J Francho

Wow, I'm sorry man. That's a horrible story!

I would start making a list of your criteria, and share it. Someone's best may be a $80k custom boat, while what you really needed was a 16' jon. Start looking at boats, and write down the features you like. Organize that list into these: Must Have, Nice to Have, Not Needed. Then go back and see what boats fit the criteria.

I'm going to come up with a new color, and call it "Confirmation Bias."

I have quite a few jig/worm rods spooled with 50# braid. Works very well in weeds, tied direct. Very rarely do I tie leader to it. Spool one up and use it for that to see if you like it. For your moving baits, I can't stand braid, and use straight 15# fluoro for most. A well tied leader can last several days. It's abrasion with the environment that wear the knot more.

You'll most likely mess up the Keitech tails, or tear the claws on the Ragetails. LEAVE THEM IN THE CLAMSHELLS FOR BEST RESULTS.

I leave then in the clamshell, and store/carry is a speed bag. No issues, though I do not have any that are years old. I use them so much, they don't hang around that long.

Why? You should try braid on ONE rig, and go from there. Tie a leader if you think you need one, but mostly you can tie direct with no ill effect. Once you are familiar, and decide braid or braid with a leader will work on other setups, switch then one at a time.

Five is right out!

As long as it's done in groups of ten or less.

Either option would be hysterical, to me.

DON'T DO IT WITHOUT THE PROPER TOOL. It's like using hammer to remove a splinter.

I haven't really bought any in a few years. Many of mine are from JDM. Been using them for over a decade.

@Darren. and other Bills fans are rejoicing, lol.

There are far many more people affected that do not have sick leave. With non essential businesses closed, there are many that won't be paid anyway.

Social distancing

Those look good!

Now they're calling for even higher temps. It will drop back down below freezing by Saturday morning.

This is a good point, @lavbasser. There are certain brands of baits - not inexpensive ones, either - where action is inconsistent from bait to bait. I find this hapopens most with suspending jerkbaits. I love the X-Raps I currently have, but it took 3-6 baits per keeper to get there. I've also had some actually explode or deform in the box, shortly after purchase. This happened with Koppers Crawfish cranks. I bought 4 of every color, and all but one color either imploded, exploded, or deformed within the first month. Some in package itself, and all this in the first month. BPS took them back for a full refund. I still have and use the one color that wasn't defective, but that was an expensive error, and I don't buy baits from them anymore. Some might think I'm a LC snob, or a Ragetail fan bow, or I just like expensive baits with Japanese writing on them (Jackall, Megabass), but really, they come out of the box and work the same, correct way every time. I trust them, can buy a bunch at a time, and not have to water test them.

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The fluke was an evolution of the Slug-go, and is a staple bait among many. The Slug-go is still available, and made by Lunker City.

Read this first:

I look at buying a 20+ year old boat as if I'm buying the outboard. I'm also investing in a host of potential problems with the hull. I would want an on the water test drive, and would check every single switch, compartment hinge, and have a pro check the motor and hull. I bought a '95 Bullet with an '03 225, and it served me well for years. Any issues, and it's a very expensive fix.

I almost never use a T-rig any deeper than 10-12'. I wouldn't say I chose one over the other. It's more like whatever I feel like throwing, and what gets bit if I tried a few things. I will say, any deeper than 20', and I don't typically throw any of these. Mostly a drop shot at that point, maybe a jigging spoon or ultra deep cranks.

Skirted football jigs is definitely a thing for smallmouth up here.

It was 12° this morning. Gonna be in the 60s by the weekend.