papajoe222

I like the black shad, especially under low light conditions. Depending on the wind and water depth, I'll use anywhere from 1/8oz. to 4/8oz. With a 3/0 EWG. They are also a great choice for C-rigging and if I recall correctly, they are also available in a 10in. version

In reality, the only one that can tell you which reel will fit you best is you. Find a dealer and mount the various models on the rod you plan on pairing it to. You're looking at spending some serious cash, shouldn't your homework include some experimentation?

Most guys will think I more than a little crazy (and they'd be right), but I don't fret over fish that get off. Don't get me wrong, it's disappointing. I like to look on the bright side, the fight. I don't beat myself up over what I could have done. I try to rember what I was doing and where, when the fish hit. If I stay awake at night thinking about it, I'm reliving the excitement. Now, rewind to my tournament days and I can tell you honestly that I've lost plenty of sleep over lost fish. Is the glass half empty, or half full?

Smithwick Rouges are available in both floating and suspending models,different sizes and color options, Rapala Originals and Bomber Long A's are a few.

Here, when the cottonwoods start shedding, the gills are on the beds and the bass are pretty much done.

Removing one of the trebles isn't the answer as it will alter the attitude of the bait during the pause and it likely will rise rather than suspend. An alternative would be to replace the stock hooks with light wire trebles and check how the lure suspends. You can add SuspenDots if the bait rises after the switch. As a side note: A jerkbait is normally worked with very short pauses in warmer water and I don't think one that sinks in warmer water is going to run any deeper when worked quicker, although I normally use floaters once the spawn is over.

For years I Carolina rigged small cranks to get them deep, mostly to offer the fish something different at that depth. The past few seasons, although I have a lot of confidence in deep cranking, I've been physically unable to. I saw Bill Dance using that rig with a lipless crank and figured any bait could work with it.

I'll offer another alternative that works well with spinning gear. A Booyah Boo Rig. It's a smaller version of an umbrella rig with spinner blades rather than jigs on all but the center arm. That arm is flexible and has a clip or snap to which you can attach any number of baits. It's a great way to get any size crank down deep.

Except for connecting two lines together, I'm down to using one of two knots; Palomar and SanDiego Jam. Both are simple knots to tie and offer little loss of line strength.

Dang! I don't know how you guys do it on those big lakes. Talk about information overload. I have a difficult time on the small natural lakes up here. It'd take me half a season to decipher one of those smaller creek arms. Hat's off to those of you that do.

For topwaters, other than buzzers and frogs, you can't go wrong with mono. It floats, has some stretch so you don't tear the trebles out of the fish and maintains a good percentage of its rating if it gets nicked. Unless you'll be using smaller/lighter lures, a M/H mod.fast action rod should handle the task nicely For spinnerbaits and buzzers, go with your line of choice. You will want to go to a heavier lb. test as that single hook takes more force to set than a treble hook. For the same reason, you'll want a rod with a little more tip. A M/H fast action will handle this well Sensitivity is not a major concern with any of these presentations and If funds are tight, your spinnerbait rod can double for topwaters, just be sure the fish has the bait (whichever rod you choose) and go easy on the hookset The mods may move this to the rods, reels, line and knots forum where it will get more looks.

Use the Abu for heavier set-ups and the Ethos for the lighter ones. You may need to swing a little harder to set the hook with the Ethos, or go with braid as someone suggested.

Cabela's Prodigy is on sale for $55, I believe. Aluminum body, 10 bearings, Aluminum spool and Magforce magnetic cast control, 7.9oz. and it's available in both right/left and two gearings.

I've been using circle hooks when I wacky rig weightless stick worms for a few seasons. I started some youngsters out using them and liked the result so much that I started using them myself. Last season I began using them to nose hook those weightless worms and the only problem I had was not letting the fish get the whole bait in its mouth before I started reeling. There is a bit of a learning period that you go through, as when you do detect a pick up you want to set the hook. Unless the vegetation is heavy, I don't encounter too many problems with the open hook.

Dang! It only has 160K? I'd put that one in the lemon catagory.

Tube jig. IMO, it's the easiest to skip and the lighter wire hook makes for easy/long distance hook-sets.

or or Followed by going out and buying more gear that I don't need. And I have a lot of gear I don't need.

I just wanted to remind some of you NOT to put your jerkbaits away just yet. They are an awesome post-spawn bait for those recooperating females, especially the ones that get down a little deeper. You still need to pause them for awhile and that's what makes them an awesome choice for early post- spawn. You're welcome.

I prefer to use them with a ripping motion. The smaller the bait, the shorter the rip. I also only use the smaller ones when there is a slight ripple on the water. The larger ones are for when there is more of a slight chop on the surface. That is also when I use double prop baits. Smaller baits would include Tiny Torpdos and Cordell Crazy Shads. Torpdos, WoodChoppers, BoyHowdys and DevilsHorse are larger profile baits. If there is a good chop on the water Mann's makes a bait called a TwoFer that has a buzzbait like prop on the one end that really kicks up a commotion. All the baits mentioned are moderately priced. One thing I should mention; when using baits with front props, use heavier mono to avoid the line getting caught in the prop.

A reel with a low (4.5-5.5) gear ratio will make the task of deep crankin a little easier. Look for a rod that can handle the heavier baits. In this case a technique specific rod is the way to go. Having one with a long handle will also make the task a little easier. Line choice boils down to personal preference, but small diameter combined with low stretch is beneficial. The line is the only item I'll recommend and it's 10lb. Yo-Zuri Hybrid UltraSoft. It's the best, all around, cranking line I've found. I'm sure there are others that opt for one of the fluorocarbon lines, but I feel this one is not only affordable, but a better choice over them.

If you have the room (and that many rods) and it works for you, I say stick with it. Personally, five rods suit my needs anytime I'm not zeroed in on a general pattern.

This is the type of discussion that make this site so great and not just for novice anglers. Great job, not only in the responses, but the questions too.

You could look at it this way, too.....In a few weeks, those bluegill will be on their beds and Mr. and Mrs. largemouth will be feasting on them.

While mono may not be the best choice for this presentation, I can think of three presentations where mono is the best choice and a good number of others where it performs as good as other types of line. Next time you're at a fishing show, ask any of the line company reps which of their lines sell the best. If they don't answer mono, check for your wallet. BTW, if Catt isn't available to school you, shoot me a PM.

Right now, the bass in your area are in late pre-spawn/early spawn and many are just protecting the nest. They'll slap at topwaters in an effort to get the threat away from the bed. They aren't interested in eating, just keeping the area clear. Most are males waiting for the females to move up, but occasionally an overzealous buck or female that has yet to lay her eggs will make a lot of commotion in an effort to do so. With hard body topwaters those fish, if hooked, tend to be hooked outside their mouth. Don't get discouraged, just turn around, or cast deeper from shore and target those girls that haven't moved up yet.