J Francho

match hook to bait.... #6 Spit Shot/Drop Shot hook, 5-0 smallie.

My pictures are cropped close....I'd just make you all jealous if somehow my real life assistant made it into the pics, LOL.

Texas rigged on a snelled 6/0 Octopus hook with a pegged tungsten weight, usually 3/4 to 1 oz. Pitch into holes in milfoil beds, fallen timber and beds. I pretty much just let them fall to the bottom. Give them a little wiggle, and on to the next hole. Often times you get bit on the initial fall, just like a jig. Use heavy gear and line for this. No reason you can't simply cast into holes while seated. For me, its definitely a close quarters bait/technique.

Depending on the thickness of the worm, a 1/0 or 2/0 Finesse Wide Gap, snelled.

Amazing what's under all the grime. You really want to take everything down, especially the line guide components to check for wear. Same for ALL the bearings. Once they are all flushed of old lube, you can realize the full potential hiding in a used reel. Here's a Patriarch: And an Alphas Ito: Summit before: And after:

There is a problem with the roller clutch assembly. Whether its too much grease or oil, broken springs or corroded rollers is anyone's guess. Either send it to a reel repair shop, or Shimano themselves to have it properly repaired. Shimano American Attn: Reel Repair 1 Holland Irvine, CA 92618 http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/customer_service0/Repair_Services.html

Super Chunk trailers.

Yep, for instance I have three spools for flipping stick - one with 50# braid, one with 65# braid, and one with 30# fluoro.

Huh? Two very different heads, LOL I mean, its not even close. :

Brakes don't generally come into play at spool speeds when pitching.I generally run no breaks, and near zero spool tension, just use your thumb. Practice!

I sort them by what rod I throw them on.

Gobies move in shallow after ice out to spawn. They get bigger and bigger every year. Brown trout and smallies key onto them.

Out of the four listed, the PQ, but there are much better out there for that price.

I use old reel filler spools.

I like Snag Proof Frogs. Especially in Wild Bull, LOL.

I hope your wife doesn't mind all those hands on your rod.

PaddlePower....

Fished it once. Nothing but freaks and dinks on that lake.

Put a fork in your eye, and a new frog on your dash. By summer, both will be ready.

There is only one Sol baitcaster.

Or ISP.

Stocking bass is a bandaid. There must be deeper issues than just tournament pressure on this lake.

Amen to that... Bill, impressive list man. I've fished Okeechobee and Kissimmee quite a few times, never nailed a trophy. What about PB NY bass?

Practice really is the key. I can skip hollow frogs, torpedo shaped topwaters, and weightless/weedless rigged Senkos. Sometimes I can skip a Trap, but its iffy, LOL. I use more spool tension, and ZERO brakes.

Smallmouth - 5-4, August, 1995, Lake Ontario, 26 FOW, live softshell crab (recently moulted crawfish) on split shot rig. Can't remember time of day, but a 6-4 was boated by my ex earlier that morning. Largemouth - 7-2, July, 2005, Lake Ontario bay, 20+ FOW, 10" Berkley Power Worm - black, 1/2 oz. TT bullet weight - free, late afternoon on a clear blue day.