Vilas15

Spinning...but cranking with the right BC setup has got me reconsidering.

B-Fish-N Tackle makes a ringworm that is very popular for spring river walleye. I have caught a smallmouth on electric blue/pearl tail when I tried it. They make a few bright colors that have a different colored "core" running down the middle that is pretty cool. Chartreuse/orange core is probably the best and would be a great smallmouth bait.

What area of the state are you talking about here? I fish mostly Vilas county but have done better the few times I fished in Madison. The lakes up north average anywhere from 25 hours per fish in the "action" lakes up to 80 hours or more per fish on the trophy lakes. This is based on the creel surveys which is in line with my experience.

Make either the M/MF or MH/MF a true moderate action and I'd agree. And based on where/how you fish you can eliminate some. I have zero use for a H/F rod. Also you can swap an XF instead of fast if you prefer. Fast or extra-fast and a few inches of length (6'10" vs 7'0") makes no difference in my book and is personal preference.

Ask me in another month when its early summer. The ice just came off not too long ago and its prespawn here! First two choices would be tubes and cranks like spro rk crawler. I only fish smallmouth, no largies.

Paddle tail swimbaits, lipless cranks, jerkbaits

I've got more 2.75" tubes than 3.5" lately. I also use Keitech easy shiner swimbaits. They have a more minnow like shape than the swing impacts and I like the colors that can be a little more translucent without the ribs of the swing impacts. The easy shiner perch color is as close to a real perch as I think I can get.

I would jump on that SLP if I didn't already buy a tournament MB for $80 this winter that I didn't really need.

Higher gear ratios are needed to maintain retrieve speed (IPT) as reels and spool sizes have shrunk. Use a round reel with bigger spool to keep IPT and a lower gear ratio. The drawback is the size and weight of the reel. Everything has trade-offs. I don't have a need for fast reels since I don't fish techniques that would require it. Across all people and all types of products, generally yes.

Thats a fine job, but I want steps that go up into the front of the boat, not just something to walk on the trailer. To do that you need to start hanging things off the side which likely involves welding, otherwise Id do it myself.

Yeah not cheap, but the trick step does look nicer and provides a better fit than the multi-piece ezee step. These would actually be more helpful for my dad as he gets older and allow him to use the boat alone more easily. The flexstep would work just fine for me and my long ass legs but I'm still young.

I agree that would work. There are some other options that I've seen. I'm just looking for opinions from people that have steps like this. Are they worth a couple hundred dollars? Any issues after having them installed for a while?

16.5' Lund Rebel XS. Trailer looks like this. Not much room in front of the winch post since that whole portion swings so I'd need something that hangs off the side. Spare tire would need to be relocated.

Anyone have aftermarket steps installed to enter their boat from the front? I'm talking about EZEE steps, Easystep, or the like. My boat is a deep-V with a folding tongue so there's not much room for installation, I've seen some pictures of a similar trailer so it's possible but wondering what companies anyone has experience with, how well do they fit, etc. I feel like this is the biggest thing that would make launching/loading by yourself easier. Is that true?

I think location is the most important factor when you add it all up so I'd err on the side of secrecy. Season, time of day, weather, type of bait, bait color, bait size and it all comes down to the fact you can't catch them where they aren't. Maybe back in the old days your spot would make it through the grapevine to a few of the locals, but now with the internet and social media anything you post is available to thousands of people and plenty are willing to drive a few hours to get there. Generally I think it all comes down to what size is the lake. Big nationally known lakes have plenty of spots and plenty of people already going there, so it likely won't impact the fishery much. The smaller the lake the bigger effect people make have on the fishery or the experience when it gets too crowded. The ultimate example which one person mentioned is remote brookie stream that can get destroyed. Naming streams is not OK unless they're one of the top most popular destinations. I'll give you a county but that's about it.

Shoulda punched a big hole in the cooler and bucket.

Lake St Clair is mentioned in his profile.

Doesn't matter, probably won't eat it until I'm driving home for dinner. Unless I'm out there literally all day and need the break at 1 PM after 6 hours out in the sun.

Dang ok I guess nobody else works full time, has other hobbies, kids to take care of, or has to travel far to where they keep the boat. And any fish other than bass are trash ?. Never said i didnt want to fish more than I do!

Exactly! Thats more what I meant since the dye washes out.

Wondering if there's anyone here like me that doesn't actually bass fish much but spends way too much time on this site. Between the other species I catch, limited season here where lakes ice over, and limited opportunities in general I probably fish for bass maybe a few days a year. I do try to keep my recommendations and such to my limited experience and not parrot the same info I've read on here about various subjects I have no experience in. I appreciate the size of the community here compared with other forums related to other fish species that I've found. This one is the biggest and best imo.

I dont think so. And even if it did, you've got a leader. Go for it, I use white braid since I like the look and I dont need to worry about the color fading since all braid starts out white.

I thought baitcasters were only for musky until I started poking around this place. Things are different in walleye country.

Rapala website prices are usually a touch higher than store pricing, im assuming because they have so many discounts you can find. Im seeing $9 at FishUSA. Still too high IMO.

https://www.rapala.com/rapala/lures/rap-v-blade/rap-v-blade/Rap+V+Blade.html?brandname=rapala Thoughts? Im going to sit this one out. Love the rippin raps which i can fish like a blade bait. Also have a few blade baits. Dont need the fancy paint jobs or super detailed eyes on something yoyoing off the bottom drawing a reaction strike.