Manly Studson

I think the answer is ‘yes.’ If all things are equal, better gear makes for better fishing. But, in my opinion, the gear should be much better in order to notice a difference. For example, I can’t tell a difference between some expensive house-brand rods and a Berkley Lightening Rod. But I can feel how much more sensitive a St. Croix Avid X is than a Lightening Rod. I also agree with others who have said that fishing quality gear is more enjoyable.

Part of the fun is trying different lures and presentations. But if I must choose only one... the Senko.

I agree, but for him it was a competition. I or my son cuts his lawn, so I am not worried about ill will. Just fishing with him in those circumstances was awkward.

Yes, I would follow his lead. Everything I know about fishing comes from watching others, listening to others, or what I read somewhere.

Two good responses. So be respectful and fish on. Good advice. Given the shoddy gear he had, I was surprised at the number of strikes he got. He just couldn’t haul them in.

I was invited by my neighbor, an old Marine with 3 Purple Hearts, to fish his brother’s small pond. When we got there, I could tell that he was competitive. The pond was loaded with bass, and I knew from the start that his gear was inadequate: whippy rods, an old tackle box with rusty lures, and too few lures. I caught much more bass than he did. I began to slowly suggest lures, and I offered him a stout pole. He didn’t accept any of it, but pressed on. He missed fish after fish with his whippy rod. At the end of the day he seemed grumpy. He said that his hooks were too small. I respect him, but I’m not sure how to fish with him without him having a bad time. Should I let him out-fish me next time?

I agree that long casts are good for top water presentations. I like to cast lipless crank baits far too. With most other lures, I rarely need to cast further than 50 feet.

I didn’t quit, but I had to take time off. I fished from childhood through college. Then grad school, work, and having children made me stop for a while. As soon as my kids could cast a rod, I put one in their hands. Now I fish once a week, and my kids often go with me. If I had to do it over, I wouldn’t have let fishing go.

I know that swim baits are moving baits, which means you are reeling the lure and keeping the line tight. Even though a swim bait is Texas rigged, the retrieve keeps the fish from swallowing the lure too deeply. But Texas rigged craws aren’t fished very fast, and if the conversation with a fishing buddy is good, then detecting bites can be a challenge. I’m sure you can detect bites, but good conversation may be to blame. Just a thought.

My father caught his pb there—a 10.5 lb LMB. That was 20 years ago. Perhaps the fishery has declined.

Florida and South Georgia are great places to fish. The swamps have good-sized LMB. Okeefenokee and Okechobee are good.

When fishing is tough, do you throw small lures to catch numbers or do you throw standard sized lures to catch larger bass? My son caught 8 bass for every bass I caught. Using an ultralight setup, he threw 1/8 oz Heddon torpedos, a 2 inch grub on a 1/16 oz jig head, and an 1/8 oz spinnerbait. Had he not been there, it would not have occurred to me to use an ultralight setup and lures for bass.

The largest bass I ever caught was from the bank. I was walking towards a dock, and I decided to cast alongside it from land. From then on, I have always casted a few times at a distance, before standing close to water.

I think you’ll need two rods, but if you want just one, then a rod that is light enough to throw 1/4 oz lures and is strong enough to horse a bass through moderately thick cover seems like a good choice. Some GLoomis med/heavy rods and a few St. Croix medium power rods have this capability. I’m sure that there are other brands.

I don’t purchase budget casting reels anymore, but I do purchase budget spinning reels (e.g., President or Sienna). At $99 the Lew’s Speed Spool LFS isn’t “budget,” though some fishermen may consider it inexpensive. It is worth the money. But if you don’t have a casting reel, then a “budget” reel works. My first casting reel was an Abu Garcia Silver Max. When I eventually bought the LFS, I stopped using the Silver Max. But the Silver Max worked well enough. I’d purchase whichever reel fits your budget, has the best reviews, and has the desired gear ratio. A good budget reel should last a few seasons.

How can I find more about the tournament? I can’t find anything by searching the web.

I used to fish in south GA. The gators would go after my crank baits. They became a nuisance. They wouldn’t go after bottom baits, just lures with a fast retrieve. They like commotion.

It varies for me. I really enjoy throwing jigs and t-rigged Senkos. But although the retrieve is slow, I sometimes find this technique to be exhausting, because of how focused you must be on the strike. Therefore, I sometimes prefer to throw moving baits to relax.

I wear long sleeves and pants even in the summer. I also wear a cap. She probably gets tired of it, but I ask my wife to check my scalp the same day I return from an outing. I don’t use spray for ticks, just for gnats and horse flies. I try to spot ticks on me within 24 hours of being on the banks.

The Senko produces more for me. I haven’t really compared them head to head, but over time the Senko has become a lure that I will always have on hand. The ribbon tail may have its place, but I’m not sure how to fit it in. When would I use a ribbon tail over a Senko? I don’t know the answer to that question.

I haven’t seen too much disrespect from other fishermen on the water or on the bank. If anything, boaters (not fishermen) can be insensitive, but this mostly has to do with blasting music all over the lake. For the most part, my experience with fishermen has been good.

For whatever reason, I don’t see elderly fishermen. I see men in their 50’s, but not that much older. Some of the elderly men I know perk up when I talk about fishing, but it seems like it’s an old hobby from years ago. I did see a few elderly men at the lake the other day, but they and their wives were pushing grandkids in swings. Is it more difficult to find opportunities to fish as you get older?

Whopper Ploppers at $12.99 each. I haven’t lost one yet. So far, they’re worth it.

My son used a beetle spin to catch bluegill, crappie, green sunfish, largemouth bass, and a creek chub in one hour. The bass were small, but the others were large, especially the crappie.

I also use a medium/fast casting rod for light lures. Reels are important too. I have noticed a difference between the Curado 71 and other reels that I own. Shimano bills the reel as being good at throwing light lures. It does this well for me. It is pricey though. I am a fan of Lew’s too, and a comparably priced Lew’s reel may be just as good as a Shimano.