papajoe222

Don't get me wrong, I like both of these stores. I just would appreciate it more if their associates were a little more knowledgeable about the items they carry. It's gotten to the point that I'd rather order online and just pick up at the store. I really feel for anyone that stops in either store on the weekends and has a question because not only are these people uninformed, they don't make any attempt to get informed. The young man I wasted my time with today has been working the gun section for 'almost three years' couldn't tell me if they carried any .223 Rem. match grade ammo. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel their customer service at the point of purchase needs some major improvement?

Let me say that my favorite bait is not my most productive. My most productive bait seems to change every year or two. My all time and forever favorite is a Spook. I can't throw one for extended periods anymore and my wrist will talk to me for a few days if I do, but it's still my favorite. My all time top producer is a jig and I doubt that any bait will replace that. Well, maybe a plastic worm, or a crankbait, or maybe a ................

The biggest obsticle to overcome when night fishing is yourself, expectations, fears, overconfidence, etc. If you approach night fishing the same way you approach fishing under overcast skies or any other low light condition, you'll be on your way. Think of it using simple logic. If there were no shade from those trees, how would you fish that pond?

This

My all species PB was a 52in. muskie that I bagged on the last day of my yearly treck to Wisconsin. I didn't even have a follow on that lake all day and had given up and headed to the lauch. With three guys ahead of me, I grabbed my bucktail rod and just started fan casting the bay. It really didn't hit me, what I'd accomplished, until after I released her. I sat there shaking for at least 15min. and it took me three tries to back my trailer into the water (I'm a truck driver!). I didn't really calm down until I was back at the hotel and had downed a celebratory beverage. The first couple of times that I spoke about catching her, I got the shakes again. I did get some what similar rushes when I caught my PB largemouth and walley that were short lived, but I haven't set a goal for them. My goal for muskie had always been 50in.

Rigging a worm or other soft plastic on a straight shank hook is done differently than with an EWG. If you attempt to use the same method, you'll never get the plastic straight. With an EWG you go straight into the nose and exit, then find the point where the plastic would meet the bend of the hook and come through the plastic at a right angle. For a straight shank, you need to enter the nose with a downward angle, thread the plastic up over the eye, and hook the plastic using the opposite angle you did on the nose stopping just before the hook point emerges. On most plastics, you'll need to scrunch up the worm slightly before doing the last step. A toothpick through the plastic and hook's eye, will keep your worm from sliding down or you can use a number of other methods to acomplish that task. With a sliding bullet or egg sinker, you'll have the original Texas rigged worm. Peg the sinker and you'll have what was called a Florida rig. So, saying a straight shank isn't good for worms is misinforming readers.

I feel the same way about Kalin's grubs. I've been using them as jig and spinnerbait trailers, on various jig heads and they're also killers fished weightless and burned along the surface.

Are you limiting yourself to fishing around sunset? If so, you may be missing the best action. Although bass may feed mor often, or for longer periods, their activity level will still have peaks and valleys. I've noticed a big change in the location of fish in the water column in the past week. The majority of fish I'm catching now are in the top of the water column and last week the majority were in the lower reaches. The time of day has been a significant factor. Just because the fish may be fattening up, does not mean catching them will become easier.

My goal this year was to catch more +5lb. bass this year than I did last year. It looks like I may not even match last year's number. If you set a goal for this year, have you succeeded, or like me are you still working on achieving it?

I don't know why, but in the vast majority of articles or interviews with pros white jigs are rarely mentioned. Shad, bluegill and minnows are targeted by bass more during the fall, so why are white jigs rarely mentioned? Used in a swimming presentation, or pitched into weed pockets and around rip rap, I've found jigs with a majority of white strands to be extremely productive. A 3/8oz blue or black and whit jig with a Kalin's Lunker grub is my go to presentation when others are throwing spinnerbaits and shallow cranks.

