Glaucus

If something has happened to a few people, it circulates as regurgitated facts that will happen every time. Also, if someone high profile says something, it also circulates as regurgitated facts. The truth is, things can happen, but it doesn't mean they will; and the truth is, high profile people, namely pros, fish for big money and can't afford anything to go wrong. They have to stack the deck in their favor in all things. This usually means little to nothing for the rest of us, but most of us can't comprehend this.

Here I've noticed that when bluegill are the primary food source, the bass are skinnier.

I really don't understand the wording of the OP or the picture attached... You hooked the bass on the inner lip so it was indeed interested.

Get 2 cardboard boxes, such as shoe boxes. Open them up. Put them side by side, touching. Take a pen. Put the pen in one of the boxes and stab through both boxes in the middle. Separate the boxes while keeping the pen stabbed through one of them. Stab through the spool with the pen. Attach the other box at the hole. Now you will have: box, spool, box, all connected with the pen. Get 2 heavy weights of some kind. Put 1 in each box so they don't move. Spool up. Cheapest of the cheap and effective.

The theatrics on many of those boats cracks me up lol

Other than my wife and son (daughters are too young), I only have one good consistent fishing partner. The others are guys who like to fish but use **improper and poor equipment** and constantly need to "borrow" things and who won't take advice. In the end, I suck it up when I'm feeling in the mood for company because it's about just that: the company. **that doesn't mean the "cost" of something, but improper rods and reels for the techniques being used, the aforementioned rusted/dulled hooks and junk baits and old line that should have been tossed ages ago, as well as poor knots and improper rigging. "borrow" is in quotes because it's usually soft plastic that gets destroyed or hard baits that get snagged. Generally I know I'll never see them again.

I've never heard or seen anyone say SMB are picky. Usually when people discuss tough SMB fishing they are discussing ultra clear northern lakes which can make for tough fishing, not that SMB are particularly picky.

3 off the top of my head in no order: 1. Color doesn't matter. 2. Fluoro is necessary. 3. The size of your lure dictates the size of your catch.

7' MH/M-MF (1/4oz-1oz) Okuma EVX crankbait rod $99 For a shorter version, 6'8" MH/MF-F (1/4-1oz) Okuma EVX spinnerbait rod $109 The differences in the shorter rod are a split grip handle and a slightly faster action. It has more uses as well. Thought I'd mention it as it makes a great squarebill and lipless rod, and the shorter length might be desirable out of a kayak.

$3-$4 bag of 20 Trick Worms fished weightless or lightly weighted. Doesn't get much cheaper or more productive.

That you think I'd film instead of fish is insulting.

1Rod1Reel talked about the "easy life" in a relatively recent video after his hiatus. He talked about how he doesn't have to work a job, all he does is fishes and uploads the videos. He wouldn't have to upload anything else ever and he would still rake in thousands every month. He said he feels bad because his wife is some sort of pediatric emergency nurse. It's her passion but she works hard and makes nowhere near what he does just fishing and uploading to YouTube. It's pretty crazy.

Google pays YouTubers. Once they get as big as some of these popular YouTubers as far as likes, comments, subs, and views, you're talking hundreds of thousands and millions. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/g25389858/highest-paid-youtubers-net-worth/

Around here Dingers are $3 and Senkos are $8. Dingers have rarely caught me a fish, but I can burn through a bag or three of Senkos in one day catching fish, and one of my top two LMB ever was caught on one. Nothing compares to a Senko regardless of what people try to tell themselves because of the price. And believe me, I believe in frugality or a variant thereof. Senkos are one of the baits that are worth the price tag.

People become millionaires from their YouTube content. Views, likes, comments and subs adds up to big bucks. Eventually you throw in sponsors and people giving famous people business opportunities and you end up with things like Googan.

I hope you keep it in a climate controlled garage.

I can either have an arsenal of nice gear, too much but not enough tackle, and one vehicle, or very little gear and nothing nice, too little tackle, and two vehicles (a fishing specific vehicle). I wisely chose the former. Until my kids are grown and moved out, I'll be stuck with just a family vehicle and a kayak, no boat and no fishing truck or jeep. Which isn't all bad at all.

6'6" - 7' MH/F and M/MF casting and 6'6" - 7' M/F spinning should be the first setups you ever own, in my opinion. You should have all 3 to really cover most situations. Then expand from there a setup at a time. For example, are you going to be doing ultra finesse (ML/F-XF spinning), deep cranking (MH/M-MF casting), pitching heavy cover (H/F casting)? Get those next 3 in whichever order you will be doing most of and you'll be virtually all set.

Most of my setups have Yo-Zuri. I love the stuff. I've broken off on a fish one time ever while using it, and that was earlier this year. It's insanely strong and the diameter isn't that much thicker in comparison to other lines. 12lb Hybrid for example is still almost exactly the same diameter of 12lb Trilene XL, except I can uproot a tree with the Hybrid and break off on a blade of grass with the XL. With KVD LL there's no memory issue either.

ML for sure. A M doesn't always cast the bait as well and I've ripped those tiny hooks out more times than I care to remember using a M. I've also had a lot more fish come unpinned in general due to the stiffer rod. A ML keeps a better bend and keeps the fish on. A M is better suited for big Ned's but at that point is it really even a Ned?

Just set the brakes somewhere around the middle. The exact number of clicks doesn't matter, just in that middle range. Then adjust the spool tension for each different bait by holding the rod out and backing off the tension until the bait drops to the ground without the line overrunning. I used those a lot around a decade ago when I started. These days my spool tension is set so loose that I can't trust anyone to cast using my stuff without warning them or tightening it up so they don't trash my spool of line.

Flawed logic because I think people who would be on the fence about their products, either members or lurkers, would avoid them now with such a strong consensus.

It doesn't get anymore all around than 12lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid. It has the same diameter of 12lb Berkley Trilene XL except the "12lb" Hybrid has a breaking strength of nearly 20lbs. It can be fished any situation and has enough stretch for treble hook baits but less stretch than regular mono.