Mikeltee

That appears to be just a depth chart with no channel structure and no steep dropoffs. If I was you I would get a fish finder and/or drag a deeper so you can chuck it up in those pads and see what lies beneath. I am new to bass fishing like you and from all the research i've put in over the months, one thing that seems to be a commonality is that when the bite gets tough, go finesse style. Yea its boring, especially when you are in a boat, but you got to do what you got to do and it beats watching tv(well maybe not a steeler game).

Ah at least I'm not the only one. There's probably many WP virgins out there that are just too ashamed to admit it. It's ok guys... be strong. Come out of the closet and admit that the WP is no magic lure. All those YouTube vids are CGI.

Maybe it is the ponds I'm fishing. In my area, I have a 2k acre reservoir with no boat and not much accessible bank, several spots to fish off the river bank for smallies and spotted, and neighborhood ponds that are 2-5 acres. I can usually catch a 4+ pounder in less than 20min at the ponds so that is usually where I go, even at 3pm in 100 degree heat but no love on the WP. Considering its such a popular lure, maybe all my neighbors are using it too and that is why it wont work. I guess Ill retire that box until I can get out into some fresh territory. Hopefully they like frogs.

I haven't been bass fishing very long and I keep reading about the ultimate topwater bite. I want to experience this. I have throw WP 75,90,and 110 before first light til 10am, mid afternoon, dusk til midnite , rain, wind, cool, calm, chop, etc etc with no luck at all. Once I saw a bluegill hit the 110 but that is as much action as I have seen. I will even go catch a bass off a Senco to assure myself that they are in there and biting and then switch to the WP and chuck it for hours. I bet I got a good 20 hours of throwing that d**n lure logged without any action. I see all the time people talking about how successful they are with the WP. I also saw a post from a very respected poster that said out of the year, you will have 10 days only that you will get bit on a topwater bait. I have tried slow retrieve, fast retrieve, letting it set for a few seconds after casting, jerking it, presenting it like a wounded fish. Pretty much everything I can think of. What the heck am I doing wrong? Can anyone confirm that when fishings good that they can catch on a WP pretty much every time they go out? I have a lot invested in this lure by purchasing all sizes in many color patterns. Got a frog rod inbound so the next step is to learn to walk a frog and maybe experience the topwater bite that way. I really like the way the WP fishes so I am anxious to get one on it.

I use GM Sencos and d**n near every fish I catch the senco is 5' up the line. I don't know how the hell it happens. Man I go through a lot of Sencos.

Kastking as usual has decent quality for cheap prices. Walmart has a decent selection in the fishing aisle with the most expensive being $20. My daughter loves them. They have an Ike logo ripoff on the side. As said earlier... any self-respecting angler wheres Costas. I got a great pair for $120 plus 20% off ebay promo code from American angler. They retail for $199. They still have some in stock if you want to hold off til next promo.

I've seen 10" sections of pool noodles employed as floatation devices. The rod leash seems to be more popular. One would think that many options were available considering kayaks are known for tipping. This must not be the case with a good fishing kayak. Hopefully one day soon I'll have the opportunity to find out as I'm sick of fishing the bank and cant afford a power boat big enough for the local lakes. I lost a $800 rig when my son knocked it over when we were cleaning the pontoon at the slip. I would have dove for it but the water is nasty in that area. I tried to snag it up with the biggest treble hook I could find. It was a spinning setup so no love lost. I'm sure a sensible floatation system would be popular if it included an organization aspect to it.

Only 2 ways to find out. Throw a lure or use a fish finder. I'd hit the little lake. It sounds less pressured. With enough persistence I'm sure you can PB at either. I'm envious of your choices...

To me, they will add too much weight to the rig causing an imbalance. Even with large swimbaits, a naked rod should be butt heavy to compensate for a heavy lure. I can see using them when fighting a big fish... not bass. Did the pros you saw using them also have the branding on their shirts? These would be great for kayakers if they indeed prevent losing rods. Rod leases get in the way.

