Micro

I have more than a dozen HMGs and one Elite Tech Crankshaft rod. The HMGs are light, and very sensitive. The Crankshaft is very nice, too. I highly recommend Fenwick. Not only do they offer a solid performing and well made rod for a reasonable price, their customer service is very good. I've broken one HMG and called Fenwick. They told me to take the rod back to my seller and exchange it. The seller told me they service the warranty for the first 6 months or year (can't remember which). It was a no-questions-asked trade-out. After that, you can send them to Fenwick. I'm told by my dealer and friends that they have a very quick turnaround on warranty replacements.

I asked how much stretch is involved when you are twitching a worm through grass on mono 35 feet from a boat. The response was... mono lines generally have approx 20% stretch.that means at 35 feet your line will stretch 7 feet.in weeds the problem becomes even greater as the mono grabs the weeds and stretches like a rubber band . While I have the utmost respect for Dodgeguy and agree with him 97.254% of the time, I assert that his explanation above in nonsense. (In the same spirit I say it to my wife when she says I send too much on fishing stuff - nonsense. I still sleep with, uh, like her.) I assert that any stretch you experience when working a bait in the manner described, and in the case of working most soft plastics, where sensitivity is most desirable, the loss of sensitivity due to line stretch is minimal. I am NOT asserting that mono doesn't stretch - it certainly does. I am asserting that its doesn't stretch significantly as a result of most bait presentations where one desires sensitivity (deep jigging or deep c-rigging not withstanding). Heck, during many presentations, the force required to work a bait scarcely straightens out the coils that form in mono as a result of memory. I assert that the differences in sensitivity between mono, fluoro and braid is minimal under most bait presentations. I assert that if there is a perception that mono is less sensitive than braid it is because it is easier to get a straight connection between rod and bait on braid than on mono. If mono is old and has coiled from memory, it takes more line to reach 35 feet than it does a straight length of braid. (Remember, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.) It is the straightening of the line that deadens feel during bait presentation, not line stretch. As many have, I've fished mono, fluoro and braid side by side for the same techniques. With fresh line that is exhibiting little memory, have a hard time saying braid is any more sensitive than mono. IMO, the key to sensitivity is keeping your line as straight and tight as possible under the circumstances, and less about the material your line is made of.

No. What he's saying is that if you put out 35 feet of line and twitch a worm, that stretches it to 42 feet.

With all due respect - this is absurd. Mono stretches when significant force (read weight) is applied, as when a fish is on. But it not going to exhibit any significant stretch in the absence of significant weight. Twitching a soft plastic across or through grass, or bumping it off the bottom, is not going to stretch mono "like a rubber band." And if there is no significant stretch, then stretch is an insignifcant factor in sensitivity deadening. If this is th best "logical" explanation you can come up with, then I'll assume you can't answer the question.

I agree. The spro shad is a fantastic bait, one of the better hard swimbaits out there. Even the tiny one performs exceptionally well. JF must be thinking of some other bait.

It appears to me that the definition of the shotgun as an assault firearm is relevant only to the code regulating possession by those under 18, and not to the code regarding transfer. The shotgun definition doesn't exist in the tranfer code, only the possession code. Proving citizenship is as simple as showing your voter registration card. Got mine in my wallet, right behind my concealed handgun permit ;D. God, I love this state.

Does Virginia even define "assault weapon?" I don't think it does. VA gun laws are pretty loose compared to most other states. You are welcome to put hundred round mags on your guns if you can find them. I don't think Virginia is any more restrictive than the National Firearms Act in terms of what you can own. Now, I wouldn't put it past some politician in the future of trying to ban is as a revamped version of the "Streep Sweeper" which is regulated under the NFA.

It wouldn't require anymore documentation than any other shotgun. Unless the store has some internal policy that would require it. No info on weights. It's not even on Kel Tec's website yet.

Again, how much stretch is there in mono when you are twitching a worm in grass 35 feet from your boat? You guys make it sound like you were fishing with bungee cords, not mono.

Never been a fan of Kel Tec looks, but I gotta say this is one cool looking and neatly conceived shotgun. 14 rounds, parallel magazines, bottom eject, bullpup pump shotgun. No price, yet.

Fluoro does sink. So does mono. But its not lead. It's not going to drag you lures under. I've fished frogs and other topwaters on fluoro and NEVER has it pulled a lure down. I think the "sink effect" of fluoro with topwaters is overstated, unless you are using it with with very small topwaters, or using very heavy fluoro. My preferred line for light topwaters is Yo Zuri Hybrid 8# and for heavier topwaters 10#. I'll use 12# for small soft frogs and spinnerbaits, and 15# for large soft frogs and hollow body frogs.

