Wayne P.

This site will give you all the permit and fee information: http://www.spotsylvania.va.us/emplibrary/HuntingRunNiRiverRulesandRegulations2008.pdf

It sounds like the transom is water logged and is about to fail. The weight difference in the two sizes of OB is not enough to cause the bowing. The transom can be replaced by an experienced re-builder.

The hook point is just "skin" hooked like when you Txpose a Fluke or worm. The frog just swings out of the way when a strike occurs and the plastic does not take up hook bend space resulting in surer hookups.

KvD, the braid is so slick that it will slip on a reel spool if you just tie it on like you do with mono line. The "ghost drag" is an expression that means when you have resistance from a fish or hard pulling lure, the line will rotate on the spool and feel like the drag is slipping. To get friction on smooth arbor reel spools, you have to use some mono backing or some tape on the arbor to prevent it. If your reel spool is a drilled one with one or more holes then you can put your line thru the spool shaft when tying it on to eliminate the slipping. Most bass fishermen use a backing to conserve braid since a whole reel full is not necessary and they can use one line spool for several reels. I put between 30 and 50 yards of braid on my reels depending on the application.

What may be happpening is the line is so limp that sometimes it will wind around the spool tension knob if you don't keep the line somewhat tight when closing the bail. I have that on occasion if I don't check when using weightless presentations.

The braid weighs less and is less wind resistant than nylon mono or fluorocarbon so you don't have the extra weight to pull off line as you cast and the lure will slow down faster. Just increase your spool tension or cast control setting. Once you get used to thumbing the spool to control overruns, you can ease off the setting/s for longer casts. Also as before mentioned, you must use mono backing or tape on the spool arbor to avoid "ghost drag" unless you have a drilled spool arbor to tie the line thru.

The Zoom Horny Toad hook will rig that way. That is how I do it. The Gammy G-mag Oversize hook with work too.

I use the Stren Super Braid in 20# and 30# in both colors, No problems on spinning gear or baitcasting. What do you mean by "looped way too easy and created knots" ?

You can use most any size braid on any size reel. Just pick the diameter to suit your taste, adjust your drag to about the mono setting you would use and you won't have any problem with equipment damage or line failures. The best benefit other than strength is the lack of line memory and line twist does not affect the line preformance. Some other good qualites are low or no stretch, small diameter per pound test, and the line floats which aids in surface presentations. All that controversy about spool diameter is to offset the problems of memory and stiffness of mono lines. Non existant with braids. My finesse presentation set up is 30# braid with a 20# fluorocarbon leader. I use the fluorocarbon to make the braid sink. Since I only fish for bass, that setup works in all water clarities.

Yes to both questions. You won't plane your boat but it will go faster. More thrust = more speed

Woo Daves uses the Zebco closed faced spinning reels for some presentations.

Get the highest verticle pixel count you can afford. The Humminbird 565 and Eagle 480 are good low priced units.

YOU NOTICED !!!!!! I just got some alligator clips and glued them on so I could clip it to the carpet, shirt pocket, or some other object to keep it handy. I have three of them made up.

Most hook styles are not suitable for the hitch hiker.

I use Zoom Trick worms with 3/0 Gammy Octopus hooks and Zoom finesse worms with 2/0 Gammy Octopus hooks rigged wacky style from water temps starting around 43 degrees on up to however hot it gets in the Summer and then back down to about 43 degrees in the late Fall.

The lure is not new, just another re-introduction of an old lure from many years ago.

http://www.outboardrepairs.com/stators/

You left out a choice NEITHER ONE

LOL, LBH, no I just catch a bunch on each outing. I've fished 28 days since the first of the year. I'm retired and fish during the week and pick highly productive waters and use highly productive presentations. I have found that Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the least pressured days for the fish.

Have you checked for the legality of using any type of light such as spotlights and headlights while navigating?

Big-O, when I use the hooks without a spike or spring, I use a size 10 crochet needle inserted into the bait head that I hook my line to and then pull the line out thru the head and tie the hook on. Then I pull the hook eye into the bait before inserting the point. It creates less damage than trying to force the hook eye into virgin plastic or even premaking the eye channel with the hook point and barb. I use the same procedure for swimbaits and Flukes.

So far this year I have 23 bass over 4# and 1,054 bass under 4# so I would guess my average is around a pound and 1/2

For those using Senko style baits in vegetation, just put the hook in the skinny end instead of the blunt fat end. It will hang up less in grass and pads.

Falcon Bait-Jerker Hooks Mister Twister Weighted-Bronze Hooks Mustad Power Lock Plus Hooks BPS Verticle Dropshot Hooks Daiichi Butt Dragger Hooks VMC Bug Eye Hooks Owner Weighted Twistlock Hook w/centering spring Lake Fork Tackle Ultimate Swimbait Hook Dave's Tournament Tackle Weighted Swimbait Hook Those should give you some more choices.

Yes the X96 can use a speed senor; an accessory list for that unit is here----http://www.lowrance.com/Products/Accessories/Accessories-Search?SearchType=Unit&Unit=X96