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Take your rode, and tie it to bottom of the folding grapple anchor (top one), instead of the top, like how most people do it. Then pull the rode up by the top attachment point, and secure it to that with a zip tie. That way, it'll reference from the top, so you'll get the good gripping action and the anchor will hold well. And, if you ever do get it stuck and can't free it, pull it hard enough and the zip tie will break. Then the rode will pull the anchor free from the opposite end. It's the best of both worlds.

On the lakes I typically fish, 3 over 2lbs. is a better day than most. I'd even call it a good day if I can catch just one. Though, I rarely get skunked these days, being able to catch one an hour is a pretty high rate that I don't often achieve. And that's all it would take for it to be a great day. I'd feel pretty inadequate, judging by a lot of the posts here, but pretty much everyone I talk to at the docks tells a pretty similar story. I'll often talk to guys who caught more than me, but even then, it's rare enough to hear of someone catching more than six or a bass over 5lbs that if someone tells me they did that, I tend to be pretty suspicious.

A 9 lb. bass lived longer than most. I don't much worry about killing fish. They're not smart animals that can really comprehend death. And at 9 lbs., it did what it needed to do, which was pass on its superior genes. Everything has its time. Most bass won't make it to 9 lbs. Most will get eaten long before they hit 1 lb. Often by other bass. I'm more concerned with the preservation of the species as a whole, which even then, I'm typically not too worried about bass as there are probably more bass in American waters now than there has been at any point in the past. They're often an "invasive species" that we look the other way on because we want them there. The pollution from your lawn, sewer, garbage, automobiles and boat have killed a lot more fish. Not to mention the fish you've eaten at restaurants and all of the products you've bought that have sacrificed fish, either directly or indirectly. So sometimes it's good to be reminded of the impact we can have on nature by being forced to recon with it firsthand, so we can remember the much greater impact we have that we don't see the direct results of. Obviously we're not going to live a pollution free lifestyle and save all of nature, but every little bit helps. So if you feel bad enough about killing that fish, then do something about it to make it up to its family. Maybe next time you go to throw away some old paint, save it so you can take it to a recyling center instead once you've collected enough. Or choose not to fertilize your lawn just because it's time and wait until it actually needs it. Or whatever you want to do. Any act, not matter how small, is better than no action at all.

That's a nice rod. What you trying to epoxy? Is just the insert loose? If it's the insert, then yeah, I'd probably just try some superglue and see what happens. 2 part epoxy is pretty permanent, so any mistakes can ruin the rod. Whereas superglue can still be removed with acetone. Worst case scenario, you have to replace the whole guide. And if you're talking about replacing the whole guide, I'd look for a professional to do that kind of work, myself. On a cheap rod, it wouldn't be worth the time or money, and I'd be tempted to give it a whack myself. But on decent rod like that, it probably would be. They usually use a special resin that can be removed with heat, so they remain repairable. You can buy that from most places that sell rod building equipment. And to do a good job requires some skills and probably some special tools. So a professional would likely run you about the same as gathering up all of the supplies to do it yourself. If the whole guide itself came loose, I'd probably opt for a professional. Though, I might be a little tempted to try it myself if it was just the epoxy around it that cracked and everything else looked good. Again, get the right resin made for that so it can be undone if you mess up. You might even be able to remelt it back into place without having to buy anything. I don't know. I don't do rod building, but there are a lot of guys on here, and a section dedicated to that. You might want to ask them in there for recommendations on epoxies and procedures. Most people who build rods also repair them. So you might even be able to find a hobbyist locally who can do the repairs.

Which guides? Which rod? Did they come loose? They make a hot melt glue for tip guides. It's claim to fame is it's easy to undo, and holds well enough that it won't undo by accident. For the other guides, you'd probably want to use some warps and maybe an epoxy. It kind of depends on the rod and how the rest of the guides are assembled. If it's a beater rod that you're not too concerned about, I've used sewing thread and super glue. Just wrap the guide feet around the blank with the sewing thread and then cover it in super glue. Hot glue would also work. I have a rod I did that to a long time ago, and can say it can last at least 25 years. If it's a nicer rod, you might want something a little more specialized to the task.

