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15 DOWN, ANOTHER 100 TO GO. Congrats, I know what this is all about, Cheers, GK

The rod tip shaking indicates that the the blade is turning, so it's a good indication that you're not cranking it too slow. You'll know when a fish takes it, particularly a smallie. A spinnerbait bite is rarely tentative. Sometimes they will short strike it. When that happens either trim the skirt a bit, add or change your trailer, or add a trailer hook. Sometimes a short strike indicates that you've almost, but not quite, gotten it right. Change something; color, retrieve speed and cadence, more twitches and rod movements, less rod movements, etc. I like a medium power, fast action rod for spinnerbaits, so we're both on the same page here. Cheers, GK

I keep one rod with each rig ready at all times. Sometimes two with a t-rig, one heavier than the other. If you catch a couple in an area with the t-rig, don't leave without tossing the jigworm in there. It's good for another fish as often as not. And vice-versa. Cheers, GK

You don't really need a lot of line when bass fishing, so line capacity is not an issue. I'd suggest trying the different reels on the rod you intend to use to see what feels good. Me, I'd get the one with the largest diameter spool, that does not over balance the rod. The larger spool diameter will give you the less line problems and better casting performance. Cheers, GK

The key to getting a good knot in flurocarbon line is to wet it completely and cinch it down slowly. I mean s-l-o-w-l-y. Friction generated heat is the enemy. Take your time and inspect every knot and your problems will vanish. Cheers, GK

Good job, I've never caught a 6 in my underwear.

Power Pro and Spiderwire are both OK. I have two muskie rods, and have both lines loaded. 50lb test on each. The only thing I'd suggest different is the leader. 9" is not long enough. A big muskie will easily get past that and get it's teeth into your line. Nothing worse than seeing a big one swim away with a bait stuck in it's throat. I don't care what people say about hooks rusting away. It may happen in saltwater. In fresh water it ain't gonna happen in time for the fish to survive. I've been using Tygerwire for leaders, and I make them around two feet long. You can tie a knot in Tygerwire. A 2 1/2 turn clinch knot works best for me. All my muskie baits have the wire tied on, with a swivel on the other end. When I change baits, the leader wire and swivel stay on the bait. A grip will help when remove the bait from the fish. I'm using a Rapala Lok-N-Weigh. Works just fine and is half the cost of the Boga Grip. A lot of guys around here use Boga's. A really big net is a must. Don't even think about going without it. The Abu's will work just fine. They are almost indestructible. I leave my drag a bit on the loose side, and thumb the spool for the hookset. This will minimize the stress on the reels spool and bearings. One overlooked option for baits is the largest size Senko's and Yum Dingers. I've done very well with those the last couple of years. Good luck, muskie are a blast. Cheers, GK

If you gotta be one-dimensional, that's a good dimension to be in. I know what you're saying. I don't know why I carry around all the stuff I do, when I end up with six rods loaded with plastics most of the time. Sounds like a great day on the water. My Saturday outing got my three bites and two fish. Cheers, GK

Clear topwaters are sometimes an excellent choice on bright, sunny days, in very clear water. In those conditions, the clear baits offer almost no negative cues. Cheers, GK

I'd speculate that Quantum's bad rap stems form their efforts to cover the entire market spectrum. They produce reels at all price points. The low end reels are made for the occasional fisherman, who doesn't see the need for expensive gear when he only fishes once or twice a year. They're also for kid's toys. I suspect that the people who claim Quantum makes junk had one of these low end reels once upon a time, treated it like it deserved, and got what they paid for. Some may also have had one those dreadful Hypercast spinning reels. Who knows. I'd hazard a guess that the folks who do most of the bad-mouthing haven't actually used one of the PT series reels. The Energy PT baitcaster compares quite favorably with the Daiwa Zillion and the Chronarch. If they were all the same price, I'd probably go for the Daiwa. But they're not. The PT is quite a bit less. This is such a subjective topic, I'm about to agree with ReelMech, and stop responding to these things. Cheers, GK

