MN Fisher

Not me - been tested twice since TSHTF - nada I have lost a relative to it - but they had health issues before they got it. Couple friends got laid up for a while - but they recovered fine.

We should make it the unofficial motto of BR.

Rule #517: If you have a chance to go fishing - go. Experience is much more productive than reading about it.

Could have fooled me - I've caught a number on a Rapala Shad Rap in 'Live Bluegill'.

Sometimes I could make a sailor wince.

^ Yep - me exactly.

Better deal than mine - Patriarch (not the XT) used at Legacy...just a little rash...paid $70.

Oh I know this personally - love what I paid for my Patriarch.

The tighter your tension cap, the less distance you'll get out of a cast. Might be best to start 'short' to learn how mag-brakes differ from centri-brakes.

Practice My experience - there's very few lures that can't be skipped. Anytime I try to skip with a BC - I end up with a bird's nest. Reason I have M/F and MH/F spinning rigs...I can skip with spinning gear and have few problems...trick is learning how to feather the line coming off the spool.

Oh definitely agree - whether it's my Fuegos, Presidents, Supreme (mag-brakes) or Patriarch (dual brakes), using the thumb is pretty much a necessity IMO. There may be a reel or person here-and-there which/who can cast without thumb control, but they're few and far between. A well-trained thumb is a baitcaster's best friend.

Magnetic brakes only - which the Mach Smash is - are adjusted differently and work differently than a centrifugal system. Like Bulldog said - they're not so hot on startup, work better at mid-point to end...where as centrifugal brakes works best from startup to mid-point. My mag-only brake reels I follow these steps 1: Set the tension knob so that the lure slowly drops on it's own when the reel-release button is engaged...spool should stop when the lure hits the deck. 2: Set the brakes to around 5 to start - adjust up or down as needed for control 3: Don't try to whip the lure out to it's max distance at first - if you grew up with centrifugal brakes, it'll take a bit to get use to mag-brakes.

I have no idea about those - might toss him a PM here and ask.

I don't think Kent ever looked like that Andy (@A-Jay) on the other hand...

What type of jig do you want. He's got 5-packs of swim, football, arky and a random pack that you have no idea what you're gonna get. https://siebertoutdoors.com/products/ols/categories/package-kits

I've check out Dobyns Colt at $80 - and I still prefer the Aird-X over the Colt. If I wasn't using my Aird-X 6'6" Medium Spinning rod, I'd offer to sell it cheap...but it's one of my two shore/panfish rods.

The President combo isn't bad - when you get some extra money, change out the rod for a Diawa Aird-X...you'll be pleasantly surprised. I got two Trions and for the money they're not bad...but the Avocet RZT at about the same price is an upgrade from those. Mainly line-roller bearing in the Avocet vs bushing in the Trion - my Trions will never get braid because of that, but I have braid on two of my four Avocets.

Diawa Fuego CT - I've got two and they've been rock-solid.

How I do it Cast out and let it flutter to the bottom - let it sit for a bit - quick jerk upwards...not a huge amount - let it settle - rinse-&-repeat until it's close to the canoe. Retrieve and cast again.

For me it's woodworking tools (ran my own cabinet-shop part-time for a while) and plastic scale modeling.

Any and all line gets wrapped around my closed Leatherman...then HEAVE.

(Looks over his 'collection' of six sizes of tungsten bullets ranging from three to five each and sighs)

Inserts - takes special equipment to get them set properly Guides - sure...but it might be less of a headache just sending it out to someone like Delaware Tackle and have them do it...unless you want to start into rod building, which can be very satisfying or another black hole to send money into (kinda like hard swimbait fishing).

Rule #1: Fishermen lie. Numbers, size, what they're using to catch them...don't believe words...seeing is believing.

Massive compared to tungsten. If you want a big splash...sure. This is a 1/4oz steel next to a 1/4oz tungsten.