I throw all those baits from a BC medium. Tatula Elite AGS Finesse 7'.

When I was shopping for my Curado K, I found one for $40 and naturally hit the buy it now button. The transaction went through. The next day my money was refunded, the transaction didnt even show on my purchase order and the seller and the other sellers with Ks for under $60 as well. They were all in the US. My guess is that they are cheap knockoffs that people buy, buy the same product from a big box store for MSRP, return knockoff to big box store for MSRP, and keep original for the knockoff price. There are zillions for $100 right now too.

Compared to the ugly sticks of my past and my tatula elite yes. What would you consider a fast tip?

We are in the exact same position. I'm stuck on shore as well but will be yakking it next season. Your spinner will suit you fine for dropshot, ned rigs, weightless sencos, etc etc. Maybe I shouldnt have said to ditch the spinner. Just get the idea of investing in more spinning gear out of your mind. Spinning Reels- Less accuracy, less casting distance (non-finesse), wind knots, larger profile, feels imbalanced and chunkier and not an extension of the arm like a BC. Most of these reasons are subjective. I'm sure many people prefer a spinning setup but they usually aren't bass fisherman. Spinners are amateur hour in my opinion. No need to even hold it upside down and crank the wrong way. LOL

I dont know why I see this all the time. Is it because they have fast tips making you think you are not in control? I have several Dobyns and I have no problems even going over the stated lure weight. I thought we spend all this money on the fast and extra fast tips with the big backbones. Maybe im wrong and should just stick with the Ugly Sticks.

When I came back after a 15 year time out, I got a MH (Dobyns 734) and lures from all the different techniques. I threw them all and decided what I wanted to get proficient at. First was swimbait and got a Dobyns 795. Next was finesse and got a Tatula Elite AGS. Now on the frog wagon and have a Dobyns 736 inbound. The mistake I made was not waiting and I invested $250 in a Dobyns 705 spinning rod. I threw it about 2 weeks until I realized spinning reels are for amateurs and now it collects dust. Luckily Dobyns does trade ins at roughly 80% Boat or shore? With shore only you dont need 7 different rigs, you need 3 max. Maybe a XH to flip/punch/swimbait? 3 power for finesse and jerkbaits? Heavy for topwater and frogs? Id first ditch the spinner. That MH is gonna cover just about anything. You wont be asking this question when you are ready for a specialized rig. Maybe kick the baitmonkey in the nuts this round, stash the cash, and when you know you are ready, get a really good rod which is way more important than the reel (baitcaster of course).

That is slick. Beats a rope ladder or using the lower unit!

MEGABASS OROCHI XX JIG & WORM $199 normally $299 https://www.americanlegacyfishing.com/megabass-orochi-xx-jig-worm-f6-70xx.html Megabass Orochi XX Jig & Worm | F6½-70XX SPECIFICATIONS: Length: 7'0" | Line: 12lb-25lb | Lure: 3/8 oz-1-1/2oz | Power: mEDIUM-Heavy | Action: Fast | MPN: F6.5-70XX The F6½-70XX is a powerful rod, designed with a fast taper to deliver a quick uppercut and penetrating hook set with stationary lures like jigs, worms, Carolina rigs, and some swimbaits. Also suited for slow-rolling big spinnerbaits and heaving big, hard-pulling crankbaits, the F6½-70XX has the power to handle big baits, yet the lightness to control them with ease. Man... I always wanted to try a MEGABASS!

Dobyns fiend here... Save your cash and get Fury for frog/topwater(735), cranking(?), swimbaits(795), and all-purpose(734). Get the Champion for your worm rod(705) where high sensitivity is needed. If you hit the lotto go with Champ Extreme for your finesse spinning rig(702). Frequently check the refurbished section. You can usually find the rod you are looking for for about 35% cheaper. That is the route i took. From what i've read, the Fury is the closest fishing series to the Champion. My Furys look awesome but the Champs are super sexy. I haven't tried the Sierras and probably wont. Ill be going all Champion from here on out... they are that good imo As most will say... Call Gary yourself. Tell him what you want and your budget and you will be steered in the right direction. Don't take our word for it. Ask the man that made em. Another tip is to wait for an Ebay sale, hit up AmericanLegacy and their Make Offer button and try $20 below the listed Buy It Now. Ebay pays the promoted sale so usually they will bite on the offer. They are good people, and have sold me all my rods. It helps that they are 2hr north and I pretty much scratch the baitmonkey itch within 48 hours. There should be a 20% sale coming for Memorial day.

