Alex from GA

For bottom contact baits, which is what you'll be using, a higher quality blank, ie: more expensive, is called for. Like an MHX Elite Pro or Elite X or the Rainshadow Immortal line.

For the novice and/or weekend fisherman, IMO, the Pflueger President is the best deal on the market for spinning reels. Fairly smooth, hold enough line, reliable and not expensive. They're heavier than newer more expensive reels but very serviceable. I've been using two for a bunch of years with good results.

Like a couple of guys have already said, "rod for bottom contact and reel for moving baits".

I used a solar panel on the roof of my boat dock to charge a lawn mower battery for my boat lift. I'd monitor the battery every few days with a volt meter.

My goal is to catch an 8 lb then a 10 or maybe the 10 first. I fish where they are but haven't come close yet.

I've been using the same 1 oz bottle of Hot Sauce for over 20 years and it's 1/4 empty. A scant drop on each spool bearing is what I use. Spinning reels and the rest of bait casters get synthetic 10-30 or corrosion X. Gears get grease mixed with corrosion X.

If you roll your own look into the Rainshadow Immortal or Eternity line. I recently built an Immortal 6'8" IMMWS68MXF for finesse worms with 6 or 8 lb mono. It replaced the same blank in 6'2" for the same thing. Very sensitive and has caught several large, to me, bass. Over 4 lb Alabama and Shoal Bass.

I fish a 38,000 acre lake but only a small portion along with several rivers/streams a year when I'm in GA. If FL I usually fish 2 rivers and 5 lakes plus the Gulf of Mexico.

Fishing for the GA Bass Slam the fish have to be photographed for length and one with the angler. My buddy, that guides me in the Bass Slam in kayaks, carries a Hawg Trough that I use. I have a Golden Rule and a Hawg Trough on my boat along with a scale.

Do as casts-by-fly says, don't cut anything. Use the lightest tip top you can.

Changed that yesterday. Came home with me for dinner.

I boil a cup of water and put the bottle in it. Same thing as the microwave but safer IMO.

I have a couple of Tatula 100s and like them. I'm not very discerning but they cast fine and are quiet. I fish a buzzbait on one and an underspin on the other with mono.

It's been raining but tomorrow is another story. Only went once last week due to the cold, 50* and below cold weather. Had a pretty good afternoon with a 2.95 and 2.60 Alabama bass along with 4 others.

You mounted yours differently but that's the method I used on pg 2 and it worked for me.

Like others I can tie it @ home but on the boat I either tie a 3 turn surgeons knot or Alberto. I can't tie under 10 lb leader with the FG.

The only time I switch rods and reels is when I go to or come back from FL and put all the reels in a box and forget which were paired. I learned to fish when all I had were knuckle busters, fly reels and saltwater casting reels. My first free spool bait caster was in the early 80s. Never had a pushbutton reel.

Went from So CA to Great Falls, MT for the service. I remember defrosting aircraft engines @ 38 below. No thank you. Now I go to FL when the weather in GA gets into the 40s.

Smooth Drag probably has washers or can cut you some. I bought a sheet of carbon fiber drag material and cut anything I want.

I carry a digital camera in a water proof dive housing in my kayak vest. If there's room a GoPro is the thing to have.

The last hurrah, congratulations.

Went down to the dock this afternoon to check on the boat and while I was there I had to throw a worm in the water. I doodled up a 13" LM inside the dock then doodled up this Alabama outside in some brush. 15". BTW the boat was fine.

When ever I see a herd of fish under the boat I'll break out a Georgia Blade 1/2 or 3/4 oz white spoon. It's also good on boiling fish; they cast a long way and I bounce them back. One day a buddy and I caught 9 species of fish in a 20 yard place on spoons. I use 20 lb braid with a 3 or 4' 8 lb fluorocarbon leader.

I go barefoot until it's too hot to touch the trolling motor pedal then sandals. In the cold short boots and wool socks. Chaco wading shoes in the kayak in summer and neoprene waders in cool/cold water. I usually am in shallow rivers and get out to fish.

For hook sharpness I use the diamond file on my Leatherman. Fast and thorough.