J Francho

It's Real Magic, not Reel Magic. Nice for squeaky hinges, but not so great on line.

Sell the HDI and get a 3 in 1 TD.

Totally false. Though not the best for reel bearings. I use Perfect Solution to clean and degrease all parts. Bearings are soaked in 100% pure acetone, the kind you get from a beauty supply store. I use many different brands of oil and grease, but you can't go wrong with Shimano Bantam Oil and Star Grease.

I'm thinking 2 and 3 are the main reasons. You could try a Carbontex drag upgrade from Smooth Drags. That will give you a better, less sticky break into slip. Watch some videos of salt water anglers fighting a fish. Move the fish with your rod, and reel back down. Repeat.

I typically call them and ask for a tip kit for my specific rod. I think they're under $10. I've damaged a few in my days.

Nice. Any relation to JT?

Seems like your Merc tech could answer this most accurately.

Look at it at home, or off their network. There's nothing offensive on the page. I have zero control of the site.

It improves line management and casting for just about every type of line. With braided lines, KVD helps it retain it's color, fading slower. Sure there's lines that work fine without it, but if you can make it better, why not? Anyway, no one is forcing anyone to use it. It's pretty simple to hit the reels after every trip as I put them away.

You're missing out on a TON of great baits. Just because some pro is sponsored by a company doesn't mean they had any input in the design process. Some of the best lures were designed by weekend warriors just looking to catch a fish.

Hmmm. Very interesting, and important point. This is precisely why I fish tournaments. I like to see where I stack up. It's important to note that I don't fish any different in a tournament or a day of fun fishing. I do better if I'm unencumbered by self inflicted pressure. I also like to see someone else do well. It's a different mindset, I suppose. Thanks for getting me to think about this.

FYI:

King salmon come to mind. We use centrepin reels, which are just an arbor supported by bearings. The only drag is your pinky and/or ring finger on the spool. There would be no way to back reel them. You can see the centrepin on the ground in this pic:

That's a pretty good idea. Those scales are tested by US Weights & Measures, and tolerances are pretty close for accuracy.

Judging by what retail stores stock, the baits he mentioned usually what you find the most of. Especially Senkos. Even in the most dismal DSG fishing department, there's at least 30 flavors.

I heard these balance nicely:

This ^ And this ^ KVD for me too.

That looks pretty sloppy for braid. Did you spool up with some pressure on the braid?

Is the balance point the same if it's upside down?

Swimbait selfie... In other news, I found a cool old site with a mention of myself, and an entire write up on my friend Duke (pictured above: http://rochesterpunk.com/mp3.shtml

Hobie redesigned the Outback. Personally, I'm digging the new Guardian Transducer Shield. This has been a pain for anyone wanting to use side imaging in a kayak. I currently have to use a deployment arm, which works well, but can get in the way, and it creates some drag on one side. This system solves all those problems. Check out the videos here: https://www.hobie.com/kayaks/mirage-outback/#fishing Otherwise, the boat is loaded with features, yet still remain car rack-able at 85 lbs. I may need to upgrade.... What do you all think of it?

Thanks, so before the cut and perfectly legal.

It was mayhem in my driveway when I had both the Bullet and the Xpress.

Mentors are crucial. Joining a local club is a great way to become acquainted with techniques, and possibly find a mentor.

Fourscore and 14 years ago.... Dock talk is still pretty much useless in this day in age. Also... odd to me. Wasn't this after the cut?