TOXIC

Good setup. I have nothing...I use the SPRO 65 Bronze eye both popper and normal and don't have a problem. Sometimes I trim the legs, sometimes not. Normally I leave the legs long on the poppers since you want them to "buck" and spit water instead of side to side action.

What's your frog setup? Rod/reel/line? Are you frogging in grass? Pads? Open water?

Just to clarify, there's hot and then there's HOT. A normal summer day I might not drink anything (I'm bad about that) but these 90+ degree days with high humidity you can bet I'm planning ahead and getting my fluids right.

Thanks for the clarification. The key word in the weighted version is "Senko-style" But like I said....rig it any way you like and weighted belly hooks with a keeper is certainly an option. No, the larger profile of the hook causes a more distinctive "thud" and resulting line jump when the fish hits it. It makes more contact with their mouth.

Agreed, the Express, Falcon and a few others have taken the Bass boat mold and made them tin. That's what I was referring to.

KVD would surely disagree with all this "slow-down" talk. How many times has he said and shown on the water, that he puts his TM on high and burns a crankbait or spinnerbait to cover a lot of water. He is fishing for aggressive fish and the more he can get a lure in front of, the more he catches. I can't do that for a couple of reasons.... 1. I'm a Senko and/or finesse fisherman first. 2. I'm no youngster and couldn't keep up that pace or number of casts for very long. But you can't argue, it's worked out well for him.

I don't like nitpicking and you could surely use it on a regular Senko but this is quoted from the GYCB link you posted. Notice the comma placement.

But not the Senko...The ad mentions Swimming Senko's which are really a swimbait. They are good hooks though!!

There's a big difference between tin boats that are modeled after bassboats, tin rigs that are either flat bottom or small modified "V" hulls (normally up to but not more than 90hp) and tin rigs designed for big rough water with 300's, kicker motors, etc. That's where the apples to apples gets tough. I will tell you this, I went out on Lake Michigan with a PWT touring pro in a Ranger 621 on a "rough" day (I would estimate 3 - 3 1/2 footers) and that guy just about beat me to death!! I had actual blisters on my back from rubbing up and down on the seats in that "Big Water" rig. My point being....a good driver can make pretty much any hull perform smooth and a bad driver can beat you up on a battleship!! I got a 21 foot glass hull because I run big water and the big Deep V tin (or Glass) isn't practical for the type of fishing I do.

Tom is right on. I set my drag with consideration to the rod it's mounted on. Sometimes I can lock down the drag but if I have anything short of a broomstick, I take into consideration the possibility of snapping a rod on the hookset needed for a bass/frog in the heavy grass.

The whole reason I got away from 3.0 hooks and went to 4.0 is because it drastically reduced amount of gut hooking incidents I had with clients who were just learning, or not as proficient at line watching and feeling bites with the weightless Senko. I will go up to a 5.0 when I want the faster sink rate but the wind or current isn't strong enough to warrant a nose weight.

It will work but I have to question why you would use a belly weighted hook on a Senko? Belly weighted hooks are almost impossible to rig a Senko unless they have the screw in type bait keepers because you can't thread the nose of the bait over the weight to get to the hook eye? Also belly weighted hooks are "normally" used on moving baits. Personally, if I want to weight a Senko (or knock-off), I use a 4.0 EWG hook, Texas rig my bait with a little more material forward of the hook eye and use a Bullet screw in weight . But I still stand by my statement that there's no wrong way to rig a Senko!!

Personally, I change when the conditions boat side change. Just this last weekend, we were fishing scattered grass clumps and I was doing well on chatterbaits/senkos. As we moved along we got into thicker grass so I picked up a weightless Yamamoto DShad (fluke style bait) and threw it up into the heaviest grass twitching it on top and letting it sink in small holes. Lost a few to Snakeheads but caught some good bass as well. There's a fine line between knowing if you are fishing the right bait and knowing the fish are there. You need both pieces of that puzzle to make an informed decision. I will run through a progression of baits and if I can't get bit, I assume the fish aren't there or the ones that are aren't eating and I'll move. On the Potomac, you also have to factor in tide. You can be on the fish and when the tide changes, they will shut completely down...completely!! Then it's time to either run to the tide or eat lunch.

