OkobojiEagle

Most of the small "hair" jigs I tie are fished sans trailer. When I have used a trailer, its been in warmer water and I used a 3" Brewer's boot-tail grub. A hair jig will catch bass in clear warmer water as easily as most any small plastic bait, it just isn't the only bait that works in warmer water and there are plenty of more available baits to do the trick. oe (I've never figured out how to post pics or I'd add one here)

I have that rod also. It's even more soft and parabolic than the 6'10" rods. I've used it to teach my young grandkids how to cast... I've got a 6'4" Aetos rod that is faster and stronger than the Elite-tech smallmouth rods that I prefer throwing topwater with. I'm able to keep larger smallmouth out of the weeds easier with it. oe I think I would cry!... oe

Small hair jigs need not be only a cold water bait any more than a Ned rig is... oe

A couple 6' 10" Elite-tech smallmouth baitcasting rods have been standing in my rod box un-used for a couple of seasons and I'd like to change that. They're rated 1/8 - 5/8oz and are plenty parabolic. I'm thinking they may work well for suspending jerkbait rods. I know there are others on this board that picked this rod up while they were available several years ago... what are you using yours for? oe

Then I wonder why the jr's cost $5 less than their larger siblings... oe

Can you find a $5 quality difference? oe

One good drop per bearing... less is more oe

translucent and natural... Ghost Minnow, Ghost Bluegill... (I haven't seen Ghost Perch) oe

ditto

80 wt lower unit oil... a good compromise to both sides of the discussion. oe

I buy my reels to fish with, are they scratched? I don't care as long as they fit tightly in the reel seat and handle the line as I'm looking for it to do... another solution in search of a problem. oe

Not fake... the 78's are made with fixed weights and don't rattle beyond the sound of the trebles. Productive bait for me. oe

On Big Spirit... Elegy Bone, but I'd suggest a ghost minnow color over the bright if you don't already own one. oe

Hey Carol Martens... thanks for the article about safe boating for the "aging" on today's (12/9/20) front page. oe

Metallic flash or ghost patterns in shallow depths... opaque and more "perchy" patterns deeper. oe +1

Yup, I know what you're say'n... For many, many years every new box of Fireline has been spooled as tightly as I can onto it's intended reel, then matched with a long casting rod and I spend an hour or two throwing a 5/8oz spinnerbait off my dock. This and an afternoon of actual fishing fixes the "slinky" line lay problem for me. The absolute worst line for "slinky line lay" I've experienced is NanoFil. After months of fishing that line I still couldn't get it to lay flat on the water... oe

That little bit of stiffness (passive memory) "jumps" a little more than other PE lines I've used when laying on the water's surface when my bait gets bit. Not a positive attribute unless you're a line watcher as I am... oe

hard jerkbaits, any brand, assuming 0 - 12 feet... Does your confidence color or pattern change based solely on the depth you are fishing it? oe

I've been using original 3/4 strand Fireline on spinning gear since the mid nineties. I've sampled other lines, but in every case I've liked Fireline better. I've decided 4lb test is not as dependable as I need in my bass and walleye fishing, but 6lb, 8lb & 10lb provide ample strength, abrasion resistance and knots hold admirably. Some years back I spooled a bait casting reel with 14lb but took it off the same day because of bird nesting. I need a more supple line on my bait casting reels. New Fireline is quite stiff out of the box, but becomes considerably more supple after an afternoon's use while maintaining a characteristic I best describe as "passive memory"... eliminating casting tip wrap and providing bite detection approaching nylon monofilament. The long and short of it -- after a quarter of a century original Fireline is still my chosen line for spinning applications. I sampled the newer 8 strand Fireline, 20lb on two baitcasters, but have had more line management problems than I've experienced with other more supple lines. oe

The Pyzer article is very good! He touches on the concept that a large fish will often calm their aggressive fight when they encounter less pressure from the line. Doug Hannon has written about "leading" large bass from heavy cover with light line and light pressure. This has been my experience also and probably the unspoken reason some, no many... actually most "backreelers" refuse to "come out of the darkness". I don't think there is a backreeler today that cares if anyone else uses this technique as it an advantage in their favor over other anglers, but we do get a little perturbed when not given the option as Shimano and others are beginning to do. oe

Doesn't actually "backreel", but I fish my Lew's BB1L (no AR bearing) nearly every outing... oe

Full circle... this discussion started several threads ago because several of the new spinning reels were no longer offering back reel switches... oe

This is strictly my un-researched opinion given to allow thoughtful disagreement: the number of wraps around the standing line of a clinch, Trilene or similar knot is to provide security of the knot from slipping and coming apart when the tag is clipped short, and not to provide more strength. A three wrap knot is as strong as a five wrap knot when the tag line is cut 1/2" or longer. That's the current hypothesis I'm going with until convinced otherwise... oe

... LOL... (for team9nine)