Jolly Green

What catches you the most bass? The most panfish? Throw a couple of each into the small container of your choice, grab a light spinning rod and go, buddy.

Congratulations! So listen, maybe you can help me out with a couple of questions I have about the Kicktail, Banjo Minnow, Doug Hannon Snake, Walking Worm lures, and the North American Fishing Club...

Rudd?

They have two separate sections inside; larger "BB's" in the nose section and smaller ones in the body. I don't know how the total weight is divided between the two compartments but I bet it matters. Probably best to crack a whole one open in a vice and weigh the guts to find out before you tackle refilling all of them on your best guess. Cost you three bucks max!

There's one guy at my local Gander Mountain who probably doesn't know his own wife's birthday but has the lunar charts memorized out to 2018; everyone else is the reason I do all my research here.

Somewhere, Long Mike is clutching his temples and trying not to pass out. Time to switch to decaf, man!

I use 1/16th oz. weighted hooks only for fishing around a current, otherwise the slow dropping tail-flutter of a weightless fluke is my preference. If you're new to flukes, don't sleep on the 4" Jr. size. I kill 'em on plain old white rigged on a 3/0 hook.

I will not. I like your illustration, but what about this test: rig a worm on an EWG hook on your worm rod. Give said worm rod to a friend and ask him or her to execute a cross-their-eyes hookset while you hold the hook/bait firmly in a closed hand. I have used straight shank hooks and caught fish but I can't for the life of me rig a worm on one Tex-posed without having a worm (or fluke, or whatever) that isn't rigged straight. I don't care for offset worm hooks much for the same reason. The fact that EWG hook points are right in line with their eyes covers both bases easily for me, and I miss very, very few fish with them.

Knot 2 Kinky is another brand of wire that can be tied, runs about 50 cents a foot. I've never fished FC leaders heavier than 20#. It's pike resistant, but not pike proof; I still get bit off occasionally, always on the strike.

Reminds me of one of my favorite Onion headlines: Southerner Either Looking For 'Pawn Shop' or 'Porn Shop'

Lead can be plenty rough too! Believe I've seen a video of Aaron Martens adding heat shrink tubing inserts to his tungsten weights to smooth things out.

Not something I do, but I think it's supposed to suggest a flash of red from the gill area.

I fish them weightless most of the time on a 4/0 or 5/0 EWG hook. Fish it slowly, a few twitches at a time for that nice darting action, and make sure you don't short-change the fall; flukes have a subtle but deadly tail flutter action as they sink. When I fish them in seams in the river, I rig them on a 1/16 oz. or 1/8 oz. keel weighted hook. The belly weight combined with minor current makes them wobble around their long axis a little as they sink. Loooooove flukes.

Lucky! I have always pushed the pin all the way to the loop.

x2 Even if you do have the schematic in front of you, there may be some awfully tiny springs and clips in there that are prone to flying off into oblivion when you try to remove them, never to be found again. If you don't have someone experienced to work with you, it can turn into a hassle real quick. If you really want to break it down completely yourself, I suggest removing e-clips and other small, springy parts within the close confines of a large clear plastic bag. Better than nosing around like a hound on the basement floor... how do I know this...?

He must be keeping that spot to himself.

I have a red head South Bend Midge-Oreno that I can't buy a bite on, but I still try now and then. I found an old Heddon Wood Cobra at a flea market, the action of which I really liked, but the two times I threw it the bass didn't care for it so much and the paint started to come off in earnest, so it's just decor now.

Really? That's interesting if you're not kidding, and hilarious if you are.

Real nice fish!

That's a good feeling. Congrats!

Well done. And bonus: when you do run afoul of the missus, you've got a nice roomy boathouse to crash in instead of the typical doghouse.

I'm usually close by at least once a month; I'll keep an eye out for you!

I cannot stand it when my spinnerbaits don't run straight and true, there's just no good reason for it. It may bother me more than the fish, but that's a key bother.

I grew up with the belt, the spoon, the shoe, the paddle at school, etc. and I used to spank my kids but I cut it out years ago. I don't think it's reasonable to plant your flag at either extreme end of the debate; corporal punishment can be both somewhat effective AND somewhat damaging, and frankly I think it has more to do with what the kid takes away from the experience rather than what the parent intends; even in the same family a sound butt-whooping will affect each kid differently. I believe in a parent's right to discipline his or her kids as they see fit, but regardless of what the law says, I think that if you're leaving bloody welts and feel bad about it, you might want to explore why that is and take the additional steps to reassess your overall disciplinary approach, your decision-making process, and whether there might be better alternatives.