J Francho

My thought as well. You might need professional intervention.

All I can think of is that the pilings are wider, just under the surface, than he thought. Hope everyone recovers OK.

That's great advice. And don't put pressure on them to catch bass. They'll get a few on their own, but new anglers gain more by catching more. I wouldn't set my 12 year old up with a flipping stick and jig just because I was catching on it - that's a skill they have to ramp up to. Same goes for MANY other baits and techniques. Yes, that's a white Mr. Twister grub in that fish's face.

Not always, as anyone with a blood filled live well can attest to. It really depends on the wound. Either with or without soda, get them back in the lake as quick as possible for quick recovery.

Xpress x2. I have an 18' Xpress Hyperlift with a Merc 115 and love it. 50 mph and a tank of gas lasts me a month's worth of weekends.

Learn to fish jigs in heavy cover with heavy tackle.

They aren't harmful at all, the two co exist in thousands of lakes. BTW, several websites list northern pike (along with chain pickerel and musky) as a common game fish in that lake.

How invasive? Wallenpaupack is well within it's natural range.

They are probably going to try and sell you a time share or something.

That is a Northern Pike, Esox lucius. Awesome gamefish. Be careful handling larger fish, though.

Not in the US, but the Daiwa Goldcast is the last spincaster you'll need to buy.

Can't fish without it.

Makes no difference, 2 lbs. of resistance is 2 lb. of resistance, whether a straight pull off the reel, or with a loaded rod. Now, if you're trying to get a feel of what your rod, reel, and line is like together, by all means, set it up like real world, INCLUDING a cast's worth of line. Especially if you are using fluoro or mono.

Again, if you use a light drop shot hook, it falls slower and not head first. In fact, the 5" Shad Impact I use fall with a side to side wobble using a 1/0 hook that you wouldn't get with an EWG. Try it.

I don't care about the heat, it's the goofballs that ask if it's hot enough for me, LOL. I tell them, no. When the breeze kicks up, I shiver and say, "Man, that wind cuts right through you!"

How would a lighter hook make it sink faster? We're using drop shot hooks, not wide gap worm hooks.

You forgot Disney, Roland Martin, and beer can chicken. With that, I bid this thread ado.

It's great with light line and wacky hooks too. Funny, I only started using it last year for bass, but used it for years on trout rigs.

It's an interesting story, and I'm watching it. No fights broke out. I will probably close it before I leave my PC, so if anyone has something more to add, do it quick.

Pretty much, LOL.

Next person to say that to me gets a kick in the pants.

Its very close. So far so good.

You can snell with any line. I use braid for this stuff.

I don't even consider 99% of photography "art." Nothing I make qualifies.

I use a snell knot whenever I can. Yeah, I've been on Port a lot. Look for black Xpress.