Kyle S

Commercial electrician.

Belt loop, or PFD.

Sounds like I need to buy a pontoon boat! Hahah enjoy it! I'd love for my lady to love fishing as much as I do.

Newer boat owner/operator here my friend. Purchased a 1648 Tracker grizzly all weld almost exactly a year ago. I'm on the water literally every weekend....all weekend. I fish the tidal Pamunkey river almost exclusively which almost always has some considerable current not to mention wind trying to push you into something. Like some have mentioned, use the wind to our advantage and position your boat with the bow facing the wind. The boat will be far more controllable like this. Also, while I don't carry an anchor on my boat I do carry a paddle as @TnRiver46 mentioned. Sometimes you just need it to push yourself out of a super shallow situation, not to mention get even closer to the fish that in those narrow backwaters. I'll actually push myself onto a weed bank/lily pad field/against a logjam or whatever I can find to fish the current or a specific spot. You've got this my man, get out there and honor your brothers memory, Just be sure to come back here and post the fish you catch so we can all see it.

Good luck with your H2O express swim baits @livemusic. I've seen them online and almost purchased a handful of them to try but just never pulled the trigger. I WISH there was an academy near me.

Thanks for the replies fellas. Kind of a long shot but wanted to see if anyone knew!

I had it back in January of this year. I started having 'symptoms' right around the third day after exposure. The first day all I had was some decent body aches/fatigues. just couldn't get comfortable no matter what I did. The next day the body aches subsided and I had very mild vertigo in the mornings when I got out of bed. The third day is when smell and taste was harder to detect, not completely lost, just harder to notice. Outside of that if you count boredom as a symptom, thats all I had. I was fortunate and hope you and your girl are as well. fishing a private pond is great social distancing might I add... just kidding or am I?

Not an expert skipper by any means, however I did want to chime in... On a recent thread someone mentioned casting out about a casts worth of line and then putting some tape on the spool to minimize potential backlashes while learning to skip baits. Something to consider. Also, One of the things that i've noticed during my successful skips is that less effort is typically better, and finishing with the rod tip sweeping up at the end of the skip cast is almost critical for my success. Good luck!

Anyone have an idea of when St Croix might be releasing more models of the victory series rods for purchase? On their website, they mention 25 total models that they're coming out with however only 8 are available at the moment. I plan on picking up the 7'1" MH F rod this afternoon from a local store that has them in stock. Thanks!

Rage bug Pit boss Baby brush hog Z-craw

That's what I'm talking about!!

I heard that! What kind of jig heads do you use for the dead ringers? I've been Texas rigging them, but due to their thin body its rare if I get more than a few fish out of a single worm. I realize they're not expensive but hey, i'm not rich either? I bet a slider head would work nicely...?

Unsure if you've already decided on unit OP...? here's my .02 cents I purchased a Lowrance Elite 9 Ti2 last spring. Not a bad unit by any stretch but definitely not simple to use! I'm 24 years old and not technologically challenged for what it's worth lol. Perhaps some of the 'hook' models are easier to use? Garmin gets quite a bit of love from more than a few reputable members on Bass Resource. Perhaps check them out in store if you have the option to. Good Luck in your search and enjoy that Bass raider! I had a load of fun on mine when I had it.

I recently asked about everyone's favorite line of rods and had some great feedback. I plan on checking a few suggestions out in person this week. Now I'm interested to hear what you all have to say about your favorite line of reels?! Personally, I purchased 5 shimano SLX casting reels two years ago and have been very happy with them. The small size, fantastic handle and grips and the solid feel of the frame give me the fizz. I'f I'm being honest I hate the big SLX plastered on the side of the reel though...not my style at all. Just like a few rods that I own, I'm looking to add to my reel collection as well.

I truly appreciate everyones replies. I've been looking up everyones favorites if they're sold on Tackle warehouse. Lots of great rod lines, some of which I've never heard of and am glad i now know! This line and the Avid series have peaked my interest... Both are at a price I'm comfortable with. Going to go to my local sporting goods store (Green Top) and check them out in person this week. Thanks again!

Currently in production or no longer produced. I'm curious to hear what you all have to say. I'm in the market for a few new rods and want to treat myself to something nice!

