roadwarrior

For big lures the Palomar Knot is cumbersome to tie. Try the Sixteen-Twenty, also know as a Duncan or Pitzen Knot: http://www.orlandooutfitters.com/knots/knot.asp?id=12 8-)

Man Kent, I thought winter was YOUR season Shad kill on the Tennessee River, so we had to resort to Plan B. :-X p.s. "tournament bass" ~15"

Slim pickin's... Caught a tournament bass on the third cast throwing a Lucky Craft Pointer 100. No other strikes between me and my partner the rest of the day. We threw just about everything, including the kitchen sink! :-?

How so? Are we still talking spinning reels? What advance in spinning reels has occurred in the last 20 years that has put so many more fish in the boat that the reels of only 20 years ago should be considered toys... :-? Predominately advanced drag design. A specific advantage is allowing anglers to use lighter line. Shimano has redisgned the spool to significantly reduce line twist on some models. Today's reels are stronger, smoother, silent and more reliant. 8-)

Avid AVC66MF This rod has a fast tip, but is soft enough to manage treble hook lures. The 6'6" length allow you to work the jerkbait easily. I think you will find this to be a great rod for topwater lures, yoo! 8-)

If you are going to buy one, buy several. The Gay Blade is very effective, but like a Silver Buddy, tends to get hung-up easily. 8-)

Congratulations!

Some argue that the Palomar Knot crimps fluorocarbon line. I use a Sixteen-Twenty knot without any issues: http://www.orlandooutfitters.com/knots/knot.asp?id=12

Fireline Braid is on sale at Dick's: 300 yds, $13.

For light and medium weight crankbaits, St. Croix Avid AVC70MM/ Chronarch/ Yo-Zuri Hybrid #12. For deep running cranks, Lamiglas SR705R/ CTE200GT/ Hybrid #12. 8-)

MBR842C/ Core 51 8-)

This is generally a very effective presentation. 8-)

Which do you prefer for winter fishing, a big or small presentation? 8-)

Most likely, your company has set up a filter to block pics and videos.

We have recently had a number of Avids for sale around $125. I think they are a great value even at MSRP! 8-)

I think the keys are often depth and focus. Sometimes the fish are concentrated shallow, deep or at a specific depth. The "focus", to keep this concept simple, is baitfish or bugs; swimming or crawling! As a specific example: At the Guntersville Roadtrip lipless cranks and spinnerbaits were hot, worms were not. On the trip last year at Pickwick both swimming baits and soft plastics worked, but soft plastics dominated. My suggestion is to start out with something rigged for every depth, top to bottom. One presentation will tend to dominate on any given day. 8-)

Initial cost doesn't infer "value". Fewer lures, better lures is my advice. I would buy one Lucky Craft Pointer rather than three Rogues. The LC is the "Best Bang For The Buck". 8-)

Worms are pretty easy and the best part is, your rewards come quickly. Regardless of the lure, location is everything. Perhaps the most productive fishing for numbers is in grass and along grasslines. Generally you will rig weightless and weedless in relatively shallow water. Otherwise, T-rigged or with a split shot. Cast, let the bait drop and sit, then lift your rod. Repeat until you feel you are out of the zone. That's the basics! For much greater detail, read "Fishing Articles" and "Tacklebox", accessed at the top of the page. I'm focusing on spinnerbaits this year. 8-)

MegaStrike 3/8 oz Pro Series Shak-E2 almost exclusively. I have been experimenting with various creature baits including the MegaBug, and Rage Hawg, but the GYCB 6 1/2" Kut Tail is a long time favorite! This is also where the Roboworm shines. Your favorite soft plastic will probably work just fine, too. 8-)

Planning to be on the river Saturday and a local lake Monday. I hope Walley-World still has their Gortex Kotex on sale. I'll pick some up for you, too. ;D ;D ;D

Based solely on the reels I own: #1 Core 50MG #2 Calais #3 CTE100GT or (2) CTE200GT #4 CH50MG #5 Core 100MG #6 Curado 200E7 #7 Scorpion 1000 #8 Chronach #9 Metanium #10 STX Spinning Stella 2500FE Stella 2500FD Stella 1000FA Symetre 500 Sustain 2500 I suggest having all your reels serviced right out of the box and annually thereafter. Supertuning can significantly impact performance as well. Also note, gross weight means very little, the key is balance. 8-)

There is nothing not to like. Tatsu is by far the finest line I have ever fished. 8-)

I fish weightless soft plastics on spinnung tackle and #6 Yo-Zuri Hybrid or Hybrid Ultra Soft. For weighted soft plastics I am currently using #15 Ultra Soft. My jig rod is spooled with #50 Fireline Braid, but I have not fished it yet. I have been fishing PP on this rig for several months. My observation is that braid has significantly improved my jig fishing. I may experiment with the Fireline for weighted soft plastics. Regarding Fluorocarbons, I tested several in 2010: Inviz, AbrazX, P-Line CX and Tatsu. The Seaguar lines are all fine, but Tatsu stands head and shoulders above the others. This is my second go-around with the P-Line and will be my last. 8-)

Pickwick below Wilson Dam; all of Pickwick and below the dam; Kentucky Lake. Most of the smallmouth will be 3-4lbs, an occasional 5 or 6 and with a little luck, a big fish or two! Generally, numbers are not great but 15-20 is possible. Our best day for quantity was 35 between two guys. Best for quality, 15 with 8 over 5 lbs. My partner caught the biggest smallie in November, 2004: 10 lbs even (netted and weighed by me!) The fish in my avatar were caught below Pickwick Dam in January 2005. Here is a piece you might find interesting: http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/smallmouth_record.html 8-)

My slant on "reorganizing" is to get rid of stuff I will never fish. Most of this are lures that came with a "package" purchased from guys here or given to me one way or another. I used to think I fished about 25% of my tackle, but after going through it the last few weeks, I have come to the conclusion it's more like 10% or less! At any rate, I have disposed of a bunch of baits and hope some of it works out for other fishermen here at BassResource.com. 8-)