Ebay pays it if I'm not mistaken so im not sure why sellers would raise their prices. When I did the last 20% off it was max $200 as well.

No a reel does not need to be full, but a reel is rated in part to its retrieve rate. A full spool will be closest to this ratio. A half empty spool will roughly be 2/3 of the ratio, dependent upon the thickness of the center of a spool. Some use it for slippage, but I have slippage with braid, mono, and flouro. It can be a real bear to get the winding started. Some spools have little posts in the to prevent this. I never casted so far that slippage was a concern. FYI a full reel to me is when one side comes to the bevel. I dont think ive ever seen a perfectly even lined spool so check each side when you are getting close.

I agree that theres no reason to go below 30# braid on anything thats not on a finesse reel. Just make sure you tie a good knot to that leader and make it long enough so the fish cant see the braid if you indeed are using a leader. Braid is expensive. Most use cheap $2/700yd Walmart mono as backing. I use 1/3 backing (about 60 cranks on your average low profile 7-1 BC, but wouldnt be afraid to use 50% if I knew I was not gonna throw anything over 1/2oz on it like my frog rod.

I got the Ehler Finesse and love it. Its finish has much to be desired, but performance is on point. Id imagine the whole line is on point as an angler has his name on every one of them. I didn't have the pleasure of spending under $200 though. I think it was closer to $250. If you are looking for recommendations, please include the tasks at hand. If you are looking for an all purpose, why not just spend $100 on a Dobyns 734 or 705. Once you decide what type of presentation you are trying to achieve, invest more into that. Sensitivity is where the high end rods need love. Topwaters are visual bites so you can get by with <$100. It doesn't take much sensitivity to feel a change in vibration with a crankbait and I dont buy into to those "delayed reaction" rods. The guys spending $600 on rods will argue those statements though rightfully so...

If you are new to baitcasters, get the Diawa. I havent thrown one in 10 years. I got both the Tat SV and the K. I went with a Lews Tourny Pro G as well. The easiest is the Lews and its only 120$. All are 7-1 reels. With the same weight lure and same line, I can crank 38 revolutions with the Lews and 42 with the other 2. The Diawa Is the best in my opinion, but my first one had a faulty Twing that wouldnt reset. I dont see the Tat lasting long because of the Twing. I hate the 200k!!!! You will hate the 200K being your first. I can tune it in and rock it for an hour. No change in anything then all of the sudden it starts backlashing. The only thing I dont have this problem with is hollowbody frogs so its now my frog reel. I have always been a Shimano man, but have been out of the game for a decade. I will steer clear of them from now on. That 200k has left a rotten taste in my mouth. I could care less about that fancy DC setup. I know how to throw a BC and my wife dont fish so theres no need to get a few extra cranks on a cast for some new tech thats brand new. I realize DC has been around for awhile but this iteration is brand new.

return it and get something else. I hate my K. It takes forever to setup for each lure. Once setup, I can throw for and hour and then the backlashes start happening. I freaking hate this reel!!!!

May I suggest a mirror so you can see idiots coming from behind you? I am always watching my 6 at the helm. Parents go on vacation and kids find keys to the toys. Luckily all the water in my area has DNR on patrol and idiots are taken care of immediately. Surely this horses ass had been doing stuff like this since launch. I am glad you are here to tell the story. I get why every crotch rocket I see has a camera on the front and back of their bike. Nothing makes me more mad than someone not respecting the no wake zone. Problem is boats don't require a licence and some boaters don't even know what wake is.