Josh Smith

Jean-Claude's little brother..?

1310 with the metal frame.

I like the quiet, and I like the feel of well-tuned reels I did myself. The rods are slightly lesser parts of the equation as, though I customize mine to a greater or lesser extent, I don't have time to build them. Josh

Back with cheap mono and, as was said, don't tie to a hole. Josh

That much electrical tape will make the spool pretty heavy. I used to use it to start the line, but then I took some years off fishing. When I came back and went to re-spool, I found that the electrician's tape had reacted with the mono I'd put on there and became goo. Now, it did take a number of years for this reaction to take place, but it still happened. Now I tie mono directly to the spool and use it to back braid. Josh

No, that's Scott Martin.

Really? Was my birthday too! I ordered an Ambassadeur 4600c3 (used, in good condition; they don't make this one any longer). It's going on a 6'6 M/F Daiwa for slightly lighter lures. My heavy jig reel is a modified 5500c3. Happy birthday! Josh

I don't know if this is arrogance or ignorance. How about engineers? CEOs? Doctors? Some simply don't have an overwhelming desire to compete. Something we learned in martial arts: No matter how good one is, there is always someone better. Josh

I think it would help get one or the other within reasonable driving distance from me. Otherwise, too Walmart-ish, so I'm a bit torn. Josh

I use a Cherrywood HD MH for those, especially jigs and square bills. (I have a dedicated rod and reel for deeper cranking. It uses mono and the reel is 21 to 23 or so IPT.) The Cherrywood, being part fiberglass, imparts an action I really like on the jigs. I use IM8 Daiwa rods, 6'6" and 7', for most other things save deep cranking. Regards, Josh

A professional at anything is only a professional because he's good enough to make money at a thing and chooses to do so. I am sure there are plenty of excellent anglers out there who remain in obscurity. They wish fishing to remain their own, calm, private past-time, but could run circles around any professional named. Josh Edited for spelling.

You can have 'em. They get in the way of my smallies!

Yes. Throw a weedless football jig on heavy braid (50-60lb) and crawl it over downed trees. Go slow. Use rattles and a craw trailer. Josh

I generally talk to the dog.

You should use backing. Unless tied fast, like through a hole on the spool, the braid is slick enough to slip. Josh

Same as stained water, but with a fluoro leader. :-) Josh

Most generally yes. The rattles I use are connected by straight plastic bands, so they make the rattle noise along with a smaller version of whacky rig vibrations. Josh

I just rebuilt and retired Dad's 5000 he gave to me after he moved to a Quantum 1310 on a Fenwick rod to modernize sometime in the late '80s or early '90s. I have some other 5000/5500 reels I use alongside my more modern 5500c3 reels, and one vintage 5500 (non-c) is on Dad's Lew's Speed Stick he gave me with the aforementioned 5000. I'll have to remember to post file pics to this thread when I get to the PC later. Josh

Thanks guys. It's really not a huge problem. More than anything, she feels she must ask before she spends money -- just how she was raised -- or spends money and expects me to get mad, or something. Now that she is working again that's slowly changing. It's never something we argue about. In fact, I really think she sees it as a respect thing towards her. She just wants to be informed, not asked. It helps her security, or maybe some strange woman emotion I can't fathom. Josh

I love my wife. I really do. I grew up with her; she was my best friend's sister. As adults, we fell in love. Today I wandered over to eBay and typed in "Abu Garcia 4500" just for kicks. There was an almost-new one listed with five minutes left. I almost bid, but didn't. It went for $20! When April got home for the kid exchange we have before I go off to work, I told her I was sad. She asked why, and I told her what I missed out on, that I almost bought it for my upcoming birthday but I knew she got upset when I bought things like that without mentioning it to her, and that I didn't know what she was planning to get me for my birthday. She said I should have bought it! That woman... she drives me crazy sometimes. I love her to death, and it's not like she wouldn't have agreed to the purchase; she just likes being included in these decisions. <facepalm> Josh

I don't keep them because I don't consider them eating fish. Same reason I don't actively hunt for coyotes, though I will shoot them if necessary. If I could shoot coyotes without permanently harming them, I would. I can catch bass without hurting them, so I do. Predator vs predator is fun. Killing is for food. I keep panfish, crappie, and catfish, and I kill small game and sometimes deer. Josh

Wait for the sun to heat the shallows, and throw a frog on top of the leaves close to shore. Keep a jig on a second rod to throw in front of, and parallel to, those leaves. Josh

Catch and Grease, Come to Indiana. We issue carry permits at age 18. Josh

Walk softly and carry a gun. Josh

Subbing for later.