papajoe222

Don't shy away from using a leader when fishing for bass. I catch some quality bass while fishing for muskie using 40lb. leaders. Granted, I'm using faster presentations than I'd consider using for a hard body swim bait, but I have used weighted 8in. hollow bodied ones and picked up more than one bass over 4lb. in a northern Wisconsin lake.

I'm still waiting for the first wave of fish movement here. The water temp has been holding right around 56 for a couple of weeks now and that's surface temp. It seems as though they are willing to sit in their deep, winter spots regardless of what the calendar says. How about sending some of that warmer water up this way and come late July and August, I'll send some of our cooler water down by you?

It sounds like the bearings you purchased may be the correct size as far as inside and outside diameters, but are too thick. If the overall thickness is more than the original, there is no space for the bearing to spin freely as the screw, or washer is locking up the bearing. If you have access to a micrometer, you can check this out yourself. Measure across the entire surface, not just the outside edge. That will eliminate a false measurement. Then measure the original bearing/bushing.

I swapped out the stock handles and drag stars on my Daiwa Sols for swept carbon fiber As stated, weight reduction was minimal, but the addition of bearings and the swept design added to the overall smoothness of the reel, not to mention the looks. Most of the mods you make to a reel, with the exception of a lightweight spool, will make very little, noticeable difference. Having the gears and spool shaft ends polished by someone that knows what they're doing is, IMO, the most noticeable improvement in performance that you can do.

What’s the launch fee on Loon and is the channel to East Loon open? I havent fished there in five years or more, but liked fishing it early in the year.

The wife is looking to add to her small collection of rods. I found the perfect blank to build it on, but it's too long at 6'10" Ideally, for her, I need to shorten it 4in. What is the best way to do it? I'm concerned that I'll mess with the integrity of the blank if I just wack of the 4in. with a hack saw. Or should I leave it as is and tell her that it (the extra length) isn't that much of an adjustment and not mess with shortening it?

Some good points here and I'll add another; What areas are you targeting this time of year? Bass are still in early pre-spawn in northern MI, so if you're fishing the same way you would in the summer and fall, you're targeting the wrong areas. Seasonal movements and patterns will get you in the ballpark when it comes to fish location. Once there, you can work to narrow things down.

What temps do SM normally spawn? I'm guessing it's cooler than LM, but I never asked.

I've been tempted a couple of times, but resisted the urge mainly because I have a hard time getting back into the boat. I have gone in after loosing my grip on a rod. Luckily there was someone in the boat to assist in MY recovery.

My experience is fishing natural lakes at night. These are the same lakes I fish deep structure during daylight hours. I begin just prior to sunset targeting that deep structure and work my way shallower along the structure as the night progresses and the bass move toward the shallows. There are nights, however, when I never move of the deep spots, like under cold front conditions, because the bass don't move.

I have a friend that is on the height challenged side at 5'5" and only uses rods 6ft. 6in. and under. A rod's power and action are more important than length no matter what the application. I prefer a 6ft rod for fishing my Spooks and a 6ft. 3in. rod I custom built for spinnerbait fishing. Bottom line; Use what's comfortable for you and gets the job done.

Anyone fishing the southeast Wisc. lakes this week-end? With the late thaw and the cold rain, I'm guessing the water temps. are still in the low 50s. I was planning on hitting either Geneva, or Delavan this coming Wed. or Thurs., but if I'm correct about the colder than normal water temps, I think I'll hold off a couple of weeks.

Green pumpkin/red flake, or watermelon/black flake, unless you know the lake bottom is muck, then I'd say PB&J, or purple

I use one of these. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/EZE-LAP_Diamond_Pen_Type_Hook_Sharpener/descpage-EZELAPPENTP.html?from=Google&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7obYm6uD4gIVRbnACh27_wDwEAQYBSABEgJumvD_BwE A few swipes down the groove and you're good to go. It clips on your shirt pocket like a pen, so it's always handy.

If you want that spiral fall that makes a tube so enticing, try stupid rigging the tube. Personally once the weeds are up, I prefer a straight fall as it avoids the line catching on the weeds as the tube falls. There are a few different ways to rig a tube weedless. One is an internal weight as mentioned and the other is a pegged bullet weight and a wide gap hook. I love using a tube as a punch bait. Once it falls through the weeds and hits bottom, it'll release the air trapped inside. I call it burping a tube. Unlike most soft plastics used for punching, bites come after the bait has fallen. I just let it sit for a while after it burps and that is when most of my bites take place. A tube with less, or no salt will rest tail up and seems to work better for this technique.

Buck never said all fish go deep after cold fronts. Just because a small percentage of fish seek the security of holding tight to cover doesn't disprove his theory that fish will seek security under cold front conditions and deep water offers security. I consider myself a serious angler and I've caught hundreds of bass under cold front conditions fishing deep structure. IMO the addition of down and side imaging units have actually proven Perry's findings to be accurate. What has been removed from his system is the methodical approach to covering the water column. If, as an angler, you are content fishing shallow water cover, do so. If, on the other hand, you want to understand the fish migration patterns and become a more versatile angler, don't discount the knowledge Mr. Perry has passed on as bogus.

Culprit 7.5 worm, or a tube. I’ll switch to a big worm during the summer.

Where can I get one? Seriously

What material do you use for the weed guard?

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/eagle-claw-plain-shank-weedless-baitholder-hooks-249wa I don't know how many fish I've caught with a wacky rig and these hooks over the years, but if I'm faced with fishing weeds, they are my go to hook.

I'm also not stuck on any particular brand. In fact I purchased a dozen off that auction site, from an outfit in China. I switched out the hooks and use them when fishing from shore. If I loose one, I'm only out $1.50 and they do catch fish.

It sounds like you're looking to add hard baits to your selection of presentations. Crankbaits are the way to go, especially in the spring for starters. There are some good articles here. I suggest you start by reading a few. The thing I love about cranks is, with only a few, you can cover the entire water column until you locate fish. You may loose a few fishing from shore, but learning how to get them back and how to not get snagged to begin with are two of the things you need to learn. Lastly, you don't need to be banging a crank off the bottom, or cover for them to be effective. Just remember that like most lures, changing the speed or angle of your retrieve will trigger more strikes than a steady retrieve.

I mark the bill with the actual running depth, with a fine Sharpie. If I don't know the exact depth, I'll mark the depth range that's on the package and then the actual depth once I figure it out. I have dedicated tackle boxes (3700) for shallow, med., deep divers and silent cranks. The silent crank box is stuffed and it looks like I'll be needing to add another as I just added a few more.

A Spook, although my favorite, isn't the only top water you can tune to run under docks. Just like tuning a crank to run right or left, an original floating Rapala or any floating jerk bait can be tuned to do so. Another presentation fish don't often see.

I had a MinnKota with the fob and wireless foot pedal. Two weeks after I bought it, I sold it. I couldn't get used to the idea of turning down the power before I took my foot/finger off the control. I'd go to move and the thing would still be at max thrust. Knocked me on my keester one time an it was back to a Tour Edition MotorGuide. I only wish they offered spot lock because I'd use the heck out of that feature.