luckyinkentucky

I have around 200 bags of various plastics, so I usually carry a large Quantum Tackle Bag without the boxes with me when I go fishing. The night before I figure out what I'm going to be using, after seeing the lake report, and carry what I will use that day in that bag. I try and keep my YUM, Culprit, Zoom, and BPS worms all separate in different compartments of the bag. That way if I need a Motor Oil color I go to the Zoom section of the bag. When I get home I take the bags out and file them back in the drawers in my tackle chest. It works out for me, and keeps me busy.

It seems they removed his ad. It looked like a Signature series reel, but he said it was a SS version of the Elite.

There is a guy on Ebay that has Stainless Steel versions of the Johnny Morris Elite reels for $100. Am I missing something here? I didn't know they even MADE a Stainless version. Not to mention the fact that they're NEW for $100. :

What is the best paint to use? Acrylic, enamel, vinyl, etc .... ?

I was thinking of using a model airbrush that I used when I made model planes and cars. Would this be ok for making my own lures? I've been out of the 'painting game' for a few years, but when I was painting models I did some good custom work. That leads me to my next question. What paints should I use for painting deep divers, minnows, and plastic cranks in general? Could I use regular Testor's model paints with a clear gel coat over them, or do I need something else?

You can use grip tape. Go to anywhere that has baseball bats and tennis rackets. They usually sell the tape for around $5 - $10 a roll depending on the brand. Wal-Mart has it here. Like Alpster said .... it would be cheaper on your part to fill the void with electrical tape, and make the last application with a 3" strip of tape. That way you don't waste the whole roll on a rod.

Ovens use a 'shock heating' method with the elements. That's why a lot of recipes say to PREHEAT. The elements may heat up to 700 degrees in order to bring the rest of the oven to temp. Then, when the oven gets closer, they cool down. If you had the lead right over the element then you could have found your problem.

Avid that is a master piece. But let me add 5. When you don't shop at BPS anylonger and the Mail Office knows you as the guy who get the boxes from Japan. Why would you order from Japan when there are plenty of dealers here ready to sell at Wholesale for the same baits? Is there an advantage to ordering overseas? If there is .... I'm missing it.

Yeah .... I got mine 2 weeks after sending in the coupon with my check. I actually got my bag before the check cleared.

How does everyone keep their crankbaits organized so you know what depth they dive to? Recently I've learned to mark on the underside of the bill with an Ultra Fine Sharpie, but is there a better way? A buddy of mine mentioned that he just looks at the bill size, but I can't tell the difference between my 15' - 18' deep divers from my 22+ deep divers.

Rat-L-Trap baits, Norman Deep Divers, Rapala Husky Jerks, BPS Lucky Craft Rick Clunn Deep Divers in 3.5, and Luhr Jensen Radar 10's are primarily what I use right now. The Rick Clunns have given me great success as have the Norman Deep Divers. I like to use a Heavy action rod when putting baits down that low. After you get down past 10' you almost need a Heavy action to be able to set the hook good in my opinion. Also, with the heavier action and line you have a better chance of avoiding hang ups like submersed structures. On Kentucky Lake there are quite a few of these that offer prime 'holed up' areas for big bass. If you get a detailed map of your lake you will see them. Kentucky Lake has a few submersed townships that were flooded to create the lake, and some of the mortared structures are still intact. I've caught some big bass in those areas using a Norman DD22.

I have several of the Falcon Jerkbait organizers, but didn't know how the crankbait organizers would do. Are they good?

I use a 7' BPS Rick Clunn Rod in Heavy action with a Shimano Calcutta TE 200 series reel. I load it with Berkley Big Game in 30 lb. test. I usually use Strike King King Kong baits in 8". Most of the time I am either fishing Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, or Lake Malone , and I have had great success in catching quite a few 10+ pound bass out of each lake. It does take a lot of patience since you might only get 2 to 3 hits a day, and then you might not get any at all. You have to fish the big lakes, in my opinion to get the results. Target big bass in deep cover.

I'm looking for a more organized way to store and transport my tackle. Right now I have a BPS Stalker bag, and a BPS XPS Pro 370 tackle bag for hardbait transportation, and a Quantum tackle bag for the various worms I use. When I'm not on my boat I take everything out of the bags and store it in a big chest of drawers that I am using strictly for tackle storage. The problem I have is that I can't find a tackle container suitable for my crankbaits. I want one that will hold from 16 - 20 medium to large crankbaits, so I can easily keep them organized on my boat when I'm fishing. Right now I use various Plano 3700 series boxes for my cranks, but find it hard to do with some of the larger cranks with longer bills. In the worst case I only have 6 cranks in one box since the bills are so long, and they total around 6" or sometimes more. In this box I find that there is a lot of wasted space since I don't use the total space available. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I say buy what you can afford. If you don't have a big budget then stay with the better low end brands. I'm guilty of buying up expensive baits, and have finally found a dealer that will sell me Lucky Craft for $11 a piece as opposed to the regular $14.99. 8-) I have found something out lately in the 'Bait World' that some might find interesting. I won't name any names, but some domestic bait companies offer the same product as Japanese bait companies in a different package. You might not get the exact same body design or paint, but they are close enough for fish. For instance I can buy a Japanese Brand 'X' lure for $22 that has been "tuned" already, or I can buy American Brand "Y" for $7 with a little different paint scheme, and spend 60 seconds tuning the bait myself. I have and will continue to buy more expensive baits, but only because I like to see what makes them "float". If I can find a bait that will replace the more expensive baits out there I will use it. An example would be the BPS XPS Pro series Hardbaits versus some of the Imakatsu crank baits. All some of these baits have that puts them apart is a little holographic tape over an easy 2 minute airbrush job. Like I said, I will continue to buy some of the more expensive lures, but there are alternatives out there. Like stated earlier .... more expensive gear won't catch you fish. You have to match it with technique, weather conditions, and habitat.

