Choporoz

It is increasingly rare that a conversation about AI does not make me sad. This isn't one.

I don't know about videos, but I would bookmark Leeroys Ramblings. Tons of great info for all OMC's

I highly recommend KVD L&L for YZH. I use it on all fluoro, copoly and mono, but YZH gets the most noticeable benefit.

I primarily use Rage Bug rigged horizontal. Comes through cover far better than anything I have used. I will use Zako and Spunk Shad sometimes in open water.

My wife decided a bookshelf needed a couple of our oldest

Not entirely sure I understand your question, but I generally work to keep the fish facing me. Hooked fish seem to get off most often when jumping or running straight away.

+1 I pretty much know what hook I want for any specific plastic. But weights change day-to-day, even over the course of a day. In just the last two days, on one Rage Bug rod, I have used 1/8, 1/4, 3/16 and for a little while this morning, a 1/16 (as topwater). Rate of fall is big reason. But cover and wind play a part. Right now, some grass can be worked with 3/16, but other areas I have to use 1/8. Sometimes banging 3/8 through wood is the ticket. Next day, may need to finesse through slowly with 1/8. I keep a pack of various weights in my pocket all the time. I know myself well enough to know that if I need to rummage in a compartment, I am far less likely to make necessary adjustments.

I break off 12# fluoro on hookset every now and then. I generally attribute it to pickerel, but I admit that it has been a reminder to retie and respool more often than I do.

I'd venture to guess that well over 50% of all my casts, including all presentations, are bottom contact over 10' deep at some point in the retrieve.

Nothing empirical.....very feely....But I sense a very big difference between fluoro a d mono for all bottom contact. (BTW, I don't consider deep Texas rig to be specialty at all. It is an everyday presentation most of the year for me. Though, maybe we should define deep) As @Columbia Crawsaid, try some decent fluoro and let us know. I like Seaguar Invisx, though even the Red is better than a lot of similarly priced fluoro from other mfrs

I usually know when I get to 5 over a pound. (Tournament brain on auto.) After that, I don't even try.

Undressed 1/2 oz Panther Martin 15, gold blade, gold body, has been killing it all year for me. I tried a few different Mepps with feathers, but didn't have much luck. But, honestly, only one Mepps had the weight and hooks that I felt I needed to fish confidently, so I don't think it was a thorough comparison. (I really didn't like the 1/4 oz and smaller models. I'm fishing these inline spinners fast and sometimes deep.) I am surprised at the lack of options I have found for inline spinners. I tried a Snagless Sally a few times this year, but didn't like it. I had a skirted Nichols years ago I really liked, but haven't seem them since mine broke a couple years back. Maybe I just need to make my own.

Never had BPS PFD's, but I have had a couple Onyx go off in the boat storage. I have only bought/used Mustang since.

There's a recent thread with a lot of posts about inline spinners. Great horizontal bait that you can adjust the depth of your retrieve on each cast. I always assume that there are bass under (or close to) those bluegill...maybe not real active, but trigger-able

Same pair? I loved my Onos readers, but never got much more than a year out of a pair. Switched to Costas last year. The Onos always got 'pitting' on the inside surface. No idea why. Used warranty a couple times and talked to cust svc about it. Only used the anti-fog stuff they recommended. The Costa lenses are better, but the reader portion is too small, IMO. The Onos reader are is perfect. Wish the lenses lasted better for me.

I'm another semi-dissenter. I think Hitch, Ayu, and Sexy mean pretty precise colors. Moreso than just naming them silver or white or chartreuse, etc. Not suggesting that the bass necessarily discern subtle differences in lure colors, but lots of fisherman put a lot of stock in minute differences in colors, and those particular words have meaning to many....not just cool sounding random adjectives. My brother-in-law is also color blind. When bait shopping, I actually envy him and his total lack of angst over choosing lure colors.