I had the same problem with a Berkley rod a few years ago. I tried super glue on the ends of the seat, where the cork meets the seat, and it held for about an hour of use. I fixed it by drilling a hole in the seat, on the underneath side, at the rear of the seat, and putting in a couple of drops of super glue, while wiggling the seat back and forth to distribute the glue as best I could. It seems to have worked. My wife uses the rod occasionally with no problems. It's held for about 4 or 5 years. I think that maybe I got lucky with the hole placement. If you try this, use a drill press so you can control the depth of the hole. I wouldn't want to try this by hand. I use a 3/16 bit, and filled the hole with wood putty and sanded it smooth. Good luck, GK

I've had success with them T-rigged; 1/8oz Ultra Steel weight, Ultra Steel clicker and a Gammy light wire 2/0 EWG hook. After reading this thread, I'm gonna have to try "em on a jighead. Cheers, GK

I have two Light & Tough rods, and love them both. But, I don't have that particular one. L&T rods are IM6 graphite, so they have a bit wider range of lure weights than higher modulus rods normally have. If you can get one for 100 bucks, go for it. I believe these rods are the best bang for the buck out there. On sale makes them that much better a value. Cheers, GK

Owner Riggin hooks for smaller tubes and Owner wide gap + for larger tubes. I'm usually using 10lb test line or less when tubing, and want the hooks that penetrate the easiest. That would be Owners. Cheers, GK

A day fishing is, by definition, a good day. Add a few non-dinks, and it's a great day. Add a 5+ to the equation equals an awesome day. Cheers, GK

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html Check this out. A new picture every day. Lots of stuff from Hubble, Chandra, Cassini, etc. All interesting, some just mind blowing. Today's picture is particularly awesome. Cheers, GK

I have a bunch of PT's, both spinning and casting models. I have a bunch of Daiwa reels, both spinning and casting. I also have some Shimano reels, both spinning and casting. The only thing I'll say is they all can, and do make a clunker from time to time. And, they all make very good reels. If you buy on the low end of the price scale, you're gonna get what you pay for. Out of all the reels I have, the ones I use the most are the Energy PT and Daiwa Millionaire casting reels and the Daiwa Capricorn spinning reels. If my wife had not decided that the PT spinning reels were "hers", I'd probably be using them instead of the Daiwa's. The Quantum PT reels, both spinning and casting models, are very good values. Cheers, GK

With that tail, it's begging for a Slider head.

Here's mine, in no particular order. Some days one works and the others don't. Senko ( the original ) Fat Ika Cut-Tail worm 7" power worm 10" Power worm Zoom tube Super Fluke Zoom Trick worm Nories Bug GYCB Creature Power Hawg Power tube Paca Craw Power craw Sluggo Mann's paddle tail worm Fin-S-Fish Dominator Ball Breaker Bass Assassin shad I really tried to cut down my plastics bags this year, but can't quite bring myself to go out without these baits. All I managed was to cut down on numbers of different colors. Black, blue and red shad for dingy water, and greens, browns, and shad color for clearer water. That's still a lot of stuff, but what's a guy to do.

A good steak needs nothing but blazing hot hardwood charcoal, salt and pepper. And, don't over cook it.

Recon, I see your point. I probably should have deleted the last line. I certainly did not intend to offend anyone, least of all a man like you, who has risked his * in some the worlds cesspools. My apologies, sir. GK

Can't do it. Don't know how much line I've had to cut out when trying. Give me a spinning rod every time for skippin'. It's the right tool for the job. I admire you guys that can do it with a baitcaster. Allow me to re-phrase; I admire you guys who have the time and patience to learn how to do it. Cheers, GK

A 3wt fly rod, a couple of small hopper patterns and bluegill. Just about as much fun as you can have with your pants on.

My local sportman's club treats this stuff with copper sulfate. It's very effective and if it wasn't cheap they wouldn't be using it. Any local farm store will have it, and somebody who knows how to apply it. Cheers, GK

On a half-sunken log a frog sits death lurks below