The Bassman

Assuming you're sticking with finesse/worm techniques. I got adventurous Thurs. eve. as the front was passing and tried a chatterbait on b/c tackle. Caught one of my best (5+) of the season. I fish a group of HOA lakes close to home that differ from most in that they have a shad forage base. Looking forward to the next couple of months as the bass start going more pelagic following the shad. These are good sized lakes so I have to believe there's some big ones to be caught.

MGL is acronym for magnumlite. Spool is aluminum. Shimano doesn't recommend use in salt because of the porting which allows water intrusion. Chronarch G is specified for salt as mentioned.

I agree. Day in and day out smallies are much faster and stronger. That said, I've hooked the occasional largemouth that thinks he's a smallmouth. One thing that largemouth do sometimes that I've never seen with a smallie is that they'll get they're head out of the water and be basically motionless as you bring them in. No fight at all.

Don't keep track of #'s but have had times that action was so good that it became work. Don't want to let my passion become a chore. By the way, it's 6:00 AM Sat. Time to grab my gear and get going. Dirty work but someone's got to do it.

Went out spur of the moment before sundown and had a real fun frog bite. Caught four 2-3 lbrs. in a little over half an hour. Had to quit because the nose of my frog (only lure I brought) got torn and wouldn't float. This reinforces what I've said before that some of my best sessions come from limiting my options.

Now that's being resourceful. Once at church camp when I was a kid I had brought some mono and hooks to use for a handline. Got creative and used a cane pole tip from a skit (play) the night before and swiped a couple of slices of bread from the lunch table. Caught some really big bluegills.

Where were you in IN? We're not known for too many sites. I grew up next to the Speedway.

The most important thing is to teach him to close the bail manually, not with the internal trip. also, when retrieving keep a little tension on the line. It doesn't have to be held between the fingers, just a little contact with an extended index finger. These two things would solve a lot of guys issues with spinning tackle.

Can't help but notice you focusing on small waters and fishing on foot this year. Are you finding it more productive or just less trouble than taking the boat out?

I've got a rather primitive method for spooling both spinning and casting reels. I lay my line spool on my desk and feed the line between two 2 liter pop jugs. The spool spins on the desk against the jugs and maintains a measure of tension. I can increase it with my hand as I'm reeling. Simple, but it works.

We're no different than women with their purses and shoes. We're wired to want to buy things. The industry thrives on that. The OP said exactly what I've considered posting at other times. In all honesty some of my best outings are when I grab a rod with only the lure that's attached and a pair of pliers for hook removal. Conversely, some of my least productive trips have resulted from having too many choices.

We're just having fun with the new guy. Welcome and any opportunity to get back is encouraged. Seriously, I googled "fishing downtown Boston" and came up with several choices. Best of luck. Watched a video from another post that showcased Mike Iaconelli fishing Central Park in NYC. Fish don't know where they are.

Don't know about the fishing but I hear good chowdah is easy to find.

I've always loved wading here in IN for smallmouth. Physical challenges have made it more difficult in recent years. Your post paints a very near and dear word picture.

Ditto to that "clomp" except I call it a thud. The only downside to it is that I need some wind blowing to get a trap bite going. We're in the doldrums right now. Pretty much no wind. First fall weather with a stiff breeze and I'm in heaven!

Should be fine. I fish mostly water under 10 ft. so I prefer a 1/16 head for a slower fall.

I've always been slow to blame a slow bite on hot weather but my numbers are down right now. Maybe @Team9nine can chime in. The guy knows bass.

Black Friday is always good.

This seems to mirror what I experience. Loads of 2-3 lbrs. and the occasional 4-5. Would really like to hear your insights on this.

Salesman in fishing tackle told me that the owner (Camping World) wants to open several new stores then start an advertising blitz. Seems a little backwards. You'll notice that presently there are no ads to speak of.

Klepto..............klep.......uh, never mind.

I've bought a few used reels on the Bay and have had no real problems. A couple were really neglected but easy to get back to like new. I try to buy only ones that have several photo angles.

I'm as guilty of this as anybody but it seems our hardbaits become jewelry to us. Fact is that some of my most effective baits are an eyesore from so much use. Guys on TT show collections of lures that probably never touch water.

I haven't fished them but have been impressed with how tip light they are. Compare the reel seats to Fenwick HMG and it will become obvious that they come from a common source.. Both are Pure Fishing brands.

Welcome! Any mention of Cook county reminds me of the movie "The Blues Brothers" and Jake and Elwood's "mission from God" to reach the Cook county assessor's office with the five grand. As was mentioned a good starting point would be the articles and forums on this site. I've been fishing my whole life but have learned many new things and met many good people here over the past couple of years.