Maybe fishing is boring to him. Maybe their's nothing to fix.

Why is braid more sensitve? The only reason I've ever heard proffered is "stretch." How significant is "stretch" when you are twitching a worm?

I'm in the minority. I don't like braid. I like it well enough to have it on a couple of my 25 outfits. Some issues I have with braid: People say it cuts through vegetation. True. It also cuts into vegetation when you don't want it to. It's limp enough that when you cast to water behind or beyond vegetation, it seems to find every nook, cranny, and hang-up on the vegetation it crosses. People say that because of reduced stretch, you can get hook sets at longer distances. But "experts" recommend slower rods and/or reduced drag settings when using braid. If you have a rig set to fish braid like mono, then where's that braid-advantage? People say that braid is "more sensitive" than mono or fluoro. I haven't really detected that. How can it be? Unless the tiny bumps and ticks you feel when fishing with mono are dampened by line stretch, and frankly, I don't think line stretch is an issue under those circumstances. Braid has poor abrasion resistance. Ever try to dig out a braid backlash? Braid is very visible. Even "Invisible" line, like Spyderwire Invisibraid, sticks out like a sore thumb compared to run of the mill mono. People say "braid is a must." It's no more of a "must" than it was before it was invented. I use braid and mono (Yo Zuri Hybrid specifically) when fishing frogs. I like mono better. I get more hits with mono. Hookups are just as easy. It doesn't cling to vegetation. Braid is a preference. It is not necessary for successful fishing.

The Giron is a decent (only decent) bait. For the money, the River2Sea V-Joints are great. They compare very well to the much more expensive Jackall Mikey Jrs. I would say that they have 95% of the action at less than 1/2 the price. The hardware is rock solid and they have very good hooks. I prefer the 95 series. http://www.***.com/River2Sea_V-Joint_Min_Wake/descpage-R2SVMW.html Pic below - V-Joint on top, Mikey Jr below.

Power Pro is the hemp-rope of braided lines. Except that hemp-rope retains its color. And isn't as rough.

A shoe string is better braid than power pro. What makes the Sufix lines so great? I understand it has a single strand of gore-tex fiber in it. I've tested regular Sufix Braid in a glass of water and it rises to the surface pretty quickly. Wonder how dense gore must be to be able to drag it down.

I wouldn't hold my breath on that one. Sounds like the wishful thinking of someone who decided that learning how to cast was too much trouble.

YZ Hardore Cranks are excellent lures.

I 6.#:1 reel will serve you well as an all-around cranking reel. You didn't ask for a reel recommendation, but I'll make one anyway. If you don't mind a round reel, think about the Shimano Calcutta 200GTB. It's a 6.0:1 reel. The 200GTB is as robust a reel as you will ever come across. As much as I like low profile reels, I don't see them with me 20 years from now. The 200GTB is built to last a lifetime. The reel is ultra smooth. It has a shallow, ported spool. It will throw 1/4oz baits a long, long way. It will easily cast with my Curados. And it will cast heavy baits, constantly, day in and day out. The Calcutta is a classic.

Abu's dual braking system is unnecessary. It's an attempt to take the burden of becoming a competent caster (with one brake system or the other) off the user. It's an attempt to make their reel fool-proof. It controls the cast so you don't have to. I'd recommend (in your price range): Shimano Curado E7 with centrifugal brake Daiwa Advantage HSTA with mag brake Revo SX with mag brake, or S with centrifugal brake. You will become an compentent caster with any of them. Mastering a baitcaster is part of the fun of bass fishing. Using a reel you don't really need to master isn't much fun after awhile.

Of the 5,217 jokes I've heard, that one is tied for 37th place.

You can use silicone, but I've tried in the past on mono and it dried the line and gave it a chalky feel after a while. Best thing I've tried is Lemon Pledge, on my line and line guides. In fact, after fishing, I wipe down my rods and reels with lemon Pledge.

Given that Hybrib breaks higher than its stated test, you can move down a bit in test and get the same strength as mono. I used 8# for small cranks and small topwater. 10# for cranks and larger topwater 12# for plastics and spinnerbaits 15# for flipping I only broken off on Hybrid one time, trying to lift a really big blue catfish over the side by the line. Otherwise, I've never had any breakoffs.

We're at 6+ inches on my back deck as of right now, with 5+ more expected. First white Christmas we've had in 20 years.