Alex from GA

Yes on both questions. The black lead to the battery or another closer negative source.

I throw a black frog when I'm in FL.

The only thing I ask is "how deep are they". I do have buddies that we share specific information with.

There are lots of youtubes and articles about lithium batteries. I bought a 50ah lithium over a year ago and am very pleased. I couldn't lift the 70 lb batteries any more and the lithium weighs 12 lbs and pushes my boat faster than the lead acid did and I charge every 3 trips. I bought a less than $200 battery from Amazon and it says not to charge it if the temperature is below freezing so I don't.

Taste it. If it's sour it's battery acid. I know, I haven't died yet and I'm over 80.

I just checked my box and the Spooks I have are silent.

Years ago I found a chrome and blue Lucky Craft Sammy in a tree and used it for over 2 years for many fish. I caught my PB Alabama bass on it, 4-12. One very windy day my line broke and after looking for an hour I finally gave up.

I should have labeled it "Terrible Catching Day". Any day fishing is a good day, that's why I fish several times a week while I'm still able.

Cut off the handle from a junk spinning reel and grind/file it to a knife edge to line up the guides. If you have a dryer and don't use too much finishing epoxy you shouldn't get uneven or sagging guides. Also if your dryer isn't level it will sag.

For 40 years my colors were orange with white trim bands but in the past 5 years I've gotten out of that rut and am using black for platinum color blanks, green and violet for black blanks. Using size A for freshwater rods.

Started this morning with a first cast 12" LM; hate that. Fished for an hour or so and caught an 11" Alabama. Dropped a jig in a blowdown and had a good, 3lb or so LM come up and off. Came in at noon. 5 hours is a long day for me. Not too hot just windy. Tried things I normally don't.

I've always T/R a nightcrawler just like a plastic worm and drag it on the bottom.

Lure retriever or wrap the line around a cleat and use the trolling motor. Last week I hooked a fish that got in a brush pile in about 20' and I dropped the lure retriever and got the lure and the fish. First time ever that happened.

Which ever gives you the best balance.

When I'm in FL and fish the gulf I have a lake on the way home that I stop @, go down the ramp and start the motor. That way the motor gets flushed and the trailer get the salt off.

Does anyone use a tube as a punch lure?

If all you want to do is catch a smallmouth and not care about size, Elkhorn Creek near Frankfort, KY is fool proof. I've been there twice, once wading and the next time I fished in my kayak. All I caught were smallmouth plus a sauger and a gar. My largest was caught in the Savannah River in GA, 20 1/4". T/R finesse worm for all of them.

Looks like it in the west. Do you know the lake?

Sportsman's Digest of Fishing by Hal Sharp

Depth and that usually means location.

I use a comb for mono and fluorocarbon and a straightened hook for braid. I don't have much hair anymore but still carry a comb.

Love your stories and admire the fish. BTW what's a bog?

I roll my own and like comfortable reel seats, prefer cork and are usually dark one color wraps. Function over form.

I use 8 lb fluorocarbon, 1/8th oz sinker and a finesse worm on a 6' m fast action rod and a Kastking $35 reel and can usually put it where I want until I hit a dock or tree. I had to pick out one professional override this morning.

I bought a boat with an electric drive MinnKota trolling motor 20 years ago and got used to the lag. About 10 years ago I found a Motorguide cable motor and still am fishing with it on a different boat. Yes spot lock would come in handy when the wind is blowing or on rivers. I fish lots of docks and can get anywhere I want easily. Offshore I'll throw a buoy to mark a brushpile or something I don't want to drift off of.