Look for steep transitions, and fish all around the transition. Fish the shallow part, the deep part, and the transition itself. How deep is relative. How far away is relative. Don't focus on absolutes. Focus on what that body of water, or if it's a large body of water, what that area of the water has available. Then look for the "best" spots in that area according to the rules you've learned. Remember, the bass in the lake only know the environment they've grown up in. They don't have a concept for how much different it could get on another lake. And if it's a big lake, chances are that they haven't explored it all. They're not migratory animals. So try not to approach the lake with the mindset of a human who has all of this information. Instead, approach it with the mindset of a fish. You're looking for the best available spots, not the best possible.

More reel for the same money. Often made in the same factory to the same specs, you just aren't paying for the name brand. Have you tried a Piscifun reel? I haven't. But I've got one of their tackle bags and it's great! Forget "for the money". It's just a really nice tackle bag. I've got a friend who swears by his Kastking reels. And I've got a Kastking rod that's much better than anything I've fished in that price range in a name brand rod. Not that a Berkley Lightning Stick won't still catch plenty of bass, because believe me, it will! But that Kastking Perigree II is the same price and fishes about two full classes above the Berkley.

I spool braid the same way as I spool mono, fluoro, and hybrid lines. I try to spool the line onto the reel the same way it comes off the manufacturer's spool. That being said, I don't think it actually matters for braid like it does for all of the other fishing lines. It's more just force of habit and peace of mind.

I use them for all kinds of stuff. I have bought replacement parts for an old Abu 5000D, a GE dishwasher, and a Husqvarna lawnmower from them in the recent past. And I've bought a lot of other parts off of them in the more distant past for various things. They're totally legit, and often the only place to find parts for old, discontinued things. I think the issue a lot of people have is they often can be difficult to navigate through their site to find the right part. It's not terribly unusual to see a part listed as compatible for one model number, but if you look at the picture of the part, you can clearly see that it's not going to work. And then dig a little deeper, and you'll find the right part, also listed under the same part name and model number. So I try to stick with things that have pictures, so I can double check that the part I'm ordering is identical to the part I'm replacing. And doing that, I've never had an issue. But they clearly didn't spend a lot of money building a first-class website.

A rope will just stretch out if it's kept under any tension. It doesn't necessarily need the weight of the anchor, though that will speed up the process. It'll eventually stabilize and quit stretching, once it's broken in. It's just the fibers in the weaves of the rope readjusting their position. It's not really an age thing, but a use thing. And while it's a good idea to use SS bolts and nuts on a kayak, it's not always necessary. I have some bolts on mine that are black oxide steel (used on some black plastic parts so they blend in). Theoretically, they'll rust pretty quickly. But I've had them on there for years, and they're still fine. Same with a few zinc coated steel bolts that I've used. Anything below the water line that will get regularly submerged in water needs to be stainless steel or brass (if high strength isn't required). If it's just occasionally getting damp, it doesn't HAVE to be stainless steel. Just keep an eye on it, and if it becomes an issue, swap them out for stainless before they get too rusty to remove. If it's a critical piece that can't fail or somewhere you won't often get a good look at, it's probably best to just go stainless to begin with, just in case.

Get a pop rivet tool and some aluminum pop rivets for kayaks. And get some Marine Goop to seal the hole. They hold a lot better than screws and, in if done right, better than well nuts. They do take a bit of skill to get installed right. If you need to replace one, you can drill it out and install a new one. Being aluminum, they won't rust and are easy to drill out. And they're sturdy enough to hold something like an anchor trolley. If you need more strength, you're going to have to step up to SS bolts and a backing plate. If you need to move the location, you can either plug up the old hole with that Marine Goop or, better yet, plastic weld it. I just bought a pair of anchor trolley's of Amazon. I don't know the brand, but I see them currently being sold under the brand H20. The only problem I've had is the rope wants to fray and unravel. But an overhand knot at the end fixes that problem. And be sure to pull that trolley rope tight when you install it. Over time, it will stretch and slack out. And a little bit of slack is fine. But if you don't get it almost too tight at the beginning, you'll wind up having to retie it later.

