Happybeerbuzz

I do not listen to a lot of country music, but if I had a favorite, it would probably be this one. Conway Twitty That's My Job with lyrics - YouTube

I start out with about 3 wing spans of leader which I am estimating to be over 12'. I use an FG knot and wind the knot onto the spool. I have not noticed a problem. I will use that leader until there is about a rod length left after reties. I have one Daiwa TWS reel. The only problem I have had is that during the retrieve, I feel the knot pass through the guide going back into the spool. I did not care for it so I limited the gauge of the leader to about 15# mono. Eventually I just started using straight braid with that reel and made it my flipping/pitching/frog reel.

Somebody really needs to help MondoLikesFishing and lds922. They really do not seem to know what the heck they are doing.

If I fish the delta, my normal launch is 40 minutes drive time away. Otherwise the lakes I fish are about a little over an hour away. However, one of my resolutions for the year is to try some new waters. I plan to expand my range to waters under 90 minutes away.

In 2-6 weeks when I find the weather agreeable enough, I bet the first lure I throw will be either a jerk bait or a red mid depth crank bait probably in red. It might even be that exact rock crawler of PotatoLake.

For a long time I did 3 alternating half hitches, trimmed the leader, 3 more half hitches. I then got a little more fancy and did two alternating half hitches, trim the leader, a five wrap rizzuto finish, and a touch of super glue on the hitches and rizzuto only. Lately, I have been just doing a simple finish with six alternating half hitches, trim, and super glue on the half hitches only. In all instances, I leave about a 3/16 inch tag of braid that takes about an hour or so of casting to completely fray into a visual hit indicator.

Sexy Shad, Electric Blue, & Blue Gill. I use other ones too, but I always have an on hand supply of those three.

I keep split ring pliers on the boat just in case I buy a new lure on the way to the launch or forget to take the split ring off at home.

For me, the sound of the weight snapping into place became familiar and satisfying in an odd way.

Senko or a Stik-O have been my stick bait of choice when I wacky rig or fish them weightless on a t-rig.

PC gamer here! I could not get use to mobile interfaces.

Is there an obligation to KOS in CA on these just in case I run into another one?

Call Minn Kota support to start. Something is not right.

I am currently using old Pflueger Presidents and a Sadona but when I replace them , it will be with Revros reels. I was planning on switching over to them before the Presidents but I got such a deal that I could not pass them up.

Some might consider that pack of Googan Baits going overboard but if there is room on the boat...

I am not compelled to match things, but I have tried blue for high visibility, and it is. However, it is not as high vis as the other colors you mentioned. I went back to yellow and neon green.

I was surprised when I pulled it up on a 3 inch paddle tail which I have been throwing in the same water for 4 years. This is the first one I have seen.

I have never caught one of these before until earlier today. I caught it in the San Joaquin Delta near Stockton.

I was a hi-vis yellow guy because of bite detection, and I still am in the sense that I bought a whole bunch of it in all sizes when Power Pro was on sale. One day my dog got hold of the 30# spool and spread it all over the backyard. When I needed it, I replaced it with a neon green 832 just to see. It turns out that my yellow tinted sun glasses sees the neon green significantly better than the hi-vis yellow. I have not decided if I need to replace the sun glasses or the yellow Power Pro.

If that is your concern, not all cheap lures are made in China. Some come from South/Central America while others come from other parts of South East Asia. However, it does take some effort to confirm the country of origin since most online sites do not list it.

Thanks Tom. Best wishes to you and yours as well, particularly that guy who talked you into getting on the water again. I hope everyone here on BR has a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Hindsight being 20/20, I would have taken all the time I spent on top water which was not very productive this year, and dedicated it on jig fishing. I wanted to make 2020 the year I became confident with a jig which did not happen.

Yes expensive lures catch more fish, particularly to the extent that money can buy confidence. However, for me personally, I am getting to where my own vanity is moving away from the mainstream. For example I have enough Vision 110s and LC pointers that I am more interested in catching them on Yo-Zuri Sashimis and H2O Ultimate Jerk Shads. Truth be told, part of the reason I use the Jerk Shad is to tease my friends because Academy does not deliver to CA any longer, and they can not get them.

Rapala Ripstop 9. For me, it gets left in the tackle box because it runs too shallow.