Armtx77

The Champagne of Beers! That is all I see in that picture and it makes me thirsty. Oh, there is a fish there too...pfft.

Im assuming the bay is tidal as well? Falling or rising tide and of course, at what rate? I got skunked a bunch my first year fishing tidal waters. A very humbling experience, especially when your local wife does not see fish in the cooler...talking about rubbing salt on a guys wounds.

It is full blown summer time here in SE Louisiana. Day time temperature will be in the 90's and the fish are going to be looking for shade, like the rest of us. I had good luck yesterday with my wife. Throwing a YUM 2.5 Crawbug in pumpkin. On a #1 EWG hook and a 1/16oz tungsten bullet. We threw at least 4 different colors of the same size bait and that color out fished all others by at least 3 to 1. That would lend credence to what some have said about matching the "hatch".

I use both. I had worries about Gorilla drying hard, but there are not many critters in the water, that do not have a hard spot or two. I doubt the hard glue matters, when a fish commits to a bait. If they hit cranks, lipless, square bill and hard plastic topwater baits..a dollop of crazy glue should not matter IMO. I used MEND-it at the house, when I have time...super glues on the water when I need a quick fix.

Im still trying to wrap my head around the whole FC/Mono leader thing with a braid backer. Im new to super lines in the past 12 months. Aside from needing a line to sink or float for specific techniques. Why the need for a perceived advantage of the fish not being able to see the line, on a chartruese colored piece of plastic. With treble hooks and a split ring hanging off of it. Who here uses or has used Big Game Mono? 14-17 lbs BG is like working with welding wire and what, millions of fish have been caught with it? Now we have braids that are 6lbs diameter and 20lbs test and people are still buying into the "FC is invisible and Im going to tie a second knot, into a knot critical appilcation anyway". By the time you get into a braid, that would equal the diameter of 15lbs mono. You have a breaking point, that is greater than the vast majority of fresh water world records. Again, I dont understand it, but there are many things I dont understand. Im not knocking anyone that is tieing up a leader. Clearly the guys who fish to pay the bills do it and that is often enoungh for others to justify it. I run 8lbs NanoFil on everything aside from my worm/crawfish rig and it has 20lbs Sufix 832(6lbs mono dia) in bright yellow. So, Im clearly a little odd on the matter to start with.

I have bought a combo hunting/fishing license, evey year for the last 24 years. Once upon a time, a sportsman was assured that every dollar of that money, was going to be spent by the DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES, within that state. In the last decade, these funds have either been partially or fully transfed to a general fund and that I have a problem with. As stated by the OP. We probably have all seen the guy with no license, and no regard for established creel laws. Between hunting and fishing, I probably spend a 1/4 of the year afield...I have never been stopped buy a Conservation Officer...not once. We need more agents, the money to be pu back into OUR system. As we pay for it, through a forced donations. The state pays to restock lakes and rivers. Yet we have to deal with knuckle draggers that fry up 10" bass and 6" crappie, but cant be bothered with 20.00 donation to make sure he can keep being a bum. Frustrating.

Interesting, I work in the technologies, with a Reliabilty Program at several "chemical" plants here in SE LA. Outside of Marathon, and that is debateable, it all works on nepotism. Either a relative or a friend, will get somone hired. Every year, Marathon puts out an add, they are hiring a couple of operators. 400 people will show up to take a test, but one of the supervisors buddies or kid will get hired. The SMART evaluation in a pysch test, that has been pimped like Sigma Six was pimped....how many Sigma Six guys around anymore? Complete scam.

I am fair skinned, a red head and have blue eyes...SPF50 has been a part of my life for 40 years. I hate sunscreen on my skin. I wear light weight backpacking/fishing pants. A long sleeved fishing shirt, a buff, my Costas and a Oregon Research Sombrero boonie hat. I used to wear Keen sandles, but have changed to a fishing shoe. I still put sunscreen on my face and hands and still own stock in several bottles of 50SPF. Skin cancer is real. The more clothing you can can cover skin with, the better.

I have dead sticked Crick-Hoppers up to a 60 count when the cricket hatch is in full swing. Often times, that first subtle twitch, after the dead period, will produce a strike. I have had the lure in the water for up to 5 minutes at a time and had a fish hit it. It is painfully, difficult fishing for me, but the excitement of watching topwaters get blown up is fun stuff. I dont throw topwater baits very much, eventhough I know I should.

I have seen the Diawa telescoping rods on Ebay and they want a chunck of money for them. Im not opposed to dropping 160.00+, but they come from Japan and who knows if they are legit Diawa poles.

Dude, that was our secret man...OUR SECRET! I T-rig a 2.8 keitech FAT Swim impact on a #2 EWG. Even toss on a 1/16oz Tungsten bullet weight.

Im in the same boat. Im looking at the Diawa HMG amd the St Croix travels rods. Im leaning towards the Diawa, as it comes with a semi rigid case. Im hoping some BR members chime in this one. As, I am as interested as you are.

There are a ton of options. Marmot, Mountain Hardware, North Face, Patagonia, Mountain Khaki, Columbia, Duluth Trading and many more. If you have an REI close by, I would go try on a few and than find them cheaper on line. I have had good luck with Columbia over the years and they are typically on the less exspensive end of the spectrum. I have a couple pairs of Duluth that are a bit thicker that wear for wading rivers. Good luck.

"...When I'm not so worried about donating swimbaits to cover, I really like the Keitech tungsten brand ball head jigs... " I toss the Keitech tungsten jigs with single mono weed guard. Have you found a way to consistently get a Keitech bait to stay on? I use super glue, but it is 50/50.

I have been looking at the knob, with a cutoff blade on my Dremel sitting next to it. I think I will email Gary first?

Be sure to have some type of anchor system. Whether that is an actual anchor, PowerPole or a home made mud pole. You will want something that can lock you in one spot, that will allow you to fish a good looking spot. Fighting current in a yak sucks.

Anything can be removed?, but the BG knob is certainly not held in place with a threaded mechanism. Any direction you can point me in?

My question was genuine curiousity and I appreciate the response.

I would reccomend the HMG, but sounds like the lure keeper is a no-go. Is there a reason behind that? I have never seen or maybe wasn't paying attention to rod keepers, being anywhere but by the handle.

So, I recently had the experience of turning a reel with cork knobs on the handles...SWEEEET. I looked at the knobs on my Daiwa BG 1500's and they appear to be "pinned" in or some type of rivet apllication. I figured they were held in place by a screw and it would be a 5 minute job to Upgrade City...not so much. Does anyone have any experience in getting these off and installing new knobs on the handles?

Warm water, a single drop of Dawn and a microfiber towel.

Im with you on this one. I view the laydowns as hotel's and what ever I am throwing into their room, should be considered room service

Im guilty of saying out loud, that a spot looks like a bass hotel and fishing it harder than I should, grab another rod,with different lure and fish it a bit harder. Some spots just look fishy and deserve more attention IMO. I dont depend on landing a 5 limit to pay the bills and put food into mouthes either. So, it easier for me to say, throw the kitchen at a fishy looking spot, like a lay down or slack water when fishing river/creek currrent. I was wade fishing the Upper Comite river on friday and there was a little cut of water, where there was some slack water and knew there had to be a fish in that slack water. I changed the color of bait twice and put 8 or 9 casts on that spot, per lure, before hooking up with a 2lbs spotted bass. I threw another 5-6 casts after landing that fish, because it looked fishy.

4lbs 13oz.

I keep "evil spirit" bell on my kayak, to ward off the bad Ju-Ju. Same kind of bell, you will often times find on motorcycles.