J Francho

It's on my small to medium "big swimbait rod." It's right here on the deck, with a 6" HPH tied on:

Wouldn't that just be an air freshener?

Looks more like a coffee grinder

I have three year old InvisX running on two of my drop shot rods. I treat with KVD L&L after just about every trip. Line is still strong....strong enough for these guys, anyway:

Black is a staple for low visibility. I tend to have a flash of color in my black jigs - a little brown, blue, or even chartreuse.

Could be the brakes/brake race or could be spool bearings. My first course would be to put a drop of oil on the spool bearings. If it continued, I'd inspect the brakes. Failing that, send it to a pro. A side note....grease is perfectly okay on bearings, in fact I prefer it for specific applications, and specific bearings. Knob bearings, crankshaft bearings, pinion support bearings are a few examples where grease can contribute to a smoother feel. I definitely do not use grease on spool bearings, unless there is a specific set of circumstances dictating this. 99% of the time, a light oil on the spool bearings is preferred.

"Private" messages are just that - private. The only ones that can see them are the participants of the conversation.

I used to paddle a FH 14 and 12 Ultra lite. Great, stable boats for fishing. If you are going to paddle distance, I'd look elsewhere. Not the fastest or best tracking boats. I like to fish off the back, between the kick out sponsons, with my back leaning on the casting rail. I really liked this boat for small waters:

The ONLY people that comment on sites like that are wing nuts. Sometimes the comments are my favorite part, lol.

LOL, they are some of the stankiest baits around.

That's a 3-way rig, which you were probably using in current or drifting. A drop shot rig is entirely different, and better suited than a 3-way in precise situations, such as fishing vertically in deep water where your bait and the fish are clearly visible on the graph. The advantage of a drop shot rig in this situation is sensitivity, since there is a direct line between the rod tip and the hook via the line. A 3-way rig has quite a bit of knots, leader, and hardware between your rod tip and the hook, though it is a very good trolling rig - well suited for getting cranks and jerkbaits way down, though not great for casting. Other advantages of a drop shot are keeping your bait out of the slime algae often encountered in deep, clear water, and in the Great Lakes, it keeps the gobies off, since they rarely rise more than two feet to take a bait.

I use a #2 to 1/0 Owner Mosquito hook, and never anything less than 3/8 oz. weights - more like 1/2 oz. or better. I *start* with a 15 to 18" leader, and have never used anything less than about 12". On Erie and Ontario, I've been using a 36"+ leader. What you're using is so light, and with such a short leader, I can't imagine it's anything other than some special situation that A-Mart was referring to. The heavier weight is where you gain control, and it expedites the bait to the position you want to fish. When you want super finesse, subtle action use a buoyant, floating bait with little action. When the presentation calls for more "action" to get bit, a sinking bait, possibly with an action tail is preferred.

I broke a big fish off in Suday's tournament. It's been so long, that I don't recall the last break off on 65# braid. I'm going to assume one of two things... either it was a northern pike (somewhat doubtful, considering the fish came from a dock in 18" of water, or previously dragging that brush jig over a zebe encrusted shoal nicked and frayed the line. I foolishly did not check when I got to the dock. Cost me a win if it was a bass. I've always said you have to be perfect to win, and here's the proof. Shame on me.

You could also simply bend the weed guard into a "V" which serves the same purpose. Works especially well with football heads.

Pay attention to the hull weights. Not all are measured the same, and remember - you have to get the thing on top of your ride after a long day of fishing.

It's a satire news report - not real. Think Daily Show or Colbert Report.

Regular, old Power Pro is a proven line. I keep going back, though I do like 20# 832 on spinning gear.

LOL, check this out..... http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/blog/2013/09/03/to-ensure-every-child-wins-ontario-athletic-association-removes-ball-from-soccer/index.html

This was actually what I was doing, when I got the opportunity to fish Richmond Mills. We stayed at Black's Camp, on Santee Cooper. Nice place, decent fishing...the high point though, without a doubt was my day trip to Richmond Mills. And yes, I agree - tournament fishing is something completely different.

I have several pairs, from the White River fleece, up to some highly technical fly fishing mittens. The mitts are probably your best bet, if you want to go from completely covered to open fingers. Something like this pair from Glacier Gloves would be good for you: http://glacierglove.com/our-products/fishing/ultra-light-angler-mitt.html

Do not cut the transducer cable. Ever. I would simply get a second transducer and mounting bracket. I did this so I could move my H'Bird between two kayaks and two boats.

This has worked with 100% success.

And this is what happened....a 4-7 hopped on Paul's hook.

I could not agree more.

Nope, it's definitely cheating....but who cares, when it's this much fun. Country Club Bass: