Jig Man

Until you have some casting skill the best advice you will get is what Toxic has given you. Buy a 1/2 oz casting plug then go to a quiet open space like your back yard or a church parking lot and make a few hundred casts, repeat as necessary.

The best advice I can give you is when you get set up, take someone with you and go to an isolated place and practice loading and unloading until you know what to expect. It also sounds like you need to have an experienced operator along to help you get used to the boat. Most every boat has a sweet spot where it loads best. Pay attention and learn your trailer depth that maximizes loading. My wife just added, “That’s a big deal right there”. When she goes with me she launches and loads the boat while I do the truck and trailer.

Put it where you think it will work best. Your loading ability will determine how much room you need.

We had 33 bass today. 25 of them were caught on Elaztech baits (TRDs and Zeros). Most were on Zeros. We didn’t bother with any other plastics.

X2

Elaztech worms and TRDs are all I need. I rig them from open hook to Tex skin depending on where I am fishing, using the lightest head possible. I use rods from ml to mh depending upon the situation.

I believe that gallery noise got going with Tiger Woods. He seemed to encourage it.

I believe it would be their Mid Atlantic card if they have anything. Your best bet is call HB customer support and ask them.

One on my Curado DCs was doing that last time out. It was at the end of the cast with a buzz bait. I had to start thumbing it. That has never happened before.

Sometimes I take a short piece of wire and wrap thread to hold it on the hook then glue it. Sometimes I use heat shrink tubing.

I take my water in a large Yetti cup. I rarely eat while fishing so I don’t have trash. Once in a while I have an empty super glue bottle. I put it in the truck for disposal when I leave the lake.

It probably is some of both. My regular fishing partner gut hooks several times and we are using the same line, jigs, and baits. I’ve noticed that he fishes a lot with his reel while I fish with my rod. Other than that my equipment is superior to his. I think I can feel way better than he can.

Boga grip

The first thing I do is cover them with shrink tubing from the Mud Hole. Then I don’t have anything to worry about.

Popsnagger if you can find one.

You can fashion one from most any wire, wrap it down with thread and cover the thread with epoxy or super glue.

Tom I carry my 5 best colors with at least 4 of each of them along with others that just might be the ticket for a tough day. Where I am one can’t predict what color or blade will be best and different colors work better on different lakes. After all I’m the guy who has 22 colors of TRDs.

And eagles and osprey and raccoons and buzzards.

You will get more bang for your buck if you match them to your other electronics.

Have you tried Ned rigs? I catch more smallmouth on them than any other bait. A Ned on a 1/16 oz head might be the ticket.

I’m a gadget and gizmo guy. I use my boat as a tackle box and throw all of the 3600, 3700, bags, binders, etc in it. I have one old plastic box with sliding drawers that I keep parts in for bait making.

So true. One of my shaky setups has tremendous memory as it’s been months since I changed the fluorocarbon line. All of a sudden I threw 2 backlashes in a row today. When I checked the reel the spool knob was too loose. An itty bitty tighten solved the problem.

Jeep Cherokee Trail Hawk was used by my wife to pull my 4500# rig.

Any time the water is +50° I throw one. Clear water to muddy water makes no difference. All I do is change the color, however, white and chartreuse seem to work in any color of water. For me wind, sun, and time of day are the important factors, though I prefer the crepuscular periods if I can have them.

Take rain gear.