From the bank, or from a kayak, it's often best to treat it like a small pond. Realize you can't possibly cover the whole lake, so break it down into something more manageable. Put up some borders in your mind and block everything outside the borders out. Pick an area that looks like the ponds you're familiar with, and just focus on that. I like to find a cove or something and try to stay off the main lake unless it's the dead of winter or summer. Then I'll usually look for a point I can walk out on, bridge, or dam. Break down whatever area you choose and find the good spots in it. It probably won't win you any tournaments, doing it like that, but it'll likely make the day more enjoyable for you. This way you won't be overwhelmed by choices.

I usually work it the whole way. You never know where the fish will be, and I try to not make it look artificial. Not that fish are smart, but I believe they may be smart enough to know if they see a worm dart to towards the surface and crazy speeds that something isn't right, and maybe they should be extra cautious.

It's probably not the carp, though that is a possible contributor. Other factors are increased fishing pressure (a lot more people fish now than 20 years ago), climate change, pollution, and sometimes a fishery just changes as it ages. Sometimes it's due to natural fluctuations, and sometimes it's due to manmade interventions into natural fluctuations. Sometimes the brush and cover in it breaks down and doesn't get replaced with new growth if the lake remains at a steady level for decades. So that's less protection for baitfish which leads to smaller bass. It's not unusual around here for a disaster to drain a lake that's not known as a good bass lake, but after a few years of slow repairs, enough vegetation regrows in the old lakebed, that when it finally does get refilled, it becomes a good bass lake a few years later. And then reverts back to the way it was, because natural lakes aren't supposed to remain a constant depth at all times, but rather rise and fall with the seasons. Sometimes catch and release practices will increase the number of bass but decrease their average size. And with fishing pressure, they might be harder to catch, even if there are technically more of them. On my local lake, it's a water supply reservoir, and with the budget cuts to infrastructure, they don't have the money to closely monitor the lake and make informed decisions, so they just spray it for vegetation to keep the filters free of clogs at regular intervals. So depending on the weather, they'll sometimes spray the bass as they're spawning.

Exactly. 100° heat in June, and I'm struggling to breath. 100° heat in August, and I'm doing just fine. Same with the cold. 32° in October, and I'm a shivering mess. 32° in February, and it's just brisk. I like the idea of night fishing. But I couldn't ever do it. I did it a few times as a young man, but I work 8-5 and my body is used to getting up and going to bed at specific times. I can push and pull those times a little bit, but there's no way I could stay up all night without getting dangerously tired while fishing and messing up my whole next week at work. And I work on heavy machinery sometimes, so coming into work tired is a good start to losing a finger or worse.

I think he's right about the pheromone. Whether or not bass can detect it, I don't know. But I don't think it's crazy to assume they could. I mean, my nose is terrible, but I can often "feel the excitement in the air" in crowded places like sports complexes and concert venues. However, I don't necessarily agree that enough would get absorbed into the plastic and then re-released into the water to have an effect on the next bass. It would seem more likely to have an effect on the bass closest and downstream to the bass you just caught than on the bass closest to the worm you reused. And we've all experienced the phenomenon where you catch one bass in a school, and it riles up all of the others and leads to many more catches. So even if it DID have an effect, I'd hesitate to call it a negative one. Plus, being the cheap guy that I am, I seem to do alright reusing soft plastics. I'll frequently tear the top of worms so I can rehook then a little further down to get more life out of a single worm. And in my experience, it has no noticeable impact on catch rates, either way. Though I'm not a scientist, nor a tournament angler. So all I have to offer is hearsay and conjecture. Also, if he's recycling the worms, it makes me wonder. Would the heat from remelting the plastics be enough to destroy the pheromones? And if not, they almost certainly wouldn't be the same density as the plastic, so they'd either float to the top or sink to the bottom, which could lead to some of your remelts being composed of extra-concentrated, anti-catch pheromones.

