SirSnookalot

Grass carp (White Amur) can reach 100# in their native China, don't believe they that big here but any thing is possible I guess. I've caught a few on jerk baits, pretty good battle. I here people that target them use ficus berries and a fly rod.

I personally don't balance any rod and reel combination, I do take into consideration how well the reel feels on the rod and for me rod foregrip and rear butt are important. I vary my lure weights on everything I use, I could never achieve perfect balance.

My issues with Shimano have nothing to do with line management, I think they are the best in the game at that. If I ever bought another Shimano, line management would be the reason.

Being active is what allows one to be able to do it. I've said this many times that I don't get tired, simply because I fish everyday and my muscles are in shape for this activity. Not only being 68 but only 5'4 and 135#, I'm no longer very strong. Doesn't mean I don't get sore sometimes but I don't allow that to keep me away from fishing. I'm on a decent roll have a caught only one fish under about 20# (saltwater fish)in the last couple weeks, that was yesterday, today another 39" barracuda. I don't care how big a fish is, if my gear can handle it so can can I.

I let you use one of my screen names "Jigisup"

I usually will just leave, let them have their fun. I did get really pisssed one time and really only because of the quality of fisherman I was with. I used to fish with a Hall of Fame fisherman, one of the leading authorities on freshwater stripers. It was an etiquette issue, this guy just knew better and it wasn't like he was catching his first fish. Over the course of a few days fishing in the surf every time I had a fish on he'd be casting over me, 3 days in row and I finally blew up. Glad he moved back to Tennessee.

If I'm using spinning, which is all I use it's braid. I do have copoly on one set up, the only reason is that I can troll it out, my home made lures create excessive line twist. This is wide spool 5000 reel, I've used 17# trilene, some others and at present I have 14# silver thread. The distance between the 2 sizes is hardly measurable, I do prefer the line management of the 14#. My target species probably averages somewhere around 20#, so far this has been the best line size for me.

Hippies welcome, if they truly exist today. I don't fish with rednecks and hillbillies................lol.

I caught one yesterday on a crappie jig, first one in years.

You really need to go fishing and chill out.

No comment on whether the palomar is good or not, I don't use it myself. When I'm attaching my leader to my swivel or my jig head (loopknot or lures) I use a plain old clinch knot. Most of my leaders are 20 & 30# mono although I've used f/c as well, I don't worry about line knot failure even with a 50# fish. The reason is simple, I don't ever lock down a drag.

I enjoyed doing it........but I was skunked yesterday, caught 26" snook which isn't bad but it ain't a tarpon and not even big for a snook.

I would not say it's a gimmick, I would say it isn't for me. The intent of this product is to get your lure back if snagged, I do agree it may add some confusion. The likelyhood of catching a 20# fish for most freshwater fisherman is slim unless you are targeting them. It's going to happen once in a while but using your drag is going to prevent the fish breaking off the hooks. I'm never afraid to lose lures, I do get snagged sometimes but most of my lost lures are due to cut offs or having to break a fish off because it's too big to land. I have months thru out the year I can lose 20 lures, I'm going to use the lure I think best for the species I'm targeting. Losing lures is part of the game.

You have to accept each type of fishing for what it is, both are fun and both can have it's challenges. As a fisherman that does both everyday, I have real good idea of the differences as well as the common ground. IMO if I were to pick a difference and that is based on where I fish, bass are just about always in the general area, they may not be cooperative. Inshore fishing is usually whether the fish are around or not, they follow bait and may be miles away. You could never tell a small mouth or muskie fisherman there is anything more potent, a striper fisherman will make the same claim. I say catch them all, then decide which you like the best, I've got my picks.

I must be missing something. All I see are assumptions that the crane operator was inebriated at the time. None of the other workers stepped forward and the truck driver didn't witness it either, just passed on second hand information. Maybe the driver did see, if so the explanation was unclear to me. What we have is an accident due to either operator error or equipment malfunction, either issue has to be addressed, neither has been confirmed. I'm taking no sides

Nice snook had a 26" myself this morning, no peacocks.

My advice, don't use a lure if you think you might lose it. A lure is meant to catch fish, not collect them.

Do people think fish are having a pow pow deciding that a 50 year old lure is all of a sudden unappealing to them? If a lure worked decades ago it's going to be just as productive today. I'll be happy to take all of those old lures off your hands.

I've used that brand as well as others, caught lots of fish up to 40# on them, I like the 1/2 size, bass on the 1/4 oz.

Raul is absolutely right, Ande tournament may be the only line that breaks at the label. Diameter for line management is an important factor especially in spinning and how well knots hold. Strength is not a concern for me, the lines break well over label and I set my drag properly, a 20# fish is not going to break 10# line if your drag is set about 3#. All these different lines are designed to hook you, spool it up and just reel that fish in, there isn't any more to it.

I do agree. I'm not primarily a bass fisherman, but I still do it nearly every afternoon after I'm done with saltwater, safe to say I've caught a bass or 2. I did spend 50 years in Michigan bass being my prime target. I just can't understand this obsession with lightness, I'd always opt for what I thought was the smoothest reel. I've got reels that are 14 and 16 oz that are every bit as smooth and easy to crank as my smaller bass reels, a lighter rotor is easier to crank.............huh?

I admire your new found passion, no one lands every fish every time so stick with it. I like catching the biggest, baddest fish available to me, small fish are fun but larger fish are more than just fun. I agree with with Scott, I'd be targeting pike more than muskie for a few reasons. They are more plentiful and the tackle required is not as substantial, $200 is going to come very close to cover expenses to at least get you started. A 10, 20# or larger fish that does not inhale baits hitting a moving lure, a sensitive rod is your last concern, you get a strike and there is no doubt about it. I'm not going to suggest a specific brand but for multi species I'd be using a mh rod with wide lure range, one of my favorites is a mh 1/2- 2 1/2 oz rod, I can go a little lower or little higher if I choose to.

My assumption my be incorrect but I do not get the impression the OP is planning on going head to head with any of the big name tackle companies. One never knows where the first step takes them, we have a number of large companies that started out in garages, today they are multi billion dollar corps. I admire anyone willing to try and market their passion, and would never discourage it. Names are important and so is doing due diligence, filing an assumed name with your county or state is not nationally recognized. I'm sure you will come up with something suitable, sorry to say Bass Assassin is already taken.

My favorite lure is the one I use the most. A bucktail jig will catch me any predatory fish 12 months of the year in both fresh and saltwater.

As I mentioned earlier I thought the symetre was smoother than the stradic, I like that reel and for me $99 is as much as I spend for freshwater.