Boomstick

So I did end up buying a truck. Got a '14 GMC Sierra with 26k on it and it has the trail brake package so if I ever get a boat, I'm good. Now at least until I get more put away for my bass boat, I can buy a canoe.

I can't seem to get the door panel off without cutting it off. Normally, I don't lock it anyway because I had to use the key because the auto lock and interior locks were already broken (the rods broke). However, it will often auto lock and not auto unlock meaning I have to put the window down and use the key to get out for example. So if I get it unlocked without the right parts, I will still get locked in. At this point, I'm pretty sure I'm buying a truck. Not going to take my summer vacation from me. I've been unable to find the parts I need as it is, and given everything else I have going on I just can't deal with stress right now. Plus eventually I'll need it anyway for a bass boat, and I can get a canoe now too.

I'm too old and fat to do that now. I used to be able to do that years ago.

So I was supposed to go camping at Lake St. Catherine next week. I figured I would get the car loaded up and ready to go a day early, so I could find the few things I need to bring with me, work a few hours Monday morning (as planned) and then take off right from there. So I get the car loaded up, went to lock the doors and now my driver's door won't open. Likely going to miss my trip two weeks after this one (on Lake Dunmore) too seeing as I can't simply get the lock for a '92 Brougham I am so disappointed right now. This was the only thing I was looking forward to in what has been an absolutely terrible year for me already. I'm seriously thinking of just trading it in for a truck, but that will make it rather difficult to get a bass boat as well (I'd still need to get rod holders for the truck too to transport rods, which I don't think I can get locally). Might be worth it just for the stress alone at this point, as I already had parts to hunt down at the junkyard but ended up being hospitalized and using my vacation time to cover my hospital stay. It's unlikely I'll have enough time off this year as well.

I'm not trying to make you worry, as I highly doubt you have the same problem I did. When I was around 350lbs, I'd get back pain from being on my feet all day. I lost 100lbs and nothing changed. Then I got diagnosed with colon cancer, had half my right colon removed and once I recovered, I was no longer was getting back pain. That said, I had back pain for years before I had the tumor as well. The only over the counter drug that ever helped me was Advil, taking anything else was just pointless. And then I would have to lay on my back, on the floor for a while until it would pass.

I use 12lb braid to 6lb fluro leader and rarely lose them on the NED rig myself. Make sure to reel before setting the hook. My youngest son lost a couple of rainbows on a ned rig by not reeling before giving it a good hookset. I use a ML/XF rod, although St. Croix so it's probably a little stiffer than a ML/F Dobyns.

Dark brown or black baits! Can't go wrong with black and blue coloed colorado spinnerbaits, dark brown or black senkos and black and blue chatterbaits

I have generally found that the only thing NADA is good for is how much you can get for a loan. This is especially true up here in the northeast where used cars are more than in other parts of the country that use less salt for some reason, and used boats are far and few between as well. But this is all good advice. I'd be all over that Champion myself from the sounds of it.

Yeah, I have 12lb braid on one and 15lb on the other. I still have a lot more backbone on my M/F rods though.

I will tend to use one of my M/F spinning rods with 8lb mono for shaky heads. I like a little extra power on shaky heads than I have on my ML/XF rods. Why not?

I would go with 15 pound mono/flurocarbon or should you ever throw a frog on the same rod, then 40lb braid. Ideally I would get something like a M/F or MH/MF rod and put on some 12-15lb braid on that, then 40lb braid on my MH/F. That opens up what you can do with it.

Based on purely ratings, the first specification to me is a traditional MH bass rod. The second should be called MHH or something. However, some of the heavier rods may have more flex than you think.

They prescribed me zofran, but I haven't needed it. On the treatment I am on, people largely do not get sick or lose their hair, and the bad taste and most of the side effects for that matter are usually temporary. Right now I'm really praying by Monday morning I am side effect free so I can have a happy week of camping next week -- and two weeks after as well. At least the heat in the foreseeable future is below 90 degrees. Next week ranges from 81-89, where the 89 degree day is a Friday over a week after my treatment, so I should be able to chug water by then.

That used to be me... or "got my Warlock officially geared as the #1 lock on the server" or whatever. It's much more fun being outside.

