bigturtle

instead of trying to find alternative, you can wrap some fishing line around the back of the "U" bend, super glue it in place and close it up so you can use snaps.

flipping/pitching is the least likely to be hurt by backing, out of all the techniques, because of the short distance you are fishing.

anything above aluminum oxide is good enough for braid. the higher the price, the lighter the guide, its for weight saving.

$250 is a very good starting point, but its considered as a lower-end budget for many hard core lure fishermen. I probably have $400 myself, and know many who own $700-1000. you only fish 7 weeks(less than 2 months) a year? you need to get out more

why not just drop it in the water and count how long it takes to fall a certain distance?

did your father just forfeit his wallet to the bait mankey? what a man, took 1 for the team.

that bait looks very much like a sammy, but its not a sammy. a sammy does not have the 2 weights around the front look, its all in the back. BPS one has the weight in the back too. Not sure what that is, but does it fish good?

sinking line offers advantages over a floating or neutral line in many techniques.

same applications where you use a fluoro, without the line memory and other problems of fluoro. As far as Im concerned, YGK and Sufix Gravity2 are the only 2 non-lead core braids that actually break the surface tension and sink by themselves, but both are expensive as hell. Looking for cheaper alternatives.

Anyone can recommend a SINKING braid, preferably around 15lb and comes in a high vis color (yellow, pink, orange, etc) for finesse fishing? I heard sufix 832 sinks, but can anyone confirm?

The line rating of a rod is given by its lure rating. If your rod is rated up to 2oz, it will suggest the line size accordingly. It has absolutely nothing to do with your rod's performance, whether you choose to use 6lb line or 60lb. That being said, you wouldnt want to throw a 2oz lure on a 6lb line, or a 1/2oz lure on 60lb line. As long as you utilize your reel's drag properly and make sure you dont over-stress the rod, you can even use 100lb braid on that rod. That's how many braid users get away with using line that are rated way higher than what their rods suggest. Drag.

Anyone have any first hand experience with these? looking to purchase the 6'6" m-XF casting model for finess jigs. How do the new Zillions compare to hte old Zillion, old Steez and Tatula rods?

Vast majority of the time, i tie to the ring. Only time i tie directly to the lure is when i want to suppress some of the action of the lure.

never palm. need the extra grip on the rod for working big baits and hard hooksets.

that guy is fishing a drop shot, and for that specific application, i can see the appeal of a swivel. I also fish braid but i never use a swivel.

I use mine with a snap, because i change baits fairly often. If they are committed to a popper, then i tie direct. I use the pumpkinseed and black orochi colors.

Yes, mono can work, but you need around 25-30lb mono to ensure very little stretch. Straight Braid is generally better

you mean the drag star can be pushed slightly into the reel, and spring back? ya mine does that The thing is held in place by a spring, and if you have the drag at lower settings, its going to leave space there. If you have the drag tightened ALL the way down, and it still moves, then thats a problem. If the drag is backed off, its going to leave wiggle space between the star and the piece of metal that pushes against the drag discs.

I use the Pumpkinseed and Black Orochi.

Oh ya isnt that the nest raider or something like that? Seen them collect dust in my local tackle shop. Never used one but design looks a tad interesting

A yum craw bug with a rattle inserted into it.

I use PowerPro (regular, in green and yellow) and Daiwa Samurai (in green).

I used a 5 link ball bearing chain swivel for fishing a 1oz spinner for salmon and pike. Sometimes when a lure is too large, a single swivel isnt enough to counteract the twist created by the huge blades. Other than huge lures that turns and rolls (spinners and spoons), I dont see the point of them.

your casting distance depends on way too many variables. Rod power, length and taper, line diameter and type, reel specifications, lure weight, shape and size, as well as your technique, just to name a few of the important ones. As far as your lake is concerned, if the water level dropped that severely, i would imagine the bass is heading to deeper parts of the lake, maybe parts that are out of your casting range.