Darren.

What's your hook set MO with 6# line and a 4/0 EWG? Is it a thin-wire 4/0?

My first was a 14lber that stretched longer than my bump board and took my kayak for a ride of over 75 yards! All in a reservoir that doesn't stock them. Was first on record All the rest I've caught have been in salt. Great fun.

I'd use it for inshore mostly, paired with a 6'6" or 7' M to MH rod. Would go MH for freshwater, heavier techniques. I've posted this article numerous times here for those who think spinning can't do heavy stuff. ??

Agree, solid advice, Brian. Many of the knots I've encountered have been after cast has been made, fish in, or snag. Often knot cinched down at that point. But even then, they're not always impossible to get out. Key for me is patience.

Welcome aboard! Plenty of North Easterners here, I'm sure someone will chime in to give you some suggestions.

Nice haul!

I would say yes, I have tips...but like you, it is a 50/50 crap shoot if they will work. If I see one in the line as I reel it in, I'll try to work it loose - if there's a loop in the line, that makes it easier to try and untie it. Sometimes I've pulled the ends and poof, it comes loose. Other times I've had to cut and retie. I've taken a hook and tried to loosen it up, sometimes that works. And I'm using 10 and 15# Power Pro braids. I don't think there's a foolproof, works every time tip for wind knots.

I think I use the uni snell... Haven't used the snell in a while, but I do like it a lot, used it on worm hooks, wacky hooks, drop shot, etc. Great for making own snelled hooks for saltwater. I can see them used for punching and flipping. Good, strong pull on the hook shaft. But be careful for some hooks where the eye bend around to the shaft isn't "clean". I bought some Daiichi hooks years back that I couldn't snell because every one of them had a sharp portion of the hook eye.

Congrats!! Great catch!

Welcome aboard! Unfortunately, I've got any advice for you, but this is a great forum and I'm sure many will chime in with their experiences.

Indeed. When she's 12 or 15 or 20 pounds!

I still have one! Was part-n-parcel of my spinning-is-fine period of adjustment. Needed the money then, too.

Picked up a BPS MicroLite 5'6" L 3-piece pack rod 2 years ago for a trip and holy cow was it impressive! I still use it. Despite being a L, it fishes far more like a ML with a solid backbone. Good stuff.

I'd like to be equal, but once I sold one of my Chronarchs I had an extra casting rod. So I swap the 50e between them, one is MH, the other ML, so good for multiple techniques. As for spinning, equal for the most part. An old Stradic is in need of repair, so I have a Spirex 1000RG on a rod. That's 4 Stradic setups and a Spriex setup. Wait. Just counted again. Rods outnumber reels by a small margin.

I get your aggravation. Been there but in much closer quarters with two idiots -- who were only putting their boat in when my kayak buddy and I were already fishing a dock. These knuckleheads decided to fish the dock, too, and fished in between my buddy and me - and we were only 40 yards apart!! I caught a 3 pound bass on a jig right where they were fishing. Made sure to holler at my bud, lift it up high for the maroons to see. It got way worse, I'll just leave it here.

Welcome aboard!

Congrats! 17" is in the range of high 2s to 3 pounds based on some charts. Depending on belly contents and all that, could be more if full of food. In-Fisherman's chart about the same: Largemouth Bass 12 in 0.90 lb 13 in 1.16 lb 14 in 1.47 lb 15 in 1.83 lb 16 in 2.25 lb 17 in 2.73 lb 18 in 3.28 lb 19 in 3.89 lb 20 in 4.59 lb 21 in 5.36 lb 22 in 6.22 lb 23 in 7.17 lb 24 in 8.21 lb 25 in 9.35 lb 26 in 10.60 lb 27 in 11.95 lb 28 in 13.42 lb 29 in 15.01 lb 30 in 16.73 lb 31 in 18.58 lb 32 in 20.56 lb http://www.in-fisherman.com/in-fisherman-blogs/bass-length-to-weight-conversion-chart/#ixzz5Gp0DB0Bb

Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard!

Well, yes, minimalism to me means maximizing what works and minimizing what doesn't. So I've been on a trek for years, bait monkey riding me for a while, then realizing what takes him off my back. Altho he still finds ways to jump aboard. This includes a course correction from trying to go all casting back to mostly spinning. (We're all different). To realizing that soft plastics work best where I fish, so maximizing that, but not eliminating other baits, just slowing down on trying to learn everything fast. Money does not grow on trees in my yard, and I spent some $ that I didn't have, so had to learn to pare down and use, and be satisfied with what I have.

Wow, some nice size gillies! Tasty fish fry!

Gosh, what a bummer. Only ONE bass all day??!! LOL. Very nice catch, indeed. Congrats on the DD!

I'd say BPS Stik-Os nose out Zoom Finesse and Trick worms by a very slim margin in my arsenal. But I've got a lot of all three.

Welcome aboard, Michael!

Welcome aboard! No pics no PB!