J Francho

Tetris

None of this company's 14 year history has been very favorable, other than their introduction at iCast in 2007. I know guys that invested heavily in the rods early on, and they didn't hold up. I've seen at least a dozen snap right in front of me, sometimes just on the cast. They can paint them whatever color they want, I'm not buying. The best part is trying to find the site. This is all I can come up with, other than a bunch of bogus hype and bad reviews:

I prefer to have one that's fully capable at all times. They don't get in the way, and GPS is always critical.

Go back? Not a chance.

I fished Santee-Cooper and all the stumps made me nervous with my aluminum boat. Awesome fishing there but you really gotta pay attention.

I agree with that 100%. The difference between the then new Powerworms and trusty Culprits was night and day in terms of how long bass held them.

Forrest Wood sold Ranger 34 years ago. I doubt he cared then, and wouldn't care if he was alive still. Recalls suck. I have had a few on my truck over the years, and going to dealer is a pain and it's only 30 minutes away. Unless the recalls are of "the boat may explode" nature, I'd say have them taken care of at your next fall maintenance trip, all at once.

I know when I first started with jigs, knowing the actual weight also made reordering easier. But for sure, it's all about how that bait falls, the profile, and what the fishies want that day.

I don't label them. I mostly have two sizes: 1/2 oz. and 3/4 oz. so it's pretty easy to tell what I have.

Skirt and a trailer hook.

My first largemouth bass was probably caught on a night crawler, smallmouth on a softshell crab. My first bass on a lure was definitely caught on a Beno.

Wait, now they're inflating without even getting wet? That's a problem. It sounds like both manual and AI vests are a bad choice for some. A Type III PFD doesn't require any special skill or maintenance to use - just put it on. I have several in different styles and they all work well.

Cichlids and sunfish can't hybridize. It's a genetic pigment mutation called xanthism. Happens in all sorts of animals.

So what? Or not wear one at all. Or wear the inflated vest. They don't accidentally go off. I've got five of them, and the only time they went off was when someone fell in (once, not me) or they were intentionally set off. I'm not inclined to spend the cash on an inventory of kits that have expiration dates at $80 a kit. The reality is, if I'm in the boat, I'll probably get back without wearing one. If I'm in the kayak, I'll just put my kayak vest on. If the situation is any worse, having a rearming kit on hand is the LEAST of my problems right then.

I never caught a smallmouth on a ned, and it's been well over a decade since I fished a tube. I catch most of my smallies outside the spawn on little worms using a drop shot. Tubes were the jam back in the late 80s and 90s. I'm positive both tubes and neds will catch them today.

The only reason to remove the lower unit is to replace the impeller. All the other work can be done without. I'd test the new prop as is, and then make any motor height adjustments myself. You might also think about a prop wrench. They're pretty inexpensive, and changing the prop is just one nut and a cotter pin/lock ring. I always kept one with a spare prop in all my boats.

I've seen the same. The sunnies set up beds so close to each other that the shallows become a honeycomb of impenetrable spawning males. I've seen them chase much larger bass off. For me, those sunny beds means the bass spawn is over, and to concentrate on quieter waters for fish emerging from post spawn to feed.

Mmmmmm. Risotto

Because manual only can be sold at a lower price point.

I've had a Mustang with HIT hydrostatic tech and it has never gone off in moisture or the rain. The times that I rearmed it due to expiration, it took submersion in order to trigger. Any auto inflate vest I've ever seen had a manual override that is plain as day to get to. Usually it's a bright yellow plastic pull on the bottom that says "PULL". The rules concerning PFDs onboard vessels are set by the USCG, and an inflatable vest does not count unless worn, ever. In my kayaks, I keep an old conventional vest in the hull. In my bass boats always had one of those bricks of orange vests that were in dry storage, way up in front, but used the inflatables. That way, I can take the inflatable off and still be in compliance. I don't carry a rearming kit in the boat, just check the vest before and after I go out.

Yep, it does that. The alternative is straight braid or straight fluoro (my preferred method).

You can call them bream up here, but you have rhyme with team or you get kicked out.

If you like it on peach pie, you have to try their peaches and cream.

I'm back in our office. All the good desks were taken by n00bz. I've resorted to hiding their power cords.

Pretty much everything Tillamook makes is great.