BassGirl71

I didn't think of that! Good point.

I use garlic scented markers at times. I do it for the color as well as the scent. With a pack of garlic markers (blue, orange,red and chartreuse), I can carry fewer colors of soft plastics and use the garlic markers to fine-tune my color selection. I believe the scent also attracts fish, and, for the most part, I think they do hold on to a bait with a quality scent on it better than with nothing at all.

That's a great idea. I don't know why I never thought of using glass beads with a Texas rig. I always have them with my for my C-rigs, but I didn't think about using them this way. I'll definitely give this a try this year. Do you use tungsten weights? It seems like the sound would be a lot better clicking off of the tungsten, too, than it would off of lead. Thanks for the tip!

On my bait casters, when I use braid, it's 65-pound Fortis. I don't usually go above 14-pound for mono because it's easier to manage, I think. I know some people swear by fluorocarbon, but I think it can be tough for a beginner to start out with. Of course, I haven't used it in a few years since I got frustrtated with the line memory and took it off my reels. Maybe it has changed, but I think either mono or braid is best to start with if you've never used a bait caster. JMO. I've also used KastKing copolymer with good results on my bait casters.

I skipped a dock with a bait caster once.... By accident, of course. I was shocked it went fairly well! But I am more of a spinning rod person when skipping. It is just so much easier - or maybe I'm just not patient enough to learn it with a bait caster. I have a 6'6" shakey head rod that I use. This year I thought about trying the Gene Larew Dock Shooters. I got some Gene Larew pinhead jigs and the Dock Shooter soft plastics. I'm not sure if it will be easier or harder - but I suppose, like anything, it will be a matter of practice and getting used to it. I also agree with FryDog62's statement about skipping in other situations. I think it's a presentation the fish do not normally see, so it can get them interested better than other presentations they've seen a million times.

Kind of a cool contest. I don't think I have 400 subscribers, either - okay, I know I don't. lol. But it's a pretty great reel for a decent price... I can justify just about anything when it come to fishing gear. Just ask me.

Good info. I live in WI as well and was going to add the Ned rig to my list of things to fish more this year. But a lot of the lakes I fish, like you said, are heavily weeded. The ones that aren't I would be fishing pretty deep. 10" worm is one of my go-to baits for mid-summer fishing!

I agree, I use a power shot quite a bit when fishing vegetation like pads. It is really just a drop shot, but with a heavier weight, a bigger hook and a bulkier bait. It works really well when the fish are up under the pads just sitting there in the shade. The weight drops through and the bait sits right in front of them. It's not a presentation they see often where I fish, so it seems to work pretty well.

Good information here. I've been hesitant about micro guides for reasons like this. Of course, where I live, icing can often be a problem early and late in the year, and it seems like the people I know who use rods with micro guides have more problems with ice clogging the guides up.

You would be surprised to learn how many rods are made in China - most of them are. Economies of scale and all of that economics kind of talk. There are differences in the final rods, but a majority of the blanks come from the same place. I believe in "buy USA" as much as anyone, but the world is becoming smaller by the day and our economies more intertwined. So, if a company makes a good product - it is a good product, no matter whose GDP it goes toward. JMO

Believe what you want. It doesn't hurt my feelings. An improperly built rod is subject to a lot of issues - seems as though there is more of that chance with this type of rod. No one needed to "tell me" that. But thanks for your well thought-out reply.

Sadly that's true. There's always the Bassmaster Live coverage, if you have the time during the event. If not, it's usually about a month out.

I would have to agree. I have a friend that builds them - but I'm not sold on the idea. Also - what about the backbone of the rod? If you have a really hard hook set, it seems to me you'd get the same result as when the rod builder puts the guides on the wrong side of the rod.... usually it'll blow up. Just a thought....

I wish I lived somewhere with double digit bass! These pics are awesome. My PB is a 6.04 largemouth, which is pretty good sized for around here.

The Stealth is great. Have you got a chance to try the Speed Demon? It's got a 9.3:1 gear ratio. That thing is super fast. I can't wait to get it out on the water.

I've never owned an Abu, so I can't really say anything about it. I can say I've used the Stealth and other reels from KastKing, and they have performed solidly for me. I think they are a good option.

Well, at least you figured it out! No more lost fish. It's been my experience that pretty much every line is properly rated as far as strength goes. Some of them do act a bit differently, though.

I have a Helix 5 on my smaller boat and I think it is great. I have also heard good things about Garmin, but I don't have much experience with them. I moved from Lowrance years ago and probably won't go back. I had an HDS that quite obviously was not waterproof and it cost me a tournament or two (three different units in three different tournaments), so I just don't feel right recommending them. That said, I know a ton of guys who love them and will always use them. On a budget, though, I'd check out the Helix. JMO.

My thought would be the braid is maybe cutting into itself? It doesn't sound so much like a reel problem to me as a line problem, I guess. And I agree with others here - if you use your rod to get a lure unstuck, you're going to have the line cutting into itself a lot. Another option may be to use a bigger line? I only throw 50 and 65 lb braid on casting reels. I save the smaller stuff for spinning reels. If all else fails, you could try to Fortis line from KastKing, too, as long as you are using their reels already. I haven't had any problem with Fortis and it's less pricey than some of the others - not sure what you are paying for Spider Wire, but it might be worth a shot.

I live in Rhinelander and usually wait until later in the year to fish Boom. It can be tough in the spring. But there are so many other lakes around - some of my favorites are Nokomis and Mohawksin in Tomahawk. The Minocqua chain usually has a ton of boat traffic later in the year (which you probably know if you spend any time up here), but it can be fun early in the year before all of the pleasure boaters get out there. You might even want to try some of the smaller lakes near Rhinelander like Crescent or Squash, west of town or Lake George east of town. There are so many options - if one's not working out, just head to another lake.

Welcome! I am from Wisconsin also. If there is anything I can do to help from the "local" perspective, feel free to give me a yell!

Cool idea to write goals down here in the forum where everyone can see them. Here are my goals for the 2017 season: 1. Stay in shape throughout the winter to be ready for tournaments next summer without getting fatigued 2. Learn to fly fish 3. Do a bit more fishing just for fun or for learning new techniques 4. Learn more about my electronics 5. Use the off season to study lake maps, Google Earth, etc. 6. Use techniques with which I am not very comfortable, such as drop shotting, so I can learn to rely on them and have confidence in them