OkobojiEagle

Two baits I tie on during mayfly season... 1. very light hair jig, usually black and <1/8 oz. 2. small popper with rear treble dressed with teaser feather. Work them both as slowly as you can stand. oe

If you're buying Stellas & Exists you're into the sport deep enough you don't need our help with your decision... oe

weight is used to control depth and speed... there is no "best" weight oe

Fin-tech title shot jig heads oe

This made me laugh out loud... that's one used up hook that's flattened to the point of now holding "an edge". oe

... I call it "hop-scotching" down a shoreline, not really covering the water well. oe

As said above, if Fireline works for you go with it. I've been using Fireline on my spinning reels since the mid-1990s and fish with 8lb, 10lb & 14lb today. When another line catches a lot of notoriety on the boards I often try a spool, but so far I've always gone back to original Fireline. To each their own... oe

Before they are large, they are very little... and thousands of them in the shallow weeds! It might take a week of careful checking in the shower and you're still finding them! My wife of 43 years told me "In sickness and health" doesn't cover THAT! Long legged twill pants get removed in the garage, hung up to dry in the yard and brushed off the next day before they're allowed in the house to wash! Light weight waders work in the ponds as well, but they're warmer and they need to be dried and brushed off also. oe

Guess you guys that wade in shorts must not have tiny leeches in your water or ticks on your shorelines. Those buggers can get in places you'll have to be double jointed at the waist to eradicate them from... oe

When just wanting to get a little away from the shore brush I pull on a pair of 15" rubber chore boots. When wanting to get a little deeper in warm water it's twill pants tucked into a pair of wading boots to help manage the small leeches. I also will fish from my belly boat with flippers. Lots of ways to get at bass in small waters. oe

30'-50' is as far as I would want to cast in that environment... oe

With a little luck you may even get product that isn't counterfeit... oe

Just thought I'd let you know... because of surgery immediately following her birth, my daughter doesn't have a belly button. oe

OP... what do you want to know about them? I own 4 spinning & 2 casting. Bought them about 15 years ago, I fish them still. The last year(s) of their production they had stainless guides (not ceramic inserts) which I don't like. Their power rating is pretty close to right, but many people will find the actions to be very stiff. The current generation of Techna's (with the 3M blank material) seem to be much softer in action. If you have specific questions, ask. oe

My guide is how the rod feels when cast. If the rod isn't loading I change to a lighter power rod or heavier bait. If the rod "feels" over-loaded I might change to a lighter bait, change to a heavier power rod or most often change my casting stroke to more "lob" less "snap". oe

Do you fish EWG hooks direct from package, or do you open the hook gap very, very slightly? oe

I'm a right to life supporter myself, but if this really works that well...

smaller capacity reels...

As mentioned above, on hot sunny days I cover all my baits with a white towel... I keep my reels covered as well. Sorry about the misfortune. oe

fi·nesse /fəˈnes/ noun 1. intricate and refined delicacy. verb 1. do (something) in a subtle and delicate manner. Forgive me this morning, but using the word "finesse" to describe a bait simply because it is small or light weight; or tackle because it can cast light weight baits bothers me. By definition, finesse fishing is a subtle, delicate presentation of any size or weight bait using most any tackle capable of such presentation. Thank you for your indulgence. oe

Breaking a long post into paragraphs will help the reader comprehend your thoughts... Thanks oe

I agree the rod should be first to upgrade, but I don't understand your need for a ladder to fish with. oe

I don't find photographing my catch important enough to bother with. My memory does a better job of "growing" a bass over time... oe

This is not stated often enough. Again, it's more about the Indian than the arrow... oe

jigworms... how you fish them is your preference oe