This is my second year of really bass fishing. I learned a ton last year, and finally got a big one at the end of the year. This year, I got a big one right off the bat and haven't gotten completely skunked nearly as often as last year, however lately it's been getting harder to catch them from the shore. I often fish with my kids, and if dinner allows we will fish past sundown although fishing time for us this year has been 10-8. Given the heatwave, chemo etc. I guess that's not too bad. I'm also camping next week, and I hope the lingering effects of the treatment don't hang around as long -- primarily the cold sensitivity. I am hoping the heatwave caused the cold sensitivity to be exaggerated -- the first treatment had me drinking cold water by Saturday, and this one I wasn't even able to drink room temperature water until Monday! At the very least, I'm sure I'll rent a canoe for most of the week so I hope I'll get a few good ones. I don't know a lot about the lake, but I've reviewed the maps and I know it's very clear water with little cover so I plan on doing a lot of swimbaits, senkos and primarily drop shots -- one of the reasons I upgraded my finesse rig was for lakes like this. I was in the emergency room with a sharp stabbing pain in my right side in the area of my appendix on Friday -- a very similar pain that brought me to the ER to learn I had a massive, cancerous tumor growing in my colon back in May, not muscle pain or anything like that. The CT showed nothing. I have read on the internet that many people complain about random pains on 5-FU, but it's not listed as an official side effect so I will have to talk to my doctor about this one.

I would say try dusk or dawn, and if you have access to a deeper spot, try that. Given that you have a MH/F rod, throwing a hollow body frog into the weedy area seems like a good idea as well. I just got back out fishing (stayed inside during the heat because I have a hard time drinking fluids because of chemo) and tried to catch some trout but even all the baitfish moved into deeper water.

I like when they asked why do you fish. As a software engineer myself, I could have given the same answer.

Normally, I would fish through it with a few swimming breaks, but chemo makes it so I can't drink cold water, and even room temperature water is too cold for the first 2-3 days. But yeah I did get my PB when I rented a rowboat and in the morning, I was throwing a spinnerbait and was going to switch to soft plastics at lunchtime. Right before lunch as it was warming up, I got my PB which was a little bit later than you'd think you'd get them to chase, so maybe that big one didn't slow down yet like you said.

That's too bad. I don't know if the diameter of the spool is smaller on the 30 than the 35, but my Daiwa BG, size 2000 has roughly the same size spool diameter as my President, but holds much less line. The larger diameter spool always helps with these issues, as does the bail's design.

I have never heard anything but great stuff about Nitro personally. Most Nitro boat owners I've talked to have either bought Nitro boats for years, or had been aspiring to get a Nitro and worked up from cheaper used boats to get there over many years.

I have a Pflueger President 35 and for whatever reason, if you do not leave a full 1/8" off of the spool when spooling it, it does lose a lot of line loops. Once it got so bad that the line got stuck in the bottom of the spool, I had to take the spool off and lost a couple washers, so when I respooled it, I used 8lb mono because it's what I had available, left a solid 1/8" off and haven't had a problem since. Also as others have said, be sure you are spooling it up correctly. There is a video from Glenn right here on bassresource.com on how to spool a spinning reel that I would recommend watching if you aren't 100% sure.

I despise the extreme heat as much as I do winter. I've thought about moving south, figuring I'd get a longer fishing season but then I have to consider what I would lose from sitting in the AC in the summer too.

I would try to get a St. Croix Mojo Bass with a Daiwa BG. Also, I would go with a 2000 sized reel, as it holds adequate 6 and 8lb fluro, and 10-15lb braid as well should you go that way. I have a 2000 sized BG paired with a 6'9" ML/XF Avid X, and it's pretty well balanced and if you can't feel a bite on that, there's probably something wrong with the nerves in your hands. The Mojo Bass has the same blank as the Avid X.

I have both reels, and don't think you can go wrong with either to be honest. Some people hate the drag on the Mitchell, but I haven't had an issue. What I dislike about the Mitchell is the bail doesn't leave much room between itself and the rod, and even if I had smaller hands it would be problematic, so I really have to pay attention to the angle I hold the line when casting or I may have some issues losing line loops or with line twist. I will note that I switched to braid and made sure I place my hand in the right place, and haven't had an issue since. Pairing it with a rod with a better handle would also help (something like the Avid X where the handle extends past the reel seat). Now what you will like about the Mitchell is that it's an incredibly smooth reel, much smoother than reels that cost triple the price, and feels like a huge step up from the President.

Welcome to the forums!