desmobob

It's true... a football head is the way to go. Even when they do get hung up, they never seems to get really wedged and you can usually back them out by moving the boat and pulling from the other direction. Tight lines, Bob

+1 I put my Tournament Pro on a new KLX and the whole rig is so light it's startling! I LOVE it. Tight lines, Bob

I was hoping to do the same --fish on the first casts-- with mine, too, but the day I got to fish them was my last day on the water for the season (and the water temp. was 43*). The forecast for this weekend is for warmer weather. I have Sunday and Monday off and the forecast Monday is for a high of 63*! It's supposed to rain, but I'm going to try to get out on a nearby lake in VT and catch a few fish with the blade baits. I want to know how my new Kistlers feel with a fish on the line! Tight lines, Bob

I'm hoping to do a lot of ice fishing this winter. My favorite local lake for ice fishing, Lake George, has a great panfish population as well as lake trout and landlocked salmon. I usually fish for all three, setting tip-ups for the trout and salmon and jigging for panfish. I have a portable pop-up two-man tent shanty for shelter from the wind and cold. A Coleman kerosene (not white gas) lantern heats it up nicely. Tight lines, Bob

I use a 6' UL TFO Gary Loomis Signature Edition rod with a Shimano Sedona 500FD reel spooled with 10lb. Power Pro and a 4lb. fluorocarbon leader. It is perfect for throwing Beetle Spins, tiny cranks, and small jigs. I'm thinking I may go back to using regular monofilament line on the reel though. The braid is susceptible to wind knots on breezy days. I had frustrating issues using straight fluorocarbon line when I first set up the rig, hence the switch to braid. I've caught a few big bass and lots of small pickerel and pike on that rig and it's always a blast. For some reason, pickerel seem very, very attracted to a Beetle Spin, and they tend to be my most common by-catch when panfishing with that set-up. They end up swimming off with a LOT of Beetle Spins. Tight lines, Bob

Senkos! I have tried two other low-price brands of finesse worms and they didn't seem to do as well as the Senko. I have more faith in that bait/presentation than probably any other, though I can honestly say I don't enjoy fishing it as much as a jig, crank bait, etc. You have to admit, it just flat-out works. Tight lines, Bob

I messed up by not taking my canoe out during the very low water conditions we had around here early in the fall. I'm sure I could have collected a lot of baits off the exposed wood when the water was down three feet or more. Tight lines, Bob

I'd have to guess it's a young Pterodactyl or similar Pterosaur.... Tight lines, and keep one eye to the skies, Bob

"M" stand for "Monkey" and "Megabass." I just picked up not one but three Vision Oneten Magnums and two Popmax hard baits. Tight lines, Bob

Braid is smaller diameter per lb. test and much limper than fluoro or mono... I think it casts much better. I love braid with a 6' fluoro leader on casting and spinning reels. Monofiliament feels like a rubber band after using braid and fluorocarbon can be a major pain to manage. I do have monofilament on my cranking reel, only because I don't have a proper rod for it yet and the stretch is welcomed. Tight lines, Bob

That's gotta be some kind of record, right there.... A French bike hooked with a Japanese lure with an Italian name. Love it! Tight lines, Bob

Your accuracy may not relate to the the bullet weight/rifling twist as you might expect it to. I have a Colt Sporter HBAR with a 1:7 twist that shoots stunning groups with 52gr. HP match bullets, but I could not work up a single load for the longer, heavier bullets that would shoot worth a darn. You never know.... Tight lines, Bob

I wanted to try some cat-fishing on L. Champlain this summer. A buddy and I went out and fished largemouths until after dark, and then got ready to fish for cats. I lit a Coleman lantern and in no time at all, my boat was absolutely covered in a layer of tiny caddis flies. They stuck to the dew that had settled on the boat after the sun went down. They were so thick, they were burning up in the lantern and stinking. Then, the mosquitos came out in force. Needless to say, we packed it up and headed in. It took me forever to clean the boat the next day. Never got around to giving it a second try.... I saw a couple in kayaks several times who would be showing up when I was headed to the dock at dark, and would still be out there when I was out before sunrise the next morning. They told me they loved to fish all night for catfish. Early one morning, I saw them catch two in the 10-12 lb. range. They would catch a few small white perch, then use them for cut bait for the catfish. I'll give it a try again next season, but maybe without the lantern. :-) Tight lines, Bob

I just finished cleaning, re-lubing and spooling up a nice new Daiwa Tatula. I should have received a new Lew's Tournament Pro by now too, but the eBay seller sent the wrong one (right hand vs. left hand) and my return package is caught in some sort of postal vortex. It makes me dizzy looking at the tracking info! =:-0 I still need one or two more reels to finish outfitting the four new rods I bought earlier this month! I'm going to have to rob a bank to get some more money for Christmas shopping.... ;-) Tight lines, Bob