Every day is different. So simple, but still hard to wrap my brain around. Until this year, I only fished weekends and occasionally after work for a couple hours. Now that I'm retired, I am out (nearly) every morning of this year. It still amazes me how different the fishing is from one day to the next. Bite windows are the hardest to pin down. But the shad are nearly as unpredictable. Two days ago, they were on shallow flats and the bass were on 'em. Yesterday, they were near the surface, but all out in the middle. Today, all the bigger schools were down 12-15 feet in the early morning. Weather has been carbon copy for about a week. I can't begin to explain the reasons, but I am learning not to force anything for very long.

My lake has a mapped island like the above. I avoided the 'shallow narrows' for a couple years, and never saw anyone fishing there. But last fall, I graphed it all and found a really nice cut that regularly holds fish.

Topo maps, right? Colors distract me. I have gotten away from them mostly. Only time they are helpful to me is hazards to navigation, humps, shoals, bars, timber, etc. I get more value from studying distance between gradient lines in a spot/area. 5 foot lines are OK when starting out with a large body of water. Zooming in, go to 2 or 3.... whatever offers info without clutter in your mind.

Bait Monkey has a cousin, Stogey Chimp. SC recommends that you get acquainted with CigarBid and/or Cigarauctioneer. Shipping is high. Taxes are high. Takes time time to sort through thousands of auctions, and can be addictive. Dangerous side-effects notwithstanding, you can sample a wide variety of cigars scored at sometimes very good deals. Current primary fishing cigar is Ramon Bueso Connecticut toro and churchill, bought in bulk on cigarbid for around $3 apiece, taxed and shipped. Mild, well-built, good flavor, and, stays lit and burns cool and straight with little attention. There is an inherent problem with very good, cheap auction cigars. If they don't fetch high enough bid prices, they inevitably aren't building enough base to make up the profit differential at normal retail and will disappear. Happens every time I find the perfect dirt cheap auction cigar. And the search will resume.

I continue to catch them with an inline spinner, even high noon on slick calm summer days when nothing else seems to work. (Admittedly, these are typically smallish fish at this time.) I went through all my old tackle and tried a variety of inline spinners, but most I have were too light for me to fish effectively. Even if I could be bothered to figure out best rod and line for 1/8 or 1/4 oz spinner, I have little confidence in the tiny hooks or profile. I love the 1/2 oz Panther Martin in all silver and all gold. I use MM casting rod with 20lb braid to leader (same set up I use for blade baits all winter) I tried some Fox's and some no-names, but don't get the quick start and good feedback like the cupped blade of the Panther and Mepps.

Enjoy that Liga Privada! When those first hit the streets maybe 15 years ago, the LP9 and T52 were widely hailed as two of the best cigar blends you could buy.

Good advice, @Junger. Cigar Minder clip is probably what I referenced at some point. I have a few of them around; in the garage, on the UTV, on the boat, on a kayak, etc. I also keep an ashtray on the boat, though I mostly only use it when working on tackle or maintenance, not fishing. I generally just keep the cigar in my mouth while fishing. I've been smoking cigars for decades and it just comes naturally now. That said, the cigars that I smoke while fishing or cutting the grass or working in the garden are not the same cigars that I smoke in the while sitting and devoting attention to the cigar. I have spent years looking for the perfect 'yard gar"; something cheap, not particularly strong; a cigar that will burn even and slow while I absentmindedly puff away. I won't be much help on brand suggestions, @casts_by_fly, as I do not like infused or flavored cigars. I will say that my wife used to like CAO Moontrances, Javas, and NUB Nuances back when she smoked flavored cigars. I like and respect the owner/blender of the company that makes Acids; you may want to check out some of their other stuff - other lines of infused, and non-infused. If you have not already done so, I think you should try one or two non-flavored cigars just to see if you enjoy them, also. It is a whole different world of experiencing the true tobacco flavors, though admittedly not for everyone.

Haven't watched these yet, but I did enjoy Scott Martin's challenge vids a few years ago