J Francho

I'd always be looking over my shoulder for big wakes, regardless of the size or type of hull. Any boat can be unsettled by a wake large enough. Pointing your bow to them is a good plan.

That's only true if it's the only available PFD on board. Most that use these have redundant legal Type III on board, so they do not have to be worn all the time.

If I had that time, and it wasn't the end of the world, I'm going. Must be nice to pick and choose. That kind of slack is rare these days!

If is used a Carolina rig, I would definitely use a leader material. For trout and salmon, the rig has 5-6 knots on a main line, shot line, and leader. Fishing in rocky streams, I always use leader here. This same rig would work for river smallie use, I just don’t hit the river when they’re around. Otherwise, I prefer to tie direct. If I’m using a leader, it’s almost always braid to leader, so that short bit of line has to take a lot of abuse and shock. Leader material has always worked better for this.

Chilis, meat, onion, garlic, some tomatoes for color, and buckets of cumin is my recipe. I generally roast any chili’s I’m using. I like to use a mix of types, depending on how much heat I want.

I’m a bit more finicky with light spinning line, so it’s worth the extra. For bait casting, I’ve been very happy with 15# Invisx for most applications. I have a couple cranking setups loaded with 10# Tatsu, and a few with 50# Smackdown. I’ve always been a proponent of using leader material over reel fill lines for leaders. They are far tougher and since they are only 6-8’ long, it doesn’t matter that they are unruly. What’s different about this stuff is that it’s much more supple. Time will tell if it’s tough enough.

Beans go on the side for people that don't like real chili.

I have SOOOOO many hardbaits that I'll never use again, but don't have the heart to sell. I love every one of them.

I can find three times as many threads that tell you to break those new Shimanos down and get the excessive grease out. They generate far more complaints than Daiwa. For what it's worth, those pictures show far more grease than I would ever use on my own reels.

I don't use any peg board. After working retail for many years, I can't stand the stuff. Shallow boxes or better yet, clear plastic containers full of plastics in their original bag work best for me. Hard baits get put into Plano 3700s and organized by brand, size, type. Stuff in use is all pulled from that backlog, and organized by what rod I use to throw it.

There's only a few bait that I really buy in any quantity anymore. The rest are new baits sent to me or purchased myself that are new to try out, and report back here. Even then, I don't try enough new stuff like I used to.

They don't reach the max size of pure musky, but they get to 3' pretty quick, quicker than pure musky. They are a nuisance to me. I have much more experience targeting northerns, and I use bass gear without issue. Any MH to H gear works fine, and I've actually caught one of my top 5 largest on medium cranking gear. Here's a little axe handle tiger from Conesus. Crappy weather seems to bring on the bite, if that's what you're looking for. I much prefer hunting these guys almost right behind my house.

I already know that Tatsu 6# is the best finesse line I've used to date, so this 1000 yd. spool will be going on all my spinners before the weekend. I have not tried this 8# Gold Label Leader yet, but I'm really looking forward to testing it on my float rigs for big browns, steelhead, and maybe the lucky straggling king or coho. This has to be the softest leader I've had my hands on. I'm not surprised, since it uses the same double formula used for Tatsu. Break tests in the basement are barely passing 8 lbs., so I feel the strength rating is accurate. It's a miniscule thicker than Blue Label (.005 mm) but it's much less the unruly leader material I'm used to. Anyone else try it? Oh yeah, I love the hat!

These two things are a contradiction. If you want to add all the weight that comes with a battery and TM, you're going to have to look at big boy boats. About the only truly light boats that can do this, aren't really all that light, and come in at at least 85 lbs. It would be easier to find a lighter, used pedal drive boat.

Wow! That boat is a tank! I'll just add this: be careful. I'm missing a chunk out my front tooth using one. Heluva kick back when they catch. It adds character, though.

If the hub trick doesn't do it, you'll have to add a drop of oil to spool support bearings. The only other thing would be a bent spool or frame, causing rubbing, or something catastrophic inside, but I don't think it's either of those, if everything else works fine.

A loaded new kayak of decent quality is going to run you at least $1500, more like $2000 all said and done. I would look at the used market, as there is about to be a flood of boats from people that bought them during the pandemic. You want a hybrid or sit on top that is at least 12' and has an elevated seat. Keep your eyes peeled, and I think you can find something really nice for around a thou.

I don't fish the south end very much. Weeds, in 6-12 is pretty typical, but don't skip the inside weedline between docks this time of year. If it's sunny, try skipping docks. That place is a lunker factory. It's LMB territory, but you can run into smallies on much deeper ledges sometimes. I don't really go after them after prespawn/spawn there.

Powerbait was the only plastic I threw for over a decade.

Both still work

1992-2003 called, and asked the same question - and I answered Berkley Powerworm.

That was 30 years ago. We're getting old, lol.

I've had both lurking. I'm good.

Time to get a scale, now that your catching good size fish!