J Francho

Add rattle straps and square bills to the list above. Especially if ripping of weed tops.

You know it, bro. I'm all sucked into it.

I have a 4s, the phone reception sucks. It's OK, I hardly use the phone anymore.

Who uses their iPhone to make calls anyway, lol. I like my iPhone just fine. Sam, you should probably find a friend with one, and play with it.

My buddy tows a 19' Xpress with a 225 on it just fine with his Wrangler. The issue is gas mileage. It REALLY drinks the gas. The best tow vehicle is always going to be a pickup with a towing package and trans cooler.

I get plenty of hits when I type "banjo minnow" into the search box. Try again, and you'll find tons of topics. From the Forum Rules and FAQ:

Smallmouth are WAYYYY bigger than largemouth on Erie. There simply isn't the right habitat for a 5 lb. largemouth, let alone a 10 lb. largemouth on Erie. Now, 5 lb. smallie on Erie? You are almost assured one or more, if you put some time into it.

JJ's on a frog or toad? Maybe to add color to a toad, but for frogs, I prefer to lube them up with Megastrike. I think it helps the hollow frog body rotate on the hook easier for a better hookup, and the fish definitely hold it longer.

Thanks for that explanation. I wonder too, if the feeding behavior is centered around mouth size. Smallmouth will nip and peck, too. And letting them "play" with the bait a little longer often is the difference in getting hooked up. This is primarily for deep drops in 20+ FOW. Even deep caught largemouth seem to just suck the bait in.

Toothpaste also works wonders polishing spoons and blades. Not so much with bass, as they don't seem to care, but trout won't bite a bitten bait. Toothpaste scrubs off the negative scent cues well. The stainless steel bars of "soap" work well, but you have to really scrub every inch of stink. slonezp has the best remedy, so far.

Yes, that was a smallie, of course. My point was to refute the claim that DD are coming out of Erie. There's probably a one swimming around there, but we'd know if a legit DD was caught.

Why blue gill and not bass? Both are sunfish.

Spool tension is for the weight of the bait, brakes are for casting ability and wind conditions.

Fisherman lie? *SHOCK*

I believe the Lake Erie record is 9-8, caught by Randy VanDam in the early 90s.

They both mask any negative sues you might leave on the bait, and I think they get the bass to hold the bait longer. They are just one more small edge you can get on the fish.

There's a TON of Ragetail results posted by many different average Joe's. But since you asked.... Ragetail Craw on a jika rig, total waste of time

Lots of colloquialisms for panfish everywhere. I think my favorite is when an old timer calls a black crappie a "Strawberry Bass."

Jig. Always catches and can be fished anywhere.

There's almost always more to the story, isn't there? Advil works for me. You can go up to four pills, if needed. That's is prescription strength, though.

Get a Daiwa...backlashes are gone, and you can still run a free spool.

I don't think it's rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) or a warmouth (Lepomis gulosus). Looks closest to a Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus). Rock Bass: Warmouth: Green Sunfish:

You won't have "fluffing" line if the reel is set up properly. Spool tension for the weight of the lure, and brakes for casting conditions. You can cast just about any of my reels without having to touch the spool until the bait hit the water.

Green sunfish.

This is what spinning gear is for.