Bazoo

I fish a lot of crankbaits, and I always use mono. I have used straight braid occasionally, just because it was expedient. I have 4 rods I use, listed by power/action BPS Graphite Series 6'6" M/F 2 Piece Abu Garcia Black Max 6'6" M/M Lews Hank Parker 6'10" M/F BPS Crankin' Stick 7'3" H/F The BPS Graphite is a listed as Medium but it's a ML. I use it for smaller jerkbaits like 3/16oz Rapala original minnow and size 6 Shad Rap. Between the next 2, the Abu pins fish better, but the Lew's sets the hook better. I have taken to using it for an all around rod. The heavy is used for big crankbaits or swift current. In current, it pins fish good, and it's not as fast as the Lew's. I had no problem pulling 10 pound carp or 15 pound gar with it. But I've caught 1 pound bass with it as well and it doesn't over power them. Again, in current, at the river. I don't fish it much other than in current.

One of the things I'm still trying to figure out is terminal tackle organization. Don't want a huge box for it. Those thin plano boxes are still too thick for my liking. What's everyone use for this? Anything soft? Ideally I'd like a soft rool up kind of thing that would lay flat, with individual compartments about 3" square. I am liking what I'm reading about the Flambeau Zerust boxes. I'll probably pick up those if I have the choice when getting 3700 size boxes.

I appreciate the suggestions. I'm not ready to buy anything just yet. I plan out 2 or 3 years for things. I'm in the researching phase. I will have to go up to BPS and check them out. What about switching it between boats? Is that easy enough?

I have been using an H20X bag for a couple of years https://www.academy.com/p/h2ox-premier-worm-binder and it has been great. I removed the plastic binders and the rings and was able to fit 2 3600 boxes in the main compartment. I most often only carried 1 box though, and I stuffed a water bottle, my scale, and a snack in there. The front compartment, I removed the plastic box and I put my soft plastics in there. I can fit 6-8 bags of soft plastics in there. Plus I put my hooks and weights and other terminal tackle in the front of that compartment for easy digging. Finally, the cloth around the zipper is pulling away on the small compartment from me trying to stuff 10 bags of plastics where only 8 should go. So I have been trying a backpack the wife had which aint much bigger, and liking it. https://www.academy.com/p/magellan-outdoors-girls-pack?sku=pink-camo I added a sling to it, since the straps wasn't long enough for my manly frame. It actually worked pretty well, but wasn't much bigger than the bag. But because of the shape of the main comparment, getting boxes in and out is kind of a pain. Well I was browsing through Academy and came across this https://www.academy.com/p/magellan-outdoors-camo-day-pack?sku=real-tree-apx. I took her over to fishing department and commensed to see which sizes of boxes would fit. It'll gladly take 2 3700 size boxes with room for my scale and a few small things like a snack. Could squeeze a water bottle if I wanted but the outside has a water bottle pocket. I don't have any 3700 size boxes yet, so I've been using my 3600 size boxes. Man they are tiny in that cavernous compartment. I put my soft plastics in the front compartment still. I have a BPS worm binder that I am going to try to incorporate I think. I have previously been keeping my flukes in a thin 3600 box to keep the tails from becoming bent. It's worked well the aforementioned bag, since I could still fit a regular 3600 box and my scale in the main compartment. Not sure if I want to keep doing that or try to keep them in the soft plastics binder. We'll see I reckon. I am using a sling with this new pack too as it's much easier to throw a sling than to put on a backpack. And with the sling, I can move the bag around to my front enough to get out a new lure if it's wet or otherwise undesirable to put the bag down for digging around in it. So far, so good on the new pack, we'll see how it goes.

@Aaron_H don't get me to doubting too, or I'll be in a heap of trouble. I'm sure it was a Bill Lewis trap. I had several others at the time, all purchased from the bass pro catalog. Around 2000 or so.

Thanks Casts. That is helpful to me.

Thanks @Reel. That's all I know I want... could you enlighten me as to what I should want? I am as green as grass, so I don't know what I want. I am a simple fisherman though in general. When I get outfitted on my boat, I'll still be simple. I want electronics to help me, not something that will overwhelm me.

I appreciate everyones imput.

