Luke Barnes

I have a Yumbrella Flash Mob Jr and I use a Shimano SLX 7'2 H/F and it throws it just fine. It feels good and handles the weight well. I bought the combo from American LF for a really good price. I got the SLX XT reel and the rod mentioned for $145 shipped to the door.

There is also Keystone which has a spawning and reproducing population of stripers. Directly below the keystone dam is gpod striper fishing from the bank with a long cast. As far as gear I used a MH casting setup but I didnt actually catch anything the one time I went. It was crazy packed the day I went.

I have a $100 gift card burning a hole in my wallet and racking my brain on what I could buy I came up with wanting another 7' M spinning setup. All of my spinning rods are 6'6 and I really like the 7' better. So i know what I think is good and what I like but I value everyones opinion. So best spinning setup for $75 or less. I know if I bumped it to $100 it would be better. Then might as well go to $120 heck just make it $150. So seriously $75 limit so I can buy some line for it and be under the $100 gift card limit. I want to use it for everything. I have all technique specific rods that don't get other lures tied on so this would be a catch all rod and reel. Edit: I looked at the Kast King Centurion (i think that's what it's called) and the specs are nice but ive never used KK before so wary of them. Also I go higher end on casting stuff, spinning not so much. My favorite casting setup I have is a BPS Crappie Maxx I use for ned rigs!!

I'm new to the a rig game but I use a Yumbrella Flash Mob Jr and all except the trailing swimbait will be around 3 1/2". Sometimes i put a 5 inch on the trailing one. I try to keep it as light as possible so I use 1/16oz on the top two and 1/8oz on the middle and bottom three. Ive yet to catch anything on it and dont know to fish it right but it was fun picking all the swimbaits out and putting it all together.

Ok what is a "finesse" swimbait???

Low action: Finesse TRD Stick bait Any slender tail fluke style soft bait High action: Rage craw or bug interchangeably Paddletail Cut'r worm

Ok ok haha. I need to replace the blade bait i lost so might as well get some 10" worms while im at it lol

Well why do you have to go saying that! Now I'm going to want to get a pack of 10" haha. I have no idea when and where to throw a huge worm so it would be another thread for that!

Today I made some steps on and off the water to help me. Picked up my first tungsten worms weights to see if they make any difference, some Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon XL and hopefully it's better than yo-zuri top knot in every way, and some 7" Power woms in Tequila Sunrise to use for t- rigs. On the water I threw the ned a bit and focused on what i was feeling on the bottom and a drop shot and focusing on what the weight hitting stuff feels like. So all in all it was a good day. No fish but i feeling more hopeful and ready for warm weather!

I would say its up to each person to call what they want, fishing. Especially when it does involve fishing. I used to enjoy that about cat fishing when i still drank. I have a camp chair that the bottom is a cooler and i would set up rod holders with bells on the rod tips and enjoy the view and throw back a few. Maybe that's why I havent gone catfishing in a year and I quit drinking a year ago. Hmmm. Digressing, I'm glad I went today and also glad I didn't freeze.

If im not mistaken they come with VMC hooks so they should be decent enough to have kept on. I had them in my hand then I saw how big around they are and just how long they really are and I went safe and got the 7".

Well maybe not bass so much but ive seen countless videos of sunfish, crappie, and walleye being pulled through a hole in the ice.

Had a $50 BPS gift card and a $100 visa gift card and got some things to try out. Berkley 7" Power Worms in tequila sunrise Berkley Power swimmers in Sungill Max Scent Flat worms in smoke purple Berkley 4.7" Flute Worms in Ike's Magic Two Cabelas blade baits and already lost one KVD swim jig in bluegill SK swinging swim jig in blue gill Berkley 100% Flourocarbon XL BPS Tungsten worm weights I think thats it.

I went to BPS then the pond. I couldn't coax a bite but I felt good and worked on the drop shot more and got a better feel for it and..... I found Max Scent Flat worms in black w/purple flake and like them alot. Got two blade baits, my first ones, and really like them and how they cast and work. Plus I have a perfect rod with a softer tip to load up a nit before ripping it off the bottom. Lost one blade on the fountain so I'll have to replace that. All in all a good day, no fish, cold fingers, but learned and enjoyed.

Yeah if I can go, you can go!! My wife said oh its cold they won't bite. I replied then why do people go ice fishing and catch fish?

I might cry. Seriously haha. I get it, who cares what "they" say about fishing after a front and in the cold and just go. Because why not. Plus my wife got mad because I kept talking myself out of it and she said "just shut up and go to bass pro today and go fishing tomorrow" yes ma'am...

I don't keep my finger on the line but I have gotten more actual catches since I started watching my line. I didn't feel squat, I just saw my line going in a direction i didnt think it should be going so I reeled down and sure enough. I don't want to rely solely on either, I want to be good at both so i have that much more advantage to combat my terrible luck. I don't catch those "lucky bite" fish like some do. I have to earn them so I need to get better at feel BIG TIME!

So I am going tomorrow, Sunday. Clear skies and way less wind. But I dedcided to go to an ultra small pond that I can cast to every spot so i know I can find the fish and take that out of the equation. From knowledge gleaned on here I am going to try a heavier drop shot worked at a snail's pace, a ned, and lipless to cover some water. I'm going to aim for the middle of the pond then work my way out to the bank all the way around and focus on presentation and from another thread, focusing on feeling the bite and what is going on. I about gave up and said I'm going catfishing but ill take the lesson on cold water bassing.

But serious question. This is the coldest its been in northeast oklahoma all year. Do you think it will shut the fish down or will I just have to be really methodical with something like a drop shot?

Yeah I'm not going today but i think I'll go tomorrow. Way less wind and a little warmer. Wife gave me the go ahead to go walk around BPS and spend my gift card so that's cool too.

Ive thrown crappie once but i don't think there were any blues or flats in the pond i was fishing. I was super new to fishing and didnt know much back then. But i imagine you could catch some good bass fishing live crappie.

If I may ask, what was the lure that got the bites? I rarely spend time outside so it would be nice to actually use my cold weather stuff and would be a good time to play with the split shot rig. But man it would be so easy to stay home and inside. I'm sometimes a bit of a home body and that doesn't bode well for as little time I get to go fishing.

Before anyone says it, no I'm not whining and yes some people have different lives, backgrounds, experiences, so before casting judgement, I know I know. Yesterday was a high of 70, today high of 65, tomorrow high of 32 and low of 25. With a cold front like that coming in is it even worth trying to fish? It's been nice for a while and the one time I get to fish in the past three weeks happens to be when we have snow on the forecast after a huge drop in temp. I'm guessing the bass will be lock jawed. I thought about going catfishing but I don't know crap about cats if they bite in the cold after a big swing. Im still learning about bass, I dont have room in my brain for another species.

Ive never heard of using white bass for cats but its a fish so why not! There is a public drinking water reservoir that's open to fish and there is always a drum carcass where someone caught one and used it for cut bait and just left the rest on the walking path to rot.

I also think of drum as blue cat bait. Cut, fileted, or whole if they are small enough.