MNGeorge

You clearly need to raise your standards for buddies...making you give him another lure to get yours back seems very "unbuddy" like to me.

I know the guys running that place...worked for them for a short time a few years ago. They are definitely legit. Their whole deal is buying huge lots of overstock/discontinued merchandise at greatly reduced prices and selling it through their website. Their cost of doing business is relatively small, so they can sell at pretty attractive pricing. Selection of colors, sizes, models etc. is always going to be an issue, but if you see something from them that suits your needs, you should have no concerns about doing business with them.

From Memorial Day weekend (Bass opener) until it snows the launches in, (usually sometime in November) I get in 4-5 days per week on average...some weeks more, some weeks a bit less. I took a part time job recently that may reduce my fishing time somewhat, but believe me, I WILL get my time on the river.

I've been making some jigs...quite relaxing on one hand, but then on the other hand, I'm excited to try out my creations. Bass season doesn't open until Memorial Day weekend in this part of Minnesota, so I've got too long a wait yet to let myself get too worked up. Roadtrip VI next month will definitely help alleviate the tension...really looking forward to that.

You must not have any rocks where you fish...I've broken the lips off 4 of the XT3's just bouncing off rocks. I've never broken a LC or an X Rap, both of which I like a lot in a variety of sizes. Another inexpensive one that works very well on river Smallies is the Bomber suspending long A in the 2 hook size.

Shop around...there are some guys making these now, good quality, with your choice of hook, for less money.

Make the black top black neon.

We use the 4/0 Gammie EWG offset, but the superline ones...hooksets have not been an issue at all.

20# braid, usually with a fluoro leader, more for abrasion resistance than visibility...lots of sharp rocks in the river.

I use my MBR 782 much the same as Kent's 842...I also throw wacky rigged senkos with it. Mine has a REVO STX HS on it, not a shimaneau, but it still seems to work just fine. ;D

Start with a weight at the upper end of your rod's capabilities, adjust the casting drag on your reel a little on the tight side and begin casting sidearm. Sidearm is much easier than overhead for some reason. Once you start to get the hang of it, gradually raise the angle of the rod until you get to the overhead angle you prefer.

A RiverPro 201 Low Pro RCC...those hard to get to river Smallies would become much more accessible. oops...forgot the link for anyone intersted. http://www.riverpro-boats.com/

I would rather they were suspending, but that can be done with lead strips/dots...colors are very cool and for $2.99, what have you got to lose?

I was unaware you could throw a Rage Craw too much... ;D

30# braid with a 12# fluoro leader on all baitcasters except frog rod and topwater rod...65# braid with no leader on the frog rod and 30# braid with 12# mono on the topwater rod.. 20# braid with fluoro leader from 8# to 12# on spinning rigs...leader weight dependent on where and what I'm throwing. I throw nearly everything with a baitcaster...use the spinning rigs for really light jigs and jerk bait fishing. Also plan to use the spinning rods for dropshotting this year.

X2 on the Mizmo and ISG makes a great tube also.

Before I switched to all braided line, I tried a number of the name brand fluoro's and found the Trilene 100% to be the best for manageability on the spool...almost as good as mono, but not quite. I'm confident you will not be disappointed in it.

I start the day with a long leader, at least 2 rod lengths long. That way I can retie my bait a number of times before needing to replace the leader. You do need to occasionally check the knot between your braid and the leader though...bouncing through all the guides on every cast and retrieve takes its toll on that knot after a while.

There are many times when I would not need a leader due to dirty water, but I always use one in the river so that I can be able to break off if I need to. I use 30# braid with a 12# fluoro leader. The statement made about the fluoro holding up to the abrasion in rocks is also right on...sharp rocks and braid do not go well together.

I was also concerned about the wider spools and too small a first guide, but have not found that to be an issue at all. I'm using a 40 size large spool reel on a Loomis SJR 783 which has what appears to be a size 25 first guide. The reel is spooled with braided line and the fact that it is so limp is likely why there haven't been any problems.

Your idea to buy the jig heads and do your own skirts is what I have begun doing this winter. If you shop around for the jig heads, I've found you can easily reduce your cost per jig by at least 1/3 and sometimes by 1/2. I have found it to be an enjoyable way to pass some wintertime hours, I've lowered my cost per jig, and I have jigs made the way I like them in the colors I like.

Try this... http://bassinblog.richlindgren.com/2009/01/23/how-to-rig-a-stupid-tube.aspx

You can fill the holes with a mixture of cork dust and epoxy, then sand it after the epoxy dries.

A sale, plus BR10 discount...what's not to like!

Depends on how much use it gets and in what types of environment...there's no prescribed time any line will last. With braid, I usually change it/flip it when it starts to show signs of wear such as fraying and/or discloration.