diehardbassfishing

Here: https://shop.huckleberryapparel.com/aaron_martens_benefit/shop/home

Ohhh, if was ironed on - try the reverse ironing method first!

Good full story on operations: https://majorleaguefishing.com/featured/aaron-martens-i-know-well-get-through-this/

Understand - but heat guns go from OK heat to Burn/Melt before you know it! CAREFUL! If try lighter fluid or alcohol, use a flat metal putty knife. Apply fluid to top edge of knife - trying to get under the letters. This will reduce chances of too much carpet wetting. Karl

My 1st try would be lighter fluid (Ronsonol - naphtha). That would be if the sticker adhesive is petroleum based. Else - alcohol (Isopropyl) should do the trick. Karl My one concern is that these letters are dried out from sun exposure. That will mean using either naphtha or alcohol will still require a bit of time. Don't do this in the warm sun - both solvents will evaporate too quickly to be effective.

Alcohol does not cut oil or grease. I know J Francho isn't a big fan of my bearing cleaner - lighter fluid - but I prefer it over acetone. I just avoid acetone because I can't literally use it as a universal de-greaser. Can't let any plastic get near it... Karl

Noticeable dimple is ok, it's a matter of how much. As long as it doesn't look like it was drilled into, you're likely just fine. Oh - while in there - put a small dab of grease on the black flat spacer (washer). Right on the "dimple". My new Shimano Bantam looked dry there to me. Really should be greased. Karl

"Like dissolves like". Tar is petroleum - so you need to try something oil based. WD-40 is oil based, might work - but it does have many ingredients that could attack the foam. Might sound funny, but this could do the trick safely. Two steps: Try any thin oil on the marks - heck - maybe reel oil! Gently rub oil soaked rag on the tar marks. Give it time. Once marks are removed, clean off the reel oil with common detergent / soap product. Spray or anything that could be called "all-purpose". Karl

Broom-stick stiff rods BAD! Rod needs to load up and flex to achieve casting accuracy. Karl

SSR means it's a Wake Bait. Designed to create "just below surface" wave action. Karl

Yes, that's one good thing. On top of feeling the line for bites, retrieving line between fingers helps keep a little tension on the line as it goes on the spool - good. And, with this line contact, you can feel any nicks. I've avoided countless brerak-offs by discovering line damage. Last reason; I like feeling connected to the rod because I'm holding it directly. Karl

Well, I'll raise my hand. I can't palm a reel. Started with Abu round reels - mounted on rods with foregrips. Palming a classic 4000 or 5000 Ambassadeur was never even a thought. Sure I now have low profile baitcasters, but old habits die hard. Being so accustomed to holding the rod on retrieve using a foregrip, it's natural and comfortable, and continues to be that way with low profile. There's still a pretty good selection of rods with foregrips, but certainly a dying breed. Rods that I wished to buy but didn't have a foregrip - I modified. Usually not a rod with no foregrip, but with what I call a "token" foregrip. Either way, it can be done. Not with cork, which I prefer - but built up the rod with double sided mounting tape. It's thick and dense enough to just do the job. Then wrap over that with golf club/tennis grip material. If done very carefully, the look is not bad, and it really works well. Have done this with many rods, and glad I could make a stick that is unusable, and a pleasure to fish. Karl

Does this reel have a spool shaft that turns against a spacer under the spool tension cap? If so, try grease on the end of the shaft (or on the spot where the spool shaft rides on the spacer). I've had ugly sounds coming from this if it's left w/o regular cleaning and greasing. Karl

No basic diff over 10 yrs. Only diff I can pull out is "popularity" tungsten over lead. In some areas around the country, fisheries have banned lead use. Thus, availability of a tungsten option is greater than "X" yrs ago. Karl

Looks like sloppy tip-top fix. Would doubt the rod blank is cracked - they are solid graphite from apx 6 to 9 inches at the top. Karl

Woooww, blown away seeing soft plastics being "turned down". Like "billmac", didn't see that coming! The only lure CURRENTLY not a big go-to for me, and was once a BIG go-to, is lipless cranks. But still on my tool belt! Karl

Paint Me Very Simple - one rod per outing! And yup, could be using a jerk, spinner, worm, or topwater. So which rod do I pick when I go out - no science behind it. Just what I feel like - most likely a rod I haven't used in awhile! Yea, most of my rods are "MF". Some "MH F". They're all quite versatile to me. Habbit from learning from shore. No rod locker! So now even if on a boat, I bring one. Karl

Only started to learn casting with it. It's a very stiff rod - for sure... Have a good point - likely not the best for bass overall. A toy for me - it's too much like work to cast! Just hope to have an outing or two to get a good (bass) catch. We'll see! Karl

St. Croix Premier (Musky) series will cover higher lure weight ranges. https://stcroixrods.com/collections/freshwater/products/premier-musky 2-Piece rods in the series too. Karl (I'll never forget 1st time throwing a 2 oz swimbait - took a few casts to go from a lob to full cast using a 3/4 to 3 oz rated rod. Then trusted everything and loaded that rod up! It's kind of a slow motion thing - heavy is slow and hard on the rod. Different...)

Oh, travel bassin' keeps me going. Likely hit FL and CA. Maybe TX. And make plans for summer trips! In-fact, just mapped out a plan to stay in Detroit and fish Lake St. Clair in the spring. Karl

Spooled up with 14 lb on my baitcaster. I retrieve line between two fingers. Allows me to feel the condition of the line. It felt "old" pretty quickly. The line felt like it twisted - something like the diameter of the line became inconsistant - the line lost it's shape. Wish I knew exactly what made the line feel stange to me, but that was enough to put it aside, and re-spool with my trustsed lines that never have an issue. Also found line "memory coils" made it impossible to fish lightly weighted soft plastics. Like a long spring connected to my lure. Karl

Susquehanna - PA

DC reels do not have a battery. They charge themselves early in the cast. Good review of Curado DC here: http://www.tackletour.com/reviewshimanocurado150dc.html I have purchased a used Calcutta Conquest DC - no problem. It was in nice shape, so I figutred it was pretty well cared for. You'll have to cast with it to test the DC system. Karl

Seaguar Red Label - 12 lb and 15 lb. On baitasters. No issues. Could be a bit stiff for spinning. Karl

Well, I'm likely an outsider on this one. I never palm. I want to hold the rod directly! So, I only fish using rods with foregrips. I find it "interesting" how bass rod companies have in large part thrown foregrips out the window! There's still a few good brands that see there may be at least a few folks that appreciate a rod build that includes this simple option. My question is why hold a reel when you can hold the rod?? Karl