Jig Man

I make my own and use mostly 1/8 ball with 4/0 Gammy hooks.

Book it out on nada guides so you can tell if he is in the ball park.

I really believe some of you have the term "fishy" confused with "nasty" because that is how white bass with the red left in tastes. I'd never keep another one of them if I knew how to catch walleye or crappie when I want to eat fish.

Please post your results. I eat a bunch of them in the winter and would keep bigger pieces if it were possible to eat them. With the red still in they are just plumb nasty.

Just cut the red out and have a nice boneless fish stick. I've been eating them for over 30 years and that is the only way I have ever found to get them to taste fit to eat.

Ian has worked on some of mine and put Boca bearings in them. Big difference.

I only fish for them in the winter. I catch them to eat. Vertical fishing is the way I do it. They usually are some where between 25-35 feet deep very close to the bottom. Generally I use a 1/4 oz head on a bait that I make but sometimes I have to go to 3/8 oz as I have caught them as deep as 70'. I have no idea where you live or how deep they go in your area. I am in Southwest Missouri.

I use the Pitzen (16/20) for every type of line. It is quick and I can tie it in the winter with my gloves on in just a few seconds.

I'm one of those guys who mark every brush pile that I pass over. I use a variety of baits in the piles; mostly Trigged plastics or weed less screw lock jigs with worms. I make my own jigs and my brush jigs are made with smaller hooks so they hang up less frequently. I like to use braided line with a 3' leader so that as I pull the bait up I can feel the braided line coming over the limbs. When it gets (smooth) I know the leader is on the limb and I will feel the jig touch the limb in 3 feet. I can then gently twitch it over the limb and let it fall (repeat). Most strikes come just after going over the limb so close attention and line watching are a must.

I have one old Curado left and it only has one job--A rigs. It has been going strong for 20 years.

I don't own a tin boat right now but I have owned them and have several friends who own them. Out of all that I have owned and or ridden in there is only one that I would ever consider owning if I were to switch back to a metal boat and that is an Xpress. They handle lift and ride more like a glass boat than anything else out there. Find someone who owns one and get a ride. One of my fishing buds has an 18' with a 4 stroke Yammy. It runs in the low 50s.

I just went through the boat thing. I looked at several including the new Charger Elite which is a remake of a Champion 210. I wanted a bunch of add ons and was in the mid 70s for most of the boats. I took a look at the Nitro Z20 which has a different hull than earlier Nitros. I wound up buying one with a Verado on it. It rides about as good as my Champion 206 did. It has a good layout and holds a bunch of stuff. I've put over 400 miles on it since the middle of July. If I had to do it over again I'd buy it again.

He was using his cell in a hotel room and didn't see the mistake on that itty bitty screen. Sorry AGM is what I meant. I have been using them for years and don't ever plan to go back to flooded cells.

You have been given good advice on the charger. If you can swing it ATM batteries are the way to go. If not then look for high reserve amp flooded cell batteries.

First you need to understand that not all used baits can be melted down and reused. Secondly if you mix up the colors of baits you will end up with brown. Another thing is baits that contain salt are kind of a pain as the salt settles to the bottom. Lure Craft, Jann's Net Craft, Bait Junkies, Bear's Baits, Barlows and many others offer molds. You will need an open pour mold. You will need a dedicated hot plate and pan or a dedicated microwave oven and pyrex cup. You need some good gloves and something to use as a stir stick as the plastisol melts. I want to warn you in advance that I started out the same way. Now I have several hot plates, pans, microwave, nor por cups, pyrex cups, dozens of molds, several injectors, boxes of colorant and glitter. I have no idea how much money I have tied up but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Before you get to going on this please go to www.tackleunderground.com and read the Don'ts for Newbies. It could save you serious injury and lots of money.

I use their HMGs with lifetime guarantee. I broke one that was 10 years old and they sent a new one.

My boat weighs 2000 pounds, the motor weighs 635, I carry over 50 gallons of gasoline, 4 batteries, lots of baits, 2 power poles and a trolling motor. There is no way I am going to crank that much up with a winch. I always load with the outboard motor but I wouldn't call it power loading as I only have to give it throttle the last foot or so. The rest is just idling up on to the trailer. Proper depth is the key.

There is no way I'd try to winch my boat up on the trailer. It is a PITA and takes up way too much time. People around here would be yelling and honking if I tried to pull that off on a busy ramp. I don't even hook up the boat to the trailer until I am completely out of the way up in the parking lot. If you are not comfortable driving the boat onto the trailer, go to the most isolated ramp you can find when it is likely to see the least amount of traffic and get in some practice. BTW if you buy from a dealer then they should provide you with a loading lesson at the time of delivery if you request it.

That's pretty good advice.

A folding lawn chair

I keep crappie in the early winter. They really make the livewells nasty. I pour a lot of water in them or run a hose to rinse them out. Then I put baking soda in the wells to get rid of any smell. When I get back to the lake I keep the wells open and they rinse out pretty well.

Cadman and smalljaw also sell jigs and are on this forum.

It would probably cast well with 8# line on the reel. I use that same line in 8,12,and 15. My light stuff I tie on to the setup with 8.

My fishing partner has a Procraft. It is very touchy with trim unless you are really running.

Bow to Stern for me. I use it all the time and like Glenn I have had not discoloration on a predominately white boat. The key is to put 3 coats on the boat for a good seal. Wipe it down with a wet cloth and dry if necessary. Put a new coat on every month or so and you are good to go.