Ham

Heck Man, I could make 3 or 4 dollars a year if they offered that deal.

Nanofil 6 or 8 lb with a 6 lb leader. I'll be glad to show you a knot to join the leader to the Nanofil. The Nanofil throws further than mono and really increases sensitivity and hooksetting ability. Resist the urge to have a leader stronger than the nanofil. You will break at the knot joining the leader to the nanofil more times than not. The nanofil is a little pricey on the front end, but I can show you a trick to get multiple reel fills out of one spool. I have a reel that I spooled up Aug 2013. Still using that line on that reel and I have fished with it A LOT. Conservatively, you should get a year out of the line you've put on a reel.

I struggle with soft hackles and woolies. I just cant seem to get the hang of the hookset (or lack of hookset?) needed for these type flies. I get jarring strikes and hook very few fish . Its tough for me not to over react to the strike. I was raised a bass fisherman in the fiberglass worm rod era. I have caught fish using them and at times a bunch of them, but my strike to hookup ratio is not where I want it to be.

It's a fair question.

I'm going to have to take a longer lookat the z man product line. I think their plastic in addition to be VERY durable is also way more supple. The tail action on their grubs should be outstanding and that little bat wing deal may be a GREAT option when smallies are on points (as if I didin't have other ways to get after them).

It's 31 degress and sunny. Wind is around 7 mph. They are running a good amount of water too. I'd catch 60-120 fish today. I'd love to fish today. You just need the right clothing. Something dark that blocks the wind. It would be awesome to be out today.

I so wanted to go yesterday. The trout of the White River have been mocking me, but I can NOT deal with a 20 MPH. It was going to be real cold, but I could have handled that IF I was going to be able to jig fish.

I have purchased a rigs that are wire only. There is no extra weight on the frame.

That's always an option I suppose, but the tail wags the dog pretty well as it is. With a regular boot tail grub on them, they wobble like a barefoot drunk on a hot tin roof. It is just about a rig time. Rig it up and let us know how it goes.

I'm ok with whatever temps we get, but the wind needs to be < 15 MPH for the jig fishing to shine. There's lots of ways to catch a few fish and I'll adapt if need be, but I'm going to stay hopeful.

This weather sucks. I'm not usually completely frustrated with the weather until mid Janurary. I'm way ahead of schedule on that.

Come on down Pete. We'll find room for you in somebody's boat. This weather sucks, but isn't any indicator of what weather we'll have by then.

There are Browns all over the river. They don't all move to the dam. I think you'll need a sink tip line. I think most use bigger streamers than what you are used to.

Well Archdale for me, walleye are a put and take fishery where the fish become legal keepers in 3-4 years. I really enjoy cooking them in a variety of ways. I fully acknowledge that I'm being tender hearted about the smallies. As long as people are fishing legal, they are within their rights to keep fish. I'd rather ppl disn't keep 20 inch bass for the table, but that's their choice.

I imagine that would be a great little deal to hop quickly along on points for smallies in the Spring. I used to beloeve that the steady movement as you drug that grub along triggered strikes from smallies. I caught so many fish dead sticking a Nednthat I don't know what to believe anymore. I'll probably end up with a few packs of the smaller ones, but the ShadZ have not caught a thing for me up to this point.

So I hear TRF. I just love the Spotted bass so much that I have a hard time putting a knife to them. They were the cloest thing to Smallies I had when I was living in Louisiana. I won't kill a smallie to eat . Every keeper walleye is kept (I've never reached my legal limit). I'll keep crappie and the right size catfish too. Thanks to getting pointed in the right direction by Richard Cross, I will keep trout a few times a year now and make trout cakes or fish Tacos. This is a bitter cold snap to be sure. I'd love our seasonal norms about right now.

I should have taken a quick pic of some of my smallies too. Next time.

I don't understand why he couldn't just let it walk on by and be thrilled he saw it. I really doubt he was in danger at all, but people kill every snake they see beacuse it was a "threat" to them or the grandkids or their dog or...or...

And there's always Dean's in Mountain Home

I love dragging a grub around. It is (was) one of my favorite ways of catching fish, but a Ned will ruin you on that. Once you get the hang if the Ned, you will absolutely be costing yourself fish trying to force feed them a grub on points. IF you like fishing a grub, you've likely got the rod and reel you'll need for a Ned and the fishing skill set you need to detect the strikes. Good Luck and Good Fishing.

I think I remember hearing the lower unit wasn't real durable. You planning on a lake boat or a river boat.? Prop eats a rock and lower unit may go to pieces. IFI am remembering correctly a forum member had ozone and a single rock turned his lower unit gears into confetti. He does his own work and the parts were more expensive than finding another used motor.

I was. They bit. It was COLD. I survived.

Oh my goodness where to begin? Look at the largemouth bass photo ; see that jighead above the fish"s eye? that crappy little jighead with a non descript chunk of worm on it has changed my fishing if not my life. Basically a Finesse plastic on 1/16 oz head with a #2 hook. I thow mine with light action spinning on 6-8 pound nano with a 6-8 pounder leader. My basic retrieve is to throw it to a liking looking spot. deadstick for a little bit. If no bite, I might shake it in place or lift - swing - deadstick again. It's only slow until you catch fish on 5 casts in a row. This past spring it was stupid good. It looks dumb, but fish freaking eat it early and often. A weeks worth of reading on the Ned can be found using the search function.

. Keeper but released

. Pretty Spot