J Francho

See my post about "snap swivels in this thread, and watch/read all the rest. Everything you need to know is here:

Hope for a speedy recovery for you!

I've been kayak fishing for over a dozen years now. Really, the big deal with any craft is getting off the bank. It opens up so much more waters to fish. You can do that in a kayak, a tube, a rowboat, canoe, or a 20' bass boat. Pick your favorite, they all work.

Mike does nice work. Mine has bearings and Carbontex from Smooth Drags along with a star, handle, and knobs from a Curado 200e. No Chinese "dress up" junk here. Just simple improvements for the reel's purpose. There really isn't much to improve on anyway.

With a bit of customizing, you can improve them.

I use a floating zero stretch line for top waters and jerkbaits. The ripping hooks out thing is a myth. If they pull out, you never never had it anyway and no mini is going to fix that.

Originality is not one of their strong points.

I have some Calcuttas that I use for real swim baits.

I threw mine out when I replaced the oil cooler lines. I paid for skid plates, not a lid to a garbage tote.

My favorite is a wacky jig with a single wire guard and a Jackall Flick-shake worm.

Granted all my Pointers are a decade or more old, but they do not float. Daiwa?

Yep, pumpkinseeds. They're fun.

Man, this looks tempting. The updated rear suspension looks like a huge improvement. I dig the skid plate. It wasn't until I had to remove mine for a repair that I realized my "skid plate" option was really just a sheet of plastic on my GMC, lol. I assume we can expect similar towing specs as the current model?

They run in ditches up here too.

My best friend and I would fish for blues off Nantucket in a little 13' Whaler with wooden bench seats. Just like Lake Ontario, you don't pick your days to go out, the weather does.

Man I hope not. This summer my youngest turned one, I sold and bought a house, planned and executed a wedding, moved my 14 year old into the new house after summer vacation at my parents', and dealt with a few new house issues along the way. I e been out maybe times to fish. That's life.

No, I'm pretty sure you'll attract all sorts of animals, including stray cats if you don't bury them.

I really don't know the sizes, I just eyeball it. I generally grab Spro swivels because they're decent and haven't let me down.

Don't do it! Just kidding. It seems like you found the one like I finally did. It only took me three tries, lol. I've done the mud shark thing. They'll bite pink yarn balled up on a hook. Lots of guys floss them though, some outright snag them. They aren't even suitable for stray cats once they're dark and kyped up. Females are harvested if they're still fecund with eggs, then composted in the garden. The eggs make decent steelhead bait later in winter. We cure them in plain old kosher salt.

I'm addicted to Haulover footage.

$3500 does seem steep for that job. I'd be thinking twice too. Looks great. I've used their installer for screen doors, but they have this one guy I'd use even if it wasn't Lowe's. For $100 Dan does as good a job as me and I don't have to. It doesn't hurt that he's super friendly. Hope to have him over at the new house for three more screen doors.

15 years running !!!

1" = 1 point. Keep it simple.

I use one made for my boat.