Team9nine

They don't start biting until you get there I never make it on the water before Noon.

Wise wisdom above - start with one, eventually go to two. Beyond that, the definition of "necessity/need" starts becoming a little more vague

These are some entertaining comments in light of our 'No switchable anti-reverse' discussion earlier in the week Either use your drag or take channel locks to it - it doesn't matter. The latter isn't near as common or popular, but it still works fine in the right hands.

Lol - You see this one pop up every so often. Last time it really spread was about a decade ago - even made it on this site. Bill retired from tourney fishing a long time ago. Without any specifics given by the "accuser," I wouldn't even entertain the discussion.

The first thing I look for when bank fishing.....is the bank My initial casts are always parallel down the bank. Some lakes and trips I might never make a cast more than 10' off the shoreline. Any pieces of cover along the bank are bonus. Next thing is deeper water. Always good to know if and where the deepest water in the area comes closest to the shoreline. Finally, look for roads, bridges, boat ramps, jettys and causeways. Almost always some bass holding around the riprap and other hard bottom areas these are built on or protected by.

Agree with Hawkeye21 on the timing, probably starting to hang shallow for spawning. However, it can be a mixed bag on the fishing. They can definitely muddy and tear up bass bedding areas, but that's not always the case, and there are plenty of examples where anglers did good fishing in areas where carp were active, so don't automatically write off the pond or carp activity. Chances are good both have been living in the same pond together for a while.

Just you I like the big lakes just fine. The key is don't try and walk the whole thing and fish it all. Break it down into smaller sections or stretches.

The material braid is made from (Spectra, Dyneema) is nearly impervious to water absorption, so no effect on knot strength. What is actually happening is the coating, texture or spacing of the braid is dragging water on to the spooled line. It's really only ever an issue in freezing weather, though it can have a slight affect on casting distance, and the degree varies between brands and line condition.

All the time, but I, too, don't understand how you are snapping off spinnerbaits on braid unless you are using too light of line...

Darren - I tried reloading a different link from a different computer back into the original post. Seems like it might be working better now from my end, but check and see. Not working like most videos, I'm guessing since it's hosted via Bassmaster's website, probably on their servers. -Brian

No, not the same. When thumb-barring, you are replacing the drag and deciding when to GIVE line to a fish. With your palming example, the drag is already giving line to the fish and you are deciding when to RESTRICT it. And for the record, I'm not anti-drag, but I do use it considerably less with baitcasters. I just would hate to see the anti-reverse lever gone from all spinning reels

Not the same in my eyes. With backreeling on a spinning reel, the drag never comes into play. With thumb-barring on a casting reel, the drag never comes into play. With your palming the spool scenario, the drag is very much a part of the process. For example, you could never palm the spool for added (drag) pressure on a fish AND take in line at the same time.

That's not a fluorocarbon issue, but a presentation/line twist issue. Mono/copoly would have done the same thing. Actually, braid twists nearly as much, you just don't notice it to the same degree. Line management is actually one of its (braid) strong suits among a host of negatives. I always have to untwist my braid outfits every few trips.

Ditto - On my 3rd season with 16# Toray on several baitcasters. It's a myth that FC needs to be changed out regularly. No different than any other line in that regard. Sometimes I think the relatively cheap cost of nylon (along with tournament media coverage) gives people the false impression that changing out line constantly is supposed to be the norm.

It's called "thumb-barring." Completely takes the drag out of the equation That's why God created channel lock pliers. Simply loosen the drag at the end of each season. Check out this video of John Murray on Toledo Bend. Watch and listen to him playing the second big bass. He thumb bars the fish multiple times instead of using the drag, because as he stated, there are times you just can't let them run. https://www.bassmaster.com/video/live-murray-two-toledo-toads

I'd revisit option #1 and upsize your spinnerbait in weight and go to a burning retrieve instead of slowing down. Willows, maybe chartreuse/white skirts or blades, and 3/4 oz or more. Make farther casts, and bring the bait back about as fast as you can. If that didn't work, my #2 would be a shallow crank, also burned in. Only after those two options would I go slow, and then it would be Ned.

Texas Tackle split ring pliers - I use the regular orange handled ones for everything freshwater, but they also make a large (green handle) and an x-large (blue handle). -T9

Don't own a single spinning reel that doesn't allow backreeling, so the adjustment, or lack thereof , is going fine. I'll cross that bridge if I'm ever forced to go that route. Until then, simply don't buy those reels.

I first researched and published a piece questioning this practice many, many years ago. To that end, Mountain Dew is actually pretty lame in the acid dept. with a pH of 3.22, there are more than a dozen other common soft drinks with lower pH values. Even Gatorade is lower. This is because phosphoric acid is the stronger acid typically added to soft drinks, and Mountain Dew contains none. In addition, since you brought up dentists, the acid acts as a decalcifyer, eroding tooth enamel. The other (weaker) acid commonly used in soft drinks is citric acid, which is a known anticoagulant, so that would argue against your line of reason. Ironically, this binding and weakening of calcium is largely believed to be why blood clotting is negatively affected by these acids. The only possibilities the acid would have anything to do with helping to stop bleeding would either be by a weak cauterization (burning) of the tissue, or a physiological "shock" response by the fish to the low pH (the more likely scenario of the two), both of which the benefit would be questionable. Immediate water release, or placed into a treated livewell, is still the best practice until proven otherwise.

That about sums it up in a few more words than I used I've been giving this a lot of thought the past couple weeks, and it really seems to come down to your ability or level of experience as a caster. Outside of the other arguments for or against, if you're having line management issues when using fluorocarbon on a baitcaster, then your casting skills could use a little work.

Get rid of the Quantums - that will solve your problem

Yes, you're missing something - the art of casting. But if braid gets the job done for you, then go with it.

Glenn's answer is the closest. Fish blood will clot in air also, but the clotting is 35% faster in water. Don't 'Do the Dew.' Simply release the fish back into the water ASAP.

Brilliant - the earlier you start, the better off you'll be. Just do it Find a large brokerage firm like Fidelity that will let you open an account with just a minimal investment (your $1,000 is fine). Tell them you want to open a Roth IRA. Then, set up regular auto deposits (say monthly, just $50 or $100 is great). Invest/place all the funds into a simple Index fund within the IRA and just let them be. Done -T9

If KVD put his name on one, they must be decent