J Francho

This is absolutely the best plan. Train him to climb to a specific spot on the branch, light and hold a stick of dynamite, and the rest will take care of itself - you'll have that bait in no time. I can't believe I didn't think of this myself. It would be really cool if it was a spider monkey. Actually, I just wanted an excuse to type out "spider monkey" twice.

I agree that technique/application specific rigs are the way to go. Personally, I'm moving toward several 7' heavy/fast action rods, a few with braid, one with FC, and a few with copoly. Add to that, the "specialty" rods: DS rod, flipping stick, heavy cranks, light to med. cranks, a shorter TW rod (I'm short, so a 6' suits me) and a 7' MH/fast spinning rod for stuff that doesn't quite fit. Sounds like a lot? I don't like retying, and in a tournament, I like to keep two or three identical rigs, baits and all, ready to go. For general, recreational fishing, I like to have a medium spinning rod and a MH casting rod. Those two rigs, a small tackle bag, a camera, and scale are all you need.

Way back when, almost all spinning reels were right handed, with the handle on the left. All casting reels had the handles on the right. My father, being left handed, special ordered left handed Mitchells, with the handle on the right. Nowadays, its been long forgotten that it was this way When I went from casting reels to spinning reels, I had trouble with learning to reel in with my left hand, so I used one of my dad's old lefty Mitchells. Eventually, I got sick of casting with my right hand and switching, so I forced my self to use a left side handled (a righty model) reel. For obvious reasons, you cannot design a casting reel that is convertible, like a spinning reel, and that is why I think this comes up. I think its just easiest to refer to a reel as a right or left hand retrieve. I know many right handed people that prefer to use a left handed reel. I use both, and there advantages to certain types of casts, to using one or the other. I really like I lefty reel for pitching and flipping, especially both of my Daiwa flipping reels, since I can reengage the spool without turning the handle. I also like them for frog fishing, since my stronger arm (right) is pulling the fish out of the pads and slop. Since I palm the reel, and almost always use two hands to cast, a righty suits me better for all other casting situations. My right hand just moves from the reel (or scratching my head, LOL) to the trigger and thumbar, just behind my left. If I need real power, I can move my left down to the butt of the rod. It may all sound counter intuitive, or wasteful actions, but years of doing make it something I don't think about anymore. I even once had an argument with a fishing buddy about whether I use two hands for casting, LOL. I lost that one - didn't even realize it until I thought about it. At any rate, repetition of either retrieve will train your muscles and you'll be able to do whatever you want. Some guys can do everything with both hands and both lefty and right reels.

I like the Kistler style as well, and also the Fuji keepers over the loop style. When I first looked at the Kistler, I was concerned that it would poke me when fishing, but as it turns out, its far lass obtrusive than the loop style. I find far less scratches to the blank finish on my Kistlers than other rods. The same goes for rods with the Fuji keeper, which BTW can be put anywhere, like between the rear split grip.

Dallas is now leading the league in "Roy Williamses" LOL.

This is the funniest thread I've read in a long time. I know its no joking matter, but what's funny is that I've been there in that, "how the hell am I going to get that bait?" mode. I recommend using a trained falcon or hawk to retrieve it. Another option would be to order several trucks full of clean fill to build up the land below it and you just reach up and get it. Also, a home made hovercraft with a long ladder might do the trick. Or, you could just buy one just like it. ;D

Here is a cool rundown, LBH: http://reptilis.net/serpentes/senses.html

Sight is generally not so good. Sight, olfactory, taste, hearing, vibration detection, and heat receptors are the biggies. From what I've, hearing is the big one.

No jumping here. Both my winter steelhead (spinning and a round BC) reels are maintained this way. never had to go this route with my bass equipment though. I found the 1-way would get "soupy" in really cold weather and tried oil, and it worked. Glad to hear that OEM says its OK. I'm going to have to give this a test. I personally feel that grease is a dirt magnet, and sometimes does more harm than good, so less of it has to be better, as long as weardown isn't an issue. Thanks - two good tips in a few days.

I think issues with any knot are usually traced back to technique. That said, different brands and line material seem to have issues with certain knots. I don't like improved cinch knots with either Suffix nylon, Elite and Siege, and would use either a Palomar, or if swinging the bait through the loop is too difficult, a Uni knot. I'd also jump up to 12# or heavier. On my spinner/buzzbait rods, I use 12-15# P-Line CXX X-tra Strong, and improved cinch knots hold just fine. They are super fast to tie on the water, and I generally retie about every ten casts or every fish On braid, I've switched to Uni knots almost exclusively, after having some minor issues with the Palomar - probably my problem in this case, since so many others have good luck with this knot.

The roller bearing gets packed with grease. Unless its fouled, just leave it alone. If it needs service, take it to a pro.

Do you mean the roller bearing? Repacking it correctly is not for the beginner.

Generally, these types of projects use Zebra Danios, Brachydanio rerio. They are available at any pet shop or scientific supply house. You'll want the straight finned variety. You'll need a small observation cup and magnifying glass.

Isopods, aka sea lice.

A snakes tail is very short - that last few inches past the cloaca are its tail. The rest of the body houses internal organs.

Same here. Diseased fish take on this look as well, but they rarely bite.

Maybe I misunderstood the question. Is it 3/16 total weight? Or is it a 3/16 jig? It makes a big difference in some cases. I throw a 3/32 wacky jig, but the weight of the plastic and the jig are plenty of mass for a BC.

This has more to do with the rod used than the whether its a spinning reel or a baitcaster. Lighter, smaller diameter line is a must too. I voted "too light", because its not "just perfect" on any BC rig I have, though that weight is fine on my AC70MM. With a lighter power rod and a faster tip, you can throw even lighter.

Sounds like you'll have fun. Ask him what he'd like you to throw and where. I'll bet he's more interested in catching fish, and the more the merrier. If he's really working some shoreline structure or a dock, and you can't get in there, just keep a jig or t-rig worm and work the deeper water. That way, you'll be complimenting his approach. If you have to fish "used" water, try something a bit smaller, subtle in those spots.

Try to carpool with your boater, and discuss places and tactics. Work as a team. We always keep all our fish, and only cull after we both limit. Check your rules on that last one. Most importantly, have fun, and if you bet back boated, just remind your boater that you're a team.

That synthetic looks pretty good. Thanks, I'll be trying it out on the next batch.

Great, I'll build a fire, and you bring the books : This is where censorship starts.

Nice work, Dave. I was able to dig up my copy of Our Native Fishes by John R. Quinn, 1990 Countryman Press. Quinn used to be editor in chief at Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine, and was considered one the foremost experts on keeping native species in aqariums. Two snippets: About the only surprise to me was the mention of dim lighting. I imagine they may be skittish at first, but will adapt well, like most other sunfishes, to aquarium life. Good Luck, and take some pictures!

Excellent camera work and nice double!

I have two spinning reels that I use for bass fishing. Since I have extra spools, I have one with 20# Power pro, another with 15# Power Pro, another with 8# FC, and another with 6# FC. Braid is great when in low visibility water, and FC for those tough clear waters. You can also use a FC leader with the braid as well - just use a uni to uni connection.