jokerjp

I believe the heavy hook is being suggested for casting distance, if that's not an issue for you then you should be able to go lighter.

I have a pair of Lacrosse Hawthornes in the boat for rain, super comfortable and dry. http://www.amazon.com/LaCrosse-Hawthorne-200050-Waterproof-Boots/dp/B004VV1B2U

I use a rage craw on mine just like I would a jig.....good results so far and no impact on the vibration, actually caught quite a few on the fall like a jig using this setup.

Shelbyville was good to me this weekend. About 25 fish total with a pretty even split between LM and white bass caught. Largest LM went 4.2 with four greater than 3lbs caught. Fish were shallow holding tight to banks with deep water near, points of main lake. They were NOT in the coves :-) https://picasaweb.go...feat=directlink https://picasaweb.go...feat=directlink

Xuron 496 / thread

I hate the "sure snags" too....I switch em out with whatever I have on hand. Rule of thumb for me is bigger is better as long as the hooks don't tangle you are fine.

Only two words annoy me when I'm fishing - "HUNG UP!" Believe me I understand the occasional hang up with a lure, but when it's 10 times a trip....I start to question why I didn't just go out solo.

#1 GYB Senko #2 RI Sweet Beaver 4.20 #3 Rage Space Monkey

I use these, they fit bait packages perfectly, stack nicely, and have an attached lid. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HOSYSE/ref=oh_o04_s00_i00_details

Where I'm at bucket fisherman are meat fisherman who keep everything they catch.....frequently ignoring limits (both size and numbers) when I've encountered them in the past.

You are all very lucky, I wend to my Dick's today and they had exactly nothing of interest on clearance.

I'm using two of those FTO boxes...one in the boat as my "primary" and a "refill" box kept at home. I've found nothing better to date.

If you look at the overall lure market there is a range of products available in from very reasonable to very expensive. It's all about how much you want/can afford to spend. Take hard baits, as an example, you can find cranks that are < $3 as well as cranks that are easily >$25 and everything in between IMO that's an indication of a healthy market where the consumer has budget, mid-range, and premium choices on almost all fishing products available.

Thanks for the heads up Got exactly the rod I was looking for(704CB) at a nice discount.

Scratches can and will weaken the blank, but since the hook keepers are so far down on the rod, I highly doubt you'd see breakage from a hook scratch. I know I've never seen a rod broken down that far. Now put that same scratch about midway up the blank and you've got a potential problem.