If you ever get over there again, hit me up and I can give you some specific spots to fish. And yes, there's something special about catching a bass on a Sammy or a buzzbait during a snowstorm.

Many times Marinas are "off limits" to fishing boats. Also if you can fish them, there's a couple reasons they produce. They are great structure for baitfish and there's the ABC (already been caught) fish that are staging there from tournament releases.

Hot side is a whole different beast. That side of the lake fishes different than most anywhere. In the summer you head for the feeder creeks to get the cooler water and head to pool 3 where the water is at it's coolest point before re-entering the cold side. I have found trying to get the deeper fish in the main pools to bite is tough. They feed early and late and that is the best time to target them.

Good for you in looking. It's not just the caffeine in the tea, it's a diuretic by itself. Not to get overly technical but here is a definition. It pays to know what substances fall into this category when you are trying to conserve your body liquids. BTW, you can't counteract the effects by just not going to the bathroom either. Diuretic: Something that promotes the formation of urine by the kidney. All diuretics cause a person to 'lose water,' but they do so by diverse means, including inhibiting the kidney's ability to reabsorb sodium, thus enhancing the loss of sodium and consequently water in the urine (loop diuretic); enhancing the excretion of both sodium and chloride in the urine so that water is excreted with them (thiazide diuretic); or blocking the exchange of sodium for potassium, resulting in excretion of sodium and potassium but relatively little loss of potassium (potassium-sparing diuretic). Some diuretics work by yet other mechanisms, and some have other effects and uses, such as in treating hypertension. Also known as water pill. Substances in food and drinks, such as coffee, tea, and alcoholic beverages, may act as diuretics.

Also drop the tea. It's a diuretic and will actually cause you problems. Same with coffee or sodas. Eliminate caffeine and carbonation. I like a good beer just the same as the next guy but never on the boat. And like I said, if you haven't started hydrating waaaay before you hit the water, you are behind the curve.

When guiding, I often pulled into a spot where I knew there were fish and my clients would make a dozen casts and claim there were no fish or it was a bad spot, etc. That's when I would pick up my rod and catch a couple just to show them. Used it as a teaching moment normally to point out how to improve their skills. Sometimes it was well received other times not so much.

Easiest way to find out would be to contact your Department of Natural Resources. They may even help with the effort. Might want to release tagged fish for study or monitor catch rates.

Please don't tell me that I have to change the battery in my reel........

Ever wonder why most every Bass Pro or Cabela's or WalMart or Grocery store are all set up the same? Or how the psycological influences on buying and product placement work? There's soooooo much that goes into it nowadays. I have learned so much from my brother-in-law who was a top executive in merchandising for some of the biggest product lines (grocery not fishing). His last position before he retired at 50 was as the Vice President for Sales at Jack Links. Very interesting to talk to him. I helped him when I would do shows in BPS and Cabela's. He called us the "Hooks and Bullets" demographic.

They could have charged him with willfully dumping fuel in the lake as well!! I error on the side of submission to avoid conflict but I also fish the Potomac where confrontation is a daily occurrence. Sometimes you just can't avoid it.

Bass Pro used to be able to get baits "drop shipped" to the store directly from the manufacturer but not anymore. If you go in and ask for a specific bait and color chances are they will not be able to get it for you. If it is in their on-line site, they can probably get the bait shipped to the store. Like I posted on the other thread, they are limited to what the corporate buyers order (no buyers in stores) and your store's rank in the pecking order. Stores order from a BPS distribution Center stocked by the Corporate buyers.

I am pleased with how the season has gone. Trip to St Clair was epic, the weather cooperated and we caught 50-75 fish a day and got on a silly Walleye bite every day that kept us well fed while there. The Potomac has been a mess with all the rain but has given up some good bags of fish and the grass is coming in strong. Overall, no complaints and I may be a little bit of an oddball because I always do better in the dog days of summer. Getting ready for my next trip (to Wisconsin) in August to a chain of lakes that are always fun to fish. Downside is that it's time to shell out some $$ on the boat. I'm due for TM batteries (3) and a set of tires on my dual axle trailer. That's gonna hurt!!