Mike L

Nope The only thing I changed was going from 30#-80# 4 carrier Power Pro to Smackdown braid for the 21/2 presentations I use it for. Everything else is straight fluorocarbon from 12#-20# and has always been that way. I’ve also been using the same knots as well SDJ, palomar and snell for just as long Mike

I use flouro for all presentations except for 2 1/2 with 12# being the lightest and most versatile on casting gear as others have said. I don’t use spinning for anything If you use a quality product from 12# to 20# on your bait caster, any and all manner of undesirable outcomes that are reportedly possible can be controlled without affecting anything KVD L&L will help if needed Mike

I go back to Glenn Beckert (Chicago guys…Remember him?) He was called a “Utility Infielder” but his best years was at 2nd base. He often was compared to Johnny Evers of Tinker to Evers to Chance fame (And No, I’m not that old) Then comes Sandberg.. The best of them all He was often called a shallow right fielder with a rocket arm, nothing got past him. He was that good Mike

1…Use the 7’3 Heavy Any beaver or craw type fairly compact plastic of your choice. For the thickest and most compact use a beaver with minimum side appendages as the action should come from the tail. 2…Yes, For the thickest I use 60# or 80#. As it thins out or around the edges but still in moderate cover I use 20# or 25# fluorocarbon. I would never use mono for punching but there are folks on here who do and are successful. Your choice 3… No definitive answer. Some use jigs designed for it and others use plastics. 4… I would start at 3/4oz and go from there. I’ve been known to use a 2oz on occasion but that’s rare. A 1 1/2 oz should be the max you’ll ever need. That said, Sometimes by pitching or flipping high and letting it crash through will get hit where a nice silent entry won’t. 5… No I only use a straight shank heavy wire hook for any and all punching. But yes, another style will work but that will depend on the size and rigging of the plastic you use. 6… Yes Trial and error, you’ll know soon enough. 7… Depends on the setup. If the matt is an area the size of a swimming pool I’ll drop every few feet or so, any bigger every few yards.. BUT after making 3 or 4 with that spacing I go back to where I dropped the first and do it again. If no hits I’ll start where I left off on the first cycle, at the same distances working my way around. **In other words I’m going up and back before I continue to move around 8… Always, with more aggressive lifts and shakes. Punching isn’t just throwing something to hit the bottom. It’s up close and personal with it’s own set of nuances. You’re invading her house, if she’s home she’ll respond. Good Luck Mike

I took the grand kids to Disney World yesterday, 96 deg with 60% humidity It was so bad it was hard to breathe. We kept darting in and out of stores to cool the kids down as best we could. I bought them fans and cooling towels just to walk around. Forget about standing in line. If I was on the water I’d probably still be passed out!!😵 Mike

I don’t remember where I heard it and when I started paying attention to it but it’s been years. Few things in our hobby has been more telling and predictable. At least for me. Mike

Yes he did! He didn’t try to make himself out to be someone he wasn’t. He answered questions and offered advice from knowledge and experience. I’ll always remember our Big Game mono vs fluorocarbon discussions. (He really loved that stuff) I’m really gonna miss him. Mike

WHAT!!!! NO!! May God Bless him I’m not on Facebook. If there is any information about where any public service will be held, can someone please PM me with any published info. Thanks Mike

I’m sure it’s a huge factor, could be the only factor but no one knows the real reason. But since all a bubble is just entrapped air, it makes sense. I and others firmly believe in it because we’ve seen it. Mike

Yeah Buddy!! They tend to stay with you a while too!! Mike

The water itself should be considered also, not just her mood. I always believed in the old fisherman's “myth” that if whatever you throw on top that is designed to be fished in a straight line with no pop’s, twitch’s etc. Check the water behind it from where it hit the water to all the way back. If there are no bubbles still on the water the entire way, do something else. Mike

Portillo’s is the closet thing you can buy outside of Chicago proper. They used to import thier bread from thier main store on the No Side but I can tell they stopped a while ago and bake it locally. It’s not the same as the water is different all over the country. Down here it’s close, just not the same. Take it from a transplanted So Sider, what makes a great Chicago Italian Beef sandwich isn’t the meat, it’s the au jus and the bread in that order. Mike

I don’t know of any mainstream rod manufacturer who doesn’t carry a full lineup in almost every price range. Most will have the most choices in their “mid priced” range. I’ve been tournament fishing for a long while now with a variety of both rods and reels from different places which fill holes power and action wise that one just couldn’t do. Mike

No. I really haven’t. Maybe it’s a problem that just recently started as the last spool I bought was in November or December. Plus, Maybe it’s happening on the lower end as I don’t use anything lower than 12# Mike

Everyone’s preferences are different in almost everything. Mine might not be consistent with a lot of folks and that’s fine. Using Trokar hooks for almost everything is another example. Mike

Dang!! How can I forget the Fat Max!! (red/shad) Sorry Max! Mike

Same things, always the same things Magnum UV Speed Worm Rage Bug/Craw Super Spook Mike

I just don’t get it! Anyway, I use Trokar exclusively for all single and treble hooks and have for years. Yes, they are sharp which is one of the reasons I use them. And no, it’s best not to tex pose, just bury 1/2 way in and go. Considering the whole package… Strength, best designed bait keeper, welded hook eye and consistently, I won’t use anything else. The only exceptions are Gamakatsu keel weighted and Skip Gap hooks for stick baits. To each his own Mike

Hello and Welcome Mike

If I’m not mistaken the majority of professional tournaments scheduled in Florida are usually early in the schedule for obvious reasons and not only because of the weather. Fishing on Okeechobee, Toho, or St John’s is completely different weight wise than North of the Tenn River. Mike

They don’t work for me because I hardly ever rig a jig because I’d much rather have different options in plastics. I never felt I was missing fish not using them. Mike

The Kaden 715C Mag Heavy balances well with a 200 sized reel. Sensitivity is average for Heavy powered rod. I used mine for frogs, C Rigs, punching and really anything on the heavier end. Mike

For milfoil or really any other emergent grasses it depends on how thick and what you’re trying to do. For light to moderate I use 12# or 14# Sunline Sniper For moderate to heavy including punching I use 20# Shooter with a spool of 25# in reserve. Anything other than that I use straight braid 65#-80# Mike

Ditto Mike

@Catt A long time and very respected member on here knows more about those reels than anyone I know of. He’ll be unavailable for a while so until he is do a search on here. You’ll get all your questions answered soon enough. Mike