tholmes

Yum Crawbug. Rage craws are great, but I have to order them online or drive 125 miles to find a store that stocks them. Tom

~ 7" ribbon-tail worm, tequila sunrise (or something similar) t-rigged. I've caught more quality bass on these than anything else, and it ain't even close. Tom

Only one crankbait??? You're gonna need several (dozen) more! Tom

Mike's reel repair used to sell a tool for removing and installing the IAR sleeve in the sideplate. You might check with them, they probably have the sleeve also. Tom

Wrong on both counts, at least in Kansas. Any state, county or municipal L.E.O can enforce any state law in his jurisdiction, including fish and game laws. An out-of-state resident license is not valid in Kansas either. Tom

What hooks are you using now? I've had great results with the Gamakatsu #291 hooks. They're pretty stout. Tom

My collection is mostly baits that I can't catch anything with. I do have a few old Bagley, Rapalas and other crankbaits from back in the '70s and 80s, but not really much of a collection. Tom

To me, the main difference between lipless and diving (lipped) cranks is that most lipless cranks sink. This lets me cast the bait out, let it sink to the desired depth, then start to retrieve. It can be fished anywhere from just off of the bottom to just barely under the surface. I can also stop the bait mid-retrieve and let it sink, then rip it, let it sink, rinse and repeat. Bass (and other fish) have a tough time resisting a falling bait. It's a deadly tactic. Tom

I've lost a couple of combos (that I wasn't able to recover) over the years, but I've also fished out a couple of combos that other people lost. So in the end, it's a wash. Tom

Rooster Tails are great, and I've caught a LOT of fish with them, but I've come to favor Panther Martin for inline spinners. Tom

It depends on what I'm throwing. Generally, anything under 1/4 oz. gets thrown on spinning gear. The heavier stuff, on baitcasters. Tom

I've never used (or even handled) a Lew's spinning reel, but like RW and iabass8 sald, Shimano sets the bar pretty high in spinning reels. Tom

I've caught a few bullfrogs on hollow-bodied frogs and on weightless t-rigged plastics. I once had an osprey grab a Zara Spook and fly off with it. Fortunately, he didn't get hooked. I'm sure that if he had, it wouldn't have ended well. Tom

I prefer the look and feel of cork, but EVA isn't bad. The shape of the handle is much more important. Tom

^ This. THe bass are still feeding on the same things that they've been eating for the rest of the year, they're just in different locations. Tom

A quick search of sold listings on E-Bay Shows a NIB selling price of $40 - $50. I'd clean & re-lube it and use it. They are great reels for tossing cranks and traps. Tom

If they're not hitting a jig, I'd follow up with a frog or a Hula Popper, if the cover will allow it. Tom

The old non-freespool baitcasters were cast just like their free-spool descendants. No buttons to push, just give it a heave and keep your hands clear of the crank. They aren't called knuckle busters for nothing. Tom

I still have a couple that I use in situations that call for short, accurate casts or when I'm fishing in tight quarters with lots of brush or tree limbs around. The shorter rods are much easier to handle. Tom

I almost always tie directly to the lure. The only exception is when I'm casting spoons. For those, I use a ball bearing swivel (no snap, thanks) attached to the spoon with a split ring. The only place I use a snap is on blade baits (Silver Buddy-type baits) where I'll attach a Duo-Lock snap. Tom

Of those two, I'd have to pick Earl Campbell. Bo Jackson was an incredible athlete. I remember going to Royals games when he was on the roster and watching him take batting practice. When he hit one dead solid, it made a different sound than I've ever heard from any other player. Tom

My generation? Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, Doc Watson, Norman Blake, Danny Gatton, Dick Dale. Stephen Stills, B. B. King, Buddy Guy,... This could go on for a long, long time. Tom

I prefer Abu...especially if they're made in Sweden and they're round. Honestly, both companies make some great reels, along with Daiwa, Lew's, etc. It comes down to what works for YOU. Tom

I've seen stripers run a school of shad into the shallow end of a cove and tear into them. I've run a pencil popper through the frenzy and the ferocity of the hits was unreal! Tom

I like my spinning rigs to balance at a point about an inch forward of the reel stem. It becomes slightly tip heavy when a lure is added, but that's OK with me. It seems to make for easier casting that way. Tom