Junger

Even if it hangs up the prop, that's not the action that triggers the bite IMO.

I took some pliers and just barely opened the ring to add a new hook, then closed the eye with pliers again. If I have to change it again, I'll probably just add a split ring to it instead of opening/closing the eye.

Correct, but the insurance carriers (most) are not. Medical supply companies will sell a roll of toilet paper to the not-for-profit for $20. The hospital will invoice the carrier for that toilet paper roll for $100, knowing that the carrier will ultimately pay $50. Your medical bill is $100, but you only pay $5. Carriers then justify a 12% premium increase because they show on their financials the rising costs of medical care, i.e. a $20 roll of toilet paper.

I think we have a fundamental right to not die. My opinion would be to make the healthcare industry not-for-profit, like a government sponsored entity similar to how Freddie Mac and Sallie Mae operate. I'm not saying it has to be government run, just backed by the government and legislation to make the industry more transparent. Now imagine if you take all the billions of dollars of earnings out of the bottom line of these entities and put it back into cost savings to us, how much would healthcare actually cost. And best wishes to your mother and your family, I hope it all works out.

I installed a cheapo 12v meter that has 5 status bars to my TM battery. My motorguide and boat don't have one already. It's served its purpose perfectly once when my TM stopped all of the sudden. I open up the hatch and pushed the battery meter button and it was at 4 bars, so I knew I had power. I tightened up the connections and away I went. It's worth the $10 and super easy installation.

My wife is a health insurance broker, the US healthcare system is the wild wild west. Health insurance carriers are supposed to simplify the system, and reduce costs for their members by negotiating prices with providers for us, among other things. Look at the earnings of publicly traded healthcare insurance carriers. There is zero incentive to change the system when they post billions in annual earnings.

Teeny Pop-R (1/8oz) and Rico popper (1/4oz) get the job done for me. They catch big ones too. I think the biggest thing is that they don't spook fish when the splash down into the water. Many times my larger 3/8-1/2oz poppers will spook a fish if I unknowingly nail them on the head. I've tried the Spro 2" frog too, but I'm not a fan. The action isn't good and the hooks are so small, I don't see a hook up ratio being that good.

OP probably disclosed something he shouldn't have, and therefore he changed the name of the post and the content to something generic.

It can handle spinnerbaits and chatterbaits just fine. Maybe put a reel with mono for ploppers, and it should handle up to WP110's. The rod is basically a 7'5 M/MH with a nice tip and lots of sensitivity.

I have the G1 EMTF, which is what the Brailest is now I believe. If you don't mind a 7'5 rod (could be a problem if you're bank fishing), it's a terrific bottom contact rod that can handle light cover. I fish t-rigs on it in deep reservoirs and can feel the taps on it really well. It can launch a weightless senko, but I feel the upper limit would be 1/2oz + trailer for jigs. I have no problem with a 20lb fluoro leader and 30lb braid going through the guides (FG Knot).

Yes, the 4'8 UL combo. The Stradic 3000 will pick up the braid better because of the larger spool, so keep that in mind when comparing...it's apples to apples. Maybe try mono or fluoro, thin diameter braid is just more limp than the filament types.

What lure are you throwing? I think you need some weight on your lure to create tension to pull the line taut as you're reeling with braid. I have the exact same rod for my son and I have 4lb KastKing Fluorokote and have no issues with the line, other than an occasional line twist because my son still reels when he snags up. We mainly throw bobber set ups, and small 1/16oz trout magnets. Did the line lay like that when you first spooled it?

NHBull knows best and I took his advice last year when I was up there. I was at Weirs Beach just about this time last year, and here is my report: Basically, I couldn't keep the rock bass off the ned rig. I scored LMB on 4" GY grubs, and SMB on 5" senkos (GP and purple). I think the white perch move around a lot, so throwing a kastmaster might be a good option to cover water.

The skipping practice was actually a pretty fun part of the day too. Lots of good targets, and this one...which I got on the first try...#braggert.

Can't help you with Frederick options, and I've been looking for someone in the MoCo area myself, but I had one Daiwa Tatula CT go wonky where it was grindy, and sometimes after casting, the handle would just spin without engaging the spool. I sent it into Daiwa for a warranty repair and they replaced the pinion gear and its been fine since then. If you're in a year of purchase, send it back to Daiwa for warranty. Also other than fishing Needwood with my son on occasion for dinks, I haven't gotten out much between short weekend vacation trips and the kids' swim team practices/meets. But I got out with @fishwizzard yesterday for a full day of angling. We got to Mattawoman at 8:30AM, and fished until 9PM, with a 2 hour break in between enjoing PBJs, Shiner Bocks, cuban Monte's, and people watching. It was pretty busy on the creek, and I started us off first with a frog fish early. Then it was basically just casting practice for the rest of the day. The pads did not look good, they were on the decline...dried up, and shriveled....like a 90 year old's body part. And underneath, choked with hydrilla with only about 3-4" of water at high tide. Finally as dusk settled, I got a decent one on a popper, and Fishwizzard got 2 good ones on a worm. I got another unexpected small dink when cranking the popper into the boat, and a few bluegill blow ups, then we called it. I think if we put down our pride and went with senkos during the afternoon, we could have done much better.

Lightest combo I've ever seen, amazing.

I've never tried 10lb....at that point I'll probably get worried about dig ins, but I may try it with a BFS shallow reel one day.

It was probably $170 when he linked it, but Amazon's algorithms constantly change the price. I have 2 AGS Tatula Elites, and they're really good sticks, but not at MSRP. $170 would have been a no brainer.

The 20lb braid will help with less "belly" as well. I hate big saggy line with light bottom contact lures.

I use 20lb J-Braid Grande x8 on finesse casting rig set ups. The 8 weave stuff is a little thicker in diameter, but smoother. No problems with dig ins at 20lbs.

Zoom 3" Fat Alberts and Yamamoto 5" Single & Double Tails. Chartreuse White Blue or Black.

Yes, you'll just have to find the right rhythm of cranking and twitching if you're trying to walk the spook.

Tatula Elite 7' M/MH XF AGS.

There are legal terms such as expressed warranty, and implied warranty. You're confusing the two, since Phenix explicitly states their expressed warranty. There is no implied warranty and you're basically upset that their expressed warranty does not correlate with what you would expect as an implied warranty. Amirite?

I have a couple pairs of UA pants, they're wicking and pretty lightweight. SPF 50+...look to be discontinued, but I'm sure they have similar ones out. https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/pcid1290355-076-LG