Scott804

I like EVA. Mostly because it is rare to see an EVA full handle, and I really do not like full handles. But in general, I could care less. I care more about the shape and ergonomics of the grip over whether they are cork or EVA foam. A good example is the Dobyns Fury series. I heard Gary Dobyns say on a podcast that at the pricepoint really wanted cork but could not do a all cork grip so he settled for half cork and half EVA. Frankly, what it ended up being is just a small shaped handle that I wish was bigger. I would've much rather had a bigger EVA handle than the half and half smaller handle that is on there.

Second the Megabass Levante. Probably my favorite rod in my arsenal right now, and I am about to order 2 more. Really just fantastic blanks all around.

If it really is a 4 or 5 pound bass and it is swimming around like that it probably knows the drill when it comes to artificial lures. I have done a lot of sight fishing for bass in both tiny creeks and in small rivers and when they are pressured it can be near impossible to trick them sometimes. I do have a few things that could help you though. If it was me, I would go with a spinning reel with light fluoro line and probably a crawfish plastic on a shakin' head. I would most definitely scent the lure, as these type of fish can be super quick to spit something they know is fake. Another thing that will work to your advantage is going during a cloudy day. Sightfishing in blue bird skies can be brutal sometimes. Another thing to do is to stand as far as you reasonably can from the edge of the water. There are a couple ponds I fish where I watch people stand on the edge and skunk over and over and simply moving as many feet back as I reasonably can is a gamechanger. Could be placebo talking, but I have found it to work for me. I hope at least one of these can help you. Good luck!

I have had a lot of luck in pressured situations using scented lures. I am a big fan of the KVD chapstick style scent applications. Sometimes I use markers too, although I'm not as confident in their ability to keep the scent on the lure. I also really cannot think of a time that the Berkley Powerbait Chigger Craw has ever failed me. Put me on my first bass in a super tough fishery after trying for many weeks, and continues to catch fish for me. I just caught my first smallmouth on one and it was a 2+lb fish! I will note that the scent in those bags seems to be a little bit worse than other powerbait bags in my experience, I left a singular craw in the trunk of my car by accident once and it was not a good time driving to work the next day.

Good to hear that the reels are good, 140 is a good price point. I really like the color of the rod/reel set and will pick up the 6.2 and the squarebill cranking rod whenever they get back in stock.

I think this is the key you are looking for. Golden rule when I was taught to Texas rig is "If you think you are going too slow, go slower."

They have their place. I'd rather just pay 3 extra dollars and get a Strike King spinnerbait though.

I like green mono. Not really sure why, but in my head I think of mono as green and fluoro as clear. Helps with organization to know what is mono and what is fluoro when just looking at a glance too. As for braid, I like yellow on spinning and moss green on casting. No particular reason, just feels right. I use both with a lengthy leader anyways so I don't figure it matters too much.

I have read many of the older threads on monofilaments but it seems many of the mono lines in those threads have been changed in quality, not sold anymore, or renamed. I like monofilament, I use it on a few of my setups and I like the stretch for chatterbaits/spinnerbaits and for jerkbaits/squarebills. I use have been using Stren High Impact 10lb and I am really tired of the line memory and I plan to try a few different monofilaments in coming weeks, in addition to possibly trying some copoly. As of now I am going to try Sunline Supernatural and Mean Green. I also ordered some KVD Line and Lure from a friend's suggestion upon talking about line memory, but I read some places that it wrecks line sensitivity and strength, so I am hesitant. I really wanted to try the Seaguar Rippin' line that is meant for jerkbaits but it seems it is now out of production. What is your favorite mono line nowadays?

I like to think of Shimano vs Daiwa as Ford vs Chevy. Modern Shimano and Daiwa are generally both great and I think of them almost hand-in-hand. in addition, Abu Garcia is most definitely Dodge. Do I need 300 pounds of drag in a baitcasting reel made for bass or a 10.1.1 gear ratio reel? No, in the same way that I don't "need" an SUV with 707 horsepower. When I am looking for a solid reel that does what I need it to well, I can always go to Shimano or Daiwa and generally they will do the job. However, sometimes I want something more "different" like a 13fishing Concept Z that 'has ***' or a Revo Rocket with a 10.1.1 gear ratio. I think it fun to use different gear, even if it is gimmicky. We really are spoiled in the modern market, Lew's, Shimano, Daiwa, Abu, and a couple of other brands are typically consistent and solid manufacturers and I do not think any of them are totally superior to eachother. They all have little things that make them unique and it usually comes down to preference.

I know many people who only throw jerkbaits on spinning rods. Personally usually I throw smaller jerkbaits on spinning and bigger on casting, but that is solely because I like jerkbaits on casting. I use the Megabass Levante Whipsnake for spinning jerkbaits, it is barely a step up from a crappie rod and a true-finesse rod and was designed for dropshotting. I recommend you use a true-finesse spinning rod and not a power-finesse spinning rod because it is much more likely that the action will be far superior for twitching, jerking, & ripping.

Sitting at 10th! Hackney did me well. I think i'dve probably even broken top 5 had Clunn done a little bit better than he did. Can't complain though, two in the top 10 ain't a bad finish by any means.

My day-to-day is a park that is 1-2 minutes away from my house. Terrible fishery. Super bad fishing pressure and I am pretty sure the population ain't doing too hot numbers wise at least. However, when I do catch one there I always learn a whole ton in-between the many, many, skunks. I could definitely do a little more work and drive somewhere else, but there is something very intriguing about hammering out these super hard to catch fish. Makes me feel like KVD whenever I'm anywhere else that even slightly above average as far as fishing spots go haha.

The Devil Horse (originally Deveel Horse because they thought it wouldn't sell to uptight Christians in the bible belt if they spelled Devil properly, fun fact.) is a great prop lure. I like it because while it doesn't necessarily do the straight retrieve as well as something like a Whopper Plopper (another great prop lure, especially in Bone color) , you can work it multiple different ways much more effectively than you would a Plopper. You can twitch, rip, stop n go, slow roll, burn and all will get bit. I have never cared too much about color, usually just pick whatever looks cool. Another prop lure to look out for is The Wood Chopper. While it is discontinued by the original manufacturer(s), many custom lure manufacturers will make copies/sell them. It is shaped similar to a spook and has a double blade on the back and it is fantastic when ripped across the surface violently. Very little pressure on the lure if you can get your hands on one!

Vision 110, Ozark Shad.

I've seen them in a local pond, they will swim right up to the bank and look at you. I tried to throw some corn out on a hook to them once just for kicks but apparently Koi are smarter than that!

I'll definitely make sure to give you a call soon! I was super bummed when I saw the Expo was cancelled. Would've made the Winter season a lot more bearable. I'd definitely be down to meet up and hear more about the club stuff too! Seems really cool.

I cannot seem to catch them on a crankbait to save my life. My goal for 2021 is to learn the way of the crank.

4 inch bubblegum senko for pond fishing. I've had good luck with the Ocho too, but for some reason it has always been a Pickerel magnet for me. Maybe it is just a coincidence.

After watching just about every single BassResource video that exists on youtube I figured I should go ahead and join the forum too. I started seriously fishing this past summer and used online resources to teach myself and after countless skunks at pressured local parks I finally caught one and was immediately hooked. 3 more months of skunking went by and after lots of trial and error most trips I catch fish now! I do desperately wish I could get the chance to fish from a real bass boat but realistically it seems I should try to get my hands on a good fishing kayak or an old Jon boat to get myself off the bank. Any tips on either boat alternatives would be greatly appreciated! Bonus Pictures! My two PBs from Echo Lake Park in Central VA.