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Mailman delivers to clinic. CC bills are adressed to the clinic. Recently purchased tackle stays in the clinic. Raul, if you keep releasing this kind of information, you're in danger of having your "guy" card revoked. Let's keep this stuff under wraps.

Quote "NO, it is not proportional to the spool speed. The frictional force is proportional to the square of the spool speed! You can derive it from centripetal force. " Jack, you're absolutely right. I intended to get the idea out without getting too technical. I should know better by now, with this bunch. Sorry, won't do it again. GK

I'd like to add something I should have mentioned earlier. I believe an experienced caster will get better distance with a centrifugal system. It puts less resistance at the middle and end of the cast than the magnetics. But, a magnetic system is probably easier to learn on. There is nothing particularly technologically advanced about either system. LightingRod is right about some of the external controls. There are some that can be inadvertantly changed when palming the reel. I have one like that. Others are designed better, with recessed controls. And now; Shimano Posse and Daiwa Gang, saddle up. Let the shootout begin. Cheers, GK

Send them back. I return all disfunctional lures. The lure company will be happy to turn you into a satisfied customer. Good luck, GK

That P-line has way too much spool memory for worm fishing, or for any technique requiring any amount of slck in the line. Sensation is better. If it works for you, an you're unable to afford a lot of experimentation, why change. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Don't take that the wrong way, I'm not trying to be a smart alec. There are a lot of good lines out there, and everybody will tell you that the one they use is the best. Well, they can't all be right now, can they? Experiment as best you can. You'll discover what works for you. My current favorite for worming; for all plastics, is Transition. It's a little pricey. I like it because I'm color-blind, and a lot of lines are hard for me to see. I can see the Transition just fine. I used to use Sensation. Transition is a step up, in my opinion. The Yo-Zuri Ultra Soft is also a step up from Sensation. It's not as expensive as Transition, but has more memory. There's always a trade off. There is no one line perfect for every application. If there were, you wouldn't get so many different opinions. And, keep in mind that is just what they are; opinions. Cheers, GK

RM has it. Clean them first to remove all the old oil, grease and accumulated crud. A word to the wise; if you don't have the schematics, proceed at your own risk. Better to send "em off to ReelMech. Good luck, GK

Muddy, go ahead and open that thing up. You may find you like that reel even better when you find the correct balance between the two systems. It's easier than those dratted snaps you refered to. Just don't do it over the water the first time. Good luck, GK

No rules, just common sense. One of the things to really pay attention to is the line weight rating on your rods. If you go under, you may loose a lot of baits on the hookset. And if you go over, you can snap a rod. A little common sense, and a good drag, properly set, will take care of both situations. Good luck, GK

Yes there is a difference. The force applied by the centrifugal system is propotional to spool speed. The slower the spool, the less braking force applied. At the end of the cast, when spool speed is slowest, the centrifugal brakes are basically "off". The magnetic system applies the same force at any speed. The centifugal system is better than the magnetic system at preventing over-runs at the start of the cast. At the end of the cast, the magnetic system is better. I have reels with magnetic systems, reels with centrifugal systems and two reels with both. They all work if you take the time to adjust them to your casting style. As far as preference goes, I prefer a reel with an externally adjustable system. Thats' my only real knock on some of the reels with centrifugal systems. I've lost a sideplate overboard, trying to adjust the brakes, and that will ruin your attitude. Cheers, GK

I'm gonna do something I don't think I've ever done, and that's disagree with Alpster. I don't know how many times I've read a question, started to formulate a reply, and then find that he has said almost exactly what I would. Anyway, I'd go with the lighter rod to start with. You'll have an easier time getting the rod to load up with a variety of baits. And, I would start with lighter line. It's easier to cast with. At least it is for me. Mono all the way for beginning baitcasters. Trilene XL, 10 or 12lb test, medium action rod, brakes on 3/4 full, and a sidearm cast. After that, just practice. The more you do it, the better you get. Good luck, GK

Avid, the reels without bail springs are the Quantum PT series. I have three of these, and I like them better than my other spinning reels. I have Shimano's; Stradic and Symetre, and Daiwa's; Capricorn and Team Daiwa. The Energy PT's are about 140 bucks. They are pretty hard to beat for the price. The magnetic bail has been flawless. I've had two of these since they came out. My wife uses them every trip, so they've gotten a lot of use. No durability issues yet. They are very smooth, and have remained that way. For the price range you've indicated, a Stradic Mg would be a good option, if weight is a primary concern. I'd recommend, in the PT line, a 30 size reel. A little heavier than a 20, but a lot better casting performance with the larger spool. I'd stay awy from the 10 size entirely. The Capricron is a good reel too. The problem is, they're no longer in production. Cabela's still has some of the 2000 size on sale for 70 bucks. About half price. That's a lot of bang for the buck. If I remember your earlier posts on this subject, this is a temporary condition for you. At least I'm hoping that's the case. The Capricorn sale will get a a good reel, or two, but not leave you with a lot of money tied up in something you'll no longer use when you're able to sling your beloved tdz"s again. Good luck, hope you're feeling better. GK

