diversity210

This isnt really about fishing per-say, but I was out today looking for a pair of nice light weight athletic shoes to wear on my boat when I go fishing. I dont like being barefooted on the boat, but I do like to keep my boat carpet clean so I figured Id buy some shoes to wear solely on my boat. Walked in a couple stores and started realizing a trend in prices 120, 140, 180 bucks for a pair of sneakers. Now I am not someone who will spend more than 100 bucks on a pair of shoes with tax. Its not affordability; rather it is principle. My personal opinion is that people who spend 200-300 bucks on shoes are crazy, but then again I will spend 200 bucks on a fishing rod and another 200 on the reel so maybe Im the one thats crazy. Shoes are nothing but fabric that has been cut, glued, and stitched together and I have not seen a pair of shoes in my adult life that would make me spend more than 100 bucks. Now this was the first time I walked into a mall in years. I usually buy all of my shoes and clothes online, but Im heading out on the water tomorrow and wanted the shoes today. I hate malls and always feel like a loser for even being in the mall and buying online is just easier rather than walking in a store, finding something I like only for them not to have it in my size or it be way more money than Im willing to spend on a piece of fabric that someone in a third world country probably got paid 50 cents to make. Retail stores have slimmed down their inventory so much that even I a guy that wears XL shirts and have a 36 waist feels like an obese piece of trash when I walk in a clothing store today. So yeah I was fairly surprised at just how many expensive pairs of shoes these stores carried and how limited their sub 100 dollar shoes were and the ones they had were just awful. Long story short. I was just curious about how much everyone else is willing to drop on a pair of shoes? Maybe there is something Ive been missing all these years and I might need to increase how much Im willing to pay for a pair of shoes. Maybe someone who is willing or has spent more on a pair of shoes has a justifiable and logical reason for spending so much on shoes that I can wrap my head around. That way the very thought of spending 150 bucks on a pair of shoes doesnt make me so sick to my stomach

People that own expensive gear will justify it and those that only buy cheaper gear will justify it. The point is that you can make and argument for or against anything. You have to find what you are most comfortable with. Dont just assume you have to spend a ton of money on gear, but dont just buy gear because its cheap either. Dont listen to all the fanboys recommending expensive gear because they heard some pro angler sponsored by the company say they love it. Trust me when I say a lot of people touting expensive gear do not own it themselves. They just think expensive is where its at. Find your balance where the performance and quality of the gear balances well with how much you spent on it. That might be different for everyone.

I agree. I wouldn't fish around a dock with people on the dock or in a boat at the dock. Someone said to ask permission. I personally would never ask permission to fish public water. Makes the owner of the dock think that they some how they have authority over the water around the dock or their boat. Just be courteous and move on if there are people already occupying t he dock. Now if you are fishing that dock and someone comes trotting along to occupy the dock after have already been there fishing. Then how well the fishing is going around that dock would dictate my next move. No matter what they say or the expression on their face. Know the laws and use common courteous even though courtesy will not always be shown to you as an angler.

I dont think having a cheaper setup will yeild you less fish that someone with a 1000 dollar rig. More money for a rod and reel is not going to make you a better angler. Spending more on gear usually means a lighter equipment, more well balanced rods, more sensitive rods, and longevity. While that 150 dollar combo might last you 5 years, the guy with the 800 dollar combo will still have his in 10 years. You dont need expensive gear to be as effective an angler as the next guy. Ive found that once you pass a certain dollar amount then you aren't getting that much more for your money. Hone your skills with what you have. Thats the best way to become a good angler.s I fish with my uncle a lot. Now I am one of those guilty of overkill and have 15-20 rigs on my boat . All costing between 250 and 400 bucks rod and reel. My uncle always brings the same to old 2 cheap rods with reels that sound like someone grinding their teeth when he reels them and some days he out fishes me. He gets a kick out of it too. Me and all my expensive gear and his 2 cheap setups and he out fishes me sometimes.