Waiting on a special piece of gear is like waiting on a planned fishing trip. The only difference is the gear usually lives up to your expectations.

They were likely picking up the bait and either running toward the boat with it, or rising faster than he could reel. Great post as one of the reasons I got away from using spinning gear was the slow retrieve rate on many of the older reels.

I really don't keep tabs on lost tackle. I have a peg board set-up with replacements for my most often used baits and will replace any lost baits from there prior to my next outing. I normally pick these up when they're on sale or clearance, so it doesn't hurt the pocket book as much. Honestly though, fishing from a boat the majority of the time, I loose very little in the way of lures. Most of the baits I'm replacing are soft plastics that are no longer useable. Either way, I consider it the same as a live bait fisherman would.......it's a small price to pay. Now if you're talking loosing a rod and reel or some other expensive gear, that's a whole different ballgame..........Hope I didn't just jinx myself.

Mine was worse than I expected and I would blame the ever changing weather, but my refusing to adapt to those changes is the reason. This is very different from the way I've always approached my time on the water, normally I'm very observant and quick to change tactics when necessary. Guess I'm just getting too set in my ways as I get older.

I know you've likely seen a situation where a 'boater' was putting himself and/or passengers at risk. My latest was when I saw three guys motoring away from the launch in a small, narrow johnboat. The boat was sitting so low in the water that a decent wave would have washed over the gunnel. To top it off, they weren't wearing PFDs. I wrestled with pointing out the peril they were placing themselves in along with the fact that they were obviously exceeding the maximum recommended weight/passenger rating for the boat. Being a big city boy, I opted to keep my mouth shut, but wondered how I would feel if disaster would follow my silence. I'm not Mr. Water Saftey by any stretch, but I find myself second guessing my decision. Would you feel offended if another boater pointed out an obvious risk that you were putting yourself or passengers in?

In a word, YES. Now ask me when and why.

The majority of my shakey head fishing has been in stained water, fishing short grass and sand/gravel bottom and clear deep water. I go with braid in both situations as visibility and abrasion are not concerns for me.

The rod you choose has everything to do with what reel will allow you to cast finess presentations. Longer/lighter action rods do the best job of not only casting, but in fighting the fish. I agree, however that you're going to spend a lot more for a useable baitcasting set-up than you would for a finess spinning combo or regular baitcast combo. $250 is over the top for me, so I opt for spinning gear.

If you depress the wire weed guard, the opening between the wire and the front or top of the eye will get bigger. I hold it down until I'm finished with the knot.

It really depended more on the overall depth of the water I was targeting. In water under 10ft with cover present, mid-depth cranking and spinnerbaits. In water over 10ft with cover, whatever depth the cover topped out and with no cover, on the bottom. Overall, with the low production of weeds this year, the majority of fish I've been catching have been within a foot or two of the bottom.

The major difference for me is when using a floating worm I can control the distance the bait stays off the bottom. With a drop shot, when casting, that distance changes throughout the retrieve. That makes determining the actual depth of the presentation more guess work. I prefer a circle hook on a split shot to eliminate deep hooking.

I haven't seen their copolymer hybrid in a few years, but their fluoro/nylon and ultra soft are still being carried in the 600yd spools at our local shops. The BPS and Cabela's stopped carrying it over a year ago.

I was wondering if anyone has either done or had their aluminum boat's hull restored/polished? My tracker has developed a lot of discoloration at the waterline along with an overall dull appearence and I'm looking to do something about it over the off season. Also, is there some sort of sealant for the exposed aluminum?

A storage system I've come ti like more than the bag styles is Flambeau's 4510 Super Half Satchel. It stores your soft baits in their original bags, has dividers so you can separate different styles or gear and they're made with Zerus. I've never heard of soft plastics drying out, but I do know their colors will bleed if stored together and moisture will change texture if left exposed for long periods.

The only benefit other than making them easier to walk, is when you use them in place of a loop knot.