roadwarrior

Yeah, the only fish bigger than the one not weighed is the one that got away. The biggest fish I have ever seen and lost hit a Zara Spook at dawn. As the sun was rising, this big bronzeback jumped completely out of the water. The effect appeared to be a giant gold nugget in the morning light. I can't say exactly how far the fish was from the boat, but she had perfect leverage and threw that Spook all the way back to me! I'm guessing 12-1. Woulda, coulda, shouda been the New World Record! :

Welcome aboard! 8-)

The Baby Bass is 5" long, weighs 1.3 oz and can be fished on a MH or H Power baitcaster, it does not require special equipment. The retrieve is steady, it's location that counts. Lube the bait with MegaStrike and buy some worm repair product, there are several brands to choose from. I'm fishing the Baby Bass on a St. Croix EC70MHF/ Shimano Calais 200 and original Yo-Zuri Hybrid #15. The key to landing bass, per Mattlures, is to move the fish to you, NOW!. You do not play the fish. Since adopting Matt's suggestion, I have not lost a fish. http://www.mattlures.com/babybass.htm 8-)

You might want to try a hard bait: Lucky Craft pointer 100, Rapala Husky Jerk or Rapala X-Rap. 8-)

Welcome aboard! 8-)

Welcome aboard! Start by reading "Fishing Article" at the top of this page. Our library is extensive, but your focus should be "For Beginers" and then move on to the other sections. Good luck! 8-)

Congratulations! Once you get a taste for smallmouth fishing, green fish become boring. Stay after them, I'm looking forward to the picture of your next PB. 8-)

You might get away with 10 lb test line, depending on the brand, but you definitely have too much line on the reel. If you want to try the line you already have spooled, apply KVD Line & Lure Conditioner which will help. My suggestion is #6 Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft (.010" diameter, 11.9 lb test). Problem solved! 8-)

this is the one im buying: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_20662____SearchResults its only 25 bucks, and it got good user reviews, so thats good enough for me. im getting 7' H btw. Ridiculous... I'm sure everything about this rod sucks. You might as well just flush $25 down the toliet. :

Man, you got it goin' on! Hope to see more reports down the road. 8-)

I know you are working on you own project and I hope it turns out well, but drawing a pattern, cutting your design and painting the wood doesn't mean you have a "producing lure". You have to start somewhere, but for most of us it's going to be at the tackle shop or on the internet, not the lathe. 8-)

aaaaaaa... Smallmouth aren't green, don't have a black stripe running horizontally along both sides of their bodies, have "smaller mouths" relative to their body and the tail is disproportionally bigger from top to bottom. 8-)

Okay, that's a reasonable point, but let me describe the best beer I ever tasted: Grant's Farm in St. Louis has a beer garden. The Budweiser is delivered daily and served fresh, "Born On Day". Regardless of what is left over in a "fresh" keg, it's thrown away and new beer is served the next day. Fully aged, but never stored. 8-)

X2 8-)

No doubt, that's a monster! But what impresses me are those bulging eyes. 8-)

WOW! The most popular beer in the world. I wonder how that happened? :

You are part of this club! Get one of these. They're not just sharp, these "Tournament Shirts" are functional, too. Great shirt, great value. http://www.bassresource.com/fishingstore/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=6 8-)

Yes. For "moving lures" some will say that sensitivity isn't that important and you can get away with a lesser rod. For soft plastics and jigs, touch is everything! I you were moving "up" to a Premier, you would probably really like the rod, everyone that has one seems to rave about them. However, it doesn't work the other way around. As you move up the ladder, there is no going down. 8-)

** MODERATOR NOTE ** Off topic posts have been deleted. If you want to talk about rods, start another thread. This one is for "Deep Water Crankbaits". -Kent a.k.a. roadwarrior Global Moderator

Welcome aboard! 8-)

Yes

Medium Power/ Fast Action 8-)

This is THE BOMB! http://www.arkansasrivertours.com/arkansas-river-royal.htm The downside is, if you fall out of the raft, you're probably going to die. :

Well, the problem with recommending a specific rig is that there is a slightly better set-up for specific techniques. So, for me, my "all-around" rig for treble hook lures, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits is a St. Croix Avid AC66MF/ Abu Garcia STX or Shimano Metanium. This rod has a soft tip and the 6 1/2' length makes working topwater lures and jerkbaits a breeze. On the other hand, if I only had one combination it would be a G. Loomis GLX MBR844C/ Shimano CTE200GT which is my dedicated jig rod. If you decide to go with this rod, you might want a faster reel for general purposes. Then, for bigger lures, especially 3/4 oz Ledgebuster Single Willow Blade Spinnerbaits and Mattlures Baby Bass, St. Croix Legend Elite EC70MHF/ Shimano Calais 200. For big treble hooks and deep divers, Lamiglas SR705R/ CTE200GT. And last, but not least, for lighter crankbaits and especially Rat-L-Trap type lures, St. Croix Avid AC70MM/ Shimano Chronarch. Sometimes this is my favorite, like launching a Trap with the wind! This rod really loads up and the reel is buttery smooth. Okay! I'm ready, let's go! 8-)

I don't think it matters, the fish are in a feeding frenzy and your lure usually won't spook them. The key is to have your bait in the mix when the action is taking place. basser89 corrected a glaring omission in my post, especially when the predator fish are stripers, topwater is THE BOMB! 8-)