J Francho

Braid as a leader? NONE. I use Gamma or P-Line 100% Fluorocarbon Leader for abrasion resistance. Its worth noting I fish in zebe infested waters.

I've gotten hung up cranks back using mono or FC as well. You end up replacing the trebles at least once a year anyway, so bent hooks are a small price to pay. Using the "bow string" method usually pops it out. Sometimes just popping the line before the first guide is all it takes.

Nice rig. Switch out that Curado for an Alphas, and I'd be all over it . Let us know how that Castaway holds up in six months. Its on my short list.

You'll get a gamut of answers here. I use FC because it sinks - specifically 8-12#. I'll use mono as well for shallow, because it floats. So conflicting isn't it? LOL. I've even tried straight braid and with a mono leader, but it never felt comfortable to me. I have friends that are very good fisherman that use this setup and do well. You gotta try a few things out, and see if it works for you.

Use artificial bait. Its more sporting.

Too light for weeds.

I use a medium power graphite rod for cranks, but its the action that is different, due to a moderate taper blank. It has a slower bend. Avid AC70MM. Eventually, I'll add a medium heavy crank rod to the mix, probably an Avid AC70MHM. I find the slower rod helps absorb the initial shock of the reaction strike, and also helps me keep constant pressure on the fish to keep it from throwing the hooks.

Not really. I'm currently using All Stars and Kistlers, both cast and spin.

I like it too. T-Rigless!!!!

Darn it man, too many words! ;D T-rig has a weight. What you wanna call the weightless version? LOL.

I'll havta agree with ya their!! ;D I would like to hear your experience with both the weighted and unweighted snapper, how did you reach this conclusion? Muddy, my comment had absolutely NOTHING to do with the effectiveness of either rig at catching fish, but referred strictly to what we call a "Texas Rig." Without a weight its just weedless on a worm hook. I wish someone would name it though, it must be jealous since most of the other rigs have a name.

Although you are technically correct, I think common fishing nomenclature would include both weighted and weightless presentations. I'm on a mission to standardize rigging nomenclature ;D

Again, what kind of jigging? I've used 1# FC leaders for steelhead jigs, all the way up to 80# braid or 25# FC for heavy cover . In general, i'd say 12-15# mono/copoly or 50# braid for weedless jig n' pig type stuff. For finesse stuff, you can go lighter.

This is actually much closer to what I've seen naturally occurring in the waters I fish. Perhaps its the pollution in the Great lakes, LOL. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.petfish.net/articles/pix/1crayfish_lynn.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.petfish.net/articles/Invertebrates/blue_crayfish.php&h=312&w=325&sz=25&hl=en&start=7&um=1&usg=___TZPKcYItRWzbLBgpZw7eIg78wc=&tbnid=l1nAOrHKXbq6EM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dblue%2Bcrayfish%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

LOL, Check this guy out: The color is natural, and selectively bred in captivity, BUT>>>> On my home waters, I have caught several crayfish that have blue highlights (not electric blue) in their coloration. I also think blue is a key color in lakes that contain alewife. I'm not a huge color guy myself, but I can accept that blue works pretty often. BUT>>>> as you have pointed out that many catch fish on such and such color in such and such lake because that is all they throw, I made a discovery this past weekend that I suspect was influenced by color. Red GYCB twin tail grubs flat out fished black. It didn't matter what color the jig or the skirt was, as long as it had that trailer. I still slap a black or black blue trailer on 99% of the time, since that's what I have in the box. ;D

Personally, I think you can do most everything with a heavy or medium heavy x-fast casting rod. In fact, I'm adding six to the old gun rack this winter. Add in a DS rod, a shorter TW rod, a cranking stick and you have it all covered. You might add and x-heavy flipping stick, if that's your style as well.

I guarantee they aren't hobos. Aluminum is getting good money these days (ask yourself why Lund is building glass boats) and the current economic climate is like throwing gas on the crime fire.

Nice with the iron stomach. I'm crazy, but man, are you coming out ahead long haul with that stuff? If you are - kudos, because it takes a lot more research than I can deal with. I consider "short term" stuff as a quarter by quarter thing. I don't have the skills to do what you are doing. Wow.

Hit in the head by a duck...now that is a heck of a way to go. These people live such miserable, disingenuous lives, that I almost feel sorry for them. Not really though. Their punishment will come in due time, and you can rest assured true happiness will never be theirs. Sorry your boat was stolen, and I hope it is returned. Looks like a great baot that would have provided tons of fun times.

Muscle memory. Its built through repetition. You can do (or undo) anything with practice. I play drums. I play them in the traditional right handed setup. When I was bored, and uninspired, I set them up backwards (to me) and relearned how to play. When I switched them back, I was no longer confined to one way of thinking about what was possible.

I'm talking full weed growth, ie nothing is coming through it, or moss covered areas. Swimming a jig through scattered weeds is good, but they don't work so well coming through a complete wall of vegetation or through the moss. I turn to weightless plastics to fish those areas. I try not to avoid any area that holds water as some of the nastiest places hold the best fish. WHo said you need to swim it through to get bit? All those weed are growing leaves at the surface to harness energy from the sunlight. It is actually fairly open just a few inches below the slop canopy, which is like a jungle habitat. This is what long and heavy power rods are for. If you can punch your bait through the mat, you'll be in for a treat. Go ahead and use your unweighted plastics where there are holes - this is an awesome technique. But where there is no hole, make one. Its just as awesome.

Well said. The biggest fear I had when I used to ride was all of the horrible drivers on the road. That is the biggest cause of accidents on motorcycles. The main reason I got rid of the bike was that it was becoming to dangerous to continue riding my motorcycle. South Florida is loaded with blind senior citzens, and very aggressive drivers. Not a good mix to throw any type of motorcycle into. I know what you mean. Yikes, some really should be getting a ride. Problem for them, is their kids may not make time to take them out to do what needs to be done. Back to what I originally said. I don't want to sound crude, and I should clarify - we all make mistakes. The margin of error with something like a high performance motorcycle is much smaller than, say with a cruiser. You need training and time in a controlled environment to really learn how to drive one of these machines. I personally won't, despite having driven other vehicles at very high speeds in track situations. Mostly because the consequences of ANY mistake come at a much higher price. In that sense I can see where Fisher was coming from. Hope that makes sense. I still say hate the driver, not the machine though.

Thanks for the grade. You know what they say, those that can, do. Those that can't, grade homework. If anything, what's funny about a study on plastic worms, is that he proved what anglers have known all along.

LOL, yeah right, he is personally responsible for the plastic worm craze. You are paranoid. Most of his findings contradict his own company's marketing hype. But you can believe what you want -- plastic worms don't work, LOL. And oh BTW, they make cranks too. But they probably have fixed the data behind recent color tests as well. Those results showed that the fish were more likely to bite a naturally colored crank over some funky color in high visibility, but you already know that's bunk.

You'll have to be more specific. Go to jig for what? Define the situation you'll be fishing with jigs soon.