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I'm not a fan of using 30# braid on baitcasting equipment, but I don't think that's what's causing the backlashes. As a rule of thumb, if the backlash happens early in the cast, the spool tension is too loose. If it happens late, in the second half of the cast, the magnetic brakes are too loose.

I never thought I would get so attached to a brand, but I did. I went from using mostly Loomis, Croix, and various $100 class rods to using all Dobyns Champions and Extremes. The Champions are an outstanding value, especially when found used or on sale for under $200. I'm not so sure anymore if you even benefit from a rod of better quality than the Champ. Will an Extreme or a GLX put even a dozen more fish in the boat over the coarse of a year? I'd have to say no.

I haven't owned the other two, but I couldn't be happier with the CI4 2500.

Rapala braid scissors do a good job and so do Fiskars, but a new pair of toenail clippers are what I use most of the time. The cut isn't the cleanest, but does it really matter? It's cheap, quick, and easy, and it won't stab a hole in my pocket or boat seat if I accidentally sit on them.

If you're fishing around weeds or heavy cover, I'd stay away from 4 power Dobyns rods for general jig fishing with jigs above 3/8 oz. I personally think that 734 and DX744 would be a terrible choice for flipping and pitching jigs heavier then that. They're just to soft near the tip and don't have the backbone for heavy cover. I use 744 for deep water, light cover football jigging and 1/4-3/8 oz swim jigs. The 735 and DX795 are better suited for jigging with a variety of medium to heavy weights. I Haven't handled the DX745, but I bet it's a really nice rod. I'd have to recommend the 735. It's a great all-purpose jig and worm rod and maybe the most versatile bass fishing rod I've ever owned.

With no brakes, I have to feather the spool too much. I don't like it, besides rarely do I need that extra casting distance. I use mostly Curados with spool bearing upgrades, and two mags work best more often than not..

Slice a groove into the tip of a fat tip green permanent marker, and it'll make the job quicker. Even green braid needs to be colored up occasionally if it's heavily used.

I've always found that braid increases casting distance, and it casts even further once it's broken it.

Junebug is one of my go-to colors for jigs and plastics, but I have had ZERO luck with junebug in super clear water. Greens seem to work best. Watermelon, watermelon/red flk, watermelon/white, and green pumpkin would be my picks.

I've never seen them run off to the right like that. Does the blade spin freely on the rivet? I've had one or two where the body wanted to roll to the left no matter how I tuned it or how slow I fished it. I wouldn't call them duds because they still caught fish despite them rolling over. Cavitrons are my favorite buzzers my far, but they're unusually finicky when it come to getting the wire angles tuned up properly in order to get them to run true.

The right jig is important, but so is the right rod. You need a nice heavy rod with a pretty solid tip to pop the jig free of weeds. This will trigger a lot of strikes, too. If you're rod is too soft, even the perfect jig will bog down in the weeds. Around weeds, I use the Northstar alien head jigs fished on heavy power rods (Dobyns 735/795.) These jigs have a nicely recessed line tie that is well suited for weeds, but also acts as a stand-up head for the sandy/rocky areas adjacent to the weeds. Best, most well-rounded jigs on the market, IMO.

Just imagine if somebody was riding in those seats in the bow of the boat. WIth 4 people aboard, I bet somebody was up there. If I weren't the driver, that's where I would be.

I like to fish heavily scented Senkos and round-rubber "mop" jigs around docks. You can give the jig a lot of action and make it breathe with some shakes of the rod tip without actually pulling it away from the dock. It'll give the bass some time to think about it, and often times they'll come out to investigate.

A few bad apples will spoil the barrel, for both anglers and non-angling boaters alike. I've seen far more disrespect from boaters than I have from fisherman, especially when the boaters are property tax paying residents of the lake. They REALLY act they own the lake. I guess in a sense, they do, at least more than the folks using the public access. I've also realized that some of these boaters who may be perceived as disrespectful honestly don't know that they're getting too close or shutting down the fishing. Some of them are very nice, courteous people, they just don't understand. They're used to fishing for potato chip-sized sunnies once or twice a year with the grandkids, and those things couldn't care less about boat wakes and jetskis, so why would bass and walleye?

I switch hands and use righty reels with many of my rigs, but use lefty reels on my jig/T-rig/flip/pitch setups. Wouldn't have it any other way. I hate switching handing while pitching in particular. I prefer keeping my dominant right hand on the rod with all spinning rigs or finesse/bottom contact presentations, probably because I grew up river fishing smallies with spinning tackle and lefty reels. Any avid pitcher who's right handed should give a lefty reel a shot. I bet you'll never go back.

I would try a swim jig. 1/4 oz with a 5" single, curlytail trailer. The trailer will have plenty of resistance to fish nice and slow, and the fall will be slow enough to fish over those weeds.

I don't think it matters a whole lot. I prefer black frogs, regardless of conditions. I've occasionally seen light colored frogs outfish black ones, but for the most part, I think you can get away with just black.

I prefer jig fishing with 15-17 lb. Trilene 100% fluorocarbon line. Flouro transmits slack-line bites better than any other line, so it works really well for fishing bottom-contact lures.

Northstar jigs. I lose so many jigs to northerns that I can never really have enough. They're gonna get used sooner or later.

I prefer 1/2 oz jigs mostly, but if the it's not too windy, sometimes lighter jigs seem to work better. Calm shallow water, cool water in the fall, poor fishing, or post cold front days are good times to try lighter jigs. 1/4 oz jigs are useful because they don't sink deeply into the weeds, and you can hop or twitch them on top of dense weedbeds.

If gone through a couple bottles, and I don't think they're very effective at all. Gulp attractant doesn't seem to stay on the bait for very long. There are better alternatives.

I'll usually wear these Columbia Tamiami shirts, either short or long-sleeve, with lightweight shorts or mesh jogging pants. I prefer to have dedicated fishing clothes rather than fish in street clothes. They're gonna get dirty, faded, and stained regardless. http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B0031RFX7Y http://www.amazon.co...t/dp/B0031RFX38

Snag Proof Phat Frog.

I'll usually keep the plastics in their original bags, stored in gallon Ziplock bags, and kept in small, dry Rubbermaid containers stored inside the boat. They're well organized this way, away from the humidity of the boat lockers, and marinated in JJ's Magic.

4-9pm usually. That's what works best with my work schedule.