J Francho

I don't use anything less than 40#. Any lighter, and I go with a spinning reel.

Just wanted to drop a plug in for a review I did of the Pinnacle Tournament Class rod and reel. http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/rod-reel-pinnacle-review.html Feel free to discuss it, and ask questions here.

…with a chop gun, just like Nitro.

PS blows the doors off SG.

A man in a bass boat caught two nice bass from the slop near our dock, back when was 12 or so. I asked him how he got his lure through the weeds. He showed me a Texas Rig, and have me a bag of Culprit worms, some hooks and sinkers. Totally blew open a whole new world of bass fishing for me.

The only bearings in reels you typically run into plastic cages are one way AR bearings. I'm a firm believer in degreasing rather than using solvent to remove grease. Perfect Solution is by far the best I've found at this. After rinsing, a soak in electronics alcohol or acetone is fine for stainless and ceramic hybrid bearings. A gentle rinse in warm water for the AR bearing is fine. No solvents for that. (null)

Submerged wood is usually my game. In tournaments, I often crank bait. I'd say I have the most time and experience with them. My favorite to fish though, will always be a jig.

Why? Because I can accomplish more, get better service, and do not need to know the part numbers. Often I order other things not commonly listed - like Permalub, Star Grease, Bantam Oil, etc. An automated website app doesn't offer discounts or free shipping, either.

I personally recommend calling them directly for parts.

What about wax?

I use a short, medium power, extra fast rod for jerks and walkers. Control and recovery time is crucial.

Posts have edited. Let's try and make our point without resorting to insults. Looks like we're done here.

I use both lefty and righty reels. Try a few out, and see what feels better. By try, I mean actually cast.

Hannover Yakker (Chuck Wrenn) is a member here, and fishes Hobie. I've been in them, and they are amazing fishing boats. I say boats, because they really blurr the lines between kayak and vessel, when it comes to fishing platforms.

Garret, you can't just look at the total length of the rod. The reel position on the blank can have a dramatic effect on balance and ergonomics. A 6-8 rod may seem like its a full 5" shorter than a 7-1, but the length beyond the reel seat may only be an inch different. The shortened butt is more manageable in tight quarters. A 7-1 rod may actually be shorter than a typical 7-0 rod. The maker will use a longer butt for more leverage when fishing cover. Or it could be almost as long as a 7-6, but with a much shorter butt. The more you jig fish, you begin to develop preferences in certain situations, and luckily, there lots of options.

All a long spin time shows is that the bearings are clean, and everthing is working.

I use the Yumbrella, and I spread them out pretty far, almost at a right angle. I use 5" swimbaits on J-Will heads, so I want to keep them from fouling up on each other.

I use a Calcutta 200B or TD-X for umbrella rigs.

Mine range from 6'8" to 7'11". It al depends on what type of jig fishing I;m doing. 7' is a good all around start.

I remove the one way bearing and use Perfect Solution to degrease.

I don't call back, unless the number is in my contacts, or they leave a message. Heck, I rarely answer my phone, lol. Again, Sam - the article cite credit card charges of $10 per call. I'm not sure how they get your card number through your phone. Makes no sense, sounds a bit fishy.

I tournament fish, and I don't run WOT too often. That would mean traveling at speeds in excess of 75 mph. It's usually too crowded or too rough for that. Add in that many lakes have a radar enforced speed limit, and you get the picture.

That's 30 gph WOT, pretty standard figure. Not too many run WOT all the time. Just a few seconds to get on plane.

It's easier to just adjust the sinker, and more reliable.

Modified Promax Sport 2.5L, sporty, 27P Trophy Plus prop, Bullet 21XRD. I get around 26-27 gph @ WOT (6800-7000 rpm). I generally do not run WOT too much, try to keep the RPMs 3500-4500. A 25 gal. tank will last me a month, unless I have to make a really long run.