Big Rick

The Wonders of Wildlife museum is stunning. Overwhelming is the better term. It's so big that halfway through they have a restaurant, no kidding. I've been twice and loved it. They went all out on the ambiance too. When you walk into the Serengeti the room temp is elevated to simulate the weather there. The aquariums are awesome as well. Well worth the time for a visit. Just make sure you've got the time because it demands time to soak it all in. And it never hurts that the largest BPS store in the world is next door. Also, the catalog returns store is there with discounts on good stuff that was sized wrong and returned.

That's an awesome tire. I've had great success with tire wear, traction, and low road noise. I will admit I've had NO experience with snow, thankfully!! I'm ordering a set for my recently acquired 1st gen Toyota Tacoma. Looking forward to seeing your new ride. I bought the ZR2 Silverado and love it.

This is great advice. Often times bass will blow up on a regular frog and miss but will completely engulf a smaller meal option. The GOAT toad has been my number one frog option the last couple of years. It's a buzz bait and regular frog all in one, depending on retrieve cadence. Also, a fluke or wacky rigged Senko will often time entice a bite.

I feel sure you'll hear from him about the time the ice melts or bass start bedding.

The apparent goal is to force you to make more orders as opposed to a single larger order. I'm out as I like to make one larger order. Trickling orders in is more frustrating and leaves a greater chance for a mistake or other issues. Bummer.

Do you see a difference in rigging the tail curl down versus up?

Case in point, I use ALL my LV lipless like a blade bait. Snap up off bottom and let it fall on a semi-slack line. Most hits come on the fall and feel like a tick or just see my line jump.

Tie it to a tree, unwind it all, spool it back up in reverse and good to go another season or two.

The LVR is a very specialized bait. It is not designed to give the thump of the RES. The LV500 does that. The LVR is supposed to be a more natural, almost finesse, presentation. Think clear water, wary fish, and more calm conditions, IMO. Case in point, straight from TW: The new LVR series are characterized by a more natural fluid movement that standard lipless crankbaits lack. Most lipless crankbaits are designed to produce a powerful vibrating action, unfortunately in order to produce this vibration, the baits must have a mechanical action. The LVR series baits have an optimal balance between internal volume and body mass. Basically, the optimal balance eliminates the unnatural mechanical action. The speed and falling posture of the LVR's more closely imitate the natural action of a baitfish. The bodies are designed to create a smooth, straight fall when first entering the water, eliminating the standard right or left starting action of other lipless crankbaits. The action and body design make them more weedless than baits of similiar design. This is an excellent bait to use when fish are weary but are still actively pursuing schools of baitfish. Lucky Craft has also made LVR's available in some new colors like Chrome, Arkansas Shad, Chrome Blue, and White & Gray.

That they do, but I put little trust in their ability to float you or your ability to climb in one..... I will say you'd look rather dapper as you sank....

I agree that needed saying twice, LOL. I use a spunk shad. While it does provide slight movement it mostly provides bulk and weight. This really helps when I downsize to a smaller bait and need the casting distance and a little more weight for accuracy while pitching a spinnerbait. I am also in the camp that the added bulk helps with the bass engulfing the bait.

These choices are often relegated to the forage available in the regions each of us fish. Down south my number one color is Copperfield: And a close second to Bluegill Flash: Since most of these options are darker on top and lighter on bottom you could get away with a general color selection for the heads to match multiple baits, IMO.

A good welder should be able to repair that. Possible even made stronger than originally. I guess that all depends on whether you can remove that section to take to to an accomplished welding shop. Otherwise moving the whole thing would probably be a workout in and of itself. Hope you get it resolved soon.

I have the "A" version of this rod and I love it for frog fishing. Not sure what the biggest difference is between the A and B, but I love mine. In summer I skip frogs and in the winter I flip jigs with it. It's a great dual purpose rod IMO.

Candy Bug by Zoom. By a long shot. It's the candy flake (think watermelon candy) in a purple color.

The Don Iovino Splash-It Popper has been the number one popper style bait in my arsenal for many years. I have count countless bass on them. And my number one color is Bluegill, though I have caught fish on most of the colors. They come in standard (2-1/4" ~ 1/4oz) and Big (2-3/4 ~ 3/8oz). I keep both sizes in my favorite colors as often time the fish will short strike the bigger one and inhale the standard size. They're both very easy to throw and to work. I really didn't have a standout rookie bait. I did have a standout presentation this year ~ square bill cranks in lay-downs. My two best cranks were: Bill Lewis ATV Squarebill 1.0. I believe ATV stands for All Terrain Vehicle as this is the most daring square bill I have ever thrown. I almost will NOT hang up in limbs and lay-downs. Very versatile and tough as nails. It comes in several sizes with 1.0 being my most used. Favorite color is grey gizzard. Rapala Ott's Garage OG Rocco 5 crank bait. This is a balsa bait that has high flotation and a smooth, rhythmic wobble. It is deadly silent, which is awesome for pressured fish. I love the bruised citrus shad color.

In this scenario, I totally agree. In ALL other scenarios concerning my body, I respectfully disagree.....👴🏻

If you'll scroll all the down to the bottom of the page you'll find the grid layout. It's a bit different the the old one, but much better than trying to make your choices from the small layout up top.

I'm sure Irene will be by here shortly.

You know something I missed? April 27 was his last visit. I miss his random replies.

Exactly. I don't currently or never will fish tournaments. I don't depend on the fish I catch to feed my family, whether by harvest or by winnings. So, I don't plan to own FFS. I know there are many arguments on both sides. My only point is this: I love the art of chasing green fish and trying to outwit them. That is the most rewarding aspect of bass fishing to me. When I put the right pieces of the puzzle in the right places and get on a pattern it makes my day. We, by nature, are hunters. And while I understand that FFS is a challenge in and of itself, I don't relish the thought of staring at a screen and pitching different baits at a target until it bites. That cheapens my experience. YMMV

14 years later..... Wow.

I have the 7'3" XH on the recommendation of the guys at Tactical. I love it. In the warm weather it's a great frog rod and in the cool weather it's my jig rod. I have no problem walking a frog, even smaller ones like the Kaera. It's also very sensitive which helps me detect jig strikes. It's a great dual purpose rod and I enjoy fishing with it. YMMV

Clickbait got me. Well done.... And I am jealous. Hope you have great success and provide us with some pics of your trip.

Rapala X-Rap Sub Walk. @A-Jay has regaled us in the past with success stories using this bait.