Marty

The principle is "might makes right." I don't know how old you are, but a long time ago, all home games were blacked out for their viewing area, period, no exceptions. It was the politicians who forced the present policy of lifting the blackouts if the game sells out 72 hours before kickoff. Rumor has it that the reason was that Congressmen wanted to be able to watch the Redskin games, but regardless, it was politics that gave us the present policy.

Historically, the way to spool spinning reels was to lay the supply spool flat such that the line came off the opposite way that it goes on the reel (so the opposite twists would partially cancel each other out). I have never seen a reel where the line went on counterclockwise, just clockwise, so the line should come off the supply spool counterclockwise. Then they came out with anti-twist line rollers. Daiwa's Twist Buster was the first one I was aware of. Both Daiwa and Shimano's instruction sheets (I wouldn't call them manuals anymore) for these reels advised keeping the supply spool up and down like you would for a baitcaster. For these types of reels I have spooled on both ways and haven't detected any differences in line performance. Check the reel's instructions. If you don't have them or have any doubt, I'd recommend using the spool flat on the floor method. Note: if anyone tells you to lay the spool down with the label facing up (or down), IGNORE IT. Spools are inconsistently labeled, even within one manufacturer's products.

I've used Traps, Spots and Rattling Rapalas and haven't noticed differences in effectiveness. That doesn't mean there aren't differences, just none that were apparent to me.

I tried a spool of 10# line for spinning. It performed well, I had no problems, but I also couldn't determine what extra it gave me to justify the premium price.

What is he using now and what is happening? The implication here is that he has to change lines because of problems. There are numerous lines with low enough memory for spinning. I've had recent personal experience with Original Stren, Trilene XL and Sensation.

Any topwater can work over pads as long as it doesn't catch on the vegetation. Various soft plastics are good, fished over, around and through the pads, letting them sink into holes and at the edges. Also, spinnerbaits and crankbaits along the edges if you can get away with them.

There are many cutters sold for braid. I'm another one who uses Fiskar's kids' scissors, which are the same as Culprit's Braid Blades. If you catch Fiskar's on sale you can get them for $1, otherwise you might have to pay $2.

There's a couple of tributary bays to Lake Ontario that have excellent rock bass fishing in the string. For as far back as I can remember, the conventional wisdom has been that the good fishing is during apple blossom time. Since both blooming and spring fish habits depend on the progression of the weather, I suspect these are more reliable than many of the theories that are considered old wives' tales.

I think it's much more likely that those grubs weren't in the right place at the right time, as opposed to the lack of success being due to the lure.

I use backing on all my reels and spool on about 60 yards of the line I'm actually fishing with.

If you don't get your answer, contact them. http://www.sevylor.com/about.php?t=204

I switched to FF about three years ago after I had so much spyware that I had to hire a guy to clean up my computer. These days it's a rarity to come across a site that doesn't support it.

There is no answer to that. There are factors such as what the water temp has been running and what the air temp has been running. If your air has been in the 30s and 40s and then you get a few days of 50s, then the water should warm up a few degrees, depending on how much sun you got on those warmer days and what the water temp had been, as well as the depth of the body of water. If your water isn't ice-covered, I wouldn't stay home unless you're convinced that you won't catch anything.

I never heard of a tunnel hull canoe. But, if you don't already know this, there's some great bass fishing to be had in those small ponds and lakes that are off-limits to motors and bigger boats. Sure, try and strike a bargain, but a couple of years from now it won't matter whether you paid $300 or $350 or had a paddle thrown in when you're fighting a fat bass and once again congratulating yourself for this great purchase.

I don't know if bass meet your standard of "something big." But you have a place not too far from you that more than one knowledgeable person has called the best fishery in the country. Of course, I'm talking about Champlain. If it were me, I'd definitely use a guide.

The previous explanations are correct as far as I can see. In the last step you choose one out of three doors to click and it shows your number. You then check the other doors and see different numbers. What has to be happening is that all three doors have your number. Then after you click, it changes the number behind the other two to make you think it guessed right.

I put line on my reels when it gets down enough that I can't make a long cast. This can be weeks, months or years, depending on how much I use that particular reel. I have had line on a reel for five years or more and not experienced problems. I don't know what the shelf life is, but line can last a long time if not exposed to the elements. I spool reels by hand. I don't buy bulk spools, but I wouldn't hesitate if I went through line more than I presently do. If I keep a 300-yard spool around for a couple of years, the memory on a bulk spool wouldn't be any more of a problem, especially if I went through line faster. I check my line frequently for nicks and other signs of weakness, but I can't recall a problem I ever had that I could attribute to old line.

Pages here started loading faster a few months ago after the site was down and work was done on the server. However, it continues to be slower for me than many of the other sites I visit.

Pradco did the same with the Spit'n Image, Pop'n Image and Swim'n Image. For the first years of those lures' existence they were sold under the Excalibur name, but changed to Heddon four or five years ago. I know that first-hand since the Swim'n Image is my favorite super-shallow crank.

I bought it earlier this year and found it entertaining, informative and too scientifically detailed in some parts for my taste. But I don't know that I caught any more fish for having read it. But I do recommend it for anyone who is interested in the science of a bass, for example, how the various senses work.

Millions have had success with it, as it's been one of the best-selling lures in America for many years. My best on that particular lure has been a four-pounder. It's also done well fishing from Lake Ontario piers in the spring for trout and salmon.

Just one man's assorted thoughts. Bass don't make long runs, so capacity is not an issue. I never saw a reel that didn't have adequate capacity. Ball bearings are nice, but more of them don't necessarily mean a better reel. Gear ratios are a matter of personal preference. You could go higher for jigs and soft plastics, for example, so you could take up slack line faster and tighten the line faster when the fish swims toward you. You could also go lower for lures offering a lot of resistance, such as deep-diving crankbaits. But you could go higher and slow down when necessary. I tend not to be technique-specific and use something around 5:1 for all my needs. Keep in mind that many spinning reels will take up more line than baitcasters with the same ratio, so beware of comparisons between the two. Use reels with decent sized spools because line performance is better with a bigger spool, given a choice between two sizes. I know this is vague but there are no "right" answers for everyone.

Sorry, you've decided how your free time gets used, not the NFL. They don't have the power to do that, only you and me and others can do that. We're talking one instance here out of a season. It's a non-issue as far as I'm concerned.

I don't ice fish, but I hear a lot more talk about ice fishing for perch and toothy fish than I hear about bass. However, to the best of my knowledge, the Massachusetts state record of 15-8 was caught through the ice.

I don't think the one on the bottom right is either a Lazy Ike or a Kwikfish. Both those lures have a smoothly curved back, not coming to a blunt point like the lure pictured.