bare foot wader

learn how to use crankbaits....watch some tourney's and see how many pro's rely on them.... they are good to use in medium and shallow water....it depends on the particular cover you are fishing....they are great around rocks and timber....but also weeds as well if you are able to run one through loose weeds, along edges or ticking the tops of the weeds I think they shine in deep water structure and especially for suspended bass too....once you get the depth dialed in where the bass are holding you can get deadly results.....crankbaits are also pretty snagless once you learn how to bounce them off cover....you can fish them through a tree just like a spinnerbait....stop reeling when you feel the bump against the cover and let your bait ride up over it or float up a bit....a good quality, technique specific rod will help you feel crap better

get some bucktails, williams wablers and go BIG - you'd be surprised the results you get with the big boys, big thill slip floats for dead drifting suckers/chubs and for dragging on bottom get some large jigheads with solid, wide gap hooks and get some saltwater grubs - 6 to 8"....big bass jigs and some plastic lizards for trailers make sure you have solid wire snippers and replacement trebles too

I don't think it matters what brand you buy or how much you spend....there are only 2 types of waders IMO: waders that leak....and waders that will eventually leak....that UV repair glue is a great product...keeps you going streamside, only takes a few mins to fix a pinhole I am currently using wright & mcgill....moderately priced, came to about 250, bit cheaper maybe, and the built in back belt is amazing....the stocking foot is excessively generously cut....which makes my boots too small now...but other than that solid waders....extra layering on the knees and a good fit all over..... got mine at Steve's in Lambeth

as kids we were dumb enough to keep fishing while watching 3 separate funnels swirl around but they never actually touched down on the water or land... a few close calls in a boat.....lightning cracked down within a few hundreds yards, just sat it out on an island....not too bad....but yes, i can echo the vividly picturing getting zapped....

I have ultra light reels from quantum, okuma and pflueger....all about 40-50 bucks and all of them are great reels the pflueger president is very nice...my personal fav....but I know okuma has a few tiny sizes in a few of their high end models for sure....but I cna't justify dropping so much cash on a tiny reel that i wouldn't use as much as my more versatile reels.....but i bet they would be good.....

BPS is still just another big box store FIRST and an outdoor store second....so you can't always expect the same service as small local shops....and some of their prices are ridiculous too but I've never heard of them not agreeing to price match if you just take the time to bring it up with a manager...most people don't do that... if the manager is still a guy named Pavo, then he is good people and will help you out....at least in my experiences...last one going back at least a year or two now just my few cents about bps....hope your trolling motor is good to you...

unlike open water fishing, when you're ice fishing you only have approx 30" of rod to absorb the shock of the fish...if you're targeting big fish splurge a few extra bucks for a decent reel with a GOOD drag system....the okuma mentioned above is a great little cheap work horse....i also have a tiny AX 500 shimano (30 bucks at BPS) and a quantum ultra light...the Pflueger trion and president are great reels as well.....all these reels have done very well for me and are all under 50 bucks... I prefer to immediately open up the reel housing and degrease everything...i then drop in a few drops of cold weather oil or just some regular light oil...NOT grease...that's just my preference....i find most reels are packed with too much grease and it will stiffen up on the ice