BigAngus752

What line? I would expect you could run 8lb Sufix 832 or PP up to the very edge with no problem. 20lb Big Game not so much.

What are you going to use them for? The SV is a game-changer for certain techniques but is a waste of money for others. I prefer to pick the technique, then the rod, then match the reel.

Interesting day today. Fished from 8:30am to 3pm. Water temps from 56.5 in the south/deep end in the morning to 62 in the shallow north end in the afternoon. I caught 12 bass. I thought I would be spending more time in the backs of spawning coves but I only caught small bass back there. All of the biggest bass were at the mouths or just inside the beginning of the coves. None of the bass had scraped up tails. All were in perfect condition. A blk/blu @Siebert Outdoors Fogy with a blk/blue SK Menace caught the most and a Cotton Cordell lipless in my favorite Walmart-only shad color was a close second. Also caught one on a chartruese 1.5 squarebill and one on a t-rigged coppertruese Zinker Z. We are about to have a temp drop with cloudy skies and a bit of rain. The water temps shouldn't go up any more this week. I'm interested to see if the fish are in the same places this coming weekend or if they'll keep moving up regardless of water temps.

Does your TM have a GPS lock? That is a gift from heaven. Nose into the wind, spot lock, fish off the back of the boat. Of course your batteries won't last forever so it can shorten your fishing day. A good anchor will work as long as there aren't waves washing over into your boat. Sometimes you just can't hit the good spots and you have to fish protected areas and hope for some resident fish in there.

I have switched everything in my arsenal of larger spinners to a few War Eagles and a bunch of @Siebert Outdoors. I abuse them in vegetation and wood all year long. They get thrown away when I have bent and unbent them so much that they just don't run anymore. Maybe I'll start mailing the mangled ones to @scaleface... https://siebertoutdoors.com/products/ols/categories/spinner--blade-baits

Let's keep in mind that there is a wide array of "spinner baits" out there that produce vastly different drag through the water. A large spinner with two medium Colorado blades or a huge willow blades is going to produce much more drag going through the water than a Strike King Mini King with a single, small Colorado or a large inline spinner. If you fish a rod without enough backbone it's going to stay bent in half throughout the retrieve. I fish medium/large spinner baits on literally the same set-up as I fish 3/8 and larger bladed jigs. It's a 7'3 MH Duckett Terex with a moderate-ish tip. It's absolutely perfect for these applications. I can, however, see why someone would want to use glass because I've often thought my glass crankbait rod would likely work well also. If it's a smaller spinner or has smallish willow blades then I'll throw it on a rod with a little less backbone and a moderate-ish tip. This is also an important consideration because I fish both the bladed jig and the spinner through grass and in wood. I love running a vibrating jig down the length of a fallen log. Where/how the op fishes them may decide the appropriate set-up.

You are correct, the lighter Spiderwire from Walmart can almost be described as "brittle". I have some 50lb in my boat for emergency use on a baitcaster but it's pointless to try 10lb or lighter. I know that good braid is expensive and I feel your pain, but if you'll go get yourself some Sufix 832 (or some folks like Power Pro) you will find a truly amazing difference in the performance. When I use braid on spinning gear it's 8lb Sufix 832. Baitcasters get 50 or 65lb. Good luck.

I only know one lake this well. It's spectacularly handy to know where several "one fish" locations are when the bite is slow or the lake is packed. I have had numerous especially tough days on that lake and when engaging in dock talk while loading the boat on the trailer other fisherman tell me they got skunked and I tell them I got three keepers. The secret is that I hit five "one fish" spots and three had good fish on them. One is a stump that is literally the only thing on the bottom of a large, gravel flat and it's five feet under the water. I found it totally by accident. I'm hell bent on making sure that if anyone else finds it, it's by accident also. The only other human being that I am aware knows about that stump is an older gentleman who's dock is 40 yards away. A few years ago he shouted at me, "You found it, didn't you?" I said, "Yes sir, and I won't be telling anyone". He gave me the "attaboy" nod. This year I have committed to fishing at least one, preferably two, other lakes MORE than I fish this lake in the hopes that I can become as adept at catching on more lakes, but it's really, really tough to finally get a day to fish and NOT go to the lake that I already excel on.

That was quick!

The ones with the 54 transducers are heavily discounted and going fast. I got a UHD93sv from Scheels for $499 with the 54. Now all Scheels has are the units with the 56. UPDATE: I just found this one. Cheapest I've found so far. https://www.ebay.com/p/4035188188

Academy is having a fishing sale and it includes a surprisingly good selection of rods and reels. They have Tatula SVs for $160. Unfortunately for me they don't have any lefties. Good sale on Dobyns rods too.

Googan is "overhyped" because they spend a great deal of money "overhyping" themselves. They are selling like hotcakes due to the nature of American buyers. I don't buy their products (although I do have a few packs of those Ned things with the rattles to try) so I don't have a dog in this fight, but if you feel they are not worth the money then let me ask you....how many Creme products do you fish with? Creme Lure Company is the opposite end of this spectrum. They have been producing quality baits/lures since 1949. Some of their plastics have (IMHO) the best action of anything similar on the market. What's the difference? You don't see them plastered all over social media and they are the most economical (read that as "cheapest") baits on the planet. All Walmarts carry Creme lures and they are cheap even by Walmart standards. Whey aren't they always sold out? For the same reason that Googan is popular.

This is perfect timing. Thanks very much.

I believe what you experienced are called "freedombumps". ?

Great shot!

And we're off!

Understatement!

One is enough if it's that one! Beautiful fish!

It makes sense, yet it hurts my brain.

Depends on the lake. Most of the time I prefer overcast. One of the lakes I fish is relatively shallow and has a ton of cover including boat docks and lay downs. When the sun is high and bright the fish don’t go deep, they go under stuff in the shade. Those can be really good days.

CCI makes a .45ACP shotshell. They don’t function reliably in semi-automatic pistols so be prepared for that.

Excellent point

It's not about the cover as much as it's about where the cover is located. The bass will relate to structure under the water by season and weather. Figure out where the fish are likely to be on that particular day (on flats, close to deep water, on their way to shallower water or on the way to deeper water, etc.) and then go look for cover that is in those areas. A stump in a foot of water in the back of a shallow flat that looks identical to a stump in a foot of water that's adjacent to deep water are the equivilent of two different worlds. My step one when I launch is trying to imagine the lake without any visible cover and looking at all the circumstances to figure out what structure/depth the bass should be.

If you find something with 1000+ reviews (legitimate) that doesn't have "a few negatives" please tell me what it is and I will buy it even if I have no use for it. I own an Ultrex. Have you seen all the "problems" posted in forums and on social media with the Ultrex? Nothing is perfect. If you seek complaints...complainers you will find no matter what the subject. I chose an Ultrex because I have a MinnKota service center one hour from me and when I purchased the Ultrex from them they installed it for free. Now if I have a problem I can drive there and say "fix this please". As I understand it, there is no such thing as an authorized Garmin service center. If there had been one within an hour or two of me I would have a Force on my boat to match my Garmin electronics.

Yes. Black/blue jig and trailer combos can work at any time. I've had blk/blue football jigs catch fish after fish in bright sun in late summer on rip rap in the clearest water of the year. Give it a try when you feel like it. If the fish don't bite then switch to a green pumpkin combo.