.ghoti.

I think line visibilty is important in any situation. The clearer the water, the more important this is. I believe in giving myself any advantage I can find. I've been experimenting with lines lately. Interesting that you should mention Elite. That's one the lines I'm currently trying out. I have 10lb test clear green Elite on one of my crankbait rods and clear Vanish on the other. So far I've noticed no difference in catch rates between the two. Elite is very hard to see, in the water. So is Vanish. Elite seems to have a bit more stretch than Vanish, but handles easier. Abrasion resistance seems to be pretty good for both. So far the only conclusion I've reached about using these two lines for cranking is that flouro is better for jerkbaits. It's not bouyant, so the baits suspend better. The line is slack during a good portion of the jerkbait retrieve, and flouro transmits feel better than mono when slack. Do I have scientifically rigorous tests to prove these points? Of course not; I'm just relaying my impressions. And, before you give us any of the "Tackle Tour proved that flouro has as much stretch, or evenmore than mono" guff, keep in mind their tests were done with dry line. Get "em in the water, let the mono and co-poly's absorb some water, and than do a real stretch test. Flouro will not absorb water, so it's characteristics should not be altered, unlike mono and some co-poly's. There are a couple of co-poly's that have a flouro coating, instead of being a composite blend. These should also not absorb water, and should remain unaffected. I know what you're getting at with the less expensive idea. I've been using Transition for my plastics and jig rods, and it's a bit pricey. But, I'll keep using it because I like the extra feel, it has good abrasion resistance, and I can see it better. That's really the key point for me. I'm color-blind, and some lines are very dificult for me to see. Transition solves this problem quite well. As far as recommendations go, I'd say stay away from flouro on your spinning gear, unless you keep it under 10lb test. When you get above 8, flouro gets to be a bit to springy for spinning takle. I like Elite very much, but haven't tried it on spinning gear. I think it should work well. Silver Thread is also a good, lower priced alternative. I liked it when I tried it last year. I used it on both baitcast and spinning reels and had no complaints about it at all. I'm just trying out different stuff this year. I got one spool of Gamma's "moleculary altered" fluoro. It may be the best handling fluoro line out there right now. But I won't be buying any more of it. I don't care how good it is, 24 bucks for a small spool is ridiculous. For any spinning gear, good old Trilene XL is hard to beat. It's the easiest handling line you can find. It's on all my spinning reels, except one. I can fill the reel almost all the way to the lip, and have no problems with XL. You'll get lots of opinions on this subject. the best advice I can give you is try some of these lines out. Save yourself a bit of cash by filling you reels about halfway with whatever el-cheapo line you have lying aroung, then top off the spool with the good stuff. Many of the lines are available in small "pony" spools. these are good for experimenting. So, experiment, and have some fun with it. Cheers, GK

I finally got tired of sorting out all the lead weights with the tips bent over or smashed shut, and started buying Ultra Steel weights. Problem solved. I've never had to discard any. They are very hard and smooth. I've had no line cuts from these weights, ever. Much better feel than lead weights. $2.50 for 25 weights. Cheap. Tru Tungsten weights? 5 bucks for 3 weights? I don't think so.

ditto

I've caught a lot more bass on the toad sub-surface than on top. It's at least a 5/1 ratio. I use a 5/0 magnum superline hook. The hook is large enough that the point does not go through the bait. I slip the point between the toads legs and let it ride loose on the toads back. I get much better hooksets, and tear up a lot fewer baits this way. The hook is also heavy enough to get the bait down without additional weight, for depths in the 6-8 foot range. Much deeper than that still requires more weight. Cheers, GK

I like a fast action rod with a soft tip for topwaters. My all time favorite is an old Team Daiwa, George Cochran topwater/twitchin rod. 6' medium power, moderate-fast action, soft tip and a pistop grip. I've had it for at least 12 years, maybe longer. They no longer make anything like it. It's perfect for Pop-R's, Jr Spooks, Torpedos, original Rapala's, and other small topwaters. It's a bit under-powered for big spooks, and way under-powered for buzzbaits and frogs. Any medium power rod with some give in the tip would make a good topwater rod, except for buzzbaits and frogs. Those baits require a lot more rod, in my opinion. Cheers, GK