Everyone has their own way in deed, but brraid to leader is just so much more versatile than straight line and it saves money as well. By versatile I mean you can always tie a leader on to braid, but being met with a situation where straight mono and flouro just wont do and you are out of luck. It is for this reason braid to leader is much better for those who only have a couple rigs to fish with. Not everyone has an arsenal of rods on the boat. Any serious bass angler, whether fishing is just a serious hobby or a profession for you knows how expensive it is. I personally welcome any effective and reliable method that saves money. Braid is cheaper than fluorocarbon and it lasts longer. It is essential to learn to tie a good strong leader knot and you dont have to worry about loosing fish from a failed leader. Braid will also add sensitivity to even the cheapest setup which is why I love it for my spinning gear. I dont have any misconception about it getting rid of line twist because it does not. I dont know how anyone could recommend against it when there are more reasons to do it than not do it. To each is own though.

Bass do different things are different bodies of water and since Im not where you are. I couldn't tell you how to locate them or what they might be doing. I can tell you this though. When the water temps warm up mid 70's on into the 80'. A big Texas rigged worm always seems to produce.

Yeah sounds like you guys were missing a lot of those initial bites and the fish had the bait for a while before you noticed it. Dont just pay attention to the feel or you rad tip flexing. watch your line. Some times fish are light on a soft plastics. Also a good sensitive rod will help you a lot as well.

Really long casts are important for cranking and throwing a something like a texas rig into grass flats. Deep diving cranks you need long cast to get that lure down to depth and be effective and I love running a big 10" worm over grass flats. Its deadly. I need long casts for that because when I get to close to those shallow grass flats and I just dont seem to get bit. Bass arent the smartest creatures but they arent dumb and a boats wake or motor kicking up mud and disturbing the grass in a shallow flat will surely loose you a lot of bites.

First you could be fishing against guys that have been doing it 20-30 years, so of course you may drag behind a little. Whether tournament fishing or just casual fishing for recreation. You have to find what works for you. I know guys who love jig fishing. I know guys that love cranking. I know guys that love spinner baits and it always seem like they catch the majority of their fish on the lures they love because you develop such a good and effective technique for fishing that specific lure and its important because you learn to present that lure better. Of course their will be times where you will have to dig deep into that tackle bag and throw something you aren't comfortable with so your familiarize yourself with many things, but you know what works for you. Also stop worrying about what the other guys are catching. Just focus on honing your technique and having a good time. Worrying about everyone else makes you stress and become anxious and it causes mistakes. Bass fishing these days is a skill that is hones over many years. So stop thinking your one year is going to keep up with everyone else. Just the fact that you are in the race is good enough for now

My brother quit fishing. He was raised fishing and loved it until he finished medical school and became to big for his britches and thought some how fishing was low brow after that, or maybe it could be because he moved to dry Arizona. Either way he no longer fishes. When he comes to visit. I try and get him out on the boat and it never happens. Its to bad because fishing is so relaxing, fun, who doesn't enjoy eating fresh caught fish. I sleep so well after a day of fishing. It doesn't wear me out, but it relaxes me so much that I sleep like a baby afterwards.

Yeah good UV protecting longs sleeve shirts in hot weather is necessary. I fish most in the central valley of California where triple digit heat is every day in the summer. Ive taken to fishing mostly in the morning from first light to when the sun is high in the sky around 1 or 2 pm and just before sunset around 5-7pm. I had really bad sun burn a few years ago and it made me start protecting myself. Lot of black people dont think they need to protect themselves from the sun, but we do. Wearing a gaiter can be a bit annoying but it keeps the sun off the back of your neck. Also a nice boony hat is always on my head. Good polarized sun glasses will protect those eyes to. Splurge on the good ones too. All the glare from the sun just isnt good for yours eyes. Water water water. I will go through a gallon of water in half a day on hot days. Stay hydrated. Dont drink a bunch of Gatorade, soda, and energy drinks and think it has the same affect as drinking plenty of water.

