SDoolittle

Welcome to BR!

Welcome to BR!

Welcome to BR!

Welcome to BR!

Welcome to BR!

What are the benefits of applying at such high RPMs? I think I'd end up making a mess if I tried to go that fast.

When I was about 12 or 13 years, a friend and I found a bottle of the original Fish Formula lying on the bank, and we decided to try it. Maybe it was coincidence, but we had the best fishing of our young lives that day. That was 30 years ago, and I've been using scents ever since. Over the years, I've tried many different brands and various scents from each brand. I really don't believe that it matters what kind of scent you use. Bass aren't as smart as many people seem to think. A bass isn't going to reject a salt craw because it smells like a shad. Nothing in the water smells like anise, yet it still works great. The main difference is how well the scent stays on your bait. If you're seeing an oily sheen on the water after every cast, that's your scent washing off the bait, and you may want to find a scent with more longevity. I don't want to have to reapply every few casts.

I don't see anything special about them. A fish shaped head with the weight under the skirt? Northstar has been doing that for years. The rubber band thing is nothing more than a gimmick, and unless they figure out a way to do the same thing with a trailer hook, it's pretty pointless. I wonder how much research was put into bending the wire. I could have saved them some time on that. Almost all of my spinnerbaits are bent all to hell.

There are plenty of youth clubs out there that would be happy to have you. They will show you the ropes of tournament gishing, and your experiences in a youth club will benefit you once you make the transition to adult tournaments. Another suggestion would be to find an adult fishing partner to fish team tournaments with.

If you're really concerned about it, you can order a 6 gram packet of ProKote epoxy from Mudhole for less than $3.00. Just put a little dab on it, and you should be fine.

Frog eggs would be my guess.

I've never sniffed a bait after a bite, but I'm quite certain that if I did the only thing I would smell is garlic.

I just read that article a little while ago. I'm not a kayak fisherman, but I've seen some kayak tournaments on a local lake, and I've always wondered how they keep people honest. It just seems like taking a picture as proof of a catch with no witnesses would make it too easy for someone to cheat. It's sad what some people will do to win. That's why I like draw tournaments. Ray Scott had the right idea putting strangers in a boat together.

P-line Fluoroclear is an excellent line. I've used 4lb for trout for years, and I've never had any issues with it. A good friend of mine (who just happens to be loaded and could afford to use line spun out of gold) swears by it. It's kind of funny to see him spool such inexpensive line onto a $600 reel.

It's not a clear coat. It's excess epoxy from the thread wrap. Just apply a little heat, and pick it off.

We always keep a few when I take the kids out.

I haven't used a Silver Minnow in years, but when I did, I dressed them with a white, split-tail, spinnerbait trailer.

I'm a big fan of Northstar Custom Baits hidden weight spinnerbaits.

I would imagine that a large majority of the folks here have already made their first cast of the season, but I have been deployed to Kuwait since October, so I have not. I'll be back in the States in a few weeks, and I pick up my new boat as soon as I get back. My first cast of the season should happen in the second week of May. I can't say for certain what bait it will be, but there's a high probability that it will be a Texas rigged Gene Larew Salt Craw in the Sooner Run color. I say that because it is my confidence bait that I have tied on at all times. Ordinarily, my season starts in Texas in January or February, and it's usually a safe bet that I'll start with a lipless crankbait in a red craw pattern.

It might not be ideal, but it would certainly work.

Awesome! I love that they're starting to have it further west lately. They need to have one in California eventually.

Mine too!

Awesome!

Those are pretty close to what I'm looking for. I wish they had a fine wire hook, but I'll give them a try. Thanks for the help everyone.

I need something that can be Texas rigged. I don't like screw locks.