Since this is your first BC reel, I'd recommend Trilene XL as the first line for it. It has the lowest spool memory and will give you the fewest problems as you learn to cast. Once your thumb is educated, you can move on to flouro or braid with more confidence. Xl is cheap compared to braid and flouro, so a few major, "get out the knife" backlashes won't hurt as much. Good luck with it. Luck has nothing to do with it though. Practice it what it takes. Do it in the back yard if you cant do it on the water. Cheers, GK

Dave, I read an article somewhere about just such a test. The gist of it was, the ABEC 7 stainless bearings provided a significant improvement in casting performance over stock bearings, and that the ceramic bearings provided only a minimal improvement over the ABEC 7 stainless bearings. I'll try to find that report. This may take me some time. At this point I have no idea where I found it. It was quite some time ago. The Tackle Tour boys did a multi-part article on bearings that was quite informative, aside from their very positive report on Hot Sauce. That wasn't the report I had in mind. When I find it, I'll either send it to you or post a link. Cheers, GK

I haven't tried the baby's yet, but the regular size Paca craws are killer on a t-rig. I've went through quite a few and need to order some more. Been thinkin about adding some baby's to the order. Guess you just made up my mind for me. I can't have too many, can I? Cheers, GK Catt, I like that color too.

hi_steel is right. Post spawn is all about temperature trends and location. Define those, and choose the lure that will fish the conditions. If you're river fishing, add current to the equation Cheers, GK

For me, and I think you'll discover this on your own as you experiment with your rigs, is that the rod has more to do with the application selection that the reel, or reel type. The exception to that is very light weight baits. Any baits 1/8oz and under are difficult to cast on baitcast gear, unless you have a very fine reel, and a very well educated thumb. RW's "general" rule is a good place to start as you define your arsenal. Spinning, in my world, is 10lb test, and less. 10 and over is baitcasting gear. Here's another "general" rule to consider. Use a fast action rod for "feel" baits, like plastics and jigs; and use a moderate action rod for reaction baits, like cranks, spinners and jerks. To address your specific questions: Cranks can be either baitcast or spinning. Use a spinning rod for small, light baits. Use the baitcaster for heavier baits. More importantly, you'll want a rod with a moderate action. A rod with a fast action will cause you to miss hooksets, and can loosen the hook after the set. The fast rod just doesn't have enough give to be the best choice for cranking. C-rigging can be done with either spinning or baitcasting. The rod you'll do best with for this application is a fast action rod with some length. A longer rod will cast that cumbersome rig much easier, and will pick up the slack faster to give you a better hook set. For me, most plastics and jigs are a baitcast application. I use MH, fast action rods, fast reels, and 12+ lb test line. I tend to throw these things into cover, and light line is not a good option for fishing in the rough stuff. I use a spinning rod with either 8 or 10 for finesse plastics and small jigs. This is for open water and light cover or sparse weeds. I still want a fast action rod and a hi-speed reel. One of the key concepts is balance. Match your line to your rods line weight rating. I try to stay in the middle of the rods rating. Ie, a medium power rod may have a line weight rating of 8-15lb test. 12 is right in the middle. All the above is what works for me. I've been experimenting a long time, refining my rigs to the point that I have a whole bunch of rigs set up for specific applications. This is a big part of the fun. Experiment, and have some fun doing it. Cheers, GK

Never caught a 10. My chances of doing so, here in central Illinois are somewhere between slim and none. And you know what happened to Slim. My seven biggest bass came on these lures. Buzzbait (2) Power Lizard(1) 10" Power worm(2) Spook (2)

Catch "em 99.9% of the time? Ain't no such bait. Even live bait will get skunked from time to time. Aside from live bait the closest thing to a sure thing is either a weightless senko, or a 7" Power worm on a jighead. If you can't catch "em on one of those, you're probably in the wrong place, or the right place at the wrong time Cheers, GK

The only relief from this affliction; and it's a temporary respite, not a cure, is to go fishing. I find it very difficult to buy new stuff while I'm on the water, rod in hand. The long, cold Illinois winters are very hard on me and my credit cards. Cheers, GK

Apples and oranges, man. Put "em in a boxing ring and the boxer would win. Put "em in a cage and the MMA would win. Put "em in a street fight and the lawyers would win.