Some people saying not to use line to leader. I would have to disagree. braid to leader has so many more pros than it does cons and more pros than using straight flouro or mono. Using straight flouro or mono and you will be re spooling with new line a lot. Especially if you frequent heavy cover and rock piles. I personally like braid to leader on most of my setups because I dont have to worry about my line through out the day or season for the most part. The only rods I use straight flouro on is my cranking setup and jig rod. Everything else its braid to leader for me especially my spinning gear. Learn to tie a good leader not. Ive found the fg knot to really be the strongest but it takes a little more time, so when you or in a rush tie on a double uni. They are still very reliable. Ive never lost a fish from my leader breaking. Rod selection to me is so much more important than picking the fancy high end reels. Especially your cranking and jig rods. A nice medium action parabolic bend in a cranking and jig rod is a must. Can mean the difference between keeping a fishing pegged on those trebles and loosing him. I avoid glass rods because they are heavy and you loose sensitivity with them, but go to the store and hand pick you rods. Dont just blindly order rods online like some people because some pro angler said its a good rod. Also make sure your changing out the treble hooks and snap rings on your lures to something sharper, stouter, and just better quality. Even many of the most expensive lures will come with garbage trebles. Its a way for companies to cut cost and maximize profit so make sure you are changing them. Dont be overzealous when setting the hook. A lot of times with lures like jigs ans soft plastics. The bass will bump it before they take it. You have to let them take it. Thats where good sensitive rods come into play. Also use the proper hook set when setting. Some lures its more affective to set over the head and some you want to sweep off to the side when setting. . Something that no one ever seems to mention is guides. Make sure you are checking the guides on your rods. A mangled or missing insert is brutal on any line. If you are putting rods in a locker. Use rod socks. Taking rods in and out of a rod locker with all the rubbing degrades the line so use rods socks. The only other thing I can think of is drag. Having your drag set properly is a must especially on a fast and extra fast action rods. The only rod I tighten my drag all the way down on is my frog rod. Fish need you to give a little otherwise you will loose them. Having the drag set properly allows you to effortlessly give a little.

It really depends. Generic lures are usually hit and miss. I really dont use inline spinners very much. The small inline spinners are deadly with crappie, but thats the only time I use them. You need to factor in the cost of buying new treble hooks and split rings for all the lures, because Im quite sure they are garbage. Heck even on most of the name brand lures i will change out the split rigs and treble hooks as soon as I get them. So you would be looking at about 40 bucks spent. If you fish inline spinners enough. I say go for it. give them a try. they could be great but they could be garbage. 40 bucks wont hurt your season will it

Im here in northern California where I have had the pleasure of catching both. My personal favorite is a smallmouth. They just put up a fight like no other bass species. pound for pound they are more aggressive and just fight harder that spotties. Smallmouth tend to habitat in faster moving cooler water. Maybe thats why they are a bit more aggressive. They have to be for the waters the dwell in.

Small mouth tend to be fairly aggressive when the bite is on and the will eat pretty much anything you have tied on. I have produced many smallmouth on Berkley Power Bait 10" Power Worms. The small mouth just cant resist them especially on warmer summer days. 4 to 5 inch Keitech Easy Shinner on a 1/8oz weighted gamagatsu swimbait hook or an owner flash swimmer. Zoom Salty Super Fluke will get the job done as well.

All of my spinning gear is 10-15 pound braid. Just tie on a leader. The length and test of the leader for me is going to depend on how clear the water is and how finicky the fish are. Clear water and I will drop all the down to 8lbs test leader at maybe 3 or 4 feet long. Muddy/low visibility and leader length and test really do not matter. The only spinning setup that I dont use braid on are my two 6'6 light and ultra light rods for panfish. Those are both 6lbs mono.

Id also say a 2 piece rod would be the way to go. You loose a bit of sensitivity but you gain portability.

