J Francho

Cheap swivels fail. I use tiny micro swivels when fishing for salmon. They test line and tackle more than any bass ever would. Point is, if you want to use a swivel, and there are reasons to, it's not going to be a weak point if you can tie a good and use a quality swivel. Speaking of knots, the only people I know that recommend a back to back Uni (different than a double Uni) are those that haven't had one fail on them, yet. I was one of them, up until 6 or 7 years ago. The only thing holding the pieces of line together is the other knot. Over the years, I've heard many come back and tell me, "You were right! I had them fail on me." I learned and practiced the Crazy Alberto knot, until I could tie it well, and quickly. This is a good skill to have if you are going to use a leader. If I could tie an FG knot well enough to hold, I would probably use that. Try and try, can't do it. If you insist on using a swivel where connection knot would be better, put a small 8-10mm plastic bead on the main line before the swivel, so you don't damage tip top ring.

Pete Gluzek still uses them too.

For me, that's where a stout, MH power spinning rig comes into play. I use 20 braid, and depending on the cover, I'll tie direct (weeds) or use a leader (wood, docks, rocky substrate).

Not really. Most reels use the equivalent of ABEC 3. Some higher end reels use better bearings, but for the most part, ABEC 3 will perform well enough for just about all fishing situations. I haven't come across a budget reel that I thought would benefit from a bearing upgrade. In fact, low price reels generally rely on MORE bearings to make up for greater tolerances in the parts. This keeps many or parts in alignment. It's especially true with spinning reels. Flushing, de-greasing, and lubing with a good oil will get the job done.

I've used anything from Heavy/X-fast to XXHeavy/Mod-Fast. They all work fine. If you're missing fish on a hollow/floating mouse/frog type bait, either bass missed the bait, or you waited too long to set the hook. Bait gone, set hook immediately. This process has nothing to do action. Personally, anything heave or better, tip action means very little during the retrieve, since that higher power rod is pretty stiff. The action or taper comes into play on the cast, and when playing the fish.

Not worth the effort or expense. I don't think you'll realize any gains from it either.

Think he's probably boiling or packaging his last batch of syrup for the year. Noel's a humble guy. He put me on my PB smallie, a 5-12. I think he caught a 6-0 that day as well.

Trying to locate the hostility in that post. Yeah, coming up empty handed. Sounds like that's your intent. Sorry to disappoint you.

Did you read Glenn's response? He's personally looking into it.

I believe @wnybassman has at least tied this number.

What is it you're fishing for? If you're going to simply slam ANY (sponsor or not) company, that's going to be removed. If you have an issue with a service or product, take that up with them. We aren't the venue for airing grievances about a company. If you have questions about something, how to use it, other users' experience, post away. All of this is in the Forum Rules and FAQs.

They are a forum sponsor. Many of us are testing them. I have a Stealth and it's not bad. I don't really consider bearing counts when evaluating a reel. You can jack the count by adding four in the knobs alone. Typical casting reel only needs 4-5 bearings. The thing to keep in mind, it's a $40 reel. We need stuff that is budget priced, and isn't crap. So far, so good. There have been other threads in here talking about them, and some testimonials on their customer service (which has been good).

Spinnerbaits are a good choice in ANY color water.

There's a big difference between "loaner" and "backups." My backups are generally the same as my starters.

I once busted a rod in a ceiling fan. It wasn't on....

Click on your name, then choose "My Attachments." Go to the older posts, and delete the images by editing that post. Alternatively, try a photo hosting site, like photobucket.

I'd argue that practice = accuracy, but yeah - the shorter rods tend to be more accurate. I know I go to a shorter rod when I want "sniper style" accuracy.

Those are "guest rods," not back up gear. Breakage is 99% user error. Most better rods come with a good replacement plan.

There is that obvious tap, thump, tick, or your line running off in another direction, but I find it easier to focus on what it's supposed to feel when you aren't getting bit. Something feels off, set the hook. Those are the bites people miss.

Some of the issue stems from the rule that they not know their standings. A cameraman jumps on your boat in the last two hours, and I think you have a pretty good clue you're in contention, and it may change your strategy.

Do you mean cheaply made, or inexpensive vs. expensive? To me it's expensive to have to buy several lures to get one that works right. I also dislike replacing hooks on brand new lures. Lastly, I'll get to finish. I don't care if the finish wears off, but if it's gone on the first day, it leads me to suspect the rest of the bait is poorly made. I've been using the same $25 Japanese popper for the past two seasons. I bet over 80% of my fish have come on that bait. It's holding up fine, though I did have to replace a treble. Not because it wore out, but because it got caught ion my truck's seat upholstery. To me, that is an inexpensive bait, if you look at the return on investment. Though it was a hard pill to swallow at the checkout!

T-pins work better. They're harder than most paper clips, which often bend out. Thou both are VERY handy, and belong in the tool bin.

Because they are edited WAYYYYY down. Too boring for the average viewer.

Zane likely wasn't casting. No need for length. I'm often discredited for using 6'3" drop shot rods. I just don't get why you need all the extra length for a vertical presentation. Besides, my rods are only about a 1/2" shorter than many 6'6" to 6'8" rods, from seat to tip.

Fished there for a week, during the spawn, and an Elite event. Ended up getting all my good fish on a shakey head. KVD won that event on the same bait.