J Francho

Wow, great partnership! Congrats to both of you! I knew you'd like his jigs, JT.

The brush jig is the better all around head, and will work great in mixed rocks and weeds.

Nice fishy!

So fill the frame with a seven pounder!

As many species can be found in streams, there are just as many that dwell in lakes. Just about any lake bass I've caught pukes up crayfish, especially in spring.

Great post Chris!

There's a difference between starting off with old "found" gear, and continuing to use gear that, while ratty, is still as functional as the day you bout it. Just maybe not as pretty.

I have a few blue gill ponds in the area that have some big fish in them. I will sometimes throw baits as small as a 4' senko, or as big as a Mattlures Hard Gill.

But my "old junk" still works, lol.

Some of my Avids had duct tape holding the reel to the seat, or super glue holding the wraps down. I finally sent them in for repair. Some are 12 years old.

Maybe "spoonfed" is the wrong term - I apologize if anyone found it insulting. It was meant to motivate others to look things up, and make observations while your out on the water. Even the OP said he never looked at crawfish in spring. First and foremost, I am a fisherman, and a member. I share what I know with other anglers. I also happen to moderate this forum. I'd like to think that role is transparent, but maybe it isn't. On the other side of this, there is NEVER a time when it's okay to call anyone, mod or member names. Anyway, I'll be on Oneida this weekend for the annual Take a Soldier Fishing event, and all three in my boat will be throwing red Xcalibur traps and plugs. I'll report back. Last year we did pretty good on red baits:

Anytime you dip into the 50th percentile with a largemouth, your doing good. The smallmouth deal on Erie is outrageous, and there are guys (like Dwight) dialed into those 70th percentile fish. Truth be told, I think Dwight is gunning for the 110th percentile.

Bob, you don't need to qualify your credentials. I'm just saying that it hasn't been enough time to say that a Lew's will last as long as a Calcutta or Ambassedeur. I fish the same stuff. I use Daiwa. They have held up. Are they as good as Lew's? Don't know. They've certainly stood the test of time. I've got a year on my Chronarchs, and two years on my CI4s, and they're holding up. I can't say they are as durable as my three TD-Xs, though - I haven't had them for 5-6 years.

Ohhh, the PA trout guys are some of the worst! Not all, but many. They are so used to cutthroat behavior on the ditches, it doesn't even register when they hot hole you. Most guys apologize, and move on. Some get agitated and confrontational. DEC Police is on speed dial. I love seeing guys scatter when they show up. Get the ditch to myself. Thanks, it's almost time to try that technique out.

Maybe you should reread this thread. There aren't insults, there aren't sides, there are people offering their opinions. Nothing more, nothing less. maybe you thought you were on a different forum?

Red doesn't work in summer.

LOL, well you keep piling on requirements that only high end craft posess. Chuck, did you have a Revolution before your PA?

Well, it isn't because it disappears, lol. Water is pretty clear on Oneida, and we're only talking running around 5-6' deep. later in the year, some form of red, be it flakes in your senkos, or a red highlight in your crankbait is a long standing pattern, on this lake anyway. In spring, red seems to rule everywhere, along with blue.

The fly shop in Bass Pro has these things called "hemo-scissors." They work great for braid.

Ahah! Thanks Paul!

Hobie Pro Angler, Native Ultimate Propel are the only two pedal driven models I'm aware of. The Hobie is a far superior ride, ask Hanover_Yakker, he has one, but it doesn't come cheap.

7-6 can be a little weildy around docks and laydowns. I know I run a 6-8 MH for jigs around that type of cover. You get better leverage on a fish in overhanging cover, and on a short leash.

Rub two zebra mussels together. That'll slice braid up for ya!

Red Herring

There are no rights and wrongs in fishing, just better and more suited. I can see a jika rig in gravel flats, but rocks and wood - that's jig territory. The whole point of the free swinging, long, skinny weight is to lead a bulkier bait straight down through cover vertically, on a cast: