RoLo

Boy, you guys from Jersey are a crafty bunch I never even thought of that, but that's a super idea. I was jublilant just to remember the cavitation-plate, but never gave the outboard tilt-button a thought. Another good idea is to keep a "roll-up ladder" in a storage well, which can be hung from the gunwale in the case of 'man overboard'. Roger

My sunglasses were also prescription (~$250) and though I was wearing a water-resistant watch, it apparently escaped harm, because my hands spent most of the time hanging on the gunwale, I also had to lay out and dry every document in my wallet Only us elderly anglers can appreciate that statement. My body cannot keep with my mind, but I keep telling my body, get used to it to fella because from now on, this is the way it's going to be! ;D Roger

What are we comparing it to?

You specified 7oz or less, so I really can't help. If it were me though (and I'm not a baitcasting aficionado) I'd go with the 10.5oz, $250 Dahlberg special 8-) : Shimano Curado 301E Roger

In no particular order (may vary hourly): > Suspending Jerkbait > Jig & Craw > Lipless Crank Roger

Didn't I read somewhere that bass can't resist the aroma of WD-40 and plastic. ;D :

Indeed! Not only will they disintegrate, but will destroy every plastic product they contact. The end result is a non-salvageable glop of melted plastic. I also found out the hard way that some plastic storage bins are also off limits, it must be "worm-proof" plastic. It's best to leave them in their original packets, then they can be stored anywhere. As Rhino will tell you, they're well worth the bother Roger

I've always worn the permanent-style non-inflatable PFDs, but in the midsummer heat of Florida, they can get mighty obtrusive. I found myself wearing the permanent vest less-and-less, so I decided to buy an auto-inflatable vest with good intentions of wearing it all day on the water. Frankly though, that has not happened. If I'm not going to wear my auto-inflatable PFD all day, then I'm most likely going to return to the permanent non-inflatable vest. I really don't have the same level of confidence in the inflatable PFDs, that I have in the non-inflatable vests. This is a very serious subject guys, and I intend to follow this post because it might help me reach a definitive conclusion. Goofing around in the bow, I fell into Lake Kissimmee about a month ago. My wife was helpless, as there was nothing she could do with a 220-lb clown, bobbing in the water. As luck would have it, we were offshore, it was over my head, I wasn't wearing a life vest, it was bitterly cold, the water was 59 degrees and I spent about 10 min in the drink. My outer jacket of brushed polyester immediately wicked up the water and felt like it weighed about 30 lbs. I had to walk on my elbows along the gunwale from the bow to the transom, where the cavitation-plate probably saved my life. In the process, I lost a pair of sunglasses and my hat, and though I retrieved my hat, the sunglasses are still out there. To this day, I don't understand how my hat came off, because it was secured with a chinstrap. I wanted to continue fishing that day, but my wife said "You're soaking wet, and we're going in right now!!". She was right of course, so I called it a day. :-[ Roger

X-Tex Cobra?? Surely you jest.

I've owned several Motor Guides (by default) and several Minn Kotas (by design). I remember when Minn Kota introduced the first ever 36 ft-lb thrust motor, and from that day forth they remained top dog in my book. If you insist on an electric motor that can power through maidencane, waterlilies, spatterdock, matted hydrilla, milfoil and hyacinths, then Minn Kota is your Hobson's choice. Roger

;D George, I'll bet you view all this as I do, a torrid spring bite lasting through May and halfway thru June 8-) Roger

I've used PowerPro for a couple seasons, and really liked it....that is, until I didn't like it anymore (bad batch). I've tried Sufix, but wasn't happy with the way it handles. Today we use nothing but Berkley Fireline Tracer Braid, it's all I'd ever ask of a line and more. I prefer 30-lb test for most chores, which is only 0.002" thicker than 20-lb braid. It's as thin as 8-lb nylon mono, yet it's not prone to wind-knots or line-burrowing and is more abrasion-resistant than lighter braid. Roger

My wife was fighting a good bass that got wrapped-up in bulrush stalks. Seeing this, I dropped my rod and headed full-speed toward her bass using a handheld remote for the electric motor. On the way to her bass, the lure on my rod got snagged on the bottom, and the next thing I heard was the splash it made as it was yanked overboard. I dragged that area several times with a large weighted treble, but to no avail. The rod was donning a Shimano Stradic, so I renamed that waypoint, "Shimano". :-[ I also had a Kistler Helium ll LTX, that slipped out of a wet hand during a clumsy cast. This time I was lucky though, as I was able to grapple the fishing line. However, I had to unload the entire spool of line, before the rod began moving toward the boat. That was one of the few times in freshwater, that I was sweating the integrity of my spool noose Roger

In water that cold, I'd feel more confident with a straight-worm like a Strike King 3x Finesse worm, Gambler Ace or Zoom Trick Worm. Color? Any dark color such as black, brown (pumpkin) or greenish brown (green pumpkin). Roger

Good advice Dwight Till now, they've been my mainstay for chain pickerel (jig & dead minnow) Roger

