J Francho

You shut your mouth, lol. I'm still a young man. Here I am at exactly 40, right down to the minute:

Bad back? A pack canoe, like the Swift Pack 12. You use a kayak paddle, and the thing is very light. http://swiftcanoe.com/packcanoes/pack12.html

The Kings are starting to run in the major rivers right now. I generally use a centrepin and float rig with beads. Lots of good info here: http://www.raventackle.com/

Seems like yesterday, he got his foot stuck in a drum.

The "baby" starts kindergarten tomorrow, and Big Al starts 8th grade. Time flies...

Catching.

Around $1200.

Might be a little snaggy, but not so bad if you use an Owner Down Shot Hook: Here's how to do it: http://www.richz.com...s/dropshot.html And some more on the topic: http://www.bassresource.com/content/search?SearchText=drop+shot&BrowsePageLimit=30

Amen.

Xerox

5-6 turns is plenty.

I haven't had any issues with the spin shot hooks. They do eliminate twist. As far as the hook sagging, use a buoyant bait.

I don't have any advice here, but want to wish you better luck. That stinks.

^ That's also a good hook. I use the smaller sizes for smaller baits, but forget they come in bigger sizes.

A Palomar might not be the easiest to tie correctly on a topwater with two treble hooks. I've never had any issue with a Uni knot slipping, getting in the way of the "plop," and it's easy to tie quickly.

Yes, it is probably too heavy. The modern Pop-R weighs in at 1/4 oz. I would throw that bait on a spinning rod, like a 7' med/fast. If I was going to use braid, it would be 20# size. Now, if you're going to spend the coin on the larger, discontinued P70 Pop-r, then medium power baitcasting gear and 40# braid would be fine.

With the Stradic 1000, this rod is on par with the Avid series/CI4 2500 of the exact same specs (I own two of these) as far as balance, maybe even slightly better.

I own this rod, have it paired with a Shimano Stradic loaded with 20# Power Pro. I use a 10-12# CXX leader. It works exceptionally well for light jighead applications like shaky heads and wacky jigs. Here's one I caught doing just that with it this spring:

It's conventional wisdom to cast upstream, but that doesn't make doing the opposite wrong. A quartering cast, working the bait quickly as it sweeps the hole can very effective.

Topwater, paticularly a chugger or popper. Can't get hung, and will call big fish up.

4-8 combos is what I usually brought as a co angler. A lot of what you bring depends on the boater's game plan. A beginner angler, should probably start out with the three DVT mentioned. As your skill increases, you'll develop a preference for a certain type of rod for specific situations. Until then, multi purpose setups is the right move.

Water evaporates

Keep it warm and dry, with good air circulation.

A general rule of thumb: match the hook size to the bait size. For a senko on a drop shot, I use 1/0 Gam. Wide Gap Finesse.

Here is a quick fact sheet for maintaining your reels. Stick to the first page, every two or three months, and you'll greatly extend the life of the reel. Of course, nothing is better than a professional clean and tune, but in between this will keep things in top shape: http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/customer_service0/reel_maintenance_instructions.download.-mainParsys-0001-downloadFile.html/Maintenance%20Tips-%20Baitcasting%20Reels%20%282%20pages%29.pdf