Muddy, Do you have the Prodigy reel that has both magnetic and centrifugal braking? I have one the JM Signature Series reels that uses a similar system. Maybe what I've learned about mine would apply to yours. I hard a rough time with casting distance when I first got mine. The problem was the centifugal brakes. Out of the box, 5 of 6 weights were in the on position. When you said you turned the brake off, which one were you refering to? I took me a little experimentation to get the two systems balanced. I've got it set now with two weights "on". These are opposite each other. The magnetic control is set at 4. The spool tension is set so the spool over-runs about 4 or 5 revolutions when a dropped bait hits the ground. I do not like the tension knob set tight enough to stop the spool when the dropped bait hits the ground. That is way too tight. This will cause problems with both distance and accuracy. I got my wife to try a baitcaster for the first time this year. The JM reel, with both braking systems, is the one she had by far the least trouble with. Here's how I set it up for her to get started. Loosen the spool tension knob almost all the way out. Push the spool release button. With your thumb on the spool, wiggle the spool sideways, you be able to feel the spool move side to side. Tighten the spool tension knob just until the side to side movement stops, then go about 1/8 turn more. Open up the side access plate and set the centrifugal brakes. Turn on every other one. Set the magnetic control to 6. Hold the rod pointed up at about a 45 degree angle. Drop the bait, practicing stopping the spool with your thumb a few times to the feel for this particular brake setting. Clamp a book under you armpit ( casting arm ) Make a gentle sidearm cast, watching the spool, using your thumb to feather the cast. When the bait hits the water, your thumb should have stopped the spool. You should not have dropped the book either. I believe you'll have an easier time learning to cast sidearm than overhead. You can lose the book anytime after you get used to just using your wrist to cast. If these particular brake settings are causing you too many backlashes, try one more brake weight on, and one more click on the magnetic. Your reel is gonna be different than mine. I'm just giving you an idea of what to to try. For line, I recommend Trilene XL. It's one of the most forgiving lines for an apprentice baitcaster to learn with. I would not recommend either flouro or braid. Using braid to learn on will give you some "professional overruns" that may require a knife to rectify. And flouro will kink when backlashed, causing weak spots in the line. Until you get comfortable, and repeatable, stick with the limp mono. How far you fill the spool will have an effect on your casting. I fill mine right to the top. I would not recommend that for you just yet. Leave about 1/16 to 1/8 inch of spool open. If you can get the feel for it, using your thumb on the open portion of the spool, instead of putting pressure on the line, will yield considerably more consistent results. This is the hard part to get used to. I learned to thumb the line. I got a lot better when I learned to thumb the spool. It's easier to do with a little more open space at the top of the spool. As far as wrist position goes, with a sidearm cast you'll want the handle knobs pointed to the side. For an overhand cast you want the knobs either pointing straight up or down, depending on which side the handle's on, and which hand you cast with. This is all about wrist mechanics. You'll figure out what's comfortable for you. The differences between casting and spinning gear are in the casting motion and the release point. You've already figured out that the release point is earlier with a baitcaster. The motion with a spinning rig has the "snap" at the back point of the rod's trajectory. With a baitcaster, you can completely stop the back cast, then smoothly accelerate forward. No snap at the beginning of the forward movement. I believe you'll pick this up better using a sidearm cast. It's worth a shot, in any event. I had an older gent tell me, years ago, the the brakes worked better when the handle was turned up, so the spool was down, against the brakes, during the cast. This may well have been the case, "back in the day", when manufacturing processes were no where near as precise as they are now. Just my fifth of a dimes worth. Good luck, GK

Great deal you got there. The rod is almost free. When you get ready to upgrade the rod, do as dodgeguy suggets, and take a look at the JM Signature Series rods. They're on sale quite a few times every year for around $120. Also, do yourself a favor and put one of the Team Daiwa Light & Tough rods in your hand. They are also in the same price range. I have one of each. I love both of "em. If you forced me to pick a favorite, ( this is like picking your favorite child ) I'd probably go with the TD. Good luck with you new rig. Cheers, GK

