J Francho

3 bad comments does make a reel bad. You do realize, people are paid to make these reviews, right? I don't trust any of them. Wait for some replies here, see what REAL people say about it.

The Premier retails for around $250. Puts him in CI4, Ballistic, XT land. The Premier would be a solid choice, if discounted.

So sorry about your father.

Out of what you have listed, I'd go the Abu route, especially if there is a sale. I'm not sure what issues have been out there, other than the typical anecdotal internet cranks that don't understand the concept of returning defective merchandise, and instead shout from the internet rooftops, lol.

Two pages of recommendations.... I guess, you know better. Good luck!

Just put a new hook on it. Paint is perfect.

Here's my "super secret" spoon mod that I tell everyone about. Do this, use a fast or X-fast rod, and swing away. Works on all species I fish for. Never use a treble with a spoon.

Northern snakehead up here were introduced by people thinking they were creating a food source. They're here now; same with gobies. NY DEC says to kill all gobies. That's great, now every pier, boardwalk, boat launch, and fishing access site is littered with rotting gobies. Thanks. The bass have only gotten bigger since their introduction. Same goes for alewife, EU milfoil and zebra mussels. While each presents certain challenges, the fisheries have benefited from the introduction. NY DEC will introduce sterile tiger musky hybrids to improve bass and panfish populations, into many lakes around the state.

Any decent 6# line should give you the distance you want. I toss 2/5 oz. spoons all day long on medium spinning gear, using my preferred line (6# Invisx fluoro) for rainbows and browns that are considerably bigger than any bass. That's just a tiny bit heavier than the 3/8 oz. baits you referenced. The key to super long casts with spoons is rod length. You can get it pretty far with a 7' rod. I use a 9' rod for this, though.

You won't feel any noticeable difference using moving baits on a decent rod.

Perfectly described.

These were all the rage on the club trails I fished a decade ago. All of them seemed to break. I watched two snap on hook sets in one day.

Similar, just flip the fish.

A quick dunk is no different than fishing in the rain.

Many do not. I will say, I find a stylized portrayal of the flag on a shirt far more acceptable than seeing the union planted on a butt cheek of someone's shorts on the 4th.

The 15# BG will be perfect. Why would you prefer fluoro for a spinnerbait? You gain no advantage using fluoro.

Four score and four years ago... Seems chatterbaits are here to stay. Back then, many thought they were a fad.

Snakeheads could be a bigger issue in a pond than a larger waterway. That said, I've found that there are better quality bass in lakes where bass are not the top predator.

Think about it. Would you be having the same problem with a weedless toad bait? Perhaps you aren't considering that you've located a feeding fish, yet haven't adjusted you're retrieve. Something blows up my bait, but is not hooked, I kill that bait and dead stick it, throw back at the fish, or use a follow up bait. There's nothing different in the way this bait hooks fish than any other hollow frog.

General advice for anyone looking for bigger fish: look deeper, and fish slower.

Turn the sensitivity down.

While they are influential, they are not the sole or largest reason for innovation in the kayak industry. As a product, the motorized kayak is a very small slice of what the market actually buys. It's like saying the Corvette is why a Cruze has power windows.

I'm going to be picky here, but the flag should not be used as a costume or athletic uniform. Only military, police, or firefighters may display the flag on their clothing. Section 8, part d. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title4/html/USCODE-2011-title4-chap1.htm

Very nice!

Just fish. Do your thing. If you're good, the right people will notice. Don't be blatant, or self promotional. Just fish.