roadwarrior

Good luck! That sounds like a great trip to me. 8-)

No pond fish expect The Secret Pond. It's ruined and I don't fish there much anymore, but when I do I kill all the little bass. I fish for striper during the summer and keep some. If we have guests that want fish we keep limit plus all the catfish. We always keep crappie and legal sauger. Some of our guys have work crews that like buffalo. Spots are a nusiance, we keep them if somone will take them. Same with white bass. So, I keep a lot of fish but don't actually eat many myself. No one that fishes with me keeps smallmouth, ever. My partner released the only 10 lb brown fish I have ever seen and one of just a few that have ever been caught. We have set the bar pretty high, but I will keep the one weighing 12 lbs!

Jody is her "sweet little self" except when she KICKS AZZ! I think you will be surprised. My real daughter is little, but tough. Maybe that's another reason I liked this movie so much.

Yeah, you'd think all "those guys" would start buying the "right stuff." : OKAY, lighten up...I'm just kidding. I think it's just the nature of the internet.

That's fair. I have owned Lighting Rods, All Star, Daiwa and Zebco. I currently fish Lamiglas, St. Croix (both Avid (2) and Legend Elite). My G. Loomis are GLX MBR844C and PR844C. Although I like my other rods and they are "technique specific" for me, I will buy G.Loomis exclusively going forward. My G.Loomis are built to exacting standards with the highest quality components. The design, craftmanship and overall quality are second to none. I find my rods to be well balanced, sensitive, light and strong. They deliver EXACTLY what I am looking for in fishing equipment. On top of that, my experience with the company's customer service is the standard by which ALL companies should be judged. Finally, the G.Loomis warranty completes the perfect package. G.Loomis fishing rods would be an OUTSTANDING VALUE at twice the price. I plan to own more. Better equipment will not make a bad fisherman good, but it will make a good fisherman better.

I love the Spook, but if it is hard for you to "walk" buy a LC Sammy. This is the easiest topwater lure to fish and for me, the most productive. (Aurora Black which is actually blue).

Arguably, the two most universal lures are the tube and the jig. Warm weather, cold weather, it doesn't matter. Both baits can be fished shallow and deep; on structure or in cover; active or inactive fish...it just doesn't matter. These are the baits for "All Seasons" and "All Conditions."

Welcome aboard!

Cliff, You NEED a 3/8 oz, black on black Cavitron Buzzbait. http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1190039737 8-)

Well, I have a suggestion: ONLY buy lures that are HIGHLY recommended by people you know or trust. You'll still spend plenty of dough, but maybe you can avoid owning a whole lot of stuff you will never use. How many do you need? Well, my favoite lures are jerkbaits. I have four 3700 boxes and a few unopened packages that are four or five years old. Over the years I might have used a dozen of these lures, but only three or four in the past couple of years. That leaves forty or so that are still waiting for their first bath! My point is, just buy a couple of any one lure and see if you need another. To answer your question directly, if you start out with a 1/2 oz white shirt, willow blade over Colorado blade and a matching spinnerbait in chartreuse, you're pretty well set. Then you're going to think you need them in both gold and silver blades, different style blades and four different sizes. The Bait Monkey's appetite cannont be satisfied!

I have boiled the tails on a few swimbaits and that will straighten them out, but you have to find a way to hang them so they don't get bent up in storage. Maybe with worms and such you can just lay them out flat.

Tokyo_Tony, There is no "right answer." I don't think any bait is necessarily the only way to go. It's really more about preference and confidence. I don't fish much at night, but when I do I usually fish jerkbaits, biggun's too!

Before I found Yo-Zuri I fished P-Line for two or three years. Memory and SEVERE coiling in cold weather was a BIG issue, even on baitcasting equipment. Yo-Zuri is not effected by temperature. If you like original Hybrid or Hybrid Ultra Soft in warm weather, you will like it in the winter, too.

I have had some luck with busting bass recently throwing a white Senko Swimbait, but quite frankly, it's not THAT MUCH different than a fluke. So, it sounds to me like you tried everything I would have. Sometimes those guys just won't hit an artificial.

All right, let's say the rod is not an issue. How 'bout hook-set? With treble hooks, sweeping the rod pulls the lure and fish towards you, but it is the fight or resitance from the bass that burries the hooks. A "Bill Dance" hook-set by contrast, tends to rip the hooks away from the mouth. What I am suggesting is being "firm" but not violent. Another suggestion that Mattlures gave me regarding swimbaits applies, I think, to treble hooks. Don't "play" the fish, reel steady and AGGRESSIVELY. Do NOT pump your rod, any slack in your line is a big no-no. When the fish seems to be rising to the surface, reel faster. Maybe that will help.

The quality and productivity of Lucky Craft lures is amazing, but you should not fish them from the bank and as Raul noted, you better have a retriever that works!

Welcome aboard! I am not familiar with the rod, but I'm sure other members will comment.

Moderate Action or Fast Action with a soft tip will work fine for medium weight treble hook lures. For heavier lures (and deep divers) I prefer glass, specifically the Lamiglas SR705R designed by Skeet Reese ('07 Angler of the Year!)

Center console is the ticket, deep hull and plenty of freeboard: http://www.basscat.com/baycat.html

Welcome aboard!

Nope... This episode had nothing to do with the reel or the brand. I'm sure the reel will be replaced and you will be a happy camper. Good luck!

Welcome aboard!

This is my shore fisherman "tackllebox": http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0018716902478a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=safarie+vest&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=safarie+vest&noImage=0 The back pouch comfortably caries a 3600 plastic box. I fish one rod and my hands are free. No hassel, no baggage.

If you're looking for a movie to see this weekend, check out Jody Foster's new flick. If you were a Charles Bronson fan, you're really going to like this movie. Surprisingly, chicks dig it, too!