I have a wool sweater the British call a "wooly pully" that is worn by their troops. I also have an Austrian army sweater that is somewhat lighter than the Brits version, but just as warm. Under one of those goes insulated underwear, over top goes a fleece-lined sweatshirt. Over everything goes a Cabelas Guidewear Rainsuit. It's not goretex, but it doesn't need to be, and it's great for keeping wind off of you. If I don't feel like wearing all that, I have a blaze orange snomobile suit that works just fine. For running to/from, I have a FishHedz face mask. I also have a set of leather gloves with wool inserts so my fingers will still work when I get where I'm going. Toss in a couple of those disposable handwarmers and I'm good to go.

Just my opinion, but the absolute best bang for the buck out there is the Team Daiwa Denny Brauer model rod. Rather than having the action of a pool cue as so many of the flippin' rods do, it is rated for 1/4 to 1 1/2oz lures and has a bit of tip action making it great for both the flipping and pitching styles. If you can't handle the longer rods, try going with a 7' rod from any of the good makers. AllStar used to make one called a WR2 that should work fairly well. I use a Falcon Lowrider "Carolina Lizard Dragger" that also does the job. Any good decent reel will do the job. No need to go overboard here. I spool mine with 25lb SST line.

I think it makes a difference what type of boat you're fishing from and you're physical makeup as to rod type/size. At just under 5'10", a full-size flippin' stik (7'6") is somewhat clumsy for me so I opt for a 7' rod. Like Castaway, I use a spinning rod for most worming, but I use a 6'6" AllStar MS3TN. For finesse type fishing I also stick with spinning, using an AllStar MS2TN. I also carry a 6' Castaway for tossing small CB's. For regular crankbait duties, I have a 7' Browning David Fritts, and a Team Daiwa Clunn model. For those really deep diggers, I use a Berkley Bionix MH action, again 7'. All these are spooled with 10lb super silver thread line. For C-rigging, I use the Falcon "Lizard Dragger" , and have another just like it rigged for jig fishing. These aren't even all the rods I tote around in the lockers. Not trying to brag on what I have. Frankly I'd be just happy if I could pare all these down to a half dozen or so, but I like to be able to switch gears and go from one technique to another without having to stop/cut/retie. I like Castaway's suggestion about deciding on what you're favorite style of fishing is and get a good rod to compliment that particular style.

BASSIN' magazine only offers the most basic of info IMHO. They never really dig into the meat of any article. I buy it on occasion out of lack of anything better at the time I'm looking. BassMaster is changing and I'm not so sure it's for the better. The bass edition of FLW Outdoors is as good as BM and may be a bit better. A lot of guys read Bass West and Inside Line. Never had the chance to read either of those but have heard good things about them. For my money, though, the best bass magazine of them all only gets published once a year in early spring. That is the In-Fisherman Bass Fishing edition. I absolutely devour any articles in there written by Steve Quinn. He does the best in-depth writing on bass fishing topics of any writer I've ever seen.

There's a lot to be said for winter fishing. There's a distinct lack of water skiers/jetboats/ pleasure boaters around. If your lake has a winter drawdown, it's a great time to get out and just idle around while marking drops/stumps/rockpiles/sandbars/brushpiles that will not show when water levels are up. Sure it's cold out there, so dress for the occasion. Take a big thermos full of coffee/hot chocolate and some snacks. Also, think S-L-O-W. You're most likely not going to get a whole lot of bites so don't get discouraged. Pros know that they might only get a handful of bites all day but keep working at it. 8-)

For some great shallow water crankin', try the Bandit FootLoose. I've caught bass up to 4lb and bluegills over a pound on those little devils. Try the smaller bodies with square bills and bang them around in the thick stuff. I use 10lb Super Silver Thread on all my crankin sticks.

I try to be able to switch to most anything, but for the past two years I've pretty much lived or died by shallow cranking. A Norman Mad "N" in Mad Bass color has been a killer for me.

I was born there in Venango County. Lived there all my life except for a 4yr stint in the Air Force ('66-'70). My time as a trooper was all in Erie, Pa. Did a ton of smallie fishing

Thought I'd pop in here and say hello, along with some information about myself. I moved to west Tennessee about 10 years ago after a career with the Pennsylvania State Police. I currently reside in Paris, some 14 miles from Kentucky/Barkley lakes. I'm a past member of the Pa. Outdoor Writers Assoc., and for several years was an outdoor columnist for the Erie Morning News in Erie, Pa. I also did some work with PRADCO on their "Best New Lures of the 90's series of tapes. I primarily fish for bass, although I will go after crappie/shellcrackers on occasion. Unfortunately, I don't get on the water nearly as often as I might due to working full time in golf course maintenance at Paris Landing State Park. However, the boat's paid for and all my gear works I no longer fish tournaments, although for a time I did and was president of a bass club for several years while in Pa. I hope to be able to pass on some tips/knowledge from time to time here, and I'm always looking to add to my knowledge as well. Feel free to contact me any time.

It comes down to pixel count. The cheaper units have a low count and don't do nearly the job of defining what's down there as the more expensive units do. My old Eagle unit (8 yrs old) gave up the ghost this year, and I popped for a new Lowrance 334ci. I couldn't be more pleased. My next step is to replace the old X-45 in the bow with a newer unit with more pixels, although it won't be color like the 334. Most likely an X-135.

I second the vote for Lake Erie, but you might try fishing around the Presque Isle Bay area in Erie, Pa. I moved away from there 10 years ago, but for sheer numbers of smallies in the 2-4lb range and higher, I don't know of any place that can touch it.

The reason they leave prices out is because they don't want fishermen dropping dead due to sticker shock It seems to me that every tackle maker thinks that their product is worth a whole lot more than I'm willing to pay. $400 for a reel? GET REAL! $300 for a rod? Not this guy. $15 for one crankbait? Not likely.....yet that's almost all you ever see any more. Seldom have I seen any writeups on decent yeoman duty reels/rods/lures. Everyone is trying to tell you you need to drop half a paycheck for one rod/reel combo. I still manage to catch fish despite a lack of all this expensive gear. And for my money, the best buys out there are still Bill Norman cranks for under 5 bucks, or the Berkley Frenzy lures for around $3.

2lb line is, IMO, a wee bit on the light side for dropshotting. I use 10lb SilverThread. Pros seem to use anywhere from 6-10lb.