tholmes

OLD??? DINOSAUR??? I'll have you know, you young whippersnapper, I have one of those myself, and I was using it regularly until a couple of years ago. It's a pretty darn good reel. Spool it up and throw a few casts with it. Tom the dinosaur

Barlow's Tackle sells 100 packs. Tom

I'm pretty sure those worms are catalpa worms. They're like crack to smallmouths, and the chartreuse w/black stripes Bettle Spin imitates them pretty well. Tom

The 9" junebug Fat Max is a big bass catcher. I don't catch a lot with it, but they're usually quality fish. Tom

Night time is the right time! Especially in the dead of summer and on heavily pressured lakes. Tom

Great deal! I have one of those rods and it's a great shallow/medium crankbait rod. Mine does double duty as a small spinnerbait rod also. Tom

Smithwick Devils Horse, black back, dark green scale. Tom

Nice! That's a HUGE channel cat! Tom

I use a 7' medium Abu Vendetta with an Ambassadeur Record 40, 10 lb. Big Game mono. Tom

I use a couple of old Rapala knives. I sharpen them myself with a Lansky sharpener. Razor sharp! Tom

On a long cast, there are a few factors that can affect what you feel, mostly related to the line. A little wind can put a bow in your line (even when it's under tension) that can greatly reduce sensitivity. Even the drag of the water on your line can reduce sensitivity. Most rods are plenty sensitive enough to feel a crankbait or spinnerbait working under normal circumstances. Tom

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser followed by U-40 cork sealer. Stays looking new for years. Tom

Fruit of the Loom pocket T-shirt, raggedy old jeans, wide-brimmed hat and Adidas sneakers. Abu Garcia hoodie if it's cold. Nothin' fancy. Tom

Hot sauce is OK if you like everything inside of your reel to be red and also like re-lubing your bearings every month. Tom

All day, all year are the times jigs have worked for me. I have one tied on every time I go fishing. Tom

I've painted many using epoxy enamel (appliance enamel) and had pretty good results. I use red primer and then spray several light coats of enamel over that. I've tried powder coating them with mixed results. I'm tempted to try a powder paint spray gun, I think it would work better that my fluid bed. Tom

They'll hit pretty much anything moving. In-line spinners, tailspinners, blade baits, small spoons, jigs, grubs etc. White and/or silver in clear water, yellow, chartreuse, gold in stained/muddy water. Tom

If you really want to get by on the cheap, I've had good results with the little Rebel squarebills that Wal-Mart had for $1.50 last year. I'm looking to stock up again this spring! Tom

I did that once, only it was an osprey. He grabbed a spook and flew off with it. Luckily, he dropped it before he got hooked. I wouldn't want to try to get that off of the hook! Another time, I snagged an Ambassadeur 5000D on a Lew's speed stick. It cleaned up nice but I never liked that reel. I gave it to a buddy to use as a catfish rig. Tom

Jitterbug Smithwick Devil's Horse Pop'r Chug Bug Tom

No, but then, I've never had any desire to catch an alligator. Tom

My baitcasters are all ABU round reels. I've owned Shimano, Daiwa, Quantum, etc. but have settled on the round Swedes. Shiimano and Daiwa make some great reels, but the round ABUs are what I'm most comfortable with. They fit my old hands, they're rugged and reliable, easy to service, and parts (even for the 30 year old models) are readily available. Like 0119, I catch some flak for using "old school reels" but they get the job done every time. Oh, I'm also a Shimano fan boy when it comes to spinning reels. Tom

This.^ I usually lose them long before I have to worry about re-painting them. Tom

In my case, I will spend more on a reel than a rod, although I don't spend a lot on either. My reason is that I'm much more likely to break a rod than a reel and if I do break a reel I can (in most cases) repair it myself. A broken rod is junk. Tom

After you get them clean, seal them with U-40 to keep them looking good. Tom