I know that there are a lot of sick people out there, but this makes me want to puke. I'm not offended by much. This, I find offensive in the extreme. I hope whomever devised this atrocity get what they deserve. Quote "but Ill forgo the handgun, lots of better ways of dealing with this!!" I think this would be just about right. http://www.davidmorgan.com/product_info.php?products_id=409&cPath=7_187_192_198&ad_code=GO_Indy&gclid=CKeowJuk_YsCFQxfQAodtXehvg

Thanks for the clarification. A buddy sent this to me this morning, and I thought I'd pass it along. Teach me to check my sources. Cheers, GK

To Kill an American You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American. So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is . So they would know when they found one. (Good one, mate!!!!) "An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan. An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans. An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan . The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses. An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God , not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God. An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence , which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness. An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return. When Afghanistan was overrun by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country! As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan . Americans welcome the best of everything...the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services. But they also welcome the least. The national symbol of America , The Statue of Liberty , welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America . Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. It's been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists. So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world. But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself . Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

If you're planning on using your new spinning rig mostly for plastics, go with the MH. Check out the line weight ratings on the rod to help with your decision. Cheers, GK

SWIFF, I've tried Sufix Elite, and I like it. But, I'm using it on my crankbait rode and my spinnerbait rod. I have not used it heavy cover. They way it casts and handles leads me to believe that it may not be the most abrasion resistant of lines. You might try Berkley Big Game or XT for your situation. Both handle reasonably well and can take the abuse. Cheers, GK

Most Bekley line has always been very good stuff, in my experience with it. Transition, in it's first incarnation was not so good, but is now pretty good line. XL and XT are staples in my collection. Vanish is good. Sensation is good on a baitcaster, not so good for spinning. Ditto for Big Game line. Fireline may very well be the worst line they've ever made. I don't know, Iron Silk may be worse. I haven't decided which is worse, and don't really care because I won't be using either line for any application. If you want braid, go ahead and get the real thing. I've been using PowerPro and Spiderwire on my two muskie rods. I like both, but when it's time to re-spool, I'm leaning towards PowerPro for both. I think it's a better value. Sounds like you like cranks and spinnerbaits. May I suggest something other than braid. I've been using Vanish and Sufix Elite on my crank and spinnerbait rods, and have been pleased with both. I like something harder to see for cranking. There are quite a few very good lines available. Fireline is not one of them. Cheers, GK

One of my favorite reels; I have three of them, is the Daiwa Millionaire. They cast like a champ, make almost no noise, and are as smooth on the retrieve as you could want. They have a grand total of three bearings. Give me quality over quantity any day. Cheers, GK

I used to tear up a lot of worms trying to use rattles, and noticed no improvement in catch rates. So, I no longer bother. If you're fishing water dingy enough to require rattles to attract the fish, why not try a jig or spinnerbait? That's my first suggestion. If you want to keep the rattles in the worms, you'll have to make a hole for them to fit in. A piece of 1/8" OD stainless steel tubing, sharpened on one end will make a nice hole in the worm. You have to have it sharp, and you have to twist it into the worm. Seal up the hole with a lighter or use some super glue to hold the rattle in place. It's easy to sharpen the tubing by clamping it in a drill and running it at low speed on a medium grit hone. Be careful doing this. One slip will leave you bloody. Don't sharpen both ends. I was stupid enough to do this. DUH!! Cheers, GK

Don't you just love it when inspiration strikes?

You can increase your hookup ratio by bending the hook point out just slightly, and adding a Berkley Crappie Nibble to the hook. Also add some weight to your rig, putting split shot up the line from the jig, adding enough weight so that the float just barely floats. Good luck, Cheers, GK

Hawaiian Style...? Where's yer hula skirt, shorty?