Here's my take on it. You're going to be working the jig more with the rod than with the reel, so the reel speed is a non-issue as far as the bait is concerned. Having said that, a high speed reel will get the bait back to you faster so you can hit another spot quicker. It will also let you keep up with a fish when it comes straight at you. I bought an Energy PT 4.4:1 reel last year, thinking I would like it for deep cranking. So much for thinking. I bought a new gear set and turned it into a 6.3:1 reel, and it's much better, for me at least. This is one of those preference things. I discovered that I really do not prefer a slower reel. I find that I can slow down a fast reel easier than I can speed up a slow reel. The rod you just got would be a top choice for T-rigging too. Another application for a higher speed reel, for the same reason. Good luck with the new rod. ( I'm jealous ) Cheers, GK

I'd go with the MH rod myself. In use MH rods for all my plastics and jigs. Only use heavy power rods for musky fishing. You've indicated that you have a heavy rod that doesn't get used much. Why get another one? Just my opinion. 6'6" is a good length for bank fishing, but I use a 7' a lot for bank fishing plastics. Doesn't work well for cranks and spinners. Don't know how tall you are. You may consider putting that TD rod on the swap/sell board. Tell everybody what you're looking for. Somebody may step up with a mutually beneficial swap. You never know. Cheers, GK

UH-OH, it's sounds like I've been screwing up. I've been using grease on the levelwind systems on all of my reels for years. What's wrong with that, and, what have I done to the reel using grease where I should have been using oil? It looks like I've been doing the rest of it correctly, except for the bearing under the crankshaft. Don't know if it's called a crankshaft. It's the spindle that the handle mounts to. Under it, at the very bottom, is a small ball bearing in some reels. I've been using grease on it too. Operating on the theory that the slow moving parts get greas, and the high speed parts get oil, It looks like I've been making some mistakes. Live and learn. Thanks for the info. Cheers, GK

Frenzy, are you having any problems with Seige? Why the change? I saw you're from Michigan. I would think you'd be using lighter line than what you indicated. Have you considered going down in size. Just a thought. I'm not criticizing your rigs, but my experience is that lighter line gets more bites. Other will dispute this. That's cool. Everybody has different experiences. On your lighter rig, 10lb test will get your crankbaits deeper than 12. But, look at the line weight rating on your rod. If you go under the minimum, you'll probably have some break off problems. Ditto for the heavier rig. Something lighter than 18, like maybe 14 will cast better and have less memory. Some people are just more comfortable with heavier line. I'm more confident with lighter line. You may want to consider flouro, particularly for your worming and jigging. I'm using Transition. When it first hit the market it was worthless. The new formula is pretty good. It handles easy, has a lot less memory than the previous version and is very sensitive. I started using Vanish for cranks, and so far I like it. I also tried Silver Thread, and found it to be a good crankbait line. There are so many lines availabe, and none of them are perfect for all applications. Good luck with your research, GK I've heard good things about Seige line. A couple of friends use it exclusively. I've been experimenting with different lines for a couple of years. Seige is on my list to try. Also Gamma.

I built an el cheapo rod rack along one wall of the garage. The rods are stored vertically, held in place by little elastic hair ties. For the winter, all the reels are in two cases, stored in the house. I leave the line on the reels until I've cleaned and re-lubed them. That's how I keep track of which ones I've serviced. During the season, I leave the reels on the rods, stored vertically, with the drags backed off. A horizontal rack would be ok for two piece rods. With one piece rods, a horizontal rack would likely leave you with a permanent bend set in the rod. Cheers, GK

Love "em. The hook box and the spinnerbait boxes are the best thing out there. Everything stays where you put it, nothing gets tangled, and they have have great latches. I've never had one open up accidentally. My only complaint is the odd size. They won't fit in a 3600 size bag, and they're too small, wasting space, in a 3700 size bag. That's a minor complaint. The crank boxes are pretty good, but I like the Shimano crank boxes better. They have a nice foam hook keeper running down each side. Absolutely no tangles when using one of these. Sadly, these no longer seem to be available. BPS had a house version for a couple of years. These are also not available. I'm gonna have to baby the ones I have. I've had one of the hook boxes and one of the spinnerbait boxes since they came out. They're a little scratched up, but otherwise perfect. The hinges are still flexible and intact, the latches are super solid and nothing has broken. They've been dropped, kicked and sat on, with no problems. Great products. I'll be buying more. Good luck, GK

