T-Bone

I can't say that I like one over another, I've caught many fish on many different brands of spinnerbaits. When I go buy a spinnerbait, I don't really look at the brand, I look for the skirt color, size, and blade combination that I need. T-Bone

University lake held the state record 10-15 years ago and the fishing there is pretty good. There is a conservation site that is few miles north of Baton Rouge, there are a couple nice ponds and the last time I went out there I caught a couple 3 lbs. bass, the only draw back is all the vegetation which can get annoying. http://www.brec.org/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&nid=632&cpid=378&cfmid=0&catid=0 T-Bone

I would ignore the review entirely. If the reel was really that bad then I don't think that shimano would even put on the market. Shimanos are some of the best reels on the market (best IMO) and I can't see shimano releasing a piece of crap reel. If you are planning on buying one and this review worries you, just wait till you see more reviews before you buy. It is obvious that this review is questionable. Besides, he probably had the reel set wrong anyway. : T-Bone

I have a 6' rod that I use when I am fishing from shore with limited casting space, because of limbs and bushes along the shore, and the only thing that I lose is a little distance. But usually I can't get a good cast anyway when the shore is cluttered with limbs and bushes.

I have seen one of those before, but it was at a flea market and it wasn't in its original package so I couldn't tell you much about it other than the fact that I have seen one before.

I am planning on buying either a 12ft jon boat or a 12ft canoe with a square stern. But I cant decide which one would better suit my needs. I know the jon would probably be cheaper, but I think that the canoe would be easier for me to transport and easier me to get in and out of the back of my truck when I am by myself. I don't have a very big backyard so I am thinking that the canoe would be easier to store. Also, I am worried that canoe whould not be as stable as the jon, especially since the weather down here in southern Louisiana is fairly unpredictable. I would acctually love to get a kayak but my fiancee said that she would want to go with me sometimes so that pushed the kayak out of the question which i am fine with. What do you guys think? Thanks, T-Bone

Awesome, maps.live.com just showed me 2 new ponds tha i had never seen before and they are less than 5 min away! Thanks for the link! T-Bone

Oakley

You need to get some soft plastic worms, creature baits, flukes, definitely senkos, and ribbit frogs. All in various colors, best basic color would probably be watermelon. 3/0 and 4/0 hooks. Rapala's original floater. And maybe a spinnerbait with a colorado blade.

I like to use soft plastics and jigs to fish cover both deep and shallow.

Unless they might be worth something one day, I fish them till they can't be fished anymore.

Champion Ranger Skeeter Basscat Stratos

I love beetle spins for one main reason, the fact that they are extremely universal as far as fish species. I've many different species on this lure. Was one of my favorite bass fishing lures when I was little because it was so easy to use.

I use booyah spinnerbaits and have never had this happen. Though I haven't bought a new one in several months.

BPS sells them in bulk.

Well I didn't actually catch this but it was something that I saw while I was fishing. I was fishing in a fairly shallow pond which had catfish in and I was fishing, watching the ducks swimming as I fished, and as I was watching the ducks I saw a catfish come up and eat a duck! It took me a second to realize what had happened and when I did I was shocked! I wanted that catfish as a pet. ;D

For $1200 you could probably find a better deal than that. For example, just the other day I saw in the paper that someone was selling a 14ft jon boat, 35hp motor, and trailer for only $600. I know you are in a different area of the country but still. I try and talk him down from that price and/or keep looking.

You shouldn't have any problem pulling that boat with that truck, my cousin used to pull around his 19ft G3 aluminum bass boat with a ford ranger.

Hammond

Black/blue jig

I fish in parts of the Mississippi River delta myself. I use many different soft plastics (worms, senkos, creature baits, lizards), flukes work really well in the grass too, probably one of my most productive lures. Buzzbaits and frogs work really well in the morning; zara spooks and pop-r work really well if the vegetation is below the surface.

On shore.

I have recently found a conservation site that has several decent sized ponds. I went out there today and I didn't catch a single thing. The ponds all have lots of vegetation along the edges that extend about 10-15 ft. out and there is very thick submerged weeds which extend about 20-40 ft out from shore. Further past that there isn't any vegetation from what I can tell. I tried most everything that I had with me: crankbait, heddon torpedo, zara spook, buzz bait, several different brands of frogs, t-rig worms (of course), senko, and jigs. I went to bps afterwards and realized that I was stupid and did not try flukes, which embarrassed me in front of myself :-[. Also I wished that I had brought my spinnerbaits along with me because those probably would have worked. I know that the ponds were stocked with bass and perch back in 2002 and I saw several nice size bass while I was out there. But I do not understand what the problem was. I was out there for 5 hours! and nothing. > The ponds are probably fished regularly, but most of the people that I saw out there were fishing for perch not bass, so I know that they aren't over fished for bass. Any ideas for lure selection? I'm at a loss, I never get skunked that bad. Thanks, T-Bone

I've got to go with the ribbit, mainly because I've never had a chance to us the rage tail.

Try a frog or a t-rigged worm. Maybe even a spinnerbait or lipless crankbait along the edges.