For fishing dropshot and senkos you definitely want to pickup the most sensitive rod you can afford. A medium fast action dobyns fury will do the trick, but they arent the most sensitive rods. The Dobyns Sierra is definitely a more refined and sensitive rod that the Fury. If you are choosing between the 2. I would go with the sierra. The ducket micro magic pro is a great rod in the same price range as the sierra. Its light, has great tip action, and is plenty sensitive. The St Croix Premier rods are another great rod in the same catagory. Shimona Curado is also a great quality rod in the catagory. All with in the 160 dollar price range of the Dobyns Sierra. I personally think the Duckett Micro Magic pro with the Microwave guides beats all of these rods in sensitivity. Duckett has had some problems with quality control in the past, but their warranty is great. Any of the rods I have listed above though would suit your needs nicely. Just look for something in 7"-7"2' medium fast action. I would stay away from the medium lights. I know a lot of people use medium light spinning rods for more finesse applications, but I think they are just 2 light. The medium power rod is going to be more diverse. It will have a nice soft tip, with much more back bone than a medium light for hooksets. Im sure others will say differently but this is just my opinion. Hope it helps.

Drag isnt meant for preventing you from straightening out hooks on the hookset. It might help a bit, but then again you will have to dial the drag in to be able to set the hook properly, but not so much so that you straighten out the hooks. I just dont see it as being the most affection way to go. 3 things come to mind for me. Tie on a mono leader. That will add a little give on hooksets. Second would be to use better selection of rods. Finding a rod with a softer tip but still has plenty of backbone. Third would be simply to change out the hooks to something stronger with a shorter shank. I use Owner Stinger 2X and Mustad Ultrapoint Triple grip 2X short shank.

I think Okuma puts out the best quality blanks in the 100-120 price catagory. The EVX has no obvious seems visible, no runny resin. Though the EVX 30 ton graphite blank is slightly heavier some of the competitors rods, like the the Shimano exage, its a very well balanced rod. Pair it with a slightly lighter reel and you have a combo that you can fish comfortable all day. The Duckett Ghost is by far the most sensitive rod I have used in this price catagory, but the build quality doesn't compare to that of the Okuma. I think the closest competitor to the EVX out of all the rods I have used in this catagory would be the Dobyns Fury. In fact I would have a hard time choosing between the 2. Wish I could compare it to the St Croix bass X rods, because I am a huge fan of St Croix, but I haven't personally gotten to use one yet. All I know about them is what other people have said. Honestly it will all come down to what you are looking for in a rod, because you are not going to get everything in a 100-120 rod. So depending on what the most important attributes to you are in the particular rod you are looking for. Opinions will vary. All I can say is that the okuma EVX seems to get overlooked, but its a great rod and well worth the money.

Man I have been so anxious to break out the lipless crankbaits. Though we are into spring, we are still getting a lot of rain here in northern california. So I havent been able to get out on the water yet. It is eating me up too.

For jerkbaits Seagar Invizx 12lbs flouro for me

Bassproshop carbonlite 2.0 are great rods at their price point that people seem to overlook a lot. Another great rod that gets overlooked a lot of times in the same price point are the Okuma EVX rods. Both great rods in the 120 price range. I love the Duckett micro magic pro rods. To me they are one of the best performing best filling rods in the 160 price range. I will say though. Duckett seems to have quality control problems, but their warranties are good. The St Croix premier rods, and Dobyns Fury rods are also really good rods. You will always get quality with St Croix. They never seem to miss. At least in my opinion they dont.

My only tip is fish where other dont and keep it simple. I see people with a huge number of plastics in all kinds of crazy colors. Most bass can be caught on few color lures. Green Pumpkin, Watermelon, White, black, Chartreuse. You can throw in a few red lures for good measure if you like.

I already listed the lakes Id love to fish, but I also wouldn't mind fishing the Amazon. Probably will never happen, but I like the though. I think it would be fun