LonnieP

This year I caught bass over 5lbs with a Spro Fat John 60, a Livetarget frog, Watermelon Senko, and a Chrome Rattle trap.

Crankbaits of all types, especially Lipless. Jigs, bullet weights and worm hooks. Ned rig heads.

I sold my Garmin and bought a Lowrance Elite TI 7 last year. I regret it and wish I would have stuck with Garmin.

I've been using a Tatula 7' M/R for traps, shallow and medium divers for the past 3 years and I love it. 1/2 ounce is that rods sweet spot. I've never tried using it with any deep divers though, you probably would be better off getting the Mh if you plan to throw them.

Everything except bottom contact and frogs- Copoly bottom contact-fluorocarbon frogs-braid

I recommend the Tackle Supply Depot tungsten jigs. I've been using them this year and like them.

Spro offers a Crappie colored crankbait called Cellmate. A Cellmate colored Spro Little John is one of my top producers.

81 here today and a tornado watch in effect this evening. Supposed to get down to 39 tonight though and high of 59 tomorrow. I feel for you guys up north.

I broke my 6 '10 Mh Crucial worm rod 4 years ago and I'm still kicking myself for hauling it on the back of my truck. That was a nice rod.

The lake I fish has a brush pile similar to that. I've lost a lot of crankbaits running through it but I've caught 2 bass over 5 lbs in it this year on a Squarebill. Another thing I do is throw a Senko right it the middle of it and that produced a big bass last year. Also throw a jig or a t rigged plastic in there. About all you can do is take a chance on getting hung up but sometimes it really pays off.

Buds gun shop has them on sale for $219 after rebate.

They do. The JDM Bantam Mgl is available in 5.5

I have the original version of this rod and I’ve been using it mostly for lipless crankbaits for past 3 years and I absolutely love this rod. I need to get a couple of them in the new version.

Both my CT’s and Sv’s brake dials will turn if the rod gets laid sideways on the deck but has never happened while fishing. My new Tatula 100 is the opposite, sometimes the brake dial on it is a PITA to turn.

Daiwa Tatula 100. 109 at Sportsman’s Outfitters

I bought a pack of Trokar worm hooks last year and they rusted up really bad after getting lightly rained on. No more for me.

I love fishing in the rain. Some of the best fishing I've ever experienced have been during downpours. I don't like fishing in the wind, but won't let it stop me unless it's really gusty out.

P line Tactical is good stuff. I've been using it for over 2 years now.

I prefer Fluorocarbon for jigs. I like the slack line sensitivity it gives me and I like how the line sinks . I tried using braid and I didn't like it at all, but it works for a lot of other people. Since you already have a setup with braid I would try it first before going out and buying new line.

Caught these 3 chunks today. Biggest one was caught on a Squarebill and the other 2 on a jig and craw.

The lighter the weight, the slower the fall. 1/8 is what I use when I want a T rig to sink slowly.

Oh yeah. It's a sweet looking reel. IMO A lot nicer than the matte black they're putting on a lot of the other new reels.

Does the Coastal SV have Magforce Z Brakes? I'm thinking about getting one.

Another reason for using a weight with a craw is casting distance. A senko weighs a lot more than an unweighted craw and doesn't require extra weight to make a long cast.

A trolling motor clamps on to the piece of aluminum on the front of the boat. If you want to mount a foot controlled motor you would probably need to build a deck. Easiest solution would be to mount a hand controlled motor in the front and reverse the head on it.