A-Jay

You seem to be smack dab in the middle of an age-old tackle quandary - one that has several aspects. Don't know what to tell you about your small swimsuit game - perhaps reach out to Sports Illustrated. ? First, you seek to have tackle that is both light enough to cast well & illicit strikes, yet strong enough to be effective. Then you long for a bait that is soft enough to have that sweet swimming action but dislike the lack of durability. Both deals may best be satisfied with knowledge & a bit of compromise. The knowledge in that you know your gears abilities & most importantly, it's limitations. Use that your advantage and aim to compensate for the areas where it needs help. As a side note - while I'm all about tungsten for bottom contact baits, throwing a swimbait that occasionally hangs up seems like a job for good old (cheap) lead. Strike King Rage swimmers decent baits that may not be much more durable than the Keitechs but they are a little cheaper. If you use a heavier wire hook you may need to bump up your gear, rod & line, to account for that and you'll not be as apt to open one up on a fish or a snag. Finally, and I'm just throwing this out there, for a change of pace - pick up a bag of green pumpkin Rage Bugs. Put them on the rig you're fishing that swimbait on, Go up to a 4/0 EWG, and fish it a little slower along the bottom. Be careful though, you might get your arm broke. Good Luck. A-Jay

Holy Smokes ! Talk about a score-able bass . . . Congrats @Catt Keep casting . . . Maybe the next one will cover the tax & tags . . . . A-Jay

Would this help ? A-Jay

No one can take your integrity away, you and only you can give it away. Nicely done. A-Jay

Pike on light tackle can be quite an adventure ~ This one sure was for me. A-Jay

Nice selection ~ This may help . . A-Jay

I don't know all that much about no 'junk fishing'. But I have some big time experience with 'skunk fishing'. Seems like they could be close though . . . . A-Jay

The Umbrealla Rig is mysteriously missing ~ Chart also indicated a very narrow temp recommendation for a drop shot.; mostly 'warmer' water. The drop shot is an effective presentation for me from the 1st day of open water to hard water- basically all season. Other than that - I'd say it's decent. But now who has the "Where to fish chart". That's the one I need. A-Jay

No one warranties a rod against user damage without requiring additional cost. You can replace the tip yourself quite easily and for much less time & $$ than sending to St Croix for repair. Here's the right way to do it without damaging your blank. The replacement will need to be the same or at least very close to the size of the original. You can take it with you if you have a source of supply locally or you can get one here . . . https://www.mudhole.com/Components-Rod-Building/rod-guides-components/tip-tops-fishing-rod-guides A-Jay

YES - Ordered it in May (tried to beat the rush) and got it in September A-Jay

No doubt - and the bass are bigger which adds to the pucker factor. My adventures south include the most 'colored' water I see all year. And I'm quite OK with it. Beyond that, it's about the same for me here too Tom You knew that though A-Jay

Close but yet, so far . . . A-Jay

Perhaps the trick is to 'over-test'. 20 & 25 lb Tatsu has my vote. A-Jay

Out with old and in with the new. Gotta pay to play. A-Jay

Do I believe in it? Isn't that what this site is all about? Sharing information in any form can be beneficial. A-Jay

Congrats ~ You may have done it. Dock talk may not teach beginners a whole lot. Learning, failing and certainly succeeding stands a better chance. A-Jay

LOL ~ Have fun & Good Luck with all that - what's the boot of choice ? - I'm looking too. Round here she's known as TFW The Final Word ? A-Jay

Wow ~ Congrats A-Jay

Stories of gear failing seem more prevalent than stories of gear working. So often when gear is cared for & maintained, it's offered the best opportunity to perform as designed - it does. When it is not - that's when the stories start. I wear an inflatable routinely. If you have doubts get a different type. No one can say if gear will or will not ALWAYS work - sort of like a parachute. A-Jay

Small jerkbait Medium jerkbait Slightly larger jerbait. A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ Nice Intro. There's a ton of useful info in the BR Article section - Check it out... https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_articles.html A-Jay

Well, that explains it ~ Hope you get your rig right soon. A-Jay

Hello Anthony and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ Is this a trick question ? If you are inexperienced or even a little unfamiliar with the inner working of that 32 year old motor, perhaps take it to someone who is not. A-Jay

You're welcome my friend - I was bummed out that you were having this grave struggle and wanted to do my part to assist with a peaceful resolution. Let us know how it goes. A-Jay