Chris at Tech

There's wisdom in this post

Wow, that stinks. I don't think I've ever heard of an arrangement like that where the day's catch was owned by the boat. That's a heck of a way to make sure you don't get any repeat customers

Thanks for rubbing fresh salt in the wounds just as they were starting to heal

To me in an ideal world, I'd want a reel with higher capacity for that type of fishing. In this case my suggestion would be to go with 20 lb braid mainline. Just select a mono leader for the situation you're fishing for abrasion resistance, reduce cut-offs etc.

Looking good, ODR!

Yeah, those white wine spritzers you usually drink don't have much "bite" to them

Will saltwater also enter into the equation? If so that's another reason to go with spinning, at least as far as I'm concerned.

Hehe...Jeff was kind enough to make arrangements for some nice adult beverages (in addition to the beer and margaritas that were provided). We emptied a handle of Maker's Mark and then filled it back up with used plastics. I wanted to take it home with me, but my luggage was already heavy enough.

Not much taller...

Especially next to the 6'5" gringo!

And my other big fish for the week...

Jeff forgot the most important picture of the trip. Who's got 2 thumbs and is the 2014 Lake Baccarac Angler of the Week? This guy!

It's OK. Didn't you see that he has the Humminbird with the defibrillator paddles?

X2 on Tinboats.net

Agreed to choose the leader based on cover.

I think there's a medical term for that -- "friggin' NUTS"

I have not swung a rod in friggin' forever. I feel like I'll need to spend the first few hours targeting the dinks just to make sure I still know how to fish

So he's attributing high prices to the existence of too few providers, and his solution is to further reduce the number of providers?

I had a feeling you'd reply along those lines

I don't know why, but I just can't seem to get confident in a lipless crank. I throw it enough, vary my retrieve, etc but just can never seem to have a good day. It's one of those strange lures that I feel like I know when I SHOULD throw, but my results don't really back that up.

Don't forget the 1/16 oz Rooster Tails!

To me, the decision on whether or not to use backing is more driven by how many reel spools worth I can realistically get from the braid spool. My personal preference is ~65 yards of "good" line on my bass reels, so that means that a 100 yd spool of braid is only getting me one reel's worth. In that situation, I don't bother with backing and just use the entire spool. And in my experience, using mono backing, taping the spool and tying the line through the holes in the spool all have a similar result in ensuring the braid doesn't slip.

6 and change is my guess What bodies of water did you hit?

In that situation, I'd probably try a lipless crank in bright color, a big jig, a Colorado-bladed spinnerbait or a chatterbait

Yes, I have it, and as a matter of fact my 2 largest bass were caught on it. For some reason, I tried to move it out of my regular rotation but it found its way back in I use it primarily for shaky head and drop shotting, so I think it'll suit your intended purposes. It is also good at smaller hard baits as well.