It's not so much about being over-powered, but more about equipment that makes the job easier and more pleasurable. I enjoy wrestling bass using only my rod arm, but I've encountered pigs that tried to break my wrist, and using a longer rod only magnifies the strain on the wrist. That's why commercial fisherman use hand-lines (no rod), which offers maximum power. In the recent past, all my spinning rods were 6.0 ft long, and whenever I got snarled in heavy cover, I literally pumped the boat over to the snag using the rod (my mistake). With my 6'9 Kistler though (my longest rod), I point the rod-tip at the snag then pull the rod backwards, parallel to the waterline. In effect, I'm hand-lining the lure, by reducing the rod length to zero. Larry Dahlberg often uses a long rod, BUT Larry divulged his secret for fighting big fish. With strong fish, Larry swears by using a series of short incomplete rod pumps, so he doesn't run-out-of-gas (power vs. speed). In essence, Larry is making a shorter rod out of a longer rod (Larry IS the Man). That's true. The flipside of moving more line is flexing more blank. Whereas line movement benefits the angler using stretchy line, blank movement (flex) benefits the angler using treble hooks and non-stretch lines (like braid). I'm not averse to long rods, and use them for fly-fishing and surf-casting, but have gotten away from them for freshwater spinning. On more than one occasion I've cast trebled plugs with a 6-ft spinning rod right alongside boat mates using long casting rods. At no time did I ever feel disadvantaged, and an onlooker probably wouldn't notice any difference between us. That's what I hear, but it flies in the face of flipping, pitching and the casting style that I prefer. In Florida, you need to be a target caster, and rely heavily on your visual perception of cover. By limiting the target setback to 20 yards, you're able to see minor detail like a hidden weed pocket, merger of plant species, submerged weed patch, sunken stump, hidden cypress knee, ad infinitum. In addition to the visual advantage of playing close to the vest, the shorter setback offers more accurate splashdowns, better retrieve path control and more hook-sets beyond the barb. As the setback between the boat and target is increased, all four attributes are progressively degraded. Bass in gin-clear water typically lie deeper than bass in dark water, therefore water clarity is pretty much a wash, and has little effect on the setback of my boat. Ironically, in some of the clearest lakes, the depth sounder plays the major role, where the boat may be anchored directly over the heads of bass, which is up-and-down fishing that requires no casting distance. On the flipside (excuse the pun), in dense stands of bulrushes you may need to get within 15 ft of your target to do business. Bass are surprisingly tolerant of the presence of a boat, even in gin-clear water, unless of course, someone drops a coffee thermos in an aluminum boat...LOL Who hasn't caught a pig that busted the surface so close to the boat that you jumped out of your skin? The next time you're anchored in crystal-clear water, lean over the gunwale and peer beneath the boat. You may be surprised to see bass huddled in the wedge of shade directly beneath the hull. I've seen this with spotted bass in Lake Lanier and Dale Hollow, smallmouth bass in Georgian Bay and 1000 Islands, and largemouth bass in many waters. Most of my life has been spent casting from a seated position on the bench seat of a pike boat (still my favorite boat). Today, anglers stand boldly upright on an elevated deck...is it any wonder why rod lengths have been creeping up? You bet. Rod length should be suited to the angler's personal style of angling, but he first needs to understand all the Pros and Cons to make an educated decision. You might say, the Long and Short of it Roger

You have discovered two out of the three highest floating worms, the other one being the Gambler Big Stick (hollow-body / skirted-tail). Roger

Welcome aboard bamajoker. BTW, there are no stupid questions, just some of the answers Roger

Isn't that contradictory? Yes, it does pay to have light equipment, but if as you say, it always takes ounces to balance the rod by itself, then you'll be forced to attach a 3-bearing reel made of polycarbonate in order to offset the weight you added to the rod. I personally prefer to spend the money on a lightweight rod, rather than a lightweight reel. In this manner, I can select a reel with a robust frame and high-bearing count, and still end up with a "naturally" balanced outfit. But of course, it all boils down to personal preference. Roger and my question to you would be where do you hold the rod?do you palm the reel?if so your balance point should be the center of the reel seat.if not then your balance point should be where you hold it.most guys i know palm the reel so most of us should use the center of the reel seat as the fulcrum point.now if you prefer slightly tip heavy that's cool but it's not "balanced". Oddly perhaps, but I prefer the feel of an outfit that's slightly top-heavy to one that's perfectly balanced. With spinning gear, I prefer the balance-point to align with the reel bale rather than the reel tang. As a result, I'll normally opt for the heavier reel in favor of the lightest reel. In essence, I'm reducing the inherent top-heaviness of the outfit by adding weight to the reel, rather than acheiving perfect balance by adding weight to the rod. Roger

PHEW, it's pretty clear that we're in an economic contraction! Rhino, I hope you have a high-capacity PM box Roger

CWB, I typed the same reply as you, almost verbatim, so decided to delete my original post. In any case I fully concur, JJ's Magic is ideally used in someone else's boat and preferably on someone else's lures Roger

Yeah, when the Mister Twister grub was first introduced, I thought I discovered Gold. I must have been one of the only anglers ordering direct from the company (Lindy or Northwoods, now Mepps) After several orders, they'd actually send me lures unsolicited that they discontinued. I still have several packs of their discontinued 1/8oz white hair jigs. Roger

You ARE going to reimburse him for the extra 38 packs....Right? After all, he would also like to retire some day.

Scott, that's one beautiful rig! The best of luck with her Roger

The same as Hollywood box office, lure sales are driven by herd instinct. As a result, there's a throng of grossly underexploited soft plastic lures. To name just a few: > Gambler Ace > Zoom Big Critter Craw > Strike King Zulu > Gambler Big Stick > Kalin Mogambo Grub > Yamamoto Kut-tail > Gambler Pop'n Toad Roger