Tim Kelly

Very nice. Definitely on my fantasy short list.

You'll do yourself a massive favour if you learn to use a left hand retrieve baitcaster. No swapping hands or mucking about. No downside, other than a slightly more limited range of reels in left hand wind. Once you get used to it you will not understand why everyone doesn't do it!

Manns 1 minus is a classic

The MHX HM blanks I've got appear to be a little better than Avid blanks, but not as good as the SCIV or SCV blanks. I don't have any of the gen 2 though, so have no idea whether they're any better. I like the MHX range, they're good value and if you build them well with light components they fish better than more expensive factory built rods.

AJ, you seem to have stolen my life. Please give it back. Very nice, I would have gone XS, but either way great rig. Let us know how it runs and fishes.

The bit of the hook you want heading for mouth flesh is the point. The pivoting demos show the bend being pushed up and actually masking the point to some extent. I'm sure you can hook fish with either method, but I don't think there's anything worth taking from the demos of the rig mechanics!

Sounds like it's not been assembled properly. Do yourself a favour though and only buy reels made by Daiwa or Shimano in the future. It just makes life easier and less disappointing.

You'd think one of them would make a mould of it really wouldn't you.

I don't like braid for any situation where you're fishing slackish line, especially in wind.

I don't believe the snelling thing either, also I don't like the bait pivoting when you're jigging it up and down, much rather have the weight pegged with a peg-it a couple of thou away from the bait as I found that kept the bait from being bashed by the weight, so it lasts longer, and the the whole bait stays streamlined. Works in my mind, the snelled bobber stop version works for others, so I don't believe it makes any practical differences, so fish however your comfortable!

If the prop mounting looks ok, to those with a similar set up, then maybe the ports in the prop need plugging or reducing. Presumably you can get plugs like you would for Merc props?

That's a good spot. If the exhaust gasses are spilling out around the prop it would cause the issues you're having trying to come out of the hole, but be fine once you were up and running. Much like having too much venting on a vented prop.

Nice try, but photoshopping is cheating. You're 100% 'Merican

You say the lower unit was new when you got the boat, I suppose it's possible that the LU might be slipping, and that's where you're gaining revs not speed? If you've tried everything else it might be worth dropping the LU and examining it.

I just bought a St Croix legend inshore gulf series rod, from their own store on close out for $150. I bought the light power and it's nice for what I wanted, but they do a med light as well which might suit you perfectly. http://stcroixrods.com/shop/index.php?p=catalog&mode=sale

I hope he can finish it. Be great to see him back in charge, or at least not foundering around in the mid nineties on the leaderboard.

I'm English. Teeth like that are as unknown as largemouth bass here. LOL

Some Samsung thing. Not really into phones, so no idea what model it is.

Couldn't have done it without his Strike King tooth whitener.

On the initial drop, not far, but if you pull it over a stick or something then the weight can fall before the bait comes over if you're fishing fairly slack line.

It was a phone I'm ashamed to say. I did a bit of photoshop fiddling afterwards though to disguise the background a bit. Can never be too careful.

Very similar to walleye. The UK record is around 20lb, but on continental Europe I expect it's closer to 40lb! Not widely distributed in the UK.

Out ********* standing!

If you use a spinnerbait head mold with a bit of wire where the formed wire would go for a spinnerbait, you can form a loop in the wire so you can connect the blade direct to that. Dead easy to do. You can adapt a jig mold to do it easily too if there's a shape you prefer. Best to use a straight eyed hook and put the wire through the hook eye in the mold, then it's all encased in lead and strong.