Glenn

Oh just take my wallet! Daaaaang!

@MontclairDave I understand your POV. You're not alone. A lot of folks are wary of somebody speaking about sponsored products. It's driven by all the "influencers" on social media and Youtube who will shill anything if the price is right. I don't work that way. For decades, I have always told advertisers that the moderators and I will always be truthful about their products, which includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. AND we will talk about their products based upon our own experiences using our own voices, which may not be "on brand". Most sponsors welcome that approach, but I have turned away a few that wouldn't. I've also turned down potential sponsors that wanted exclusivity (they'd pay a little extra if I wouldn't let their competitors also advertise here). I won't let an advertiser dictate who I can do business with. Along the same lines, I've had a couple of sponsors long ago ask me to remove negative posts about their company/products. I don't do business with them anymore. Now I'm clear will all new partners that they do not have the right to ask me to change how I manage the site. While I'm always happy for feedback, I won't make changes unless it benefits you guys first. I also will not accept sponsorship from a company that I don't feel comfortable recommending to you guys, for whatever reason. Often I will ask for sample products to try on my own first before accepting a sponsorship, and sometimes their products just don't pass my standards. I have turned away many potential sponsors for this reason. I have also been transparent here on the forums through the years about all this. In addition, I've always told the moderators to be truthful about their experiences, even if they encountered something bad. Their integrity cannot be sold. And to be completely transparent, yes, sometimes I will arrange meetings with the sponsors and moderators to learn about the products, especially if they are new products to the market. This enables the moderators to do a better job of "kicking the tires" to test the marketing claims, and to help them answer your questions. Hope that helps!

I have to disagree. I run braid as mainline on all of my rods and reels. Everything from 10-100 lb. I get years and years out of my braid and have very few backlashes. I run 6-30' leaders on the best majority of applications which makes my spool of fluoro last a long time. For the price conservative angler I think this is the best route... Sorry man, but braid is not designed to be an all-purpose line. For one, it's less abrasion-resistant than FC, especially around rocks. Also, the lack of stretch in braid, while a plus for things like flipping and pitching, works against you for crankbaits, topwaters with treble hooks, and finesse tactics because the hooks are so small and thin. I've talked to the folks at Seaguar, Sunline, and Berkley, and they all agreed while iterating FC is a better all-purpose line. That said, there is no one-size-fits-all fishing line. Braid, FC, mono, and co-polymer all have their purposes and should be a part of your arsenal.

Ya, it's a deep-dive for sure. Not your ordinary back-to-the-camera-while-you-watch-me-catch-fish video. LOL

FC Sniper is good line. I've tried it and like it. I think there's a good following of folks here that like it. If you haven't tried Seaguar InvizX yet, test it out. If you like Sniper, you'll like InvizX too, possibly even more than Sniper.

Ah, ok. Yes, unorthodox. And a lefty too!

I'm not talking about when you're reeling. I palm my reel when I reel just like you. I'm talking about casting, when only the thumb is touching the spool.

Here are the Suzuki outboard motor service centers within 50 miles near you. You're the blue dot. I'd say there's plenty of service availability.

Dive into Michael Neal's expert insights on mastering finesse gear for fall bass fishing!

When you cast a baitcaster, your thumb is on the spool, but the rest of your hand is gripping the rod. Then there's the two-handed casting techniques for both spinning and baitcasting. So yes, there are critical times when you're gripping the rod handles.

After 20 years, I replaced my 1998 F-250 V10 with a 2018 3.5 V6. The specs said it had more torque, more HP, and 3x better mileage than my F-250. I didn't believe it. But I bought it anyway. They were right. I often tow over a major mountain pass, and I had to "time" the spots just right going uphill in my F-250 so it wouldn't downshift and slow down. That's not the case with my F-150. It powers up and down giant hills and mountains with ease, and with much better gas mileage (9mpg vs. 15mpg towing, 12mpg vs. 19mpg without towing). That 10-speed does the trick. I'm an old fogy like you. I really didn't think a V6 could compare to a V10. I honestly didn't think a F-150 could out-perform an F-250. Boy was I ever wrong! Technology has come a long way.

At one point, all of my baitcasters were 4500C's. I think I had 12 of them. They were inexpensive and built like tanks. Bullet proof. I caught hundreds of fish on them. I think they were 5.3:1 or 4.6:1 gear ratios or something like that. Then low-profile, higher-speed reels came out and I systematically replaced all of them as budget allowed. I kinda wish I had a few of them still. It's hard to find a reel these days below 6.1:1.

Braid is NOT an all-purpose line. Fluorocarbon is. I never use braid on spinning gear because I use it for finesse tactics. Braid is buoyant and fluorocarbon isn't. That makes a HUGE difference with dropshot, splitshot, and other finesse tactics. For baitcasting - braid is strictly for flipping and pitching situations. Weeds and grass, specifically. The exception would be frogs, toads, and punching - but again, you're talking heavy weeds and grass. Braid is built for that.

Thank you! Glad you liked it.

You need a strap. https://www.amazon.com/Mueller-Tennis-Elbow-Support-Black/dp/B0027VOS8U/ref=sr_1_10?crid=IX3PHXDWQ7KE&keywords=tennis+elbow+strap&qid=1695600177&sprefix=tennis+elbow+strap%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-10 Wear it when you go fishing, then take some Ibuprofen or Aleve when you get off the water. That may take care of it, but honestly, the best way to cure it, is to stop fishing for 4-6 months.

I just posted this video. It's a bit long, but I hope you like it.

Those are TOADS!! Congratulations!

Still, that's a big deal and fun to see! Congrats. My Mariners were ON FIRE earlier, but now they're realizing they might actually make the playoffs, and they're freaking out. Now they forgot how to play baseball. They'll likely lose out and end up being another year of "almost".

The Suzuki SS Series. https://www.suzukimarine.com/outboards/ss-series/

@ol'crickety did it again with another great article! She goes into detail about "roughing it" in the wilderness for some amazing fishing! https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/camping-bass-fishing.html

^^ this ^^

I'm not saying you CAN'T use it, but you may have issues accessing the site if you do.

I explain it in this video:

The jig bite is amazing in the Fall! We constantly rely on the jig to get BIG bites. The key is understanding where bass are positioned and which jig styles to throw. Today MLF Pro Mike McClelland is giving you the keys to Fall jig fishing, whether you're fishing a clear finesse fishery, a shallow grassy lake, or anywhere in between. Pay attention to Mike's tips on WHERE he throws each style of jig as much as why he's throwing it. From thermoclines to turnovers, Mike reveals what jigs he uses, lines, rods, reels...even the different trailers he selects for every situation!

I'm aware of the issue and have narrowed it down to a recent code deployment that affected the menu functionality. A fix is in the works. Please be patient.