Bazoo

I finally got a new (to me) phone. Took it with me today after church. I tried some various things, but it seemed that today they wanted something more subtle. Got a few on a Shallow Shad Rap, and then got one on a fluke. So.. I decided to try the double fluke rig a while. I'd previously had gotten one on it, but today I did well on it and it was quite fun. No doubles. I want one bad though. I am a fluke man.

Thanks all. I am thinking, if I ever get into some local tournaments that run past dark, I will have something a bit different than others by going with a willow vs a colorado. Might also want to run it a bit faster than a creep too.

Thanks all. Thanks @casts_by_fly.

Lots of interesting suggestions, thanks all. I do have a pair of Fiskars around here someplace.

I am interested in getting in touch with them.

Does anyone ever use, or seen used, a large willow leaf for a night fishing spinnerbait? I am thinking of a single black willow leaf on a black spinnerbait. Anyone have experience with such?

Thanks for the suggestions. I can't see how putting a reel on the rod would allow me to determine the action or how soft the tip is. Yeah, I do like a 6'6" rod. I am primarily a bank fisherman at present, but I am not always going to be so. Eventually, I'll be half bank and half boat. And realistically this will be more of a boat rod. Considering I have almost 0 experience on a bass boat, I don't know which rod length is best suited for fishing from a boat.

I am considering purchasing a rod for lighter stuff, mostly light crankbaits. I am considering a Medium Light Crankin' Stick from Bass Pro Shops. This rod is available in 6'0, 6'6", and 7'0". I will of course, go to Bass Pro and check them out, but I don't expect to be able to feel a difference when inspecting them. What difference will length make on the way they cast light lures? Will the longer rods handle light lures better? They are rated down to 1/16oz. So, lets say I am throwing right at that weight or slightly above (considering they will actually cast that light, I am actually wanting to be in the 1/8oz - 3/16oz range for shad raps and such), will the longer rod load more and thus, cast better at the light end? My guess would be that they use the same blank for all the rods and just cut off the butt section accordingly. Is the standard way rods are made in a line where they offer the same rod with different lengths, or do they actually use different blanks for each length?

I have always used my knife for changing lures and such, but occasionally it would be easier for me to have cutters of some type. Is there any alternative to the Boomerang tool?

Sounds awesome! A 3 pounder knows he is a trophy and fights like it!

Interesting. I didn't know about the burn test.

Thanks Glenn! I forget about using the search feature sometimes.

If the backseater buys the gas, and they meet at the ramp, how does he know how much to buy? How does that work? Do you just ask, how much do do I owe for gas? Or do you literally go to the gas station and fill up and backseater pays for it?

What are the other unwritten rules?

I often check Siebert Outdoors and am planning an order come the spring. In order to overcome their shipping cost, one must order a larger amount at a time. I don't use a huge amount of the things he sells. I mostly use (read lose) crankbaits and soft plastics.

Thanks @FloridaFishinFool. This will be something that I will have to learn. I often offend others without realizing I've done anything wrong.

Thanks @bowhunter63

Lots to chew on here. Personally I like Ike, I like his screaming when he catches a great fish. I love the way he screamed never give up when he won the 2003 classic. I don't go full Ike, but I'll give a big whoop sometimes when I catch a nice fish. I don't care for the way he yelled and screamed at that guy, telling him to be a man. But I do not think Ike was in the wrong for mapping the water along the line that guy was fishing. He went around the guy with plenty of space. That guy don't own that water, and Ike gave him plenty of room. In the scenario, if Ike had been a gentleman and the guy had screamed a bunch of obscenities at Ike, everyone would say Ike was right and the guy was wrong, but as it stands, Ike's attitude causes the situation to look reversed. --------- @FloridaFishinFool said: "Recently I was fishing in a dead end canal. Had it all to myself. Water was clear and I caught a few fish. I was on trolling motor slowly and cautiously halfway down the canal working my way to a dead end. The canal is 50 feet wide. It is a KNOWN dead end clearly shown on all maps. A huge bass boat tournament guy motors into the canal. He is just scoping it out. He saw me in there. But all he cared about was what he wanted. So he motors on past me to the end and turns around and motors back out. He just ruined that entire canal for me for the whole day. His big old heavy boat was dragging motor on bottom all the way in and out churning up the bottom. Sucking sand into his intake. Mowing up the eel grass. He could not have cared less." I don't understand the problem. It seems to me that offending tounament guy didn't know you were in there when he first came in. He proceeded to do what he needed to do, then he sees you, but he's already in the middle of what he was doing, and continued. He probably did the best he could to not bother you. Now, if he can clearly see you're in there, I can see it being stepping on your toes. I also see that you don't own the canal. He didn't come in and start fishing right next to you, just checked out the canal and moved out. So is the etiquette that you're not supposed to even go near someone else that is on the water? Is it purely because it was a small canal that it was unacceptable? Should he have said, "Do you mind if I run up there and check out the canal? I won't fish, just check it out." ------ @JHoss, thank you for sharing.

Anyone try these and can give opinion? https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-Shudder-Swimmer-Bluegill-Flash/3816154555?classType=VARIANT&from=/search Made in the USA. Anyone got an idea of who might make them for Walmart?

I will preface this by saying I have absolutely no issues with Tackle Warehouse. I am a repeat and happy customer. Are there other places that sell lures? I am only aware of Bass Pro Shops and Tackle Warehouse for online lure retail. I'm just curious as to what's there.

Heck, I have wondered if they could see anything with the screens there as it appears to be obscuring their view.

Roland said that in Florida spawn around the first full moon of February, and that as you move further north, the spawn start coincides with the full moon of each coming month. Is this generally true or has this been disproven? See, this is my problem reading fishing books, especially older fishing books. I am concerned I'll get info that isn't right, because they didn't understand bass nearly as well as 30-40-50 years ago as they do now.

I appreicate everyones insight. I'm toying with the idea of possibly entering some local tournaments. So basically, no matter what I do, unless I turn tail and run constantly, I'm going to step on someone's toes or trip on their ego. I don't know what I think about that. I generally try to avoid confrontation.

In his book 101 Bass catching secrets, Roland Martin says that bass spawn around the full moon. Is this true?

I see. That makes sense. Thanks @FloridaFishinFool.