thinkingredneck

I fish in gnarly stuff with braid. Use Gamakatsu. Superline is for...superlines.

I use trauma shears at work. I am an ER veterinarian. They will cut anything. I have a pair in my kit. I keep a needle driver with cutting blades on a lanyard around my neck. It can take a hook out from deep down and will cut most lines. If you are getting needle drivers, get German Stainless with carbide tips if you can. Pakistan made instruments suck. I also have a boomerang, aluminum pliers with cutters, a pair of braid scissors. I guess I overdo it, but I like to be prepared when I take a guest.

Hard to remember. Probably on a crappie jig.

Got to loveHeddon, Arbogast, Creme Mann, and Rapala. Been around my whole life. Still work.

I can't add much. I have about 60 different plastics, 11 different worms in Junebug and several in Candy bug. Having said that, I use a trickworm or Creme scoundrel 95 percent of the time. Usually Junebug or Candy bug. Love it. Weightless or change weight depending on the situation. The only thing I like as well is catching one with a fly rod popper. However, no fly rod bait touches the plastic worm for results. Cheap, effective and fun. What is not to like?

Or just divide by 6

Having cut grooves in an old rod I would be careful

Rule of thumb is you want the hook gap to be at least twice the plastic's thickness. Weight depends on desired rate of descent. Also, I fish lighter on mucky bottoms. You can go weightless. I use braid to leader, 50/20, but I fish gnarly stuff. You don't want braid around rock or shell. I also like straight copolymer. The reason for high speed reels is to get them out before they bury up in cover. Hope this helps.

Fly, finesse, particularly Ned and hair jig.

I use it on a 60 degree jig hook, with soft plastics. Has the effect of an EWG but never slips. Med size.

Been happy with it

When fly fishing, I wear a Olsen Hagar needle driver (hemostats with cutting blades) on a lanyard and pocket knife. When conventional fishing I carry a Boomerang tool, aluminum pliers with cutter, pocket knife. I keep a rope cutting tool on my life jacket, a compass and a light.

I have wondered this, too. Once you glue them on, they are there, or so it seems. But they do contain salt. Maybe a Midwest finesse fisherman will chime in.

I have been pretty happy with my Field and Streat Talon SOT. Kind of heavy for car topping, though. I also had to replace the seat.

All set for Mardi Gras

Worms, spinnerbaits, jig and pig.

Don't put wet baits up. Once dry, put them up. I keep pharmacy Silica packs in my boxes.

You done good

I fish some muddy reservoirs and stained lakes. I like Junebug, Candy Bug, Merthiolate, and various purple with contrasting tails. Black, too. I have caught my biggest on Purple with red flake and Junebug. I like Zoom, Yum, and Culprit in ribbon tail.

Wind rippled water, sun. When plastics don't work is when I use them.

Other than trickworms I use Creme Scoundrels in every color, Luck E Strike worms, beetle spins, H & H spinners, Rebel poppers, Hula poppers, balsa Rapalas, generic jigs I put together with pork frogs or zoom chunks, Jitterbugs, and Devil's horse and spoons.. I also have a few more modern spinners by Strike King. I generally catch fish with those old baits. I also catch them with fly rod poppers. I have a bunch of creatures, frogs, Senkos, and various plastics, swimbaits and crankbaits that don't work as well for me. Maybe it takes an old guy to fish old baits, or vice-versa. Maybe our bass just have poor taste.

No matter which lure you use, some Jackass will have some BS comment about it. Beetle spins work. That makes them popular. Jitterbugs and other Arbogast baits work, and are fun. What is not to like? To each his own.

Where I fish you got to go weedless.

Tom, I googled your article. Very informative. It is the way I fish a worm, turning the handle. It works for me, but I thought I was doing it wrong. Thanks

I like Tru turn hooks for worms, and they have to be sharpened. For this reason, I use Gamakatsu most of the time now.