J Francho

If it gets you off the bank, then that's perfect. There are better out on the used market.

Same boat. I prefer left retrieve baitcast for contact baits, and right for moving. One exception is spooks, jerkbaits, and other twitch baits: I'll use either. In fact, I carry both in the boat, and change up when one hand gets tired.

Johnny on the spot.

Very sharp, and for $60, seems like a no brainer. Am I the only one that thinks it looks just like a Daiwa Aird? Methinks there is some rebranding going on. Not a bad thing - Daiwa spinners aren't a bad product to base your line off.

Hot topics come and go.

I do agree with this, but location can have a TON of influence on what baits work, especially up here, where a bass may be in 6" of water in one season, and 60' in another. But yeah, a trap in weeds prespawn works as well as a trap in riprap in the summer.

More than a year ago, I was talking to Boyd Duckett. He had a pile of spiral wrapped prototypes in his truck. I wonder what happened?

More than a year ago, I was able to pick up discontinued Curado E for around $70 and Citica E for $55. I sold a dozen or so of each here, passing the savings on to members. If you can't find deals, you aren't looking hard enough. As for not using anything else, I have twice as many Daiwa reels as Shimano. They both hold their resale value well, and are very durable. Another nod will go to Pinnacle. Where many companies have switched to nylon parts, Pinnacle uses metal, just like Shimano and Daiwa. Their new middle and high end gear rivals both makers in quality and performance. You can also find great deals on their gear.

Many times, a long cast is necessary for a proper presentation. That doesn't mean that the presentation begins the moment the bait hits the water. It takes about 20 yards to get a 20+ crank ticking bottom in the zone. If I can cast 20 yards longer than you, who has a better chance of catch that fish? Casting distance is just a tool. Uses it at the right time for success.

My custom swimbait rod has spiral wrapped micros. Works great. Since micros sit so close to the blank, it really makes sense to go with a spiral wrap to keep the line off the blank with a fish on.

Outstanding. Reel looks sharp on a traditional full cork rod.

LOL, you need stainless for clear water.

I think Mike and Robert have a ton of Septon knobs available. You should PM them. I know those cork knobs would sell in a heartbeat on the Flea Market.

Only two limits weighed in Sunday.....guess what those two guys were throwing? You don't have an umbrella rig on Oneida in the fall, you lose.

Nice retrofits, Bob. I like a full rear grip for big baits, and cranking.

You know it.

If it didn't work out of the box, I'd expect nothing less than a perfectly working replacement, not parts.

LOL, I've always thought it would be funny to do a "black tie" tournament. Have everyone show up to fish in a tux. Use the fees for charity or something.

My son has been using a 6-3 medium power rod since he was 5 or 6. I think the key is a medium power, and not length - within limits. Once they get older and stronger, they can move up to MH and H power gear.

Here's one that works great: http://www.fishpondusa.com/swift-thermometer.cfm

I generally follow with a jig. I'll change color, size, fall rate, profile, etc. But in cover conditions that dictate a jig, I fish a jig.

Shape and design is more important to me than material. It has to be comfortable. I will say, I do not like "spongy" EVA.

Boat control x3. If you can't stay on the fish, make the casts, or present the baits properly, you aren't going to catch.

I think my favorite bass idiom to ignore is to downsize after a cold front.

They were actually my second spot, as another gentleman was fishing my primary spot. He was a in a state level event, and in the lead after day 1, so I backed off that spot. Both spots had produced limits for a Monday night, Friday night, and Saturday tournaments. The recent rains had the river running a bit high, with pushes baitfish downstream. Bass are already congregating in the channel in the lake in front of the river. The rains and bait just gets the big ones to use the structure as an ambush point to take advantage of the bait getting pushed downstream. As you take fish off the spot, more move in. The size varies throughout the day. You can catch a ton of dinks, they disappear, and then a few large fish. The larger fish are territorial, and don't com in a flurry. You have to wait them out. I didn't catch my first keeper until after noon. That's 6 hours without a fish in the well. I could see the other gentleman waiting it out, and seeing as he was in the lead after day 1, that helped make my decision.