Nope. Though, as long as it charges fully, I wouldn't worry about it. Theoretically, a lower voltage will extend the batteries life, by introducing less heat. But go too low, and it won't charge fully, or possibly even at all. LiFePo4 batteries should charge between 13.8v to 14.7v. 14.6 is on the upper end of that range, so while still safe, a little higher than I'd want. 14.2 is right in the middle, so in theory it would be a better voltage as you'll generate less heat and extend the life of the battery, while ensuring it still gets fully charged. So if I did have a charger with a custom profile option, I'd probably set mine to 14.2v.

They technically discharge quicker in warm temperatures than cold. But they're less efficient and can't put out as many amps in cold temperatures (hence why they discharge slower). So you're more likely to have "dead" battery issues in cold weather, even if technically the battery has more charge left in it.

Rattles in deeper stained water. Though they usually don't hurt in shallow and/or clear water. Most of the time with jigs, it doesn't matter too much for me, as I'm usually casting towards specific pieces of cover, so the jig is going to land right in front of the bass anyway (or that's the plan). But if I'm fishing a ledge in deeper water, I'll specifically choose one with a rattle.

Always weighted. And I usually determine the weight based on how far I'm trying to cast, rather than rate of fall or depth of water. But not always. But I typically chose the lightest weight that I can get out to where I need. Less of an issue in a boat than from the bank, but with the constant wind here, it's often still an issue in a boat. I also almost never peg the weight unless I'm pulling through thick brush or rocks. I seem to get more bites without the weight being pegged. But I also seem to get hung up more. I also prefer to use a brass or tungsten weight and a glass bead for some sound in these stained waters. I probably use a 1/4-3/8 oz. most often. But I'll go up to 1/2 oz. or down to 1/16 oz. from time to time.

Keep doing it the way you're doing it until it doesn't work. I miss hooksets all of the time because I'm either too fast or too slow or set it too hard or too soft. Different days, different rods, different lures, different species, all require different hookset. Same rod and lure can change from cast to cast sometimes. Sometimes, I'll get a bite from a largemouth and lose him because I didn't set the hook quick enough. And then the next cast, I'll get a bite from a spot and lose him because I set it too quickly.

Oh, it works like that. And any and all points between the knot and the reel can get compromised. That's why it's usually a good idea to run your fingers down the line and check for nicks and rough areas after a break off, or really any situation that stresses your line. Also mono tends to hold up better than fluorocarbon in this respect. It rebounds from being stretched better. I typically avoid leaders because they're not necessary in the waters I fish (too stained). And with 40# braid, there's a decent chance I can straighten my hook out and not leave anything in case of a snag. Whereas with a 12# leader, I'm probably breaking off and leaving something behind. And with something to wrap it around, pulling 40# braid until it snaps isn't that hard, after you've done it a couple of times.

That's what I do when fishing from the bank. I almost always use straight braid, and when I get hung up, which is often since the lake I fish is filled with car parts and cattails, I'll just find a big stick, wrap my line around that several times and pull until it snaps free. It almost always breaks at the knot. Yes. If you're fishing for catfish then you're legally obligated to unspool all of the line and lay it on the bank. The shirt and sock are optional, but highly recommended. You may also leave one shoe if you have a half full bucket of stink bait to go with it, but only if it's sunny and warm enough to cook it.

Exactly. Add things as they become necessary. Otherwise you'll add things you don't use enough to justify the space they take up, let alone the cost. Space on a kayak is a premium, so don't waste it. Be deliberate. It's really easy to wind up with a bunch of stuff that's always getting in your way that you rarely use after the first few outings with them because they seemed like great ideas at the time. And then you're creating problems by trying to solve problems you don't even have.

Hybrids (wipers) are the hardest fighting freshwater fish, pound for pound, that I've caught. If we're not talking pound for pound, then a large striper gets top honors from me. That being said, I can only imagine how a fight with an 8 foot long, 300lbs. alligator gar would go. You won't haul one of those in on bass fishing gear, that's for sure. Might not even be able to do it in a bass fishing boat. I consider black bass of all species as kind of average fighters. To me, the thrill for them is more in the hunt than the fight.