Jay Dubs

I'm looking for smaller budget, to make it easier to get into spots close to me (I live in Soddy Daisy, so am 10 minutes from access to Possum Creel, Sale Creek and Soddy Lake) and I also know going used and cheap is risky. I'm assuming boats are like old motorcycles, know what you can and can't fix. Any idea if buying used, sellers would let you take it to a mechanic to give the motor a quick look? I'm just worried about getting burned going used, and things getting a lot more expensive than I bargained for.

I just moved to by Chickamauga and am looking for my first boat. As a kid and teen, I fished out of jon boats in Indiana, but we fished ponds, strip pit lakes and smaller bodies of water. Most were under 400 acres, but we fished some larger ones just electric only. Chickamauga has several bays, sloughs and shallow water areas, but even there you see bass boats at speed. What would be the best small boat for dealing with boat waves, and that may be safe enough to get around a larger main lake body? Cash is limited, so I'm trying to stick to $5,000 or less for boat, motor and sonar. I've looked at the mini boats, like the Bass Hunter, and some 10-12' jons with a 42" bottom. I'd love to find wider, but the only ones I've seen have been smaller dealers, and nowhere near me. It's going to be just me for now, since I don't know anyone here, and I'd like something that wouldn't necessarily require a ramp to launch, which would make more areas accessible. I know a lot of people kayak, and I'm considering a peddle powered yak too. I fished in Florida with an inflatable kayak in the Ocala National Forest. I don't have any recent experience with boats, just yaks, so would love to hear what you use, and how capable and safe it is in dealing with big water and wakes. Thanks!

Went to Soddy Custom Tackle, and great place and people. Loves to talk shop and was getting fishing reports from everyone, and handing out information. I've fished the park around Soddy Lake, Hickory Circle and Soddy Creeek and only caught a couple bass, but man there are some big panfish here. I was tossing an inline spinner thinking smallmouth in the creek and caught some bull redbellies.

Hey everyone, Lived in Gainesville, FL for years, just got up to Soddy Daisy and am excited to get to fish Chickamauga. We visited the area while debating TN, GA or NC and I shore fished a bit, love the lake. Interested if anyone else if from the area. I'm stuck shore fishing until our house in Florida sells, but buying a small boat after that. Looking to get some opinions on what would be best for the area. My only boating experience has been kayaks and jon boats, but with Chick having a current, and being open so getting wind, curious what that is like. I'm also looking for local shops for lures. I like supporting local, and it's a great way to meet other people who love the same things. Any advice would be awesome. Take care and tight lines! Jason

Lordy, fishing rivers in Florida for bass, I have caught pickerel, bowfin, catfish and small bluegill on baits as big as a 6" stickbait. I had a baby gator take a frog bait once, but luckily he didn't get hooked and let go. We were on vacation in Chattanooga, and I wanted to fish the river for smallies. I had a flat sided crank on and hooked what I thought was a log...until it started swimming. Ended up being a big sheepshead. I get the weird and hungry ones, I guess.

Alright, am I crazy in thinking I can get a yak on the roof of my Accord sedan with a Thule Aeroblade or other roof rack? I'm only looking at a 10'-12' yak, so am thinking there is some sanity to the plan. If anyone has a recommendation of a roof rack, let me know. I'm just starting to research and hoping I'll save my self some headaches by getting some good advice here. Thanks!

I was lucky enough to buy one of their "refurbished" rods which was actually brand new. Someone bought it, then returned it unused. Their shipping was fast, their packaging secure and the rod is amazing in its balance. Love Dobyns!

So, I'm rebuilding my gear and looking for a all around finesse rod. I bought a Dobyns casting rod and love it, but want to try a different brand and was debating Kistler and ALX. With Kistler's sale, that decision became easier. So, what are your thoughts, and does anyone hear have any of these rods? I'm looking for it to be an all around light duty, tossing little spinners, shakey heads, drop shots and weightless finesse applications. I'm leaning towards the ML F in the Helium 3, as the M XF is rated for 1/8th oz and I want to be able to cast really light. It also seems like the ML has enough backbone, from what the reviews on the Kistler site say. In the KLX, I'm thinking of the Drop Shot, as the ML is a MF, and the M F is again only rated to 1/8th oz. The Drop Shot seems to be the best compromise there. Everything gets 5 star reviews on their site, so I know they're all quality pieces and I'll probably love whatever I get. I'm just interested to know, if you had to pick just one finesse rod for all those applications, which one? Thanks!

If you're learning to fish, you may want to go weightless on the soft plastics. When I was learning, I did that and noticed that bass held onto the lures longer. If you haven't taught yourself to set the hook as a reflex yet, this will kind of buy you some more time. The more you practice, the more strikes you get, the more you'll learn about detecting strikes (feel, line watching). Fishing in the canals and small waterways, flukes and senkos fished weightless can be a blast. Use a light wire hook, and I'd get a line with less stretch, which will give you more feel. You'll need it, with the softer rod. Have fun, and tight lines!

I keep asking all the bass I catch what exactly they think the senko looks like. They never ask me, so I just keep catching more.

