Marty

I've always used a full variety of lures. I always tried to go as often as possible and cover a lot of ground, not staying long in one spot unless I had good reason to stay. Also try and be there under low light conditions such as mornings, evening and overcast days. And don't let your mind go astray by thinking about all those great fish and spots beyond your casting range. Concentrate on what you can do, not what you can't.

That lure is seldom talked about and underutilized, but it'll catch anything that swims.

As far as I know, marking your line and using a 1 oz. jig, as the previous post mentioned, was pretty much standard in the days before electronics.

Generally, one-piece are considered superior to two. However, a good two-piece should not cause any problems for the typical fisherman. I've used them and the only problem was the pieces starting to come apart if I wasn't alert enough to check them at the start of an outing.

Pick your synonym of choice. Synonyms abecedarian, apprentice, babe, colt, cub, fledgling, freshman, greenhorn, neophyte, beginner, newcomer, novice, novitiate, punk, recruit, rook, rookie, tenderfoot, tyro, virgin

I use leaderless 15# braid for all techniques and never felt a need for stronger line or a leader. But I have confidence in both and understand that not everyone does.

What Seneca Lake? There is more than one.

I agree. Mini Fat Rap is my favorite, but I think anything of equivalent size would be just as good. I used to get them on the smallest size Kastmaster spoons.

Yep, UK has the top recruiting class coming in once again. I watched the end of the game and thought it was the upset of the century until I found out that Kentucky was only favored by 4-5 points. I did learn some history: Robert Morris was one of the few men who signed the Declaration, Articles of Confederation and Constitution.

As to the reel, the 2500 will certainly handle line much better and more efficiently. If the 1000 was the same size as a Daiwa 1000, then I wouldn't want more than 4# test. If 8# or more I'd definitely go 2500, 6# I don't know.

I use 15#, have fished in very heavy cover and never had a need to go stronger. I suspect my 15# Power Pro breaks at much more than the stated strength. But try using what you have and if it works with lighter lures, then great, no problem and you're all set. If not, then you know what you need to do.

Well, crappie can take lures considerably larger than bluegill can, but both species will take a wide variety of artificials.

It's easy to see how difficult a decision this is. Good luck, whichever way you go.

"When Does Winter End?" If it'll make you feel any better, it ends on March 20, 7:02 am, EDT.

I don't know about those lures, but if I can sharpen the hooks with a few strokes and they pass the thumbnail test, then I don't replace them right off the bat. When I do replace I use the round bend style of a well-known brand, such as VMC, Owner or Gamakatsu. As far as size, often you can find the size on the manufacturer's website or that of a retailer. I replace with the same size but I know a lot of folks go up one size.

I agree. What do you want to do? Me personally, I made no modifications. I just load the stuff I need and paddle away and fish. Different strokes...

I use braid on everything.

I never had a Sedona, but I had a few reels that induced twist and there was nothing I could do about it. My worst twist problems in 40+ years were caused by the reels.

Yes, a scale can be used to check the amount of drag. There are different schools of thought on how your drag should be set. When I was new to fishing there was a lot of advice to set your drag just below the breaking strength of the line. Later I read advice to set it much lighter, from 15% to 30%, which makes a lot more sense to me. I haven't tested in years, but I think I'm using around 20% and just set the drag by feel. Whatever you do, check it at the start of each trip or you might be in for for some unpleasant surprises.

Bass are unpredictable. To the best of my knowledge, my coldest topwater bass was 49°. My advice would be to try it but not stick with it a long time if you're not seeing any action.

I use topwaters when the water is about 55° or higher.

I agree, contact your DMV or DNR. How are you planning to propel your canoe? Here in NY registration is required only if a motor is used. I'm strictly a paddler, so I don't have to worry about such things.

I used 10# line on a Daiwa 2500 size reel without an abnormal number of loops. Trilene XL is a spinning-friendly line and I know of no reason for too many loops other than the overfilling. Another thing is to lift your rod tip just before starting your retrieve. That will straighten the line and minimize the chances of starting with a loop on the first couple of handle cranks.

I hoist them up much of the time. I've done this with fish up to 4#, but usually do it with 3# or less. I'll lip them if convenient, but I'm more likely to hoist if it has a mouthful of trebles. Assuming you don't just let the fish flop all over the boat, hoisting is probably better for the fish than netting.

Your goal should be very easy to meet if you get near some fish. Just my personal preference, but I use 3/0 and 4/0 extra-wide-gap hooks for 4" and 5" Senkos, respectively. You could miss some hookups with 2/0 as they might not have enough gap to allow them to pass through the plastic and into the fish's jaw.