Marty

I'm sure there are tens of millions of people who feel sorry for him.

I've seen all colors of plastics work and I just use a couple of colors because I don't think it makes much of a difference. Of course, I could easily be wrong, but I'm comfortable doing what I do. Typically my two colors of many plastics were black and translucent pumpkinseed and I often felt that using just one would be just as productive.

I think what the video anglers are telling you is that with slack line the lure will fall straight down. With taut line it will fall and pendulum back toward you.

When I used to target them I used a UL combo with 4# line and grubs on 1/16 oz. jigheads. However, they'll take a wide variety of lures. The schools were usually mixed white bass and white perch. They hit pretty hard for a small fish.

I've thought for many years that pickerel fight somewhat better than largemouth. I've also had as many pickerel biteoffs as pike. Both are equally adept in that department.

I presume because the wire weedguard is lined up exactly opposite the hook. I don't use spoons anymore because I have more confidence in the hooking ability of soft plastics. But spoons come through surface weeds, such as lily pads, very well and do attract fish.

For the standard Ribbit, I use a keeper-style hook, 4/0, extra wide gap and fish with it unweighted.

I don't fish in winter but use the full assortment of lures spring through fall. The exception is I avoid topwaters in early spring or late fall when the water is below about 55°.

I use duolock snaps. Snap swivels I use only with inline spinners.

I never use a leader. I have confidence, but don't know for sure if it's the right or wrong decision.

Backing doesn't affect the braid's performance. I use cheap mono as backing and leave room for 50-60 yards of braid.

Yes. I have caught pike on plastic worms and everything else I use.

You can fish more than frogs in lily pads. Soft plastics dragged across the pads and dropped into holes and edges can be very good in addition to frogs.

I don't know that there's a line you should be using, as there's no one right answer. I've been using braid for everything, but I have my reasons. Before braid I used mono. Never used fluoro, but I'm sure that'll work too. You should probably learn about the properties of each line type and then decide which is right for you.

Impressive. That's some serious cycling when considering that my average ride is about 9 miles.

I've always used 4/0 ewg on Ribbits and they area large enough. I personally have no confidence in double hooks and wouldn't consider them for this lure. Like others, I use keeper hooks to make each bait last longer.

I guess you have to keep what you think will work. Lures go out of favor, in my opinion, not because they don't catch fish but because new products come along that have more marketing appeal. We all have to come up with some way to prioritize based on available space and our own attitudes about lures.

Years ago I was having a problem with negative odor on my lures. I had never added scent, but I tried one and my results skyrocketed from day 1. But six weeks later there was an outing when this scent worked as a bass repellent. I can't prove that 100% (just as very little in fishing can be proved), but I'm as confident as I can possibly be. This overall experience did a great job of messing up my head. Therefore, my answer based on my own experience is that certain scents can have a negative effect on occasion.

What kind of feedback are you looking for? I have no reason to believe that the quality of this bag is any better or worse than the competition. The important thing is that it meets your needs with regard to size, capacity, number of pockets, pocket placement, etc.

There's middle ground. Just because you don't use your sponsor's lure doesn't mean you plug someone else's. Just say you used a crankbait for example. If asked, you decline to mention the brand.

The above two beat me to it; the DNR would likely be interested.

I have an online friend who's sponsored by a major lure manufacturer. He claims the company tells its staffers not to lie about what they used. Whether that is true and whether the staffers tell the truth is something I have no way of knowing.

I don't know about most, but the two balsa lures that I'm most familiar with are the original floater and Shad Rap. It sounds like the Scatter Raps might be balsa as well.

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Personally, color isn't that big a deal to me so discontinued colors don't bother me. I'm a believer in that old bit about there being only three colors, dark, light and something in between.

It won't cost you anything to contact the company. I don't care if it's a Loomis or a $30 rod, no rod tip should break under a 1# load.