northeast_trev

Not saying your seller isnt a straight shooter, but I would try to avoid those deals. PayPal is the only way to ensure you're covered

Disregard what i said, Jesse has caught more fish in a month than i have in 4 years of swimbaiting!

yes i feel like fish are caught in the inbetween phase. Low temps at night that aren't climbing much during the day. Plus the amount of rain we've had with minimal sunshine OP you might have better luck bringing the trout rod up there

i use a #5 snap to the line tie, or tie to a split ring

Was just about to say this. Also, take your time once you're in the water. Nothing wrong with taking one or two trips down to locate the bait and figure out how to snag it. Also, be careful not to stab your hand, you dont want to be stuck to the tree with a limited air supply, maybe wear some gloves. Good luck!

Yikes! Cant stand the bugs. Gotta get you a mosquito net and hang it around a boonie hat. The ticks are in full swing here now. Gives me the willies just thinking about now

damn that's a fatty. Apex predator for sure

would love to catch a big carp on a swimmer, count it!

in

hell yeah good one

try to be more stealthy while walking down the bank. Consider standing further away from your target area when making the cast. I always seem to spook fish out of the shallows when i walk up on them. Maybe try switching to the night bite as well if the rat is working

that's what time and effort get you. Chris is a slayer - glad to see it happen to him!

nuts, still quite a bit of ice here. Hopefully i can duplicate

I think its 2.5g. The replacement weights I've seen to convert floaters are 2.5

search bar knows all

I've been using 80lb Power Pro for a few seasons now. Very few break offs. None caused by a backlash. Palomar knot with a double overhand on top of it. I'll go many trips without re-tying

Kind of tough to say. I've thought about it before. I think it's less about the size, more about the story. Some guys get them as something to brag about, but I feel like the real reason is to preserve the memory of how happy you were holding that thing

Earliest models 90's had horse hair/ feather tails. some of the 04-06 around that time were quite a bit fatter. Some of the 2x baits from the same time period were the best crankers i've had. Less so the materials, but Mike's paint has really evolved over the years.

some non-location specific advice, you may get lucky with a forthcoming local....... - use Google maps to find water close to you. If you're 16 i'd note anywhere you're comfortable going on your own - determine best places/how to access - once you've got your bodies of water identified, use the Navionics Webapp to look at depth maps. I think the State of MA has their own depth maps as well - throw the baits you have at different times of day - morning, afternoon, evening, night it's taken 3 seasons for me to start to identify patterns at my go-to spots, but it's been getting easier. Now i can gather my variables and decide where i want to fish that afternoon based on what i've learned. It will come with time. You will have to work for it. This is NOT a sport of instant gratification (unless you stick a pig right off. In which case, i feel sorry for you for different reasons lol). *** oh and helpful New England tip for shore fisherman - WEAR PANTS - poison ivy/oak sucks

I have Decoy quad 1/0 on the head and one on the rear hanger. none in the middle for right now

Or you could email Mike and ask about his next drops

I don't think anyone was going to bash the seller.... so we're good there. Looks like that tail got hit with the clear coat/epoxy and solidified that way. May be worth getting a second opinion, but i imagine dipping the tail in a paint thinner/solvent would help add flexibility back into the bristles. Alternatively, I'm sure it'll get looser after just throwing it for a few hours