Choporoz

Even if we knew the answers to the first half dozen questions that come to mind, you'd still get iffy and conflicting advice. What depths were you in? Depending on your location, the depth changes you are looking for might be 10 inches or 10 feet. What tide situation? Low tide can present real challenges, but either side of it can be good....Outgoing said to be good...not every day, though. Good fishing at slack tide the other day..... Where were you fishing? Main stem? Bays? Coves? Tributary? Could you find grass lines? Can be tough in a chop, but smoother waters can be a real blessing. Even areas that seem to be a jungle will have cuts and edges if you look hard enough.

I don't even take the rain gear out between mid June and Sept. I don't mind the rain nearly as much as the sauna effect of some gear

I've had my Wildy on the car more days than its been off since late April. That said, it is rare that it spends more than three days straight strapped down, but has a couple/few times. No ill effects that I can tell yet.

I highly recommend that you consider @J Francho's advice and get yourself a pair of fishgrips. I cannot tell you how much easier they will make your treble hook experience. And safer. I have not buried a treble barb in myself since I started using them.

Keep an eye on Fisherman's Factory Outlet. Their sale right now is 'buy 1, get one 1/2 off', which may not do you a lot of good if you only need one. But you can get two Abu Vengeance light rods for under $40, if you're so inclined. Lower end, smaller spinning reels are often on sale all over. Such as a Sienna at Cabellas for $21 right now.

I've received about a dozen rods in the mail the last 3 years from at least five different vendors. All were perfect except one. That one was from a less than fishing-focused retailer, packed in a flimsy box. I received a replacement within a couple of days that was packed extremely well -- along with a 15% coupon for next purchase. I would not hesitate to buy another rod from them, or from anyone else through the mail.

Which do you prefer? To be waterboarded or be forced to watch Tom Green and Rob Schneider movies back to back?

Great lure. It WILL catch fish. If you don't get bit with straight retrieve, try sort of pause/jerking it. It will turn 'follows' into hits.

Two of my three favorites are listed here: Owner Finesse Ball head and Spider Slider (same as the Luck-E-Strike posted by ace.) Third is 1/16 mojo weight -- those come through most anything

@Turkey sandwich is right...once you determine there's nothing going to hit your topwater, you need to put some plastic out there, IMO. Rigging depends on depth, grass, bottom, etc. But, a finesse worm on a 1/16 trig or jighead (or a ned rig) worked SLOW will either get bit or tell you to go home and play Call of Duty. I HATE getting skunked, but I'm old enough to have gotten to the point where I can still enjoy fishing even if there's not a lot of catching. That hasn't always been the case, but if you get to the point where you can really just enjoy the fishing, every bite will seem like a bonus.....I won't tell you it took about 50 years to arrive at that attitude, however

Little less than all, I'm afraid

I will applaud you youngsters from a distance. I did a squat this weekend...by accident. Took most of 57 minutes to stand up again.

Not the cheapest, so I don't expect many to buy these first, but after the fifth or sixth time you get a hook stuck in the netting-type socks, you'll be coming back to this thread: http://fishyaker.com/rosies-rod-pocket/

@WDinarte, at risk of jacking @Nitrofreak's thread, I'd like to talk to you about another local fishing-focused org for vets that can use your help, Heroes on the Water. NOT trying to take any support from RAH. They're a great organization. If you'd like to help between RAH events, take a look at our Facebook page (George Washington Chapter.) We take wounded (and other) vets from the area out fishing in kayaks. Next event is Sat at Belvoir. PM me for details. Sorry for the jack, Sonny!

I've got two of these:https://www.amazon.com/TMS-CART-CANOE-KAYAK-KY001-Carrier-Trolley/dp/B0082365AQ . No doubt there's better ones out there...but I doubt there's better $40 carts out there. I don't take it on the water with me, however. -The wheels stink....not just a little -Like the complaint above, the 'stand' part can fold in if it hits something while rolling it -Can be a challenge to strap on, depending on what you've got going on topside But, it is only $40 - -Rolls well over any terrain -Two years in shows no signs of wear, rust, flat tires, etc; and I leave them outside with the yaks resting on them. I'm a fan....and the price is right

Good read. No question that avatars (and screen names) have a much greater affect on the way I interpret posts than I like to admit. Like how hard it is take Mr Slo Bundy seriously Or that I decided early on that blackshirt MUST be from Nebraska and I just can't wrap my head around the California loc. Bigbill reminds me of FatCat Newton and I have a challenge taking him seriously (not because of bigfoot posts; Really) ;

Thanks for the reports, Sonny! Sounds like a great day. I've not scratched the surface of the tidal Potomac, but I love it. Tidal fishing is so much different than lake fishing. All the challenges of a reservoir, but add in the fact that they move with the tides, also. Nice thing is that I don't think there are any dinks in that river system. No hogs that I've found, but it seems that every catch is between two and three and a half pounds.

Bass Pro Shops Finesse weights are a reasonable substitute

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/12403-jig-fishing-questions/

I know a lot of hunters who'd sadly disagree

Me too.....but my needle nose are more like hemostats than needle nose

BPS, Cabelas, Gander....little distinction in my mind, anyway. may just be me, but years ago, they had different 'personalities'; now, I have zero preference....except for whichever most recently offered a deal on something I needed..

I generally replace when broken, bent, rusted, etc. However, I have gotten a few house brand (and off brand) lures with trebles that I didn't trust just by looking at them. I use split ring pliers and it makes the job MUCH easier than it was in the past. I yielded to the comments on here and bought Texas Split Ring Pliers last year and they really are far better than Mustad, and craft shop, pliers that I've had previously. Curious that these aren't avail at T W, since T W has a Shyrock gear page. I'll be on the look out for them elsewhere. Thanks.

If I'm on 'smallie water', I kill it....they come back to same cast more than pike do. If I'm on 'LMB water', I curse and just keep reeling....if there's skunk smell in the air I might make 10 more casts to the same spot with different colors or retrieves...desperation sux lol

nearly as bad as taking the time to type out a well-thought out complaint about it on a fishing forum....Pokewhatever seems silly to me, but I'm trying real hard not to judge....jeepers...I was dumb enough to spend 7 hours in a kayak yesterday catching three whole fish in borderline dangerous heat/humidity conditions --- I'm the LAST person that needs to be criticizing what someone else might consider a worthwhile pastime