dodgeguy is right, that's the best bag on the market now. I have one of the 3600 size. It appears to be nearly indestructable. A more affordable alternative is the Okeechobee Fats bag. I have one of those in the 3700 size. It's pretty tough too. I think the Cabela's bag is better made. The Fats bag is 10 bucks cheaper, with all the boxes than the Cabela's bag is without the boxes. Either one will hold a ton of stuff. For individual boxes, to put in the bags, the Falcon, application specific boxes are hard to beat. Particularly the terminal tackle and spinnerbait boxes. The crankbait boxes are pretty good too. The only problem with them is the size. They're too big to fit into a 3600 size bag, and too small for the 3700 size bag. I wish they had went with a standard size. Nothing wrong with putting them in a 3700 bag. That's what I do, it just seems to me to be a waste of space. For next year, my main goal is to cut down on the amount of stuff I'm carrying around. Like Avid said, the longer you play this game, the more stuff you accumulate, and you have to take all of it with you. Don't you? I don't have a complete plan yet, but I know a big part of my new scheme will be to cut down on the number of different colors I carry. I already have things organized by species. One 3600 bag has all my fly stuff. Another has all my crappie/panfish stuff. A big 3700 bag has all my muskie stuff, and another has all my wallete stuff. That's all good. It's the bass stuff that is totally out of control. I'm not gonna tell you how many bags and boxes that stuff takes up. You can't make me tell you, I plead the fifth. I'm working on it. I'll get better. Really, I will. Anyway to answer your question, no, that Plano box is not too big. You'll fill it up soon. And, anything from Plano will last for years. If you ever find a defective one, they'll replace it. No questions asked. I sent back two 3700 boxes, a couple of years ago. I'd snapped off one the latches on each one. They sent me back four new boxes to replace the broken two. Laggyman, I just saw you were from Japan. I don't know what's available on your side of the pond, but if Falcon boxes are there, you owe it to yourself to check those out. If you're going in a modular direction, those Falcon boxes are, by far, the best thing out there for organizing your tackle. You'll almost never have anything tangled when it's stored in the correct Falcon Box. Good luck, GK

I've spent the last couple of years upgrading my collection of reels. Now it's time to upgraded the rods. I've left my wife a couple hints to the effect that a new Daiwa Light & Tough rod or a JM Sig series rod would be most appreciated. She's been very good at interprerting my subtle hinting over the years. I'll leave index cards stuck in the BPS catalog, at the correct pages, with the model numbers, BPS stock numbers and the prices. You know, subtle. Cheers, GK

I always use a trailer on both baits, but seldom use a trailer hook. Single or twin tail grubs are good. Flukes are very good. I save my torn up Power worms to use as trailers. When I want to work a spinnerbait deeper, I keep a small bag of torn up Senkos. The extra weight of the Senko half, used as a trailer, helps keep the bait down. A big Sluggo makes an excellent trailer for a buzzbait. I also save some of the big tubes when the head gets torn. I'll remove the skirt from a spinnerbait and glue the tube over the weight. This is a good bait the slow roll down, or up, a point. The only plastic I've tried as a trailer that didn't work out was a frog on a buzzbait. It wanted to run over on it's side so I gave up on it. Good luck, GK

That's a tough one. For me, live minnows means small, light wire hooks. Something like an Aberdeen hook, size 8, or even 10. They bend very easily, so that dictates light line, no more than 6lb test. That also means spinning gear. A light power moderate action rod will be good. A good drag will be crucial. You won't be able to put much pressure on the light hooks, so you'll be fighting the fish with the drag and the soft rod. If you're using larger minnows, that won't be killed by a larger hook you can upsize everything. I caught quite a few smallies out of Table Rock, fishing minnows below a float targeting crappie. Also got smallies up north, targeting walleye with leeches and minnows below a float. The basic rig I use is constructed in this order: bobber stopper, bead, float, slip sinker, swivel, leader and hook. That's the order they go on the line. You can fish this as deep as you need. I like the little rubber bobber stops that slide on the line better than the string versions. They go through the guides easier when casting. For less than about 8' deep, a thin slip float with a split shot will do. As I go deeper, I'll increase the size of the float and the slip sinker. I balance the float with the sinker to keep just the tip of the float above water. I want it to be pulled under with a minimum of resistance. I've never fished this rig deeper than about 20'. The other option you might consider is a Lindy rig. This is a walking sinker, swivel, leader, at least 4' long and a small hook. I've caught a lot of walleye with this rig, but not many smallies. With a live craw, this could be a good option for smallmouth. I've never tried it. Good luck, GK

If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? If you ate pasta and antipasta, would you still be hungry? What happens if you get scared half to death, twice? If all the world's a stage, where is the audience sitting? Occasional tables - what are they the rest of the time? If space is a vacuum, who changes the bag? Why is it called lipstick, if you can still move your lips? Is there such a thing as a closet claustrophobic? Why does your nose run and your feet smell? Does that screwdriver belong to Philip? Does killing time damage eternity? If a rabbit's foot is so lucky, what happened to the rabbit? What's another word for synonym? Why isn't phonetic spelt the way it sounds? Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot them? Do sheep shrink when it rains? What was the best thing before sliced bread? Do people in Australia call the rest of the world"Up Over"? Why is it called a "building" when it's already built?

when you divide a pumpkin's circumference by it's diameter? Pumpkin pi