farmpond1

I agree. The nut jobs will never go away and there will always be a percentage of people who will commit crimes, regardless. But we can make it very uncomfortable for people while they are in the commission of a crime and afterwards-unlike what the situation is like currently.

I'm paraphrasing but I think it was Rod Stewart who said "I don't know why I should get married when I could just go out, find a woman I hate, and buy her a house."

Thing is-I don't remember if I loaded braided line on top of mono or not. I'm sure I didn't tape it. But this certainly gives me hope.

Huh!!! Ghost drag! Makes me want to go home right now and check this possibility out! (Well, I would prefer to be home anyway). It did seem like the drag started slipping all at once. Thought that was kind've weird. Thanks for the idea and the help!

Sorry it's taken so long to reply. I don't have internet at home. Wayne P. and Reel Mechanic-How does braided line impact things? Is it just harder on the drag washers? Yes, I use almost exclusively braided line. I've horsed many a bass out of lilly pads this year. Could I have just worn out the washers? I don't remember taking my drag apart before but I'll check on the drag washers orientation. Will the ( and ) washers flatten out over time? Is that what normally happens when a drag gets "mushy"?

Thanks for your help. I've gone briefly to the link you sent and will go back when I have more time. I've thought of getting ceramic bearings anyway, so if I can repair my drag, I might get the works. But we'll see. Thanks again.

The reel is just two years old. It isn't dirty except maybe oil. It has a synthetic/cloth washer which may have absorbed a lot of oil and, hence, slips too easily but I can't be sure if this is commonplace or even occurs at all. I haven't thought to loosen the drag while in storage or over the winter but since it's only two years old, I wouldn't guess that's the culprit. Of course I could be wrong. Do you know if their are drag washer kits available? I'm unsure if having it repaired would be much cheaper than just replacing it.

Help! I have an Abu Garcia round reel. Until recently I was pretty happy with it but lately I can't get the drag to tighten sufficiently. (I have to mash it down far more than I ought and even then it isn't really sufficient). I've taken it apart and used a cloth to try to remove any oil that's gotten on the washers (I suspect this is what has happened) but that hasn't helped much. Any advice?

I am right handed. I find I get a much better feel of what's going with the bait and I have much better rod/fish control when the rod is in my right hand. The reel is used to take up slack, store the line and, with the drag, release line under tension. Turning a reel handle really doesn't require much strength or coordination, IMHO. Also, switching hands during the most critical phase after a cast is not the best idea to me. I've had countless hits before I had time to switch hands and settle in to the retrieve. Last week I lost a really nice bas because I used a "right-handed" reel for a change (It was given to me and I felt I ought to use it). I didn't feel the fish with my non-dominant left hand/arm and just sort of pulled it to the surface where it came off. I can't say absolutely that I would've done better if the rod were in my right hand but I believe I would have. (About the only thing that I don't like about using a "left-handed" reel is that the handle/star drag can get in the way of the line when I'm flipping and/or pitching). Ultimately, of course, it's individual preference and different strokes for different folks. I used to use the standard "right-handed" reel because that's what people told me was the correct thing to do and, even, what it said on the box. But I switched about 10 years back and I haven't regretted it one bit.

As far as California setting the trends for the rest of the country and/or world, I think we can, indeed, use Chili Peppers song "Californication" as a good descriptor. Only it's up the poop chute.

Not to get political or anything, but why exactly does he deserve a medal? He killed an unarmed man. Sure, the other man was robbing him and the man had the right to defend himself, but he still killed someone. Most of the rejoicing is because people are tired of thugs and criminals being coddled. The revolving door "criminal justice system" has served to further victimize the rest of society and has rendered many of us to feel helpless and impotent. It's to the point where, when we hear of such cases as this, it almost makes us feel good. Gun or no gun, if someone breaks into my house while I'm there, he (or she) is going to regret it.

Big in-line spinner for more open area. Big spinnerbait for heavier cover. In white or chartreuse.

From my rather limited experience with them, I also find brush hogs a bit too soft. They get ripped apart very quickly. But then again, they work so I guess I'd rather have a too soft bait that catches a few fish than one that isn't and doesn't.

What are you using to try to sharpen them? A small flat and narrow file should work just fine.

Any bass that is bigger than my bait is big to me.

I have two: 1) Never bring a camera. 2) If I am fishing with a certain friend, he will always catch a bigger fish than me. Even if he were on life-support, he'd still find a way to beat me.

Grass pike on a creme worm. Scared the heck out of me. Never saw a fish with teeth before. And long and skinny like a snake.

My brother has a floating rapala bait he calls Lazarus. He lost and found it at least 4 times. Of course it was from a small pond but regardless...

Bass are not averse to sharing water with bluegill & crappie-especially if they can eat them. But you can't always depend on it-especially if other prey such as shad or crawdad are more abundant elsewhere.

Hmph!!! A little too late! But as you said, live and learn. Reminds me of the time a coworker set me up on a blind date with someone she knew. Admitedly, the woman was bonafide gorgeous but about halfway into the evening, I would've chewed my foot off to get away. She wouldn't stop talking (one of those one-sided conversations) and it all had a negative bias. Later I wanted to ask my coworker what she had against me. But back to you. Hope you don't have many repeated experiences like that one.

The trick is to hold the bass waaaaay out in front of you. And wear vertical stripes. Nice job man!

Let's see how you feel when she begins to regularly outfish you! That's a great fish! She had to be thrilled! I'd say she's worth keeping in the livewell. Both of them, I mean.

You can tie one to ur truck antenna let it blow in the wind a few days it gets um squeaky You know you're a redneck if... ;D I'll have to try it! Thanks for the suggestion.

I have a bunch of spinnerbaits but none that have that lovely brassy metallic squeal I grew so fond of in one of the baits I lost. Unfortunately, I can't remember what brand/model it was. (Don't know if the bass really like it better but in my minds-eye, it seemed to). Anyway, does anyone know of a buzzbait that makes a really nice brassy squealing sound?

Glad to hear that.