J Francho

Take your time, Tom. I was hoping you'd jump on the discussion, as I know you are well versed both in book smarts and on the water smarts.

We have Great Lakes Tribs rules in NY as well. It's to prevent lifting, snagging, snatching, etc, - basically foul hooking of trout and salmon. The special regulations are only in effect during certain times of the year (winter) and start at the 1st bridge from the mouth of the tributary, unless otherwise specified. There's rarely any bass when and where these take effect, so it's only applicable to trout fisherman.

This thread is originally from a for sale post in the flea market forum. The question and answer posts belong in here, and may help the OP, and other new anglers as well.

7' to 7.5' should be fine for this.

I've seen tons of posts referencing thermoclines, and while I know what they are, and how they affect my fishing, I'd like to see any information - including myths or misconceptions about them, or even turnover - included in the conversation. Even a simple FAQ link or wiki page will do! It's winter, so let's try and get a thread going that combines some science with experience. I'll make a small point to get started. A common misconception I hear is that there is no oxygen in the water below the thermocline. Not true. The proper statement would be there is very little oxygenation below the thermocline. If there is abundant O2 use below the thermocline, then it can become oxygen poor. However, in some lakes there is plenty of O2 to support fish. Think about lakes with trout and/or salmon. They stay below the thermocline in summer. The warm water will kill them, being cold water species. How does this relate to bass fishing? I catch smallmouth from very deep, as many northerners will also report. Below the thermocline? Maybe. I don't think the thermocline is the impassable barrier some make it out to be. In some lakes, maybe, but certainly not all. I think the main limiting factor may temperature, not O2. Another tidbit: The thermocline is not a simple line between the two layers - the warmer epilimnium on top, the colder hypolimnium below - but a thin band of transition water that can be as thin as a few feet, or as thick as 15 feet. So, it isn't always just a thin line on your graph. Last bit on turnover: Storms or current change can cause localized turnover, where the three layers mix. It doesn't mean the whole lake has turned over, but it can affect fishing. What do you have on the topic, or can add to what I posted?

I'd get a faster boat, then you can pretty much assume everyone is behind you. **I like the ski mirror idea the best, though - might even think about one for myself.**

x2 on the Reel X product. I use it on bearings for saltwater reels and line rollers on spinning reels as well.

Either is fine, but I prefer an Owner Riggin' hook since the hook point is offset from the hook eye.

Good report. The worm drive was actually a place where I figured the wax might be a good place. I'll try some on my own reels. Currently, a dip in ATF, wiping off the excess, and installing has been working like a charm.

aavery, those sideplate screws are a real nice touch! Rippen, It might make paining a little easier if you remove the brake assembly. It's a little fussy, but not too hard. Two thing to remember, note the setting on the dial wen the notches in the magnets are aligned. There is a little cup washer under the dial, on the backside of the plate - make sure you get that aligned right.

Needs a Rolls Royce grill, and a Continental spare as well. Then it would be perfect. Bonus points for matching Samsonite luggage on that rack.

The hood ornament is a nice touch.

The Twitchin' bar is just a second handle/main gear, with an AR bearing attached. Lots of parts, but doesn't require three hands, and five opposable thumbs to get the side plate back on, lol.

Not like this:

Right on the money.

I'm not sure how to classify this year, other than it was a learning experience. I spent a great deal of time alternately blanking and hitting the mother lode, trying to figure out what happened to the Lake O. smallmouth. It was rewarding, and I caught some fish, both size and numbers. Still wondering where the dinks are, though. That scares me a little. A great deal of this effort happened with many other fisherman collaborating, and sharing info. Many thanks to the guys that took my calls/texts/PMs - they know who they are, lol. While we may not have completely broken the south shore open, we have a good starting point for locating summer fish.

That's just drags, and I'm not surprised. I'm curious about gear performance. Thanks for looking that up, Jaheff.

What's up Tim! There's a ton of info out there if you search for it. In basic terms, the jackplate replaces the transom. Meaning the motor mounts to the jackplate much like it would directly to the transom. Since the tilt/trim pumps are part of the motor mount, it doesn't affect that at all. What you get is some engine setback and the ability to adjust engine height. This is really only an advantage for riser/pad hulls, tunnel hulls, or a flat bottom boat designed to run in skinny water. I've never seen on installed on a deep or semi V hulled boat. There are manul jackplates (like on mine and Jim's Bullets) nad hydraulic models. The Hydraulic versions allow you to adjust height while running. I'm fine with the manual version, as it was a pain o get the boat setup to run with a fast plane out after the holeshot. I could probably extract a few mph raising it an inch while at WOT, but you've ridden in my boat - it's fast enough, lol. Just a sidenote - Tim took the my avatar pic. Welcome aboard, bud!

I've found they slip more toward the base of the knob on smaller Daiwa knobs. I'm not really a fan of them.

That would be my BIG question, too. Sounds like interesting stuff!

Try using a image hosting site, like photobucket. The site will provide links you can paste into a post here and the picture will show up in the thread.

I haven't played with a Type R yet, but I'd take the 50 over a Tatula.

The extra brake shoes are for heavier baits, or greater braking power. Chances are, you'll never need them.

Yummy!

Get a red Smak Tune. Way cooler.