J Francho

How would an under-filled spool tame a reel down? Not sure I understand this. Seems like you could just set it up properly to "tame" it.

I'm not restricted by B.A.S.S. rules regulations, are you? Also:

Had a couple inches on the truck the morning, it all melted by lunch.

2/0 Wide Gap Finesse.

Bilge: The lowest inner part of a ship's hull. What is suggested is to fill your livewell up, and see if it's leaking into the bilge.

It's worth noting, many of the knock-offs are made elsewhere, like China. GYCB are made in USA. This is one of those cases where our skilled workers actually do a better job, and there is a small premium to be paid with that. If that's not worth a buck a bag, then get another brand.

IPT goes way down on a spool that is less than properly loaded.

My favorite fluke rig is to nose hook it on a drop shot or wacky hook, if I can get away with the exposed hook. Not unlike the old, infamous banjo minnow.

Click the "After Rebate" link. http://www.gandermountain.com/assets/rebatepdfs/doc00035320161011145609.pdf

^^^ Interesting! I did not know that. Every Z-man bait I've tried has disintegrated. That Chartreuse tip would is killer on tannin stained lakes up here.

^^^That's a cool fish! Not quite albino, but on the right track. It's a xanthic morph bullhead: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthochromism

Stik-Os work for many. Not for me. Not quite a fast enough sink rate. The only time I ever rig a Senko weedless is when I Texas rig them with a pegged 1/16 weight, for skipping. Do it right, and the do loopty-loops in the water after entry. A cool trick I learned from Pete Gluzik at a seminar (one that I had to FOLLOW him speaking....talk about pressure, lol). I think in that case, you'd probably be fine with any brand. I didn't go through all the posts, but did you try Ochos? Not exactly super cheap, but better durability and tons of shimmy.

Everyone that's tried to dip a Z-Man bait into JJ's. The only other bait I know that is an issue are the old Keitech spiders that aren't made anymore. It's one of the caveats with Z-Man. The other is not to let them touch other baits.

Ask away, man. That's what we're here for. I agree, if you aren't already totally familiar with all the forums and sub-forums, the mobile site can be confusing. If you're on a thread, keep hitting the green button on the upper left to get all the way back to "Bass Fishing Forums." that's the forum home page with everything listed.

Pricier by like .$50, lol.

Use a wacky tool with the original, and you will have pretty much met all your requirements... You get more life out of each senko. You can order bulk senkos from GY directly.

Just get a wacky tool and O-rings.

So is this about bass fishing, or panfish? Should I move it to the other species forum? Otherwise, let's try to stay on topic of bass fishing. Up to you.

Spro are easy to find locally, and are quality. There's also the Eagle Claw swivels, but you want to grab the pricier "Lazer" line.

I prefer not to waste energy with side pops, and twitch straight down. An e-fast taper recovers quicker, and the shorter length gives you more precise control over the bait.It's a preference I've developed over years of using spooks, poppers, jerk/slash -baits, where a tip down presentation is the rule. I use an Avid AVC62MXF. It's nearly as long as any 6-8 rod if you line up the reel seats, but the rear grip is much shorter.

Fishing, for me, irrespective of the gear is always about catching fish. Anything else is just preparation for my next personal best.

The heavier sizes may affect a crankbait. If you're worried about northerns, use something like coated, tie-able line like Cortland Toothy Critter. I use heavy fluoro for jerk bait leaders. Get a crimping tool and crimp locks if you go that route. You won't be able to tie 80# leader.

Sick!

Pretty much anyone that uses braid on a standard Al spool uses some type of backing material, whether it be electrical tape, or several wraps of mono. You don't need to be spooled to have the braid slip on the arbor with out a backing - just do a search here. There's literally hundreds of threads. Supplying a braid ready spool, is really cool.

Why? The 760 is 3/8 oz, and 770 1/4 oz. Those aren't what I'd call ultra light lures. If yo have trouble throwing them on a medium power casting rod, any medium power spinning rod will do. I prefer shorter rods with short rear grips for poppers.