J Francho

Tip Toad as of late.

I could never get a handle on their odler SX/STX models. I really liked the Premier, and a simple cleaning woudl really enhance the performance. The reel I'm playing now will be fished as is, out of the box. I figure set it up for the worst, and hope for the best. It's working pretty well, though I'd prefer Invisx 15#.

Worst thing I've done as a boater? Put the console graph in demo mode.

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If he likes the current setup, get him the same, but in a cranking taper, and lower gear ratio. AXC70MHM and a 5 or 6 gear Tat. I have the original Avid graphite crankers, both 7' MM and MHM, and they are great.

Yes to the Frabil. I still have mine some 30 years later.

It's not just Glenn and I. All of us mods, and Glenn's wife test the gear out. I probably shouldn't single any single sponsors out, but Kastking and Okuma have really been the highlights so far. This Abu Garcia Revo SX is turning my head as well. Their braking system is so much better than early Revos from a decade ago. I'm running some gnarly 17# Red Label with no line conditioner, and you really gotta mess up to backlash it.

Chock the wheels. You'll eventually wear out the jack until it snaps off. I don't ever even store the boat with any weight on the jack.

Congrats. Popmax has been my top producer for three seasons.

At check out, there's a field that says "Coupon Code."

One of my favorite moves.

That screen is in the cap for catching a minnow by pouring the cup into the cap. The cup itself is sealed.

That’s totally okay, but why the attraction to these threads? Not just you, specifically. I’ll admit when Pinnacle, Okuma, Favorite, KastKing, and even Abu came on board, I groaned a bit. I would never have spent my own money on any of them. But, I used the gear, abused the gear, even detonated a reel and two rods. Those companies were VERY RESPONSIVE to what happened. Pretty much every company Glenn has brought into the fold has been solid in both support and quality. Funny story, we had a deal with a certain rod company, and they couldn’t even figure out how to get a rod to us, yet expected reviews. Go figure. This whole exercise in NOT using my preferred brands has really opened my eyes to what is out there, what represents quality or bang for the buck. Can I honestly sit on some high horse and say, get a (insert US made high end rod) and (insert Japanese made high end reel) to to someone that wants to catch a bass and is trying to make ends meet? I’m putting my money where my mouth is, these days. I’m glad some companies recognize this segment, and aren’t selling stripped down junk. Go ahead and pass, this gear isn’t for you, and I really respect your opinions on gear, baits, and techniques. I understand why you wouldn’t consider it. But don’t tell me I’m shilling, don’t tell me I’m trying to make buck, because I make nothing for this. Believe me, it’s a sacrifice to test all this stuff out, and report my experience back to you all. And I aplogize in advance for picking out your post directly, @Burrows. It was just a good opportunity to make a point. Keep catching, keep posting my friend! I, and I bet many other member appreciate what you give back to fishing through this forum.

They were all thick. Private, managed, feeder lake. A 16” fish was typically over 5. We didn’t weight any, since none looked like they were over 8. It was funny, when the feeders went off, fish would disappear!

Of course. I didn't even ask for the net. That's one of my rules: net your own fish.

These are tiny ditches with gin clear water. I also think the heavier line affects the tumbling action of the bead. Low flow can be tough with heavier lines too. I've gone as low as 4# leader. I might experiment with heavier lines, but break offs are rare. My pin rod is really only rated 6-10#.

No clue.

You might try the Flea Market with a Want Ad. Pic for attention, lol.

That would depend on temperature, number and size of fish. No way to even estimate. I saw these things on clearance at F&S and thought no way I'd use them for minnows.

12-15# leaders? wow. I usually don't go higher than 8#. How do you like that STS leader?

Tried to net *my* fish.

I always just used a minnow trap. No worry of by-catch there.

My holiday weekend was a working holiday

Congrats!

You're only option is to make an educated guess using a contour map, your eyes, and that thing between your ears. Then start casting. It's really not much different than with a graph.