Marty

Color isn't real high on my priority list. Having said that, I've been using white with good success, although I'm sure any number of other colors would do just as well. If you're a spinnerbait user, I'd choose the same colors you use with them.

I'm happy with my Daiwas and could recommend that you try one in your price range.

I agree that spinning is far superior, but I don't see where you have a problem. If your friend is happy, so be it. If you and he fish together, he can see the differences first-hand and make his decision.

I don't think there is a "best" overall line. The most recent lines I've used are Trilene XL, Original Stren and Gamma Copolymer, as well as Fireline. Fireline is unbelievably abrasion resistant against vegetation and I've heard other superlines are too.

RW-that explains it. I had forgotten the slipping was an issue. disclaimer-new to braid. I think another reason is economy. Bass fishing usually doesn't require more than 50 or so yards to fish with. By doing this, you'll get two fillings from one of those 125-yard spools. I use backing and use 50-60 yards of line regardless of whether I'm using mono or superlines.

I use spinning gear. My all-purpose rods are 6'6", medium power with a fast tip.

No river experience, but plenty on ponds and lakes. Like a previous poster, color isn't a big deal to me, a wide range of colors has worked, from light to dark and in between. I use a twitch-pause-twitch type of retrieve over vegetation or other shallow cover. With surface weeds, like lily pads, I like to bring them over, around and through the vegetation, letting them sink into holes or at the edges. You can also walk the dog with them on the surface. Other brands work well too. In my experience, Flukes and Bass Assassins seem to produce about equally. Be a line-watcher. Most of my strikes are detected by my seeing the line moving off to the side.

I've never used any size other than the Baby 1- and I consider it an excellent lure. I use them over shallow vegetation. One problem is that the hooks often tangle. I've been experimenting with using these with just one hook, but the results are not in yet. It works fine with pike, but I haven't hooked enough bass on the one hook yet to conclude anything.

Have you used other medium baitcasting rods? Because it sounds like what you are saying, without actually saying it, is that Okuma rods don't meet your standard of what a medium power rod should be.

d**n, I'll lose my touch if my knitting is confined to the winter. Knit one, purl two, knit one... :'(

Use a trailer hook and keep 'em wet. 8-)

Unlike nboucher, I am not a member of the media, so I have no inside information, just speculation. I believe the tilt of the media in general is overstated. Yes, the media have to make a profit, just like all corporate entities, but making a profit and putting out a good product are not necessarily mutually exclusive, and I truly believe that there are media outlets that are providing a good product. Perhaps the media are framing the debate on global warming, just to cite this one example, perhaps not. But let's not forget that they are reporting mostly what the scientists are concluding. And there are thousands of scientists and hundreds of scientific organizations spending millions of hours on this. Do some media outlets present one side of the argument more than the other? Probably, but there are also those which present both in reasonable balance. There are more sources of news today than at any time in history. Broadcast networks, cable networks, radio, satellite, magazines and the Internet. By reading a variety of sources and making sure we read both the conservative and liberal viewpoints, I think most of us can get a pretty good idea of the extent of a problem. Again, just using global warming as one example, in the final analysis, the debate is being framed by the scientists studying it, even though the media may play a sizable role.

I truly believe that one family could indeed change the dynamic of a body of water that size. Of course, there are many reasons why a body of water can go bad and I couldn't even begin to speculate on your strip pit.

I use Regal-Zs (now discontinued) and like them very much. What about the Emcast or Exceler? http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/common/search/search-results1.jsp?QueryText=daiwa+spinning&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=daiwa+spinning&noImage=0

I don't know where you are, but I was out a couple of times this week in 60° weather, but the water was still 38°. Fishing from shore, I didn't get a touch.

I figured you got a heavy power rod because you would be fishing in some pretty heavy cover, which might be too much for lines typically used on spinning reels. I'd use the braid if you will actually be fishing heavy cover. If not, then your 10-12# mono ought to be all right.

Answer to what? It seems that the NOAA guy is talking about our current warm spell and is not addressing the existence or non-existence of global warming.

It's like beauty, it's in the eye of the beholder. I'm very pleased with the quality of my $50 Daiwa Regal-Zs and various $40 rods. Maybe ignorance is bliss, but I never say to myself, I really need more expemsive equipment.

I'm not an authority on either the rods or the reels you mention, but...it seems to me you first ought to decide what size line you want to use with the heavy power rod, then use whichever reel is better suited to that particular line.

It's well-understood that there have been climate cycles forever, but none of those cycles were after the Industrial Revolution started. It doesn't take a scientist to realize that the countless tons of pollutants we're releasing into the atmosphere aren't doing us any good and may very well be contributing to the current warming.

He'll be an excellent coach, but anyone with an IQ higher than a slug could've handled the situation better than he did, considering all the idiotic, unnecessary lies that came out of his mouth.

I fish them Texposed. Size 3/0 and 4/0 extra-wide-gap hooks for the 4" and 5" Senko, respectively. Never used the 6". And yes, I've found the 4" to be effective. I don't know that I've been able to tell if they're any different in effectiveness from the 5', although I use the 5" more often.

I know you didn't ask and probably don't want to hear this, but why not move on? I'm sure you had great success with this grub and have a lot of confidence in it, but it's just a grub. There are plenty of good grubs and colors that will catch just as many fish as the Sizzler. I don't like it either when favored lures are discontinued, but sometimes we just have to let go. If you don't, you'll find yourself still wanting these five years from now when they'll be even harder to come by. Having said that, I would think that you could find other chartreuse grubs and find a way to apply chrome flash to the tail.

On the baits I use, #6 is the most common hook, followed by #4. Most of the time, I use #4 split rings.

I agree, although in some circumstances, it might be appropriate to jail a president, depending on the particular transgression. In the justice system, what we always seek is, well, justice. In Nixon's case, having to resign in humiliation was more than adequate punishment. Criminal indictments would have served no good purpose apparent to me.