tholmes

Is this a spinning reel or a baitcaster? If it's a spinning reel, $50 is the new price. I don't have any experience with the Trion baitcasters. Tom

VMC 9648BZ Barbless Treble Hooks Sizes 12 - 2 - Barlow's Tackle (barlowstackle.com) Tom

I'd try throwing a Johnson Silver Minnow spoon with the trailer of your choice.. They come through grass pretty well. Tom

Slug-Gos - Lunker City Tom

I would be a 1.5. No boat, usually only carry two poles and a small tackle bag. Tom

2" Hot'n'Tot in this color^ Tom

^ This. Exactly. I'll stick to my "overpriced" ABUs. Tom

Same here. I've been throwing 7.5" Culprit ribbontails since they hit the market in the late '70s. I just about always have one rod rigged every time I go fishing. And, yes, they still catch fish! Tom

I was trolling for stripers using an old Shakespeare President 1980 and got bit. I reached for the rod and accidently bumped the free spool button. Mega-backlash ensued. Tom

No. Nor would I want to. Tom

I honestly have never weighed a lure. This is the correct answer. Tom

That's my prescription for "kid tackle". Maybe throw in a couple of Rooster Tails and tiny spoons. Tom

I've had the same experience with the H20 crankbaits, especially the square bills. They're as good as anything out there. Tom

Pole barn nail mounted in a vise. Tom

Abu Vendetta 7' MH fast. It works well as a jig rod, too. Tom

I started with a Zebco 202 on a 5' 'glass rod. I was fishing with my grandpa when a ~ 4lb. bass grabbed my lure and the drag on the reel failed causing the reel to self-destruct. The next time my grandpa took me fishing, he gave me a Shakespeare Model 1920 casting reel on a 5' steel rod. It took me a while to learn to cast that thing, but I finally got it. I still have the combo and I take it out now and then just to see if I can still cast without free spool and multiple ball bearings. Tom

That's my set-up, exactly! Tom

There's an app for that.? ? Tom

I've tied thousands of bucktail and maribou jigs using rod wrapping thread. Size A, IIRC I sealed the wraps with clear vinyl paint thinned 50/50. For silicone jig skirts, I tie them with fine copper wire. I can't remember the exact size, but that's not critically important. As long as it's strong enough to twist tightly without breaking and fine enough to be flexible enough to wrap, you're good to go. Tom

Unfortunately, Jerry has closed up shop. I used to buy a lot of Ambassadeur parts from him. ? Tom

I had over 100 at last count, and I've bought more since then. Tom

Today, here in deep central Kansas, it's 25 degrees with a north breeze and a snow/sleet mix falling. I'm not fishing. ? When I was (much) younger, I would fish in pretty much any weather from scorching heat to as cold as myself and my gear could stand. The limiting factor was usually the wind. Anything over 30 mph is a no-go for me. Tom

As a certifiable old coot, all of my casting reels are round Ambassadeurs. I have 6 in regular use and a couple dozen more that are either retired or backups. Sure, they're heavier than most bass reels, and none of them have double-digit bearing counts or supersonic retrieve speed, but they just work. And keep on working for years with some simple maintenance. tom

This or BPS Excel. Tom

We have many varieties of snakes, but only 2 that are venomous and commonly found in Central Kansas. Prairie rattler and Massassauga. There are Timber rattlers and Copperheads in the Eastern part of Kansas. Western Diamondbacks and Cottonmouths are very rarely sighted in the state. Tom