tholmes

^ Same here. Tom

I have a Jitterbug that's got to be 40 years old. It started life as a frog pattern, but at some point, I spray painted it black. After several re-paints, it's still catching bass and I still use it regularly. Tom

You don't have to spend a lot to get good crankbaits. Bomber, Bandit, Norman, Strike King, H2O Xpress (Academy), Rebel, Mann's and several others all make affordable, quality baits. Shop the sales and you can do even better. Tom

^ I have one of these, and it's a very good crankin' rod for not much money. I also have a 7' medium Ugly Stik Lite that I use for deep crankbaits. To me, it fishes a little more toward the medium heavy part of the spectrum, but its moderate action and fairly soft tip make it a good rod for deeper cranks. Tom

Hi! I'm Tom and I'm a lureaholic. It would probably take me a week to count them, and that;s just the crankbaits. Suffice it to say, the total number would be in the thousands. Tom

Sweet! As a long-time fan of the Swedish round reels, I can tell you that you've got a very nice reel. As DVT said, it will last for generations. Tom

Do-It makes a couple of molds to pour weighted hooks. http://www.barlowstackle.com/Do-It-Weighted-Hook-Mold-P297C55.aspx Tom

Those are both fine reels, you really can't go wrong with either. Take the rod that you intend to use the reel on to the store with you and see which one feels the best in your hand. Tom

I've had my share and then some. The worst was when trolling for stripers with a Storm Big Mac. I had the rod in a rod holder, the lure snagged on the bottom and when I reached for the rod, I inadvertently hit the free spool button. By far, the biggest mess I've ever made of a reel. Tom

FYP. Tom

Another vote for fitovers vs. clip-ons. I use the $20 Solar Shield fitovers from Wal-Mart, Walgreens, etc. They cover the sides, top and bottom of your field of view.The one downside is that they restrict air circulation and tend to fog up in cool weather. Sure, you'll look like an old geezer, but some of us are old geezers. Tom

I'd try a Johnson's Silver Minnow with a trailer of your choice. Run it through the tops of the weeds, occasionally letting it fall a few feet. It's an oldie, but it still works. Tom

Toothpicks. Tom

I've often found this to be the case also. my favorite lure in these situations is a Silver Buddy type blade bait. Cast it into or past the schools of baitfish, let it sink and yo-yo it back. More often than not, a bass will nail it on the fall. Tom

I do the same thing, with the same results. I want her to catch plenty of fish. Tom

Wow! If my math is correct (?) that will make 316,800 1/2 oz. jigs. Enough to last a couple of seasons, at least! Tom

I've used salvaged bullet lead for years with no problems. Just be sure to flux it well and like Cadman said, use a mold release. I use Drop-Out from Frankford Arsenal. I get it from Midway USA http://www.midwayusa.com/product/763758/frankford-arsenal-drop-out-bullet-mold-release-agent-and-lube-6-oz-aerosol This method works with jig molds also. I'll sometimes do a "dry run" to heat up the mold. Just pour the mold full of lead with no hooks in it, let it cool for a few seconds, remove the lead and (CAREFULLY!) drop it back into the pot. Tom

Typically, the 2 letter code indicates the first year of production or the first year of a major innovation. EB would indicate 1969. http://www.drexelantiques.com/shakespeare.html Hope this helps! Tom

I have my first baitcasting rig given to me by my grandpa in 1962. Shakespeare 1920 Wondereel and tubular steel rod from about 1951. I also have this Mitchell 301 and Garcia rod that's just like my first spinning outfir. From about 1973. I have several other semi-old baitcasting reels, an Abu Ambassadeur 5000, Shakespeare 1980 President II, Daiwa Millionaire 5H, Ryobi AD4000V, and several others. Tom

Zoom Ol' Monster & Culprit Fat Max. Tom

Yep! ^^ I've found that those three basic colors (shad, bream and red craw) are all I need. Tom

White Pearl. Can't go wrong with basic black and a strand of pearls. Tom

I have a couple of those that I still use. They still catch bass too! Tom

Silver Buddy-type blade baits have worked well for me. Tom

Let me know when you have "completed your collection". I want to know what that looks like. Tom