NBR

Go to www.nesportsman.com/. The site is for all of New England but dominated by Boston area and NH fisher persons. You will get answers about the local situation.

I suspect the skill of the caster out weighs the quality of the reel. I believe reel quality come into play after years of use. I will add that after flinging a lure on a baitcaster for over 60 years I have still never met the reel I can't backlash from time to time.

If you get a Citica for 90 and buy a $60 rod there you are $150. For a decent to good outfit you are talking $125 to $150. I use bait casters for the following reasons, 1) more accurate casting, 2) better control of the fish, 3) when needed I can use heavier baits, 4) I can use heavier line if needed to horse the fish out of heavy cover. These are listed in the order of importance to me. I have come to only use spinning rigs for situations needing very light lines in the 4 to 6# range, for dropshot rigs and for skipping under docks and trees.

Pull your boat down to the Foxborough Bass Pro Shop and get a sales person to look at your boat and tell you what you need. The BPS catalog shows some basic padded seats at about $40 each. If you get real fancy $100 per seat is about the max. I seem to recall a U.S. Marine store in the Boston area. My guess would be that it is on 495 along the south edge of the city but that's from my memory which is suspect.

I switched from 12# XT to 12# XL because the XL casts a bit better. Not much brush in my lakes and I check often for damage from rocks.

Raul is right on, the plankton will be pushed into shore, bait fish will follow and so will the bass. It will be hard to cast so I would use a lipless crankbait like a "Rattle Trap" or a jig and trailer that I would swim rather than hop. Depending on the wind it might be hard to keep contact with a hopping jig.

About annually I remove the bearings, soak them in lighter fluid and air dry on a piece of clean paper towel. While the bearings are drying I spray some reel scrub (available from Reel Mechanic) and clean the old grease out and lightly regrease the gears. A drop of oil(two absolute max) in each bearing and put the bearings back in place and close up the reel. I rarely clean or oil the roller bearing. Anything more than the above would be sent to RM. Watch the wire clips that hold the bearings in place the jump out and are next to impossible to find. I do give the bearings oil a time or two during the summer.

Under reasonable storage condition mono holds up a long long time. So if your mono has been stored out of sunlight and with household type temperature fluctuations it should be fine. It will take a set and coil up so fasten one end to something solid and pull or hook 4 or 5 big bass and let them pull the memory coils out of it. I watch the first few inches or several feet for abrasion depending on how I have been fishing and keep the abrasion cut back. I have reels that have had the line on them for several years with no problems. I replace when I cut it back far enough to adversely affect casting.

The rod will be as important or more so when you want to throw light baits.

It looks like the transom is in place but I don't understand the angle piece out the aft (rear) of the starboard (right) side of the hull. If the transom is damaged it is a big time job to repair. I believe the transom is the most highly loaded portion of a boat. It must support all of the load from the engine. I would go to a reputable marine repair shop and see what they say. Then you could make a decision on doing the work yourself. farming it out or junking the hull. My first bass boat was a trihull and it was a nice stable fishing platform but it beat you to death at speed on rough water.

A color is what is reflected off an object. So a red line is one that reflects the red in the color spectrum. When the line or color gets below the depth/murky level that absorbs or filters out the red then the line or color would appear black or maybe grey. So at depth gills or blood would appear grey or black and the fish would see blood or gills at depth as they always have. Having said all that I don't think the red makes a hoot of difference except in the confidence factor which can really be big.

You are probably wasting your time. He has been a catch, keep and eat all of his life. I am on the wrong side of 70 and have practiced C&R since my teens-doesn't mean I don't have a few fresh fish meals each year. I would mention returning the larger fish to spawn and then drop the subject. I possible and courteous I would try to catch a few within his sight and release them. Maybe an example would motivate him since nothing else has.

Generally a longer rod equals more distance but sacrifices accuracy. Just for me I cast most accurately with a 6' or shorter pistol grip. I don't like other aspects of the pistol grip but just for dropping a lure into a small space it works for me. I think accuracy is best developed in the driveway or yard. Every spring when the snow melts but the lakes are still ice bound I stand in the yard and throw at a variety of targets. I've used bait casters for about 70 years and a part of my practice is just being glad I'm still on the best side of the grass and I'll soon be able to get the boat in the water. However, as I practice I get better.

I have two of the 27's because of space and they have served me well. On a cost per year I think they might be a little less than more expensive batteries but I've only one set of the more expensive ones to compare. My experience is keep the water up, charge every time you come in and they last 5 years with no problem.

Go with the onboard. I went with out one for a while and adding it was the best improvement to my boat, ever. Hook your TM to two deep cycles and run your cranking battery to all the other accessories. By doing this you will only need a 3 bank charger. Mine is wired this way and it has served me very well. All of you batteries should be marine quality. You should charge every time you come in and the onboard makes this an easy chore.

I agree with Shadcranker when they increased the Curado price I looked carefully at the improvements and couldn't see a 67% improvement in the product. While I'll never buy a new Curado or a Citica it was a good move on their part. More profit dollars for Shimano and hopefully their dealers. Profit is not a four letter word.

You don't need a torque wrench for the prop. Tighten the nut far enough so the locking tabs will fully bend into place. Bend the tabs in place and go have fun.

While #30 is pretty low you should be able to throw a 1/2 oz. pretty far. Accuracy and backlash free is a matter of practice and distance will also improve as you improve. I suspect you aren't set up as well as you might be. What kind of a rod do you have? I'd go to a tackle store and see if someone there could help me. The store would not necessarily be a Cabela's, BPS, Dick's and certanly not a Wally world unless you get lucky and find someone who fishes.

Several years ago I was at a seminar and Woo Daves was a speaker. After the introductions Woo said that before he was finished someone would ask how you could tell if you were getting bit. He said it was very simple. Ninety ninie percent of the time you are not gettin a bite. Study how that feels and as soon as it feels different set the hook.

BASS don't allow nets but FLW does. I usually just hoist them on board or if they are large use a rubber net when they have a bunch of hooks on a crank or surface bait that I could stick in my hands or arm.

I have some of about everything including a Curado and 2 Rick Clunn's and I can't tell much difference. A buddy has 2 or 3 KVD's and just bought a new KVD this spring. I'd say you would be happy with any choice you make.

I am not a user. Guy I fish with is and I still out catch him by 4 to 1 which is about the same as before he started using the red hooks. The red comes off the hooks pretty fast for the extra cost.

My first choice is fried or broiled chicken legs. Good tasting with a handle so it is easy to eat. After that cheese crackers or oreo's. Last chpice is a sub they get soggy in the cooler.

I bought a BPS Prolite finesse a year ago and I throw 1/8 oz. jigs with a small twister tail grub or 3" Senkos on 14# flurocarbon just fine.

This is one of those debates that goes on forever. Those of us who bend the barb down are sure we are right and those who don't are also sure they are right and except for those waters where the barb must be pinched both are right.