Choporoz

I'd be shocked if 2 out of 100 bass can tell the difference between GP and watermelon. Whether or not flakes make a difference, I'm a bit more on the fence.....I do tend to think that dark (black or red) flakes can make a slight difference.

^7. Not exactly in my wheelhouse...but the bongos alone make it worth listening all the way through

Seems to me that a custom paint job might be a better option than a reconstruction. The other golds, like Perch, wouldn't be close enough? (Admittedly, I'm not as color conscious as most)

I largely agree. Didn't always, but do now. It is more rewarding to me if I say "I fished clean today, but only caught 2".....than if I say "I caught 4 but missed a bunch"

I don't own a Shimano, so I have no experience or actual value to add. If I were to hazard a guess, it would be because manufacurers/marketers believe that the targeted consumers of top end reels feel that they don't need DC....and/or don't like to think they'd be perceived as needing 'special assistance'.. Or maybe design or weight required for DC are too much of a compromise in some higher end reels I did also drop in to say..'Wow. I was today years old when I leaned that the 'D' in DC was for Digital.....i had no idea.

Looks like he turned to avoid that skinny buoy. There was one earlier that he cut close. Not sure what they are marking, but probably not a slalom course. If they mark shallows or channels, no reason to shave them. If you're going too fast to see markers in time....(or other obstructions)....you might be going too fast

@A-Jay, what are the red rods?

Probably about 3/4 of my baitcasters are various flavors of Quantum Smoke or Daiwa Tatulas. They are the reels that I tend to keep on my most frequently used rods. Two model families that are in the sweet spot of affordable and reliable. Bonus in that braking systems are similar enough that switching between is rather seemless.

^6 Maybe the Colonel or Wendy or the BKing can sing....Ronald needs to go

Why does everyone want to limit me to only one of things? Bait ? says, "Enough! You need at least 2 each of 10 different configurations."

BM said to say hi

+1

I think I'd have enjoyed the traveling and pressure when I was younger. Where I would have failed miserably was in the sales and promotion arenas. I can put my head down and battle a different region every week, but the appearances and marketing side don't appeal to me even a little bit.

Early in the day, I'm more likely to work most of the way back. If I've learned or decided that they are hanging tight, I will gravitate to targets and not spend a lot of time focusing on the remaining 3/4 of the way back. But if there's brush or slope in between, I'm going to work more of the way back. So...the answer is 'Yes'. And as someone on here said recently, ....paraphrasing ..... if the fish hits while reeling back for next cast, maybe a worm or jig isn't your best choice.... maybe you should be throwing a spinnerbait

Lol...please don't use the word 'reaction bite' to try to shore up any definitions....we had that conversation not too long ago

If not a fishing partner, I think one of two paths can be beneficial. One is if spouse gets into a complementary hobby....could be photography...maybe hiking....even camping I'd think. Another way is a hobby that doesn't intersect at all, but takes similar time blocks to go do alone or with others. I all but quit fishing during my first marriage....it sucked. Wife now truly understands that I need time to fish and is very very supportive....to the point of insisting I go sometimes...lol

Yep. Last weekend I went out in a kayak in 17mph winds, gusting to 25. Could not buy a bite with anything moving. Could not feel my bait when dragging. Found a couple small areas where I could get out of the wind somewhat. The stupid bass wanted EXTREMELY slow presentations. It was maddening. I caught fish..even decent ones....but it was very challenging.

Lazy? I tried years ago to figure when I should peg and when not to. I was never able to convince myself that pegging a weight is advantageous. Oh...except in one circumstance....when bobber fishing worms for sunnies.

I have no clue any more what the difference is....or where the line should be drawn, anyway. Is a vertical dropshot with a 4" worm finesse? What about drop shotting a Pit Boss into a brushpile with 40# braid? Finesse? Power? I see spinnerbait mentioned as power.....what if I'm using micro spinnerbait? Or slow rolling regular spinnerbait? Is 3 in paddletail finesse? 3.5? 5"? If I swim the 3", but slow-drag the 5", is the former power and the latter finesse? The other day I was nearly dead sticking a 4in creature.....10 seconds between hops....finesse? Power? I used to consider shakey head finesse. But I've thrown 8" worms on 5/8 oz shakey heads using HF rod.....finesse? Is it defined by speed or weight or size, or whether I'm using a spinning rod? To me, the words are pretty meaningless without more context about the presentation.

Always T-rigged....never pegged. I almost always start with 1/4 and work up or down from that

Senkos, jigs and Rage Bugs, primarily. But, more and more I am using dropshot when I have enough clearance to pitch it back a bit. One thing I never got comfortable with is cranks....or any treble hook lures. I see pros using or suggesting them all the time. But for me, there's just way too much opportunity to get hung up on pilings and ropes and hoses and cables.... I will toss a lipless sometimes if I think I can avoid stuff....but that sort of goes against getting it in front of fish a lot of the time.

We did that in the tiny backyard of our townhouse. Couple of big trees make for extreme shade and massive roots. I worked for years at that little lawn but was always frustrated. Had some nice rock put down...I believe they called it River Rock....about 4 years ago and couldn't be happier with it.

Moss....or rocks....or meadow....I am over manicured lawns. I have grass, but aside from cutting it, I'm through working at it.

Bought our retirement lake house last summer. But I'm still 3 years from retirement. It is four hours from work, so we kept both houses for now. The growing equity makes it cheaper than selling and then renting something for weekday usage. Honestly thought I'd do a fair amount of teleworking from the lake house, but I got a crash course in the challenges of 'rural broadband'. So, my wife spends most weekdays at the lake house and I spend most weekdays at the old house. It is working well for us so far. She does a great job of routine maintenance inside and out to ensure that my weekends aren't all work. I'm glad we jumped when we fell into the right house on the right lake. I think if waterfront is important, you should pull the trigger as soon as the math works. Few lake homes are appreciating slower than income/ability to afford. Most just aren't going to be relatively more affordable later.

Wind's from the east, fish bite the least. Wind from the west, fishing is best.....as my father used to tell me some 50 years ago