I haven't ever used electronics. I've only seen them on youtube videos of pros fishing. I'll tell you what I want, or think I want. I want to see depth changes and bottom contour changes. Water temperature. I'd like to see stumps or rocks. Wouldn't mind being able to see balls of baitfish. Though I take it that's a FFS thing? I don't need to be able to see individual fish, and I ain't going to stare at the screen and watch the fish chase a minnow. Basially I wan't to be able to see the contour changes so I can know where ditches and similar structure is located. I also don't want to spend $2000. I see electronics from $200 bucks up. This will be something that I will use primarily on my plastic 2 man boat, but I'll want to be able to switch it to my aluminum boat. I'd like it if it had GPS and waypoints, map of larger lakes, and the ability to save a bottom contour picture of the lakes I scan, but I expect all of this to be on real high end of price point. I need some direction to help me get started with my research. So what should I be looking at?

Thanks @OldManLure, that is exactly the information I need.

The Husky Jerk is about $10 https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Rapala_Husky_Jerk_10_Jerkbait/descpage-RHJJB10.html and the X-Rap about $15 https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Rapala_X-Rap_10_Jerkbaits/descpage-RXR.html but what is the difference in use? Why would one prefer the X-Rap? Is it generally considered better? I don't see any difference other than the dressed treble hook.

I got chatgpt to render a closer picture to my memory. These colors are pretty close I think. The pattern I'm not so sure about. But bascailly it was a white trap with chartreuse verticle pattern, could have been the spotted pattern with a vertical line at the gills.

Thanks Glenn, but that is not it.

I miss my Annie. She would do anything for her dad (and a treat). I haven't gotten another yet. I will, when the time is right.

Carolina rig is the standard old time lure for making a mental picture of the bottom. A carolina rig with braided mainline makes for the best feel. Honestly, I can't feel much with a trap. But a trap is good for snagging vegetation, which will give you some clues. Google Earth would be beneficial for you, as you can see low water ears and help you to see some structure that you otherwise wouldn't. I use it for all the waters I fish from farm ponds to lakes.

You will need an airbrush for the colors and patterns. If you want to dabble in it before a full investment, you can do something called Sharpie airbrushing, whereby you use a sharpie marker and a can of comressed air to make a poor mans airbrush. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG-rMPNiXSA

Since I'm mostly a bank angler, I almost always throw the same bait back in. If I was on a bass boat, I'd probably do the same, even if I had some rods on the deck, simply because it'd be the fastest way for me to get back in the water. Unless of course, you stop your retrieve and grab a rod that's ready and throw in, but I don't like that much. I prefer to get my line in before throwing out again.

Had just an hour to fish today when I was in town. Fished a shallow spot that is right up front, but often overlooked because it's not juicy looking. The fluke didn't produce, neither did a curly tail grub. I could see shad busting, so I decided to throw a crankbait. The trap was selected as the likely best choice. Got this little guy right off the bat. https://i.postimg.cc/7h6wpdG6/4D078116-14DD-42FE-8306-19377A2AC7F3.jpg A few casts later, I got a real nice one. 3 pounds even. Sorry for the bad picture.

It is the current version I'm interested in. https://www.basspro.com/p/bass-pro-shops-tourney-special-baitcast-reel-159789-1

Thanks Eric. I'll be on the lookout for a carrying case. I did check out th AIRD-X rods today in town. They didn't have any 2 piece rods but they did have a 6'6" M/F. I liked it pretty good.

I primarily use mono, and I always use a backer unless I am starting with a fresh reel. Even then, I might use a backer if I happen to have some old line around.

Howdy and welcome. Don't overlook the small plastic boats like the pond prowler, if you aren't already aware of them.

Howdy from Kentucky and welcome

I do not want a beater rod, rather, a 2 rod to keep in the car so I can bass fish when in town with my family. I don't consider the BPS graphite rod a beater rod. What I would consider a beater rod would be a zebco hotcast rod from walmart. The BPS rod in question is not what I want though, as it's much lighter than I had expected. That said, the rod will likely take a little bit of a beating, because with my kids and wife, and having a stroller and the boy's scooter occupying the same space, accidents are unavoidable. I put my breakdown rods in an old bluejean pants leg for a cover to try to protect it and the reel when in the back of the car.

That listing said indicates that the washers are to be greased. My understanding is that with carbon drag washers, no greasing is required unless for hard/long pulling fish. I occasionally catch other species at the river, I have caught carp and gar, each weighing 10-15 pounds with about a 3-5 minute fight. Would I be better served by greasing the drag considering this? Or is that not sufficient to warrant it?