It was kind of an understanding when I let her blow as much money she wanted on her "Dream Kitchen" and bathroom addition. ;D I don't even want to talk about things that were 'unnecessary' with those deals.

Well, I guess it's the consensus of the group that it's ok. Aside from a few who think I actually have a problem, but I can't figure out their angle yet. Actually I don't feel so bad after finding out tonight that there are some people who pay up to $1,000,000 for a fishing lure. Big Daddy lures offers jeweled lures for the wealthy. Now that makes my $5 to $10 bait purchases look miniscule. As for the "Can I afford it?" question. I'm only 31 yrs. old, and I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize my families well being now or in the future. It's not like I'm out spending my wife's lunch money or the kids' college funds. The money I spend is agreed upon by my wife and I, and I wouldn't spend it if she didn't think it to be ok. I own my house and all of my vehicles, and I wouldn't spend this kind of money on a credit card because of the interest I would accrue. I'm very wise when it comes to my financial situations, and I would never do anything that wasn't a good idea. I consider this a hobby! I spend my 'fun money' on stuff I enjoy using and having. If I were an avid gun collector, like some people I know, I would be spending my money on WWII German Mausers and such. Instead I choose to spend my fun money on collecting fishing tackle. Like any hobby it can be addictive and expensive, but we all know when to quit. It's usually about the time when we get the 'evil eye' from the Boss Lady, and she says in that aggravated tone ," Don't you have enough?!?" She phrases it in a way as to ask a question, but we all know what they mean. ;D As for the *** ... I'm going to check you guys out! They look like some really good plastics. Look for my order in the next week or so.

I've used Carolina Keepers from BPS for years. I like them better since I can get them off easier.

I'm a Wildlife Biologist for a private contractor here in Kentucky. It pays a lot better than a vet which is what I started to go to school for. State jobs pay pennies compared to what the Private Sector offers you. Pennies on the Dollar actually! I seriously didn't want this to turn into a "Mine's Bigger than your's" thread. I was just wondering if anyone has the bug as bad as I do. It seems a few of you do. I'm not trying to brag in any way. Just letting you know how bad I have it. Oh ... by the way ..... I just picked up 3 Lobina's at BPS on clearance. $9.88 a piece if you hurry. ;D

To put it a little more into perspective for you ..... It would be like having a full grown Great Dane with a 4' chain around it's neck in your back yard, and you kept him there 24/7. You could feed him all he wanted to eat, and even clean up his mess, but in the end he wouldn't have the exercise and diversity he needed to stay healthy.

Right now with the cold weather coming in. I like to stick to something that is going to cause a reactionary bite, or even something that finesses them into a strike. On sunny days Bass are going to stick tight to cover, so their strike zone is a lot smaller. You want to pitch your bait into the exact same spot 3 or 4 times before you move on. Also, add a trailer hook if you are using a spinner. The fish will be biting shorter! Jerkbaits are also a good cold weather bait. Add more action to them by putting more flutter, jerks, and twitching. Whatever you do use eratic actions since they trigger reaction bites in slow biting bass. On cloudy days I like to use dark colored baits that give off a good profile. On sunny days I like to use baits that give off a lot of flash like gold, silver, or metalic colored blades or baits.

You'll need to contact your state wildlife resource agency. Here in Kentucky it's the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. In other words ... the same people you have your fishing & hunting license through. Just out of curiosity why would you want one? Seems to me it would be an expensive 'pet' to say the least. Eventually you'd need a 100 + gallon tank to keep it in, and that's not mentioning the food you'd have to buy to keep it alive. You'd be doing the Bass a favor by leaving them in the River or Lake. You couldn't possibly give him all he has out in his natural habitat. I am a Wildlife Biologist and I know what it takes to raise a wild animal or fish in captivity. You'd be better off with the channel cats or whatever they sell at Pets Mart. When you finally did release the Bass back into the wild, assuming it didn't die in captivity, it will not know how to fend for itself, and will die fairly quickly.

I would, but I don't have a scanner. Never had a use for one. Guess I'd better spend some of my fishing money on a printer that has one on it. But then .... that would take away from my possible bait purchases. ;D I could take a screenshot of a BPS order I made not too long ago. It was 32 pages long when I printed it out. Would that help you? ;D That'll teach me to hit the 'Print' button next time without seeing how long it is. I keep all that stuff for insurance anymore. I had a theft a month or so ago, and that situation taught me to keep receipts.

Does spending $1300 in one hour on Johnny Morris Elite Rods just because they are $30 off count as a problem? ;D I already have around 62 Lucky Craft jerkbaits. They're in the Tackle Drawer right next to my Lobina Lures which I also have around 30 of. Then there is my Strike King King Kong swimbaits that I use on Kentucky Lake with my King Shad collection. Ohhhh ... I have the swimbait bug believe me. As for using all of the lures per someone's comment above ...... please read my tag under my name. I have a job that allows me to fish 60+ hours a week during the summer months.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. It runs in phases. My hobbies run with the seasons. During the Fall / Winter months I only get out on the water a handful of times. If there is an above 40 degree day in the Winter I will go out on the water and do some fishing. I'm not a cold weather fisherman, so I do better in the summer. When Spring hits right before spawn I am out the door, and I usually don't slow down until late September when it starts getting cooler. During the summer I fish almost every day even when it's raining. In the Winter months I don't feel like fishing either. I usually fill my time with winemaking which is my Winter hobby. During the Winter I usually make around 100 gallons of wine, and that keeps me refreshed through the dog days of Summer.