Sherlock 60

"Parade" and "USA Weekend" are Sunday newspaper supplement magazines. If you don't get a Sunday paper that distributes "Parade" you will have to be satisfied with the online version.

There are lots of muskie in my lakes, so when fishing larger baits on braid I use a pre-rigged 80# fluorocarbon leader. I fish the Barbee Chain of lakes in Kosciusko County, and they are pretty clear waters, too.

I agree that 7" MH is the way to go (regardless of whether you use baitcasting or spinning gear).

Braid can be difficult to manage when the diameter is under what 6 pound mono would be. 20 pound PowerPro is about the same diameter as 6 pound mono, so that is what I use.

Two BPS Crankin' Sticks: a 7' MH and a 6 1/2' M.

I use 20# PowerPro for Senkos and soft plastics with a MH spinning rod. Over the last several years I have used a 12"-18" mono leader with lots of success, but am going to try a 6' fluoro leader this season. One day last year my leader broke off so I tied directly to the 3/0 EWG hook, and stayed with that set up for the rest of the season to see how it worked. I still caught some bass but the bite seemed to be a bit slower (but that was the case for the entire season).

Send it in and they will promply fix it (or replace the reel). I've had great customer service from Abu.

Agreed. I own three Symetre reels and am a fan, but in this situation I would go with the Pflueger.

Yep. It is basically a side-arm underhanded cast. I always got in trouble for this in Little League, but my propensity for side-arm throws has served me well in bass fishing.

Many of the new baitcasting reels have both magnetic and centrifugal brakes. My Shimano and Abu reels have only centrifugal brakes and my Daiwa baitcaster has only magnetic brakes. So far I have not purchased a reel with both, but probably will in the near future. Your thoughts, please, regarding the pros and cons of each type of set up.

I just hold the rod in my left hand when I am pitchin' of flippin' and in my right hand when casting.

Good for her! I was very pleased to see her finish in the top 25. Like she says: the fish don't know who is on the other end of the line.

I just spooled up with fluorocarbon for the first time and would like some hints (other than "practice, practice, practice"). The line is 12# Triple Fish, and after a few casts on my snow-lined driveway I learned that, as everybody says, it is not as manageable as mono. It didn't jump off the reel but it seemed like it was just a matter of time before it did. The plan is to use it for deep cranking. How about convincing me again that it is worth the effort and aggravation to switch from mono to fluoro for this application? I bought the Triple Fish line last summer to use only as leader material for braid, but figured I should try this line before investing in a more expensive spool of fluorocarbon line.

There is one huge building that serves as "Tackletown" during the show. All of the lure manufacturers are there and they offer a number of free seminars on bass, crappie and muskie fishing. Lots of retailers on site, too, so you can buy tons of stuff! In the next building over just about all of the boat manufacturers are there with all of their new stuff. [edit]Took out the link. Advertising infraction. Carry on.[/edit]

Dude, DO use braid for a Senko. I use 20# PowerPro with medium heavy spinning gear.

8-) I have been reading so many articles, my brain is fried, well, maybe thats not the only reason that my brain is fried... Anyway, since you mentioned reading articles, let me give you an example of why I'm confused. Go to the "Fishing Articles" tab at the top of the screen, then go down to "tips and tactics". Click on that, then click on an "Soft Jerkbaits". It will then open up an article titled: "Soft Plastic STICKBAITS" What? Are you serious? So now a senko (or stickbait) is also a jerkbait? I know, I know. My buddy has already told me that I'm reading too much into this, but hey, I've got a bad case of cabin fever. But, really, all of these different terms used for the same baits ARE kind of confusing. LOL. Sorry, but I remember those days myself. It is simply an accumulation of knowledge that comes over time. Keep reading the articles and a light bulb will come on at some point. Then you will be part of an inner-circle that has a language all its own. 8-)

I have two of the BPS Extreme binders and they do the job every well. Someday I will actually get all of those soft plastics wet.

Don't know about that specific rod, but I have two Gander Mountain rods and have been pleased with their performance. However, they were both in the $50-$60 price range, which is much more than the rod you mentioned. Is it on sale for $29.99 or is that the regular price?

I have a 25 pack of 3/0 EWG BPS hooks I bought about 5 years ago. Still have about 22 of them. I keep them only as back-ups in case I run out of Gamakatsu hooks. They are obviously not the same quality as the Gammy hooks.

I have some GM Trick Sticks and am pretty sure they are the same thing as the Northland Dip Stick and the ***. Senkos are still my favorite, but the Trick Sticks are good, too (and are a lot cheaper).

I have several spincasting reels for family and friends to use. After going through a few other brands that did not do the job well I settled on the Abu-Garcia Abumatic spincaster. Good quality and very dependable.

I use the Baby 1- and the Bomber Square A for my shallow cranking. Both are very productive baits. I use bluegill colors primarily.

I have never understood how red line is supposed to be invisible to fish but red hooks are supposed to attract them.

The Symetre 1000 is a fine UL reel. Mine is about 7 years old and I have never had a problem. I fished with a 750 for a while but it was a bit too small.

Trilene XL for mono, and if you want to go with braid use 20# PowerPro (6# diameter).