tholmes

Sometime in the fall?? Just a guess on my part Seriously though, once the water temps drop below 70 is when I start fishing fall patterns.Around here, that's usually late Sept./early Oct. Tom

I'll use anywhere from 1/16 oz. to 3/4 oz. depending on the situation. I probably use 3/16 oz. the most for t-rigs, stepping up in weight if it's windy. If I can't maintain bottom contact with a 3/4 oz. weight, I'm going home. For jigs, anywhere from 3/16 to 1 oz. Mostly between 1/4 and 1/2 oz. Tom

The gear ratio expresses how many times the spool revolves for each full turn of the handle. Slower ratios such as 5.X:1 are generally thought of as crankbait reels while the faster (7.x:1) are useful for techniques that require fast line recovery such as flipping and are also useful for very fast retrieve presentations such as burning frogs, etc. 6.X:1 reels, IMHO, are "all-purpose" reels. Of more relevance is how much line is recovered for each handle revolution. This can vary between reels of the same gear ratio depending on spool diameter or how full of line the spool is. To determine this, pull your line out, mark the line with a sharpie right at the tip of the rod, turn the handle one full revolution and measure how far from the tip the mark is. Tom

I've had a couple of the Cherrywood rods and I would also advise going with the Lightning Rod. I had a 7' M casting rod, the action was moderate to slow. It worked pretty well for tossing 1/4 oz. cranks, but the guides wore very badly in less than one season, and that's using mono only. Spend the extra $$ and go with the Lightning Rod. Tom

From the Michigan DNR website, it is illegal to: Fish on a river, stream or drowned river mouth (See Note 3, Great Lakes Trout & Salmon Regulations) using a weight suspended below any hook unless the hook is on a dropper line (a leader) that is at least 3″ long. Tom

Yeah, I have noticed the resemblance. Must be the same design teams doing both. Tom

Another vote for Yo-Zuri Hybrid. Great stuff. Tom

What is the model number on your reel? Get a schematic and find the part number for the screw. Try Mike's Reel Repair, they might have what your looking for. I haven't dealt with Shakespeare for several years, but when I did, their service was exemplary. Tom

The first thing I'd check is the brake ring where the brake blocks rub. Clean the brake ring and put 1 drop of oil on a cotton swab and rub it around the inside of the brake ring. I'll bet the noise will go away. Tom

Fall is my favorite time for bass fishing. The heat and humidity of summer is gone and the bass are moving up shallow and they're hungry! The bass in my avatar, a 6lb.+, was caught in early November on a crankbait. Tom

I keep two baitcasting rigs in my truck most of the time. There's a 50 acre community lake just a couple of minutes from my office that I fish sometimes on my lunch break. Tom

I'll be praying for your uncle, you and your family. May God strengthen and comfort all of you. Tom

Bummer, RW. Let me be the first to volunteer to stand in for you when that October smallie bite turns on. Tom

Welcome to Bass Resource and to the addiction of bass fishing! Tom

I invite my wife every time I go. She declines most of the time, but she'll go once a month or so. There's an open invitation to my son-in-law and my grandkids too. Tom

Someone (Joe Bucher?) makes a musky buzzbait with a bucktail skirt. I don't see why it wouldn't work for bass just as well. Tom

Abu Garcia ProMax 3600 - $5 at a yard sale + $3 for a new line guide pawl =$8 7' med. Berkeley Lightning Rod at the same yard sale - $2 + $2 for a new tip guide = $4 Combo price = $12 Tom

T-rig plastics, jigs and crankbaits. That covers about 90% of my fishing. Tom

Not even close. My most expensive combo cost me about $200. Tom

Back in the early '70s, I worked for 5 years in a state mental hospital. You really (no, I mean REALLY) don't want to know. Tom

X 10,000^ Take the time to learn to properly sharpen a knife (another lost art) and filleting gets a LOT easier. I use a Lansky sharpening system to hone my old Rapala knives to surgical sharpness. Tom

Shimano Sonora at $49.99 is a solid reel. Tom

I learned to use a baitcaster before I learned to use spinning gear. I still use both. I do have a few minutes of "learning" when switching from one to the other. The casting motion is slightly different. Become proficient with both and you'll be a more versatile angler. Tom

Cool! I need some of those for my 4 year old granddaughter. Tom

Where's the bait monkey? He probably has something to say on this subject. Tom