J Francho

Wife: "Morning, honey, whatcha eating?" Me: "Nuts'n Bits." Wife: "What did you call me?" Me: "I'm eating cereal!"

Wassup Snook!

Is there an advantage to snelling vs knot. If so can you explain? Its a strong, straight pull connection, and the knot serves as a baitholder. Almost every hook with a bent eye line tie performs better when snelled. Check this for more: http://www.burniehaney.com/News.html

I use an Extra Fast, medium pwer rod for topwaters and jerkbaits, specifically an Avid AVC62MXF. The rod is underpowered, if you look at the lure specs, but this works to your advantage when fishing treble hook lure. Yes, it has an EXTREMELY fast tip, but it doesn't take much to dip into the backbone of the blank. The SCIII does a nice job of fully distributing the load across the blank, giving you quite a bit of cushion to protect those "outside the mouth" hookups. Also, keep in mind that the longer jerkbaits and topwaters have a greater tendency to get both hooks into the fish when the fish shakes. Unlike more compact cranks, where there is more leverage and closely spaced hooks. The main thing I find with treble hooked baits, is once you have the hooks in the fish, don't whale on the rod. The fish only pulls back harder. Its a different ball game than when you are fishing a MH or H rod, and literally moving them out of cover. You generally don't need a ton of pressure to get them to the boat. Some of my biggest fish were landed without much fuss at all.

I don't use a circle hook, and I don't peg a sliding weight, but I do use the pinch on bullet weights, in something like 3/32 just to get the fall rate up.

Th Freedom 14 would suit your weight. There is a lot more room in the 14 as well. There are two rod holders in the stern, and plenty of places to mount more. Most good shops can install them for you, but its pretty simple to do yourself. I don't have any issue getting to my gear, and the 14's leaning post is easier to take down and bring up than the 12. There are power options out now for just about every boat, Freedomhawk included. Look at Bassyaks and Torqueedo. As far as which Ocean Kayak for you...if you like to stand, then definitely a PBG. If you go that route, get the steerable rudder option, makes life a lot easier. A final option is the Wilderness Systems Commander 120. My friend is about your size, a bit taller and heavier, and he fishes it standing up. Very cool little boat.

Low trajectory, quiet entry. Also notice, he is usually reeling at the moment it hit the water - efficient.

The "I" in IGFA is the problem. But, have it your way, and we can relinquish our brown trout record to Germany, and whatever other non native records we hold, LOL.. i thought the brown trout record just got broke again and it was here or canada , and the same guys broke the rainbow trout record ..... What kingbass was getting at is that the record should come from the country that the species is from, i.e. its normal range. The problem with that is so many species have been transported all over the place, that there is no real way to determine its "natural range." IGFA only cares about the biggest, legal catch, in simpler terms.

I've done it a few times. You really can't know anything other then balance when testing it in the store, everything else you won't know until you're on the water. It helps if you have a clue about that brand's ratings.

I'm selling on the "wear and tear" on the boater's tow vehicle and boat. If they are that worried, then don't fish, and leave their rig in the garage. What they get out of this deal, is no one to help offset their costs, because no non/co will want to fish this club. In my club, the co angler pays 1/2 the entrance fee + $30. On long trips, we arrange transportation, and split costs. Personally, it sounds like the boaters in that club want to fish alone. One question, though. Didn't this come to a vote? Why did such a rule pass?

6/0 Gammy Mosquito hooks or 4/0 Owner SSW. Snell them for best results. 6-7 turns for fluoro, 8 or 9 for braid. That's what I use for pegged punching rigs. For "normal" weed cover, I use a 4/0 Owner Wide Gap Plus.

Most stripped heads come from trying to remove screws with threadlock on them. There are tricks for that. As far as scoffing at $25 for a set of tools, I can't get my head around it. We pay a ton for our fishing tools, what's another $10 for tools that will last?

Review: http://tackletog.com/superttuning/2009/10/06/tool-time/

Time for one of these computers - they are virtually virus free!

Wiha are the best, and that is a great price!

Close, but any blunt instrument will work. PM sent

The "I" in IGFA is the problem. But, have it your way, and we can relinquish our brown trout record to Germany, and whatever other non native records we hold, LOL..

Med. Power Fast Action fine for most single hook baits ? Power Med. Fast Action fine for treble hook applications.

Why no heavy or extra heavy options? I'd like to see some heavy cover rods with a Heavy/Moderate or Mod. Fast action in there.

I've always wondered why a boater cares what a non-boater/co angler brings, as long is its out of their way. Its not like they stow the stuff right up front. The issue is when it comes time to run. As a non/co, you've got to be organized and prepared to run, as a boater, you've got to give the non/co a minute to get situated, and keep up the communication.

In terms of weight, it ranks close to a Steez maybe even a bit lighter and its as expensive as some Steez models. I'd like to try one but I wish Shimano would have made a more refined looking grip and end cap, that one looks cheap compared to the existing cumara and the steez. I also hope its a better reel seat design than the cumara, that reel seat works fine but it looks cheesy. Have you weighed your Steez rods, and compared them to the published weights of the Cumulus? Have you held these rods? You make it sound as though you've had them in your hands, which I doubt. It looks as though they are a tiny bit lighter, and that's probably due to NOT using all the bling you guys are asking for....

I hear some bring that issue up, and wjile sometimes the rods are in the way, but really, there's no need to be that close to cover, if you can stand. A pitch cast gets your bait in there. Its just a different boat, and a different way to fish. I do have some spots with low bridges, and I get through by simply laying my rods between the front rod holder.

I have an old Toro I dug out of some else's "spring cleanup." The clutch/brake doesn't work, so you have slam in and out of gear, but it starts every winter. Despite getting about 30" of snow this past week, I haven't dug her out. Been enjoying the workout of shoveling. I will be singing a different tune by mid February, LOL.

Relax guys, the dude had a question about using a Core and a Fuego, and what he could use on a frog rod for $100. Why he deleted, I have no idea.

Gotcha. I use a leader, but a very long one, about 12' of 4 to 8# fluoro leader mat'l. There are times though, when I feel I get more bites with straight fluoro, and keep an extra spool ready with 4# line for those times when I "think" I should be getting bit, but not. Maybe its the braid, who knows.