J Francho

Woah dude! Get better soon!

D minor is the saddest of all keys, though.

Poor kid. Love the barf bucket move.

All posts must be sung in the key b-flat blues.

Booo!

Color comes up often. I'll say this, if color is the major determining factor over location, retrieve, and depth, I'm having a tough day.

By "shad" do you mean the big ones you catch with a tiny jig? Anything smaller, you need a cast net or minnow trap. For bass, I'd look long and hard at the BearClaw from Frabil. I use on in my kayak, and it works great. https://www.frabill.com/shop/nets/by-series/trophy/bearclaw

You must form all posts in Haiku.

Not quite. Something that costs $.50 in 1914, more than 100 years ago, would be $12.56 today. My $3.50 Rebel crank from 1985 would be $8.04 today. Inflation is a thing, but don't over inflate.

I have had gel coat repaired on my boat, and it was not orange peel. This is where the top cap was cracked. I had it repaired, and new gel coat using flake I got from the Bullet factory to match. https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/183993_4371016586744_54570281_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_ohc=jb0DdvhsLcYAQlxHp3ro9WVuF1PzhBEf4oIJRMygaoCzyT0aN1u9pfe_A&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=e4b1d834f0bfd087bec38fdb5c9c2364&oe=5E7CD606 I am aware. The point is that orange peel is NOT what you will get if you use a professional.

You can order parts from Pflueger as well as Abu, Quantum, Daiwa, Shimano, etc. Here are the schematics and parts lists: http://www.pfluegerfishing.com/Pflueger-reel-schematics.html

When I had boats, I put them away from November until early May. Here's a couple articles on storing: https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/Winter_boat.html https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/boat-winterization-quiz.html https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/winterizing_boat.html Also, good luck with the recovery of your 3rd degree burn. Very painful stuff. I've got a scar from one on my arm.

Pflueger, Abu, and to some extent Lew's all share underpinnings. All but Lew's are part of Pure Fishing: http://www.purefishing.com/our-brands/. By price point, compared to similar reels, they are good reels. To me they are like Buick is to Chevy. A little fancier styling, but the same function.

Sometimes referred to as "cracked glass." Pretty common finish for drums: https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--zWJmyxV2--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1448064883/ytqebb6esux7rwwwfodo.jpg Not if applied by a professional. I have had repairs done to gel coat that had metal flake finish that were as smooth as butter. For reference, these are my drums, and the finish is lacquer. There people that know how to do this and it not look like orange peel: https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/11074131_10205849077959282_591075083951953633_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_ohc=d01jiB7BHGMAQl5qPNcReVCUKmjDMxHPIQeT02yTH-qBcb0M9qFMgakwQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=ecc78ef5b98e4b6ed0943639efae01f2&oe=5E8AB8B1

You seem to have a lot of concern about how others spend their money. It makes me wonder.

Awe man, I have no words. Stay strong, Tom. If you can't do that, lean on us.

Someone probably dumped it in the lake after it outgrew their aquarium. They are VERY common in the pet industry.

I like it. Looks awesome!

Hoping the treatment works and a fast recovery!

Yet. Heavy line, bubba shot might work like that. Personally, I prefer a jig most times in the slop.

Here's a different take on DS. The anchor concept applies here as well. https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/dropshot-bedding-bass.html

On a light jig, the tube will spiral on descent. We actually want that to happen. It's not as much of a problem with heavier weights, like a 3/4 oz. Big Dude head. We're usually just dragging them on bottom.

Vanish...it's what happens to your fish when you use it.

6# Invisx or Tatsu, 6.2 Finesse, treat with KVD L&L after every trip. I use Bullet Weights when I have to buy them, but usually use hand poured from a buddy. He makes 5/8, 3/4 and 1 oz. I like to go heavy. The weight is an anchor.