K_Mac

Clayton there was a time in my life that I felt the same way. When the time comes to make the decision to take meds or die, I suggest you will do what the rest of us do and take your medicine. As far as using drug therapy to quit smoking, possibly having some short term symptoms caused by the drug compared to the almost certain disastrous long term effects of smoking makes the drug a viable option IMO. I was able to quit cold turkey, but it took a while. What I'm saying is when making any serious decision there are pros and cons that have to be weighed. A 'one size fits all' answer is often too simple.

I am with you Marty. I think most recommendations I've read are around 20% of line breaking strength. I would rather be a little too loose than too tight and have a hog break off. Horsing one out of heavy cover with heavy gear is the exception.

Your objection is noted. I would assume the rest of the information is forthcoming. Patience grasshopper... I will also add my congatulations!

Jigfisherman you are in the majority group. For me a reel in the $100 range on a $200 rod is perfectly acceptable. I know that puts me out of the main stream, but I'm OK with that.

The individuals who have come to the conclusion that these reels can cause problems in this area have done so based on experience. I don't find that strange at all. They have shared their experience with you in attempt to help with your line twist issue. SirSnook, for example, fishes with spinning reels only and spends far more time fishing than most, much of it in saltwater. He may not be the definitive authority on spinning reels, but his experience does give him some authority IMO. You will have to decide whether your issues are caused by the reel, line, your technique, or some combination of these. Good luck. FWIW I use BPS Pro Qualifier baitcast reels. They have served me well and I consider them to be great value reels. There are other credible folks on this forum that consider them junk. I have read and considered their opinions, and buy them anyway. That is not strange-it is just fishing.

A friend has a Victorinox that is very elegant. It is well built and about the same size as my Leatherman Blast. I don't know what model it is but they have a web site: http://www.swissarmy.com/us/category/Category/Do-It-Yourself/1004?page=2&pn_id=f959ee4ee2ae60f7cf180c283f35bf6e&f=category&v=1/100/1004&m=add&orderkey=newest I have had my Leatherman for years and would buy one exactly like it if I lost it. Great tool for the money IMO.

I almost always have at least these three: 1-baitcast with either a weighted or unweighted wacky rigged 5 or 6" Senko/Stick-o 2-baitcast with T-rigged plastic-size and weight to fit conditions 3-Spinning shakyhead with finesse worm, Trickworm, or T-Mac worm most of the time Often these as well: 4-baitcast T-rig to offer contrast in weight, size, color, profile 5-Spinning with a darter jig and 3, 4, or 5" grub or weightless T-rigged plastic- often a Trickworm Unless I'm night fishing or locked in on jig bite, I will always have at least 3 plastic rigs on deck.

Manually closing the bail changed fishing for me. I don't have to worry much about twist anymore-thank goodness. One other trick that works for me: As the bait touches down I feather the line with my index finger against the lip of the spool and lift the rod tip slightly as I close the bail. This eliminates loose line and twisting as I begin to reel. Like thumbing the spool on a baitcaster, once you do it enough it almost happens from muscle memory. Good luck.

Welcome to the Forum and bass fishing! Nice fish. The rod and reel are fine. I would not go any heavier on line unless it is a braid of some sort (a whole nother discussion ). As you learn, you will probably come to the conclusion that you will need more than one rig. Most of us have several. Bass fish can be very simple; fishing a small pond with one or two baits; or as complex as consistently catching the biggest fish in large public lakes. Spend some time reading on this site in both the articles and forum sections. Enjoy the process.

While your wife is probably right, if fishing with lures from the past makes you happy then why not? Isn't that what you bought them for? It's not like you don't have a few! It does sound like you have a collection of baits that some 'real' collector might be willing to pay a premium for, esp if sold as a collection. Serious collectors are a different breed. Having an extra couple of favorite baits is just good sense, but having things like fishing tackle and gear that will never get used, or unfired guns in the safe, or undriven cars in the garage is not for me. Some will say that since their collections have increased in value they are a good investments. Sometimes that is true, but most of the time it has little to do with money.

Good for you. It has been over 15 years for me. I really can't remember exactly when I finally quit-I did it several times. It has been a long time since I wanted one. That did not happen quickly... It is not easy, but not waking up in the morning and coughing for several minutes before breathing more or less normally is a wonderful thing. Good luck.

As much as I hate to say it, I agree with Grundle. I don't find him funny at all. I don't think his "accent" is any more fake than pro wresting though. Grundle I understand your desire to go back to your home planet...

Excellent post. The point of diminishing returns happens at a lower dollar amount in reels than rods IMO. My rod budget will almost always be higher.

