roadwarrior

Hadn't thunk 'bout dat...great i-deer!

Wow! A story made for tv, I'm diggin' it!

Man, it honestly doesn't bother me at all to get skunked. I know it's the fish's fault! Some days the fish don't bite...period. How 'bout all those days when the SHOULDN'T be biting? Those have, on occasion, been my very best days. Go figure.

Woo-hoo! Congratulations!

I have nothing to add. 8-)

Buddy...What can mear mortals say... For about 99.9% of us on this Forum, your day would be "The Trip of a Lifetime!" Thanks for the post and the pics.

I like trolling new line even when it has been put on correctly, you will have a tightly wound spool when you go through this procedure: Run the boat at low speed and simply release all but the last few feet of line on your spool. Leave it all out for a minute or so, then reel in about half your line. After another minute or so, reel in all but the last 20- 30 yards. Leave it there for 1/2 a minute and you are done. No weight, no casting, nothing special.

Welcome aboard! We need a little more information: What are you fishing? What are the lake conditions? (Shallow, deep, rocky, sandy bottom, etc.). It sounds to me like you are being picked at by small baitfish or feeling sticks, rocks or grass. Fish don't strike with their mouth closed.

Welcome aboard! If I were starting over, I wouldn't buy much up front. I would be very selective and only buy top quality equipment, mostly on sale. If you were brand new, I suggest one rod only, but we all NEED three! #1 6 1/2" or 7" spinning combination: MF with a firm tip. #2 6 1/2" "all-around" baitcaster: MM or MF with a soft tip. #3 7' Baitcasting jig rod/ big lure rod: HF with a firm tip. Splurge and buy something much better than you "need." My rods would be G.Loomis and my reels would be Shimano. Lures Well, I would only buy the lures/ baits that I used successfully last year, not everything I "might need". Soft plastics: (GYCB) 6" Senko, Fat Ika, Kut-tail and Laminated Lizard; Micro Munch Tackle El Gordo tube Jerkbaits: Two Lucky Craft Pointer 100, two Rapala X-Raps, Slug-Go Topwater: Sammy, Zara Spook Crankbait: Yo-Zuri RatlN' Vibe, Norman Fat Boy, Bagledy BII Jigs & trailers: 1/2 oz Micro Munch Tackle (black & blue) jigs/ GYCB Fat Baby Craw (black with blue flakes) Line & terminal tackle Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft #6 for spinning tackle, #12 for baitcasting Gamakatsu 4/0 EWG Offset Worm Hooks Weights & black beads

Welcome aboard! You don't need a different rod if you are already fishing soft plastics for largemouth. My preference is spinning tackle for this lure category. The general parameters I would suggest are: 6 1/2' or 7" MF with a firm tip.The St.Croix Avid AS66MF or AS70MF matched with a Shimano Stradic 1000 or 2500FH and #6 Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft would make a nice package. If you want to kick it up a notch, my dedicated soft plastics rig is a St.Croix Legend Elite ES70MF/ Shimano Stella 2500FB.

Lucky Craft uses VMC hooks. They are outstanding.

My single hooks are Gamakatsu and X-Points; I am 100% pleased with the Lucky Craft (and X-Rap) VMC hooks. I would suggest leaving them alone.

The line is highly abrasive resistant and has virtually no memory in use. You will find it very managable and strong. However, on your baitcaster you will need to pay attention to kinks in your line if you have a severe backlash. I don't really know if the kinks impact the physical integrity of the line, but they bother me. I am not comfortable fishing what I consider to be a weak spot.

Actually, last year someone here had free KVD samples which I used. I really like the KVD, maybe better than Reel Magic, but I went through the sample and still have some RM left, so that's what I'm using. However, I think it was The-Natural that pointed out that these products are basically silicone spray which you can get anywhere for a couple of bucks. I'm going to give a generic a try and see if I like it.

I suggest going lighter. Although I recommend #6 to everyone because I want them to have the additional margin of strength that it offers, I fish #4 on my main smallmouth rod. Both of the fish in my avatar were landed on #4. I have NEVER been broke off by a fish using it, either.

I caught exactly one bass on each lure and then put then back in their boxes "for display." Around Christmas my dad gave me an old tackle box that my grandad (mother's side) had given him twenty years ago or so. In that box is a VERY used Lucky 13, original Bomber and some Mann's Jelly Worms among other things. Now I've changed my mind and plan to fish PopMax. "Experienced lures" are MUCH cooler than new, in-the-box!

#6 = .010" diameter #8 = .011" diameter

Although I STRONGLY recommend Yo-Zuri Ultra Soft for spinning tackle, I have fished original Hybrid up to #8. When spooling you should leave a margin of 1/8" from the top. Although I am currently using Ultra Soft #12 on my baitcasters, I think original Hybrid works just fine on that gear. As a matter-of-fact, thanks to The_Natural, I ordered up some original from BPS yesterday.

For most applications, the IMX is just fine, but for MAXIMUM sensitivity, the GLX is NOTICABLY better. For jigs and soft plastics, the GLX is worth the additional cost.

I test all luress in a pool when I buy them. Many are defective right out of the box, many more become defective over time. I have not had any "bad" X-Raps and have NEVER had a defective Lucky Craft. The very worst are Smithwick Rogues, Bagley BIIs are a close second. Buy your hard baits from retailers that allow exchange without hassle. I buy the vast majority of my lures at BPS and have NEVER been denied an exchange. BTW, I consider broken lures "defective". Many lures companies make low quality lures (Rat-L-Trap), but the are still VERY effective. Just exchange them if you are not satisfied.

Thanks for the report. What a super day!

** Moderator Note ** This topic is frequently brought up on the Forum. The "discussion" is sometimes short, but usually goes on for several pages. This debate is not about opinions, but facts which have been CONFIRMED by GYCB staff members and Gary Yamamoto himself. The_Natural has summed it up concisely, these are the same baits.

Strong, silent, smooth and reliant... The Shimano Stradic 2500 is what you need. This reel is $120 and the best value in the Shimano line-up. You will find the reel to be perfect right out of the box, but surprisingly it gets better over time. You can depend on these reels and with annual maintenance they will last a decade or more.

Play nice... Hale's post was edited and three others were deleted because Hale's post was referenced, not necessarily because of content, so NO ONE is getting picked on. As everyone seems to know, THE POLICY of the Forum is NOT to allow pro bashing. Everytime we have allowed it to run, it has ALWAYS run downhill. (Anyone know a plumber? He can explain what else runs downhill). So, I'm not closing the thread, but we are enforcing this policy here and on all future topics. -Kent a.k.a. roadwarrior Global Moderator

Nope, bpm200 said 5.0 For a specific weight Justfishin was closest, 5.25 Catt and I guessed 5- 5 1/4 (5.0- 5.25).