J Francho

I use an Alberto knot: http://www.stripersonline.com/a/albertos-knot

Honestly, I don't like tuning hard baits at all. I want to take them out of the box, and fish them. To me, I've paid for all the R&D put into the lure, and if I lose it, I want to be able to open the box, and put on a new one that was just like the old. Even some expensive brands have let me down. Some inexpensive stuff has been great. Storm Thundersticks (they don't make the suspending ones anymore, unfortunately), Rogues, Husky Jerks are a few good value lures. Pointers, Flash Minnows, OSP, and Visions are some good baits at the higher end.

Yes, and the 7' length will really help you sling them. Any lighter, and look for an 8' light power rod, with a bit slower taper.

You're buying the wrong brands. It does cost you, though.

No, port is the left side of the boat.

Chronarch e series have a composite star.

The console is on the starboard side like most other boats. James: Nice pick up, and congrats on NO BOAT PAYMENT!! Makes it easy to do little fixer upper projects when you don't have that monthly payment.

No, the Chronarch has composite side plates. The price difference has to do with slightly better components, and origin of manufacture, as pointed out in the post above.

Peg a 1/4 oz. tungsten bullet to a deep diver. You'll get all the depth you need.

The 6.2 is a real cracker, performance wise, so is the 5.3 married to the 6-speed auto. I think the 6.0 is just a HD workhorse. The 4.8 is an absolute dog.

I think it's just styling and marketing hype. I don't see any difference with a swept over a straight handle. The shorter handles offer greater speed, but offer less leverage. Like gear ratio, it's a compromise. Longer handles, as mentioned above, can easily be ordered from Pure Fishing. You can also go for granddaddy of upgrades, and get a Hawgtech. I love mine. Another option is the Toro Winch handle - now that's a huge handle with huge knobs.

You're going to get a lot of various answers here. Without knowing the model, application, or desired performance setup, it's hard to make a general recommendation. OE oil and grease would never make anything worse, so long it's been thoroughly cleaned.

Wait, they do for the 3/4 ton line.

I don't know ANYONE that gets the 4.8. I have the Vortec 6.2L 403 hp/417 trq. I don't think they make the 6.0L anymore.

Yep, definitely pitching these, and yeah, that's an Owner 3X hook with the Cutting Point. In the case of the photos above, we were pitching to submerged brush piles. If I was casting long distance, something like the Buckeye Football Mop jig would be better suited (sticking to the theme of the OP).

I heard a knocking coming from the back of my truck the other day. Turns out a Fiat 500 was stuck in the wheel well.

Hey! I'm not 50 yet, lol. I've had a talk about the shingles shot with my doc. My 30 year old cousin had it this past summer, and it sounded awful. I did have chicken pox as a kid, so I'm a candidate.

They are actually the exact same jig in the two pics. It's got living rubber on top of a light silicone skirt. I don't do a lot of long distance casts with this jig, and the brush head puts my trailer in an upright position. I generally pitch this bait 20-30', let it fall and settle, give a hop or a crawl, wait, repeat until it's out of a productive zone. It's definitely a slower presentation. Really kind of a hybrid of what you describe and vertical flipping. I haven't experience any hookup issues in the two years I've been using this style.

13 mpg? Oof. I'm getting 19-22 in my GMC. I bet I get better performance numbers too. That said, it isn't as pretty as that whip! Sweet ride, Jeff.

Productive? As in getting bites from quality fish and not dinks....most of the time, a jig.

I've used them, they are a quality jig. I like a smaller trailer, like a Ragetail Chunk or Paca Chunk, threaded onto the hook. The wire tied living rubber flairs out at rest, revealing a little snack. Hop it again, and you usually get bit. If you like these, you could also try the Storm Series jigs as well. The J Francho is similarly designed, though with a little less rubber, and silicone accent. They are both wire tied, and flair out at rest:

Oust is very good stuff, but very light, and needs frequent applications.

It's just a rubber band. Zero reason for a fish not to bite.

4x4, absolutely! Seaweed, mud, sand, and algae have all given me fits on the ramp, and I'm glad for my 4x4. The off road package? Meh, not so much. I won't be getting the Z71 package on my next pickup. The ride is a little too rough for everyday use.

Bil is a friend of mine, and invented the original Wacky Tool. It works! http://www.wackytool.com/