RoLo

As already mentioned, spincasting is an entry-level reel, although my first spinning reel was a Mitchell 300 cap. Truthfully, the only reason I opted for an open-face spinning reel was because I anticipated getting snarls and wanted to be able to see them and pick them out. I never look down-my-nose at another angler's gear: it may be something that he personally prefers, it may be all that he can afford, but on top of that, it won't prevent him from catching more bass than you or I Our most important fishing tool lies between our ears. Roger

With regard to really functional low-end blanks, "Bionic Blade" immediately comes to mind. Over the years I've accumulated a number of bionic blades as knockaround rods and backups, but they hold their own against rods costing twice the price. Roger

Although I take my grandchildren fishing every chance I get, I don't feel that I've done nearly enough to perpetuate the sport. If our state or national government would institute a "Take A Kid Fishing" program with a liability disclaimer, I'd be the first grandpa in line. Roger

Pintail, I use braid on my spinning gear for "everything", it does it all. On different outfits I'm using 20, 30 and 50lb PowerPro. Though I hear fellows talk about line-burrowing, I have no problem with line burrowing at all. Naturally, if my lure gets solidly hung-up on a stump, and I horse the hook-out with enough force to tow a rowboat, yes the line will burrow into the spool. But realizing that, I just strip off a few yards of line first, before making the next cast, and there's never a problem. By all means give Sufix a go, but I trust you will find no measurable difference, braided polyurethane is braided polyurethane. Roger

During the vast majority of my life I used Trilene XL (nylon mono) on my freshwater spinning tackle. Today I use spectra braid powerpro and would never go back (to me, there's no comparison). Roger

No, there's no line-twist with spectra braid...Nada Roger

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It. I use and love PowerPro! There, now my secret is out : Roger

Rapala isn't a lure but the name of a company that produces a throng of lures. I don't see how one lure like the "rat-l-trap" can be compared to an entire company like "rapala" Roger

I've found Berkley Powerbaits to be "very average"....pretty good, but nothing to write home about. "Gulp" on the other hand, now that's really pushing the envelope. I don't believe it's necessary to put up with that smelly goop to catch bass, but of course, to each his own. Roger

I remember when Stanley came out with "tapered wire" spinner arms which supposedly increased vibration. But that was a very long time ago, and I'd have thought by now they've been upstaged by titanium wire. Roger

Cheer Up Fellows, at that rate there'll eventually be only one boat on each lake Roger

I own a bunch of spinning reels the majority of which are Daiwa SS Tournament, Shimano Stradic & Shimano Symetre. If you're looking for the Best Value in the Shimano house, my vote goes to Shimano Symetre (hands-down). There's no perceptible difference between the Stradic and Symetre. Below is a rundown from a former post I made: SHIMANO SYMETRE 2500 FI SY2500FI - $80 Max Drag Wgt Line Cap Bearings Inches/Turn Price 15 lbs 9.5 oz 120yds/10 lb 4-BB/1-RB 31 $80 > The Symetre 2500 provides 25% greater drag tension than the Stradic 2500: (15-lb vs. 12-lb) > The Symetre 2500 weighs 2/10 ounce less than the Stradic 2500: (9.5oz vs. 9.7oz) > The Symetre has the same number of bearings as the Stradic: (4-BB/1-RB) > The Symetre costs 33% less than the Stradic ($80 vs. $120) For comparison, you can buy 6 Symetres to 1 Stella and still have money leftover for a steak dinner 8-) Roger

Due to the ferrules at the joint, any takedown rod will have a dead spot, whereas the flex of a one-piece rod is a true parabola. Practically speaking though, it's not likely that a blindfolded man could identify one from the other. In favor of two-piece rods is 'portability'. In the car, on an airplane, etc. the takedown rod is much less obtrusive. When it comes to handling rods indoors, I am the world's worst!!! If there's an overhead fan 'anywhere' in the house, my rod-tip will eventually find it. Most of my rods are 6-foot and 1-piece, but if they were 7-ft long I'd be in BIG trouble! Roger

Probably because it's a version of the spinnerbait, which I find boring to fish, it's one of the ONLY new lures that didn't suck me in. Roger

When I lived in NJ I threw Smithwick's Devils Horse a lot. I really can't explain why, but I've drifted away from all propbaits to the point where I don't even carry one in my tacklebox. We used to re-shape the blades to get a sort of "sizzling" sound which seemed to work the best. Roger

Few things in life have remained so stable as the favored colors for spinnerbaits. Even before their name changed from safety-pin spinner to spinnerbait (early 60s I believe) "chartreuse and white" were the most popular colors. Several decades later, nothing has really changed, because chartreuse and white are still the most popular colors. There must be something to it Roger

Zoom Super Fluke - 5" White Ice Fished unweighted & inverted on 4/0 Gamakatsu. Roger

Z-Bend EWG

Technically, the claim is that fluorocarbon is "nearly" invisible. The mean refractive index of water is 1.33, while the mean refracitive index of fluorocarbon is 1.42 For comparison sake, nylon line (monofilament) has an mean refractive index of 1.57. That said, the importance of line invisibility is open to debate. Roger

For years fishermen used the Clinch Knot, and for years they lost fish and lures, ending up with a pigtail end :-[ Then after a little patchwork the new clinch knot was called an "Improved Clinch Knot" : Today all the Clinch Knots are passe. I use the Uni-Knot for everything, hence the name. Roger

I've heard some good things about them, if I'm not mistaken they're made by South Bend : Roger

I'm partial to soft-plastic topwaters like the Sizmic Toad and Cane Toad. They're weedless and since they're soft they are more mouthable than hard plastics. Roger

The Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap keeps me happy. Roger

Spinning tackle and PowerPro Braid (braided polyurethane) are Obscenely Compatible! I own a couple dozen spinning outfits and all but two (ultra-light) are spooled with PowerPro. For northern pike I use 30-lb PowerPro (one 50-lb outfit) with a short trace of 30-lb titanium wire leader (0.014" dia.). I hesitate to use the word "perfect", but no other word comes to mind. BTW: PowerPro casts 1/8 oz to 1 oz with ease, and line-twist is non-existent. (Trilene Big Game is excellent line, but it's too wiry with spinning tackle...Avoid!) Roger

Count Me In, Mike. Roger