They have a Static Load tutorial page. The site is a nice resource for a rod builder and gives the regular old spinning rod enthusiast some good info as well. Tight lines, Bob

A Kastmaster with a single hook and a white curly-tail grub will work well for a lot of fish in the salt. I've caught some big stripers on Bass Assassin Forked Tail Shad and Saltwater Shad plastics, jig/grub, and Tsunami pencil poppers. Medium spinning tackle will work fine. I use a 7' MXF Fenwick HMX with a Daiwa Tournament SS reel (small one) with 20lb. braid/fluro leader when I'm not fly fishing for them. Have fun and catch lots of fish! Tight lines, Bob

I somehow ended up on this website while surfing this evening. http://anglersresource.net/Home.aspx There is some interesting reading there for those of us who use spinning rods. I thought the sections "5 tips for choosing a great rod," "Theory of the New Guide Concept," and "Theory of the KR Concept" made for some interesting reading. Like most things, there's more to line guides than you might expect. It seems that placement alone can make or break a rod. Check it out if you want to word up on guides! (Especially if you plan on building a rod or two over the winter...) Tight lines, Bob

I use thin polypropylene liner socks under a pair of Smartwool heavy Merino wool socks. I have two different thicknesses of polypro liner socks and sometimes use both at once along with wool outer socks. Just like with outer wear, layering socks is effective and moisture management is important. One thing that helps keep you warm is to wear a jacket with a hood. With a polypro Balaclava, a wool hat and a hood cinched up snug, you can keep your melon nice and toasty, and that helps keep the rest of you feeling warm, too. Having hand and foot-warmer packets can make the difference between being miserable and being comfortable. I second the advice about keeping the hand-warmer packets against the inside of your wrist. Tight lines, Bob

I would definitely try a bunch of them. I've never fished one. Tight lines, Bob

Are those Shimano or Daiwa? 😉 Tight lines (and beats), Bob

That's what I was hoping/thinking when I decided to pull the trigger on some new Kistlers. It seems most of the guys who are fishing the new KLX rods claim they perform way above their price. That had me very interested in the KLX rod line. And when Kistler had the "buy a KLX and get a Carbon Steel free" deal, I felt it was definitely the time to give a couple of KLXs a try. I'm very pleased with the way the KLX rods I chose cast. The biggest surprise to me is still the Carbon Steel 7'6" HF "All Day Power Tool." I can't wait to get some fishing time in with that rod. This summer, I struggled a little throwing the light ScumFrogs on my 7' MHF St. Croix Premier. I have a feeling it will be a breeze with the new rod. But casting is only part of the picture. I'll need to catch some fish on these rods to have an opinion worth anything! Winter is long enough here without having new gear I'm anxious to try out! I hope I have a fun ice fishing season to take my mind off the bass.... Tight lines, Bob

Baitcast reels: Daiwa, Lew's Baitcast rods: Kistler, St. Croix, Bass Pro, Berkley Spinning reels: Shimano, Daiwa, Mitchell Spinning rods: TFO, Fenwick, Cabela's, Bass Pro Fly reels: Orvis, Hardy, Grey's Fly rods: Orvis, TFO, Loomis (blank) Pacific Bay (blank) Tight lines, Bob

I'm glad your warranty claim was handled well. I sure hope I don't have to make a claim.... J Franco's experience is a bit frightening. What line of rods, and what vintage did you have the breakage with? I fished my new rods a little on the water, and did lots of yard fishing with them. So far, so good. I am dying to fish my new Kistlers enough so that I really get to know them. Winter is here (not by the calendar, but it's here) in NY and I'm thinking it might be a long time before I get out again. Tight lines, Bob

I'm surprised there isn't more love here for the Quantum Smoke. TackleTour gave it their esteemed "editors choice" rating when they tested it. I'm tempted to try one.... Tight lines, Bob

Yes! ;-) I am an eating machine and I don't think there's a food I won't eat (yes, I've had head cheese). Most days out, I fish from before daylight to mid-afternoon, or sometimes 'till dark. I usually bring the same thing: - a box of 1/2 dozen donuts (usually maple glazed) - coffee - three sandwiches - cheese sticks - a Little Debbi's snack or two - lots of water I usually wolf down most of the donuts on the way to my first fishing spot. Then, I'm good to go for a long time and sometimes have to remind myself to have lunch. Sometimes. ;-) Tight lines (and a tight belt), Bob