An interesting thread with some very good advice. There is no substitute for experience and knowledge. Read everything available on gear, baits, and techniques, and as much time on the water as you possibly can finding what works best for you. Pay more attention to details and work harder than everyone else. That is your edge. Watch a few Bassmaster episodes and study KVD. It is not by accident that he wins more often than the rest...

The KVD stuff may be a little over-done by Strike King, but in my opinion the KVD cranks that I have seem to be decent baits for the money. KVD is a smart guy and as far as I know there are no low quality baits with his name on them. My guess is if the frogs have his name on them they too will be a decent product. I will give them a try. If anyone finds any of the KVD dog poo baits let me know, I would also like to try them.

Advice is generally worth what you pay for it, esp on the internet. Nevertheless I will add my $.02. I completely agree with you that buying a house you really can't afford is a bad idea. Realtors (and often wives) want to move you toward the upper limits of your finances and beyond. What they say you can afford is insane as far as I'm concerned. One unexpected emergency and your house of cards can come crashing down. You are not going to get the dream house in your current situation. Your wife, based on her financial history may not understand this. What you need right now is a decent place to live that gets you closer to work and out of your F-I-L's house IMO. That will require some sacrifice and restraint, but will be worth it in the long term. I agree with Lund Explorer that renting may be your best option at this time. I would rather live in a one bedroom efficiency apartment than live with my wifes folks, or be sinking in a sea of debt. When we bought the place we now have we lived with them for a couple of weeks. We love each dearly and we were fine, but life is too short and a man needs his own place. Buying a house without having your financial house in order is a mistake in my opinion. Good luck.

Let's not get crazy now. Even at my age I'll give the edge to Carrie. Good looking outfit G.

Mike you already have a thread open in the 'Fishing Tackle' forum on this topic. You will find several suggestions there.

Brian I'm not familiar with the Northstar jig you mention, but I am a big fan of the Netbait Paca craws and chunks, as well as the Zoom chunks. The subtle movement of the Zoom chunk compared to the more aggressive movement of the Paca chunk could be the difference in getting bit. Don't get too infatuated with one bait (even if you did pay good money for it). Let the fish decide. Jig fishing is one of those skills that takes time to learn. Enjoy the process. Good luck.

Fishing in that kind of wind, esp when the temperature is less than ideal is a pain even when the fish are biting. It does look like you guys managed to stay dry. With my boat the ride is both painful and wet in those conditions. Makes a man glad to be alive. As far as getting skunked, there's always next time...

I agree with Rhino that if what you are using is producing and I can't catch anything, I want one. Before I ask I will watch carefully. Sometimes a very slight difference in placement, speed, or cadence can make all the difference. I have been on both sides of this many times. Stay focused and confident. It's all good.

I have a contractor friend who builds mostly residential homes. He made a very comfortable living until the last couple of years. Before the crash $100-110 would be in the ball park around here. I am guessing it would be cheaper now. He has not worked much lately...

Any time you talk color you will usually find two schools of thought: one group says color means little; in the other group you will find some who say any color as long as it is black, or black/blue, or green, or brown, etc and the others who will say you need to match the hatch. I am in the color sometimes matters group. Over the years I have come to use three main color combos; black/blue, green/red, brown/orange or red. These three colors of jigs and an assortment of subtlety different colored trailers gives me many choices. I also use swim jigs in baitfish colors.

A couple of years ago while night fishing with my wife, I came to the conclusion that there are times when a weapon may be needed in order to protect myself and loved ones. While the situation ended with nobody hurt, I vowed I would not be in that situation again. I live in a quiet rural community, in a county that has one of the lowest violent crime rates in the state. Within the last month there have been two home invasions in the county. The "home defense craze" is a reaction to the world we live in, in my opinion. I spent hours researching the "best" weapon for personal and home defense. I talked to friends, including some in law enforcement. I came to the conclusion that like rods and reels, it comes down to personal preference. There are some reoccurring suggestions though. I ended up with three different weapons after shooting a variety of guns. My HD and camp/boat gun is a SS .357/.38 Ruger GP 100-4" revolver. My carry weapon is a Ruger SR9c 9mm compact. I have a Mossberg 500-18" in the closet. Any one of the three would work fine for home defense, though the shotgun is a bit unwieldy inside the house IMO. The thing that I was told by everyone who had real experience was that while buying a gun and some ammo may give a feeling of security, without training and practice a person is better off with a dog.

John I think after the first couple of pitches/flips it becomes a finesse technique even if it is a jig and craw that weighs an ounce and a half. For me finesse is more about presentation than size. Just my opinion.