I haven't bought any new tackle for ages, until this year, when I picked up a Dobyns Fury 703C for an all-arounder. It was an eye opener, as to how much gear has improved. I'm now looking for a drop shot/finesse/shakey rig and after reading "sensitive rod" threads in this forum, I'm looking at Kistler, Hammer and keeping Dobyns in mind, as I love my Fury. I want a price around $200, and sensitivity being the biggest point for me. I'm open to hearing about other brand too. I'm going to end up buying a rod without being able to see our handle them though, so please offer a little more detail than "I like this one best." I'd really love to hear what and why made you choose the rod you recommend. Thanks!

Anyone have a Dobyns Champion, and can compare them to any of the rods mentioned here? I really want a sensitive rod for jigs and t-rigs and you can get a used Dobyns in that price range. I have a Fury and for the price, it's a great rod.

Beautiful pond fish!

I can't tell how many times I've looked at a spot tight to cover and thought "if I hook one, I'll never land it" then promptly hooked one, and often bigger fish. I do like this topwater, vertical jigging combo you've developed!

I'm also in Gainesville and would love to know some local ponds. I always enjoy trips to Jax, Orlando, or anywhere that you can find the "urban ponds." I've been hunting for some in Gainesville with no luck. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to share here.

I am in the same boat (no boat) and fish from the bank in an area that doesn't have a lot of places to fish, so pressured. I can catch them on your common baits: senkos, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, etc. I also find I do really well with some more oddball stuff: inline spinners over grass beds, c-rigs in shallow water, etc. I think there is a lot said for offering up what they don't see every day, but you also need to keep in mind matching what their prey is. With soft plastics, I find it amazing how often changing shape, over color, works. I've had days where you can't get a bite on a senko, but a curled tail, or small lizard will work. It's a fun game figuring out what to fish, and where to fish it, and how to fish it. I also agree about going S-L-O-W. Can't say how many times slowing down is the way to go.

Yes, I'm over in Gainesville. From Indiana originally, and when I was a kid, I read about all the Florida bass fishing. Then I end up in Gainesville, which really doesn't have anything to offer. I'm a bank fisherman, but hoping to get a small v-hull or jon boat to give me some more options. I make the drive to the Ocala National Forest and over to Rodman Reservoir, when I can. I just wish that Gainesville had all the little urban ponds like you see in the larger cities. I'll look up the Florida Surf Casters forum and get on there. I really want to get into surf fishing as I find myself in Jacksonville and St Augustine fairly often.

I'm up for surf fishing! I've only been twice, both in Sarasota. All I know is what a bait shop told me, but I caught a couple mackerel and loved wading around in the surf. If you could share the name of a good bait shop in Jax, I'll hit them up and see if they can point me to some good spots, and let me know what they're hitting. Thanks!

We do a vacation to Tennessee or Georgia every year and section hike the AT. There are also some beautiful waterfall trails which involve following mountain streams up hill. Bring an UL spinning rig and some rooster tails or better yet, the Blue Fox minnow spins. You'll get some browns, brookies and rainbows up to 16"-18". Check the rules, because some creeks you can only fish from May to November, or something like that. Have fun!

Visited Sarasota for a couple weekends while my wife was taking a CEU class there. Lakewood Ranch is ok, Celery Fields much better. 3-5 pounders up in lily pads, and edge of grass beds. You can hit the rowing lake just off I-75, old locals call it something odd but the park is Nathan Benderson, and catch a lot of little guys there. There are a bunch of unnamed ponds along some of the main roads, like Bahia Vista, and those are good. Basically, try every pond. I fished 6 and only got skunked at 1.

Spent a weekend in Sarasota, so dug through here, and hit a local bait shop. Check out the Celery Fields, Lakewood Ranch and then drive down Bahia Vista. There are good ponds along that road, but don't know the name. My wife was in a class, and we shared the car which meant I was only fishing 9:30am to 4:30pm during late July. Not the best times, but still caught a bunch all 3 days. Fish shallow water, I was hauling 3-5 pounders out of less than 5'. The standard pond baits all work: flukes, senkos, wacky rigs, texas rigs. I had great luck with a short Carolina rig (18") and also inline spinners over grass beds or on the edge of lily pads. You'd be amazed at how big of a fish will come out of the pads to kill a little inline spinner, and fighting Florida bass on ultralight gear is a hoot.

Safe to say, I bought a Tat SV. Thanks for the advice, and I'll be putting it to test next weeked!

Trust me, I understand. Most of my original gear came from flea markets, or clearance. Only thing I spent some serious cash on was my BB1NG, which was paid for by my paper route. I'm hoping that spending some money on a couple of good quality combos, I'll get a solid 10 years from them. If it makes you feel better, I moved to Florida in 1997, and all my gear is from before I moved!

Wondering if anyone knows any good spots. I'm familiar with Newnan's Lake, and the Santa Fe River, but don't have a boat yet, so stuck bank fishing. I'll hopefully be getting a small boat next spring. I love bass fishing, and recently got into surf fishing. I'm willing to drive a couple hours in any direction, just hoping to know what that direction should be!

I ended up with a Tatula SV paired with a Dobyns Fury 703C and a Quantum PT Energy E25 paired with a Daiwa Ardito 7' Medium Fast. Total cost, $374 including tax and shipping. I really appreciate all the help and advice from everyone! I ended up with a Tatula SV paired with a Dobyns Fury 703C and a Quantum PT Energy E25 paired with a Daiwa Ardito 7' Medium Fast. Total cost, $374 including tax and shipping. I really appreciate all the help and advice from everyone!