PourMyOwn

I paint jigs with it on occasion. Really scratches that itch.

I'm in NH, and we have had multiple nights in the high 40s, so things are certainly changing.

I'll still be throwing a living rubber jig on my TD Zillions.

I have 11 Simplicity garden tractors from the 70s and 80s. I actually do use them all to move snow, mow grass, till the garden etc. A few of them are parts machines, some I bought because they came with implements that I needed. This one is my dirt plow/tow pig.

You're going to get bombarded with options- all of them will be good. I use Daiwa TD Zillion in 7.1 and a custom 7' MH rod (Esox is the brand). The reel is definitely older, but it is a tank. I always buy used reels, I feel like I get way more for my money. To help others answer your questions, what is your budget?

2" yellow Mister Twisters on a roundhead jig is my favorite crappie bait. I look for submerged wood and just let the fish tell me how to retrieve. It usually results in a few bass too.

I've had decent success with the recycled "billboard vinyl" and a grommet maker. Shipping is pricey, but I'm happy with it.

I'm slowly moving all of my reels to Daiwa, but that's mostly because I love the TDX and TDZ reels. I have some Shimanos, Lews and even Ryobis that I like, but unless a Curado 200E comes along I'm done buying anything else. Rods are all over the place. 90% of my soft plastics and jigs are made by me, with tungsten and Zman being the exceptions. There's a handful of brands I avoid like the plague, but anything else is fair game.

I lived in Ecuador, they eat guinea pigs- "cuy" is really popular there.

I use flukes to fish shallow pads and hyacinths. If I'm not using braid, I've found that at least 17 lb mono (.016) makes a big difference. I twitch them erratically and anything lighter that 17 doesn't stay straight . Lighter line tends to curl right in front of the bait.

I feel the same way. I have a hard time believing that any bass I'll run across have seen a Mud Bug before.

Thankfully shipping costs have really curtailed my rod buying habit. I honestly have a problem buying reels, though. Thank God they are rarely over 75 dollars, I mostly buy used stuff.

If it's abrasion I would jump up to 12 lb leader and change it more frequently. I also use mono/copoly leaders instead of fluorocarbon.

The floppy issue is most likely due to not mixing the plastic well enough before heating. I know you may have shaken the bottle until you got dizzy, but sometimes that's not enough. I dump my gallons in a bucket and use a paint stirrer on a drill for a solid minute prior to use. That's the only way to get everything properly mixed. Dead on plastic is particularly sensitive to this. Lots of new guys watch a WWF video, grab a gallon of Dead On and get gooey baits.

Tom mentioned overload, which I think is really important. When it was a month before I'd get a new In-Fisherman or BASS magazine I had time to process and work through a new technique- using critical thinking and patience. Now with the onslaught of information I would imagine it's a ton to process for new anglers. A former student stopped by my house last month because he's into fishing now and had some questions-plus I told him I would help him get his new reel set up. He asked me questions about fluorocarbon and leaders, if his reel had enough bearings, etc. He was going bank fishing for sunfish....

I've spent over a week in Spain, Mexico City and I lived in Ecuador for 7 months. Argentina is the only place that I really want to go- beef, wine, fishing all are supposedly excellent. In the US, I want to go for big perch and walleye in Minnesota or the Dakotas. And I want to get my diesel Benz back on the road.

Quantum did start off as a Zebco higher end offering. I had lots of Quantums over the years, really no complaints. My old Energy spinning reel was pretty great in its day.

I'd load up on Wiggle Warts in the 1980s so I could sell them now and retire early!

My dad worked setting up boats in the mid to late 80s. I've heard a lot of anti Bayliner/Force rants!

I also couldn't stand the stuff on spinning gear. I went back to my 3000 yard spool of Silver Thread.

Still in production, but barely- Norman Fat Boy. They are down to just two colors and I think it's a shame. Glad I'm sitting on about 30 of them. Sorry-these aren't balsa. I need more coffee.

I have two and one is brand new. The other is a 3/4 ton truck of a reel that my buddies who barely fish use for frogs.

Those look great!

I took a Citica E on a trade, not being much of a Shimano guy. I was blown away by how it performed, and even more so when I found out what the cost was new.

This bilingual redneck has an affinity for all things Napa Cab! (Especially with some manchego cheese and a SF sourdough)