Marty

I'd certainly try the waterfalls, as was suggested, but wouldn't limit myself to that one spot unless it was really producing. As to what to use, I'd try the usual assortment of lures that are appropriate for the conditions. Here in western NY we catch them on topwaters, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, etc., and I wouldn't think water temps would be that much different in MA.

Just a guess, but I suspect the guy in question didn't transform, but showed his real self.

These do look like a very nice pair of pliers, but how do they exceed TT in quality?

I have no problem telling lures used. But it can kill the fishing to talk about small waters on a public forum. People who do mention the specifics are the exception, not the rule. On a couple of small regional forums that I'm a member of, people will usually share this information via personal message with members who are known and trusted.

Good luck. Personally, I wouldn't trust any fiber to be pike-proof. If you wanted to test a line, I'd run it over a serrated knife blade. I don't know how similar that is to pike teeth, but I would think it would offer a clue as to how the line would hold up.

This style of bait is excellent for drawing strikes. I use them in relatively shallow, weedy water, the same type of water where I'd use a spinnerbait. I don't think the Chatterbait is of the best quality, certainly inferior to the Boogee Bait, although I haven't seen much of a difference between the two in their ability to draw strikes. I don't like the Leverage hook style on the Boogee Bait; if it had a rigid hook, it would be my bait of choice. I've been using the Gambler Swim Blade. So far I've caught bass, pike, pickerel, walleye and channel cats on these baits. I always use a trailer hook.

Never saw an infomercial that didn't. Never used a Banjo, but it looks like a soft jerkbait with its erratic movement. I can't see why it wouldn't work like other soft jerkbaits, but I'd buy other brands. Of the infomercials I've seen for fishing products, the Banjo looks to be less gimmicky than some others.

Just out of curiosity, what deficiencies are present in the lines you've used that you're trying to improve on?

You need to fish for more than an hour before giving up on a body of water. I don't know how to tell if it holds bass without fishing it. There's a pond I fish fairly frequently. It's maddening and frustrating, because more often than not I will not catch something, yet this pond has produced my two largest fish. So you never know what might happen when you toss a lure into the water.

Senkos and other lures work in all sizes of bodies of water. If you read enough threads on Senkos, you will learn that every color works. Don't drive yourself crazy, just get a light and a dark color and you'll probably be fine. I personally use black and pumpkinseed, not because I think they're any better, but because I have to have something. I obviously could be wrong (I'll never know) but I have confidence that having more or different colors would not make any substantial difference in the number of strikes.

I found this sentence to be pretty interesting. "Municipal regulations will supersede those of the state." What is the attitude of the cities and towns compared to the state? Will they really be able to supersede everything, like the time of day, limits of of one tournament per body of water, etc?

In what ways is Sufix superior to Power Pro?

Yep.

I'm not a Kobe or a Lakers fan, but I think they're the better team.

Might you have braid tied directly to the spool? That could cause drag problems.

I bought a "Guide Series" for $60 last year it's fine by me.

Rottenchester.

There are certainly many resources on the Internet to help with fish identification. I own Guide to Freshwater Fishes of New York and Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Freshwater Fish. Looking around bookstores, fish field guides weren't easy to come by.

I pay no attention to the reviews regarding fish-catching ability. But it's possible to glean some useful information if it relates to such things as chipping paint, easily broken lips, quick-rusting hooks and similar matters.

I'd fish braid in those conditions. It still continues to amaze me how abrasion-resistant braid is to wood and vegetation. For what it's worth, I don't use a leader.

I fish a lot of small ponds. My best advice is to fish that place a lot, use a variety of lures that fit the cover and other conditions, and be there at higher percentage times, like lower light. You should learn a lot about that water after fishing it frequently.

That might happen if you hook into the Loch Ness Monster, but if a NY bass drags you around it'll probably be the new state record. I've never been in a kayak, but I fish from a canoe and haven't been dragged around yet. As to the flipping thing, I can't answer, but I've seen plenty of guys fishing from kayaks who don't seem very concerned. You could try something like this: while in your boat, attach your line to a stump or lily pad or shoreline object and simulate a hookset, starting out with a mild sweeping set, then gradually stronger ones. This should tell you how the yak will behave while the rod is under a load and give you more confidence for when you do tie into some bass. Good luck.

I've almost always fished them weightless. Jerk-pause-jerk is a good way to start out. After the jerk, leave a little slack in the line, as the slack allows the bait to dart erratically. Use a hook with a wide enough gap so there's room for the hook to get through the plastic and penetrate the fish's jaw. If you're fishing weeds, let the bait drop into holes or at the edges. Be a line-watcher and if you see the line moving off, set the hook. Good luck, these are great baits!

Not entirely. All other things being equal, larger spools make for better casting distance and line performance, regardless of what kind of line. Simple physics, for a given distance, a smaller spool will require more line revolutions, thus shortening the cast. Or the corollary, for a given number of revolutions, the smaller spool will yield a shorter cast and a less smooth flowing of the line off the reel.

It's absolutely true that you can use heavier line on a baitcaster and you can buy good reels without breaking the bank. I use spinning only, but I used to use some baitcasting, but just didn't like what I considered their lack of versatility compared to spinning. Using a baitcaster is not rocket science and, in my humble opinion, nobody has to put up with "constant" birdsnesting. Just a small bit of practice, using your thumb and learning to use just two controls on your reel should keep your backlashes to very few.