Arlo Smithereen

Only 40 fish at a time, not 80. Party Marty and Fletcher are gonna be just fine, buddy.

You're wrong. I've had housewives who couldn't care less about fishing telling me they watched MLF and liked it.

once their eyes are all 'greened out'?? ?

Sounds like you've got some major bias for BASS, and that's understandable. I'll just be glad I don't have to hear Dave Mercer screaming UNBELIEVABLE over and over.

Flatheads are more sought after and prized more than even bass here in Iowa.

Exactly. That's like saying sex is blah after doing it a few times.

I fish Lake View every. single. week. Too many recreational boaters for me, I fish Arrowhead and the pits. Caught my pb there.

I have buzzbaits, Ploppers, PopRs, Spooks, Jitterbugs and Devils Horses for topwaters. But where I fish, a frog and a toad are the only thing I use for topwater in the summer because the vegetation is so heavy. A frog for the slop, a toad fished on the edges. I do well enough I dont feel the need to try anything else.

that guy who said he didn't catch anything might have been me. Because no matter if Ive caught zero bass or fifty bass, my answer is always the same when someone asks me if I caught any. Nope!

I use a frog all day long. Sometimes they inhale it and sometimes they just swipe at it. Either way, it lets me know the fish are there. If I miss them on the frog, I pick up my flippin rod and throw right back with a soft plastic bait.

I actually like fishing when it's stifling hot and sunny. I know they'll be under docks and weed mats.

I'm a mechanic, and it's the same with tools. Does having a huge snapon toolbox full of snapon tools mean the guy is a master mechanic? Absolutely not. Is it possible to do a brake job with a crescent wrench and a couple screwdrivers? I suppose. But it aint gonna be fun. I fish for fun, and for me, trying to do everything with one or two rods isn't fun. Just my .02

When my daughter comes fishing with me, she uses a spinning rod with hi-vis yellow 10# braid, no leader to fish weightless senkos. She catches plenty, consistently.

Berkley Vanish vs anything else.....I'd go with anything else

I almost always fish along. It's therapy to me. I wouldn't mind having company, but I come off as an ahole to most people and I dont try too hard to change their minds. My 17 year old daughter comes with me sometimes, but other than that it's just me. I love it, just me and nature.

I picked up 3 of them from Walmart this spring when they were on clearance for $35 apiece. I like them alot.

I tried them awhile back, didn't like casting with them so I removed them and take my chances.

without having knowledge of that particular body of water, you have no idea if what he did was helpful or not. However, I'd much rather see small dead fish than big ones.

A jig can imitate a crawfish. It can just as easily imitate a bluegill.

You're a wise man, sir.

Using this flex bar ended my tennis elbow pain. My wife is a physical therapist, she gave me exercises to do. I had gotten a couple shots. Nothing worked until I got the flex bar. Now I have no pain.

I got a Falcon Jason Christie 7' MH moderate action rod over the winter. I'm going to try it for buzzbaits, but haven't been able to try it out yet.

I agree about confidence. And using leaders increases my confidence, so it works for me. Whether or not it scientfically matters, I have no idea.

Thanks for all the help and advice, fellas. I spent the weekend in Hot Springs. Weather was perfect, 70s and sunny. I didn't get to fish near as much as I wanted to, had to keep the wife happy. I fished off the docks at Entergy Park for about an hour, no bites. I didn't see anyone else catch anything. I was over at Lake Ouachita on Sunday. I don't know my way around, but I was by a boat marina with campgrounds nearby. There was a little cove by the campground I tried for about an hour. I started getting strikes on a weightless swimmin fluke, but they wouldn't commit. It appeared the small males were protecting beds, picking up my bait and spitting it back out. I put a trailer hook on and started catching them, but they were small. I love the area though. Sure did suck coming home to an ice storm in Kansas City and snow in Iowa. Can't wait to come back!