PourMyOwn

My reels annually go on a different rod, with only two exceptions-reels I prefer to crank with. I have five or six brands represented in my "aresenal." A couple of Johnny Morris, Pflueger, Daiwa, Abu, Quantum, Shimano...I like the variety.

I'd learn on any of the major brand monos, they're all pretty good.(I'm a Silver Thread AN40 guy) Just don't cast into the wind until 2017 and you'll be all set. I have baitcasters that have mono/fluorocarbon and a few with braid. At the end of the season I strip half the mono/fluoro off, tie the braid that's on another reel onto it. Then I transfer it from one reel to another. It puts the used braid on the inside of the spool and the braid that is on top is as good as new. "Flipping" over your braid makes it easy to justify dropping more $$ on the best brands.

SC isn't considered a good job, per se. It's an average major conference gig. I would say Missouri is better because of the recruiting base, and that more guys have won there. Minus Holtz and Spurrier, SC has done nothing. They may be able to lure in a top coordinator at a big school, like it just depends on who is out there this year. Whoever it is must keep the Carolina players at home, there's always a few top caliber kids in state.

Gamecocks bowl victories all time before Spurrier-3 (2 vs my Buckeyes, but it got Cooper fired...) With Spurrier, they have won their last four bowl games-in a row, five of the last six vs Clemson. They aren't attractive without the Head Ball Coach, especially with Tennessee and Florida gaining steam.

I wouldn't bother with braid until you get the casting figured out. Just go all mono for now, then put your braid on next year-using this mono as backing. I actually don't use braid until the grass comes back in June.

Registering kayaks would make a ton of $$ for my state-and my guess is that most kayakers could swing the extra $25 or so. I'd be all for that, our F&G is hurting for money. I have three boats registered in my name- a 10' jon boat, a 14' I turned into a bass boat, and an 18' Tracker.

For the record, I'm ambidextrous. I even shave with a straight razor left handed half the time. (that's trust, believe me) I cast with both hands, especially when I'm flipping and pitching. I must state that I don't care what anyone uses-although the more right handed baitcasters you guys buy, the more selection for me in the used market. For my curiosity, when did the left handed reels become common? When I was last in the market for a reel in the early 2000s, it seemed like there weren't many, but now there are.

I use right handed reels because that's what my dad taught me on, and in the 80s there weren't many left handed baitcasters. In those days there were no thumb bars, no instant anti reverse either! A friend of mine has a lefty reel, it's fine, but I'll stick with what I've been using since I was 10. As far as switching hands, I do that mid cast most of the time (buzz bait is cranking before it hits the water)

Welcome. I'm from down around Keene, so in NH terms we are neighbors!

I do the same with my Cabelas card. I haven't paid cash for a rod or reel since 05. Everything but the car payment and mortgage go on that card, points pile up fast.

We don't have those up here, sadly. I can sympathize with the OP, the Hooksett BPS is not that great.

Up north right now I'd throw a spinnerbait in shallower water, these fish are moving up and feeding.

I think that if you can wait until the end of the season there will be deals, and you can get both.

I'd hate to consider the line twist of a spinning reel with 14lb mono. That being said, on Lake Erie we flipped Roboworms on 12lb Trilene on spinning equipment. When I got back to NH I reeled it from my spinning reel onto an empty baitcaster.

Rat L Trap is a great bait, as is the inline spinner. I'd have to agree with the grub. I caught more bass on a "Mister Twister" before the age of 13 than anything else, including a few 4+ while fishing for perch and crappies. I've also caught fish throwing a big Mogambo 6'' grub like a buzzbait. I should use them more than I do.

These days I just look at the bargain bin for stuff to melt down-usually a color that I like. If I'm buying new the GY stuff is great, and I love Mann's Auger tails. All of my other staples I pour, so I have a lifetime supply.

And that's why everyone needs life insurance!

I've seen this a few times in NH, fishing deep clear lakes for smallmouth. I'm sure they came in via another fisherman, but nobody will ever know. Very little evidence of small bass, but a few nice ones.

Until I started using fluorocarbon, I used Silver Thread on everything but my frog rod. It has less stretch than mono and I think it casts/handles great. Btw, I fish in really clear water.

I'm ok with it. I keep any bass that is bleeding to the point that I doubt it will survive. The only thing that really grinds my gears is boat ramp/lake etiquette.

It's funny, I have a few kicking around my "surplus" equipment. PM me your address and I'll ship them out to you. I'm up here in NH, probably won't take long to get to southern NE.

They're amazing on a shaky head for smallies, too. I snagged a bunch of 100 count bags in the 1990s, I'll never run out!

I love the Mann's Auger tail. Those thinner worms come through the grass really well, plus-who else really throws them?

Caught a bunch in February through the ice, but that's probably not the spirit of this thread...Rapala HJ 10 on 6lb Seaguar fluorocarbon, there was still a little ice on the north end of the pond where the sun didn't hit yet.

I would have spent more on the rod, less on the reel. I have 10-12 "combos", most of which are approaching 15 years old (had a ton of disposable income in my early 20s). It's all high quality Fenwicks, Falcons, early Johnny Morris and Team Daiwa reels. I take great care of my stuff, every year I maintain my reels, all that sorta thing. As it stands now, I only buy rods and reels with BPS/Cabela's credit card points. Last year I picked up an Abu Garcia Silver Max reel-I know, not exactly a tournament pro quality-but it's a nicer reel to fish with than my 1990s $200 dollar reels. I figure it will last until I want another one, then my nephew gets it. Point being, all of my sweet reels that cost me a ton of money are obsolete, but the rods are not.