RoLo

I agree with Slone, place an ad somewhere like 'iboats.com' and sell it yourself. Equal to a Chevy? Umm, maybe a Delray (jk)

The pins & centrifugal brake are independent of the lure's fall rate. The fall rate of the lure is dialed-in with the spool tension knob, a separate mechanism. Roger

Those pins control the static braking tension. For starters, engage every other pin (which is to say, disengage 3 pins). Roger

Take your wife fishing with you, but not to catch fish but to expose her to the grandeur of nature. Always tote a camera, teach her how to identify species of trees and flowers, how to identify birds from their song or call. When I fish with my wife (my #1 fishing partner), there is zero competition. Although I enjoy cranking fish to the boat, it gives me greater joy when she boats a fish. Roger

The Gore fiber makes Sufix 832 heavier than water. Cut a trace of Sufix 832 off the spool, break the surface tension by pushing the trace down to the bottom of your bathroom basin. It will lie there forever. Roger

We're often reminded that fluorocarbon sinks, but Sufix-832 braid also sinks, but how often do you hear that? The diameter of 20-lb Sufix-832 is 0.009", the diameter of 20-lb fluorocarbon is 0.018" (exactly twice as fat). Which line material will give your diving plug greater depth: fluoro or braid? It's no wonder why fluorocarbon knots cannot be trusted....how can you expect to tie a knot in a line-material you cannot see Well, whatever it is I'm missing by not using fluorocarbon, at least I never have to spray conditioner on my line and never have to spit on my knots. Roger

What I also miss about smallies (I now live in FL) are their aerial antics! Roger

When a right-handed angler fishes with a right-hand casting reel, he's forced to pass his fishing rod from his strong arm to his inferior arm...after every single cast...all day long! I have a hunch that the first casting reel may have been designed by a southpaw, but if nothing else, it demonstrates that humans are remarkably tolerant and highly trainable Roger

By all means Kyle, give financial investing more than lip service, get the ball rolling NOW! I've spent many years studying technical and fundamental analysis which is not only rewarding, but very engrossing (10x angling). I've been exposed to IPOs, bonds, precious metals, currencies, options, warrants, you name it. You mentioned 'options' Kyle, and I feel obligated to respond. A stock option is a wasting asset! I've played options for many years, and as enticing as their leverage may appear to a beginner, playing an option is merely placing a bet, it is NOT investing. In my opinion, an excellent vehicle for the beginning investor is an ETF (exchange-traded fund), which unlike a mutual fund is a no-load fund (no front, interim or back load) that charges an expense ratio typically under 1%. U.S. stock index ETFs sport the lowest beta and the best historic performance over the long-term. Roger

You boys are now officially addicted to lady bronzeback Roger

I've owned dozens of Daiwa reels, but I am partial to Shimano (both salt & fresh). BTW: The Curado is currently on sale Roger

Point well taken. In my case though, if she's a Hippo I'm going to back-off on the drag, which makes it extremely difficult for any fish to find freedom (It feels like cheating). Since I've been doing this for years, I should warn of the 2 disadvantages > Never reduce drag tension before the hog is out of heavy cover (sometimes that's never) > After every big fish you must remember to re-tighten the drag-setting (It becomes 2nd nature). Roger

To borrow a sailboating term, anything that reduces 'luffing' reduces line 'friction', the result of which is extended casting distance. Line-billowing is reduced in two ways: > Decreasing the pitch between line guides (more guides) > Reducing the diameter of the guide inserts (smaller guides) The downside to micro guides is that they limit the size of freely passing objects, stuff like line-knots Roger

As much as I wanted to mention braid as being a shortcut to solid hook-sets, I've been overly vocal about braid and decided to give it a rest. Thanks for filling that gap Roger

A solid hook-set is a combination of Timing and Power. Mechanically speaking, a faulty hook-set is when the hook fails to penetrate 'beyond' the barb. It's vital to master the hook-set, because on a day when you only get 5 strikes, you have zero margin-for-error. It's no fun casting for several hours, only to experience losing a fish. Roger

The opposite is 'not' true for casting gear. The fish is always fought with the rod, never the reel. In saltwater, casting gear is called conventional gear, where the fish are big and strong, and where it's even more important to pump big fish with your dominant arm, and take up the slack line with your reel hand. I'm right handed, therefore every casting reel I own is left-handed ('ditto' spinning & conventional gear) Roger

I'd replace the lure with a #10 hook, bait the hook with a small earthworm, and attach a float to suspend the worm a few inches above bottom. This gives a kid something to focus on and builds their anticipation. A kid never gets bored watching a float bobbing up-&-down (me either) Roger

Dobyns Champion Split-grip Shimano Curado Roger

The gas:oil ratio was 20 to 1

There are very few plastic craws that I haven't fished, but my favorite crayfish simulator is still the Deps 4½“ Twin-tail Grub. On the other hand, my wife’s done remarkably well with the Gene Larew Rattlin Crawler. The rattle is killer in dingy water, and every time I turn around she's setting the hook. Overall though, the 4½“ Twin-tail Grub hangs more hippos than the Rattlin Crawler. Roger

For shaky-worming I like the Owner 1/8 oz Finesse Ball Head which uses a 2/0 hook. More important than the jig is to select a 'high floating' worm like a 'Strike King 3x Worm'. Roger

"Is A Spincast Reel Legit?" Don't get caught with one in Polk County, Florida. The "Spincast Police" are everywhere!!

Largemouth bass commonly bed in 2 to 3 ft of water, where they can be seen on the nest. On balance though, smallmouths bed deeper than largemouths, hinging mostly on water clarity. In smallie waters I've fished during the spawn, it seemed that bedding smallies were always a tad too deep to be seen. If possible, I always plan to fish the pre-spawn or post-spawn, which are both excellent smallie seasons. Roger

Brake Tension Before you even tie on a lure, you need to adjust the Magnetic and/or Centrifugal brake. If you're not sure how, publish a new thread stating the brand & model of the reel. Spool Tension > Tie on the desired lure > Hold the rod horizontal and depress the thumb bar. > Dial the spool tension knob until the tension setting allows the lure to descend at moderate speed so it hits the floor without over-running (Needs to be readjusted every time the lure weight is changed) Once your 3 reel tensions are properly set, your thumb will suddenly become educated. While the lure is in flight the thumb needs only feathered contact with the spool, increasing slightly as the lure touches down. Roger

I gave the 6" Senko a college try (a full season) but eventually settled on a 5" Gambler Ace. A 5" stickworm is small enough not to discourage small bass, yet big enough to interest big bass. Roger