Like many things on bass fishing today, there seem to be an endless amount of great options... I myself typically have a rage tail bait of sorts tied on of I'm looking for a good bit of action. For a little more subtlety, I like to use Zoom's lil Critter craw. @Bluebasser86 has recommended the Crock O' Gator ring Craw that also looks like it'd be a great choice. Try em all!!!

I too am a fan of the Daiwa Revros, Shimano Sahara and a few other sub $100 reels. I've even had a shimano Sienna that I was a fan of and that thing was only $30. Cant go wrong with any of them of you ask me. If I had to pick a favorite it'd be the Revros. For $50 I feel i'm getting a heck of a reel. Good luck and let us know what you get!

I can't STAND it!! Hate being blind by headlights almost as much as I hate seeing someone riding a bicycle on one of the back country roads I frequent.... I get it, you've got to ride somewhere but how about a road that doesn't have cars going 55 mph on it around a curve! I feel better now.

Tacoma owner here. I've got a 2010 Tacoma 4x4 TRD with a tow package. The tow capacity is somewhere around the 6,000lb mark. I tow my 16' aluminum tracker every weekend without much concern. However...I wouldn't want to tow anything much heavier than what I currently am. On tracker's site, my current model is listed at 1,400 lbs package weight. 3 batteries, trolling motor, all of the gear and what not adds even more weight. As you can see i'm maybe a third into what my Tacoma is 'listed' to tow. If it were me, i'd be looking at an f150 or like @A-Jay said a nice new AT4. Good luck in your search and let us know what you go with, truck AND boat? I should also add that a fiberglass rig with a more substantial outboard has been on my mind as of late. One of my main considerations is having to upgrade my tow vehicle...

I too am guilty of doing this.

Only been to Sandy one time last fall. Very cold day and only caught one fish on a spinner bait. I too have heard of the plus size bass that place holds. When i'm feeling adventurous and have a bit of time to spare i'll give it a go again. Good luck to you in your May trip if you go. Posting pics is always a pain, but very worth it!

It was a 'snap' in pedestal base from bass pro shops. 20077-BP is the part number from bass pro. https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-pedestal-deck-plate-kwik-connect?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Shop|Generic|AllProducts|High|SSCCatchAll&gclid=CjwKCAjwjbCDBhAwEiwAiudBy-bzhR2942Xh3eDiN3wAE6Qjw3HnRuIlTYr3M_rwcZ93dwJYansgLxoCf6wQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds Hopefully the link I provided will take you right to it. A jack plate has crossed my mind once or twice. Maybe some day...

In the past I've always used a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG for my weightless 5" Senko's. I've been experimenting with other hooks mainly to see if i'm missing out on anything, more specifically missing bites. So far I've tried a - 4/0 offset round bend - 4/0 finesse heavy cover hook The finesse heavy cover hook has been doing well so far. The only downside I've encountered has been it not being as weedless as the EWG i normally use. I do however think that my hookup ratio has increased slightly. Time will tell. Here is a picture of the finesse heavy cover hook i'm referring to. What hook do you prefer to fish a weightless senko with?

Ive gut hooked a few fish. Personally I'll always try to remove the hook IF and only if I feel confident I can remove it without causing any more stress the fish than I already have. A key part of having confidence in removing a hook in the gut is if I can see the barb. To me, visually seeing the barb sticking out one side of the gut is the determining factor as to whether or not I will remove the hook completely, or cut the hook shank as short as possible. The process is as follows... 1- cut the line to a more manageable length, which is typically around a foot from the fish's mouth. 2- remove any plastic (which is typically what I gut hook fish with the most often) cough cough seiko... 3- once you're left with a bare hook and a tag end of line, then I will cut the hook shank in half using a pair of side cutting pliers. (I carry a pair of Klein brand side cutters due to them relatively easily cutting even stouter flipping hooks) 4- remove the upper portion of the cut hook that is still connected to line you cut in step 1 5- Use a set of needle nose pliers to grab the BARB side of the cut hook, and simply twist the hook out . This can all be done in a very short period of time. Stay organized and keep your tools at the ready.