you

I don't either. I use a couple of mounted Scotty's rod holders. They have a rubber tab that you can use to secure the rod when not in use. They're great for trolling and drift-fishing too. If you don't want to drill holes in your boat to mount a holder, I'd recommend those foam flotation devices that attach near the handle. Having loose leashes/straps on deck can be a hazard if you capsize. Been there.

Agree with both of these--find a bass when they're feeling angry any almost any presentation/color will work (as long as they notice it). Find them when they're feeling lazy and you might have to deadstick a senko about 2" from their nose.

I find comfort in the idea of material reincarnation. The same matter that formed in stars and collapsed into the earth and made mountains and dinosaurs and mammoths just happens to exist in all of us right now. Who knows what the same matter will be doing, say, 200 million years from now? Each of us is a temporary, yet integral pattern in a much larger system. This is why I love the idea of natural burial—once I’m done with my body, I want it to be recycled as quickly as possible. Not sure about quantum stuff. Seems like at the macroscopic scale, are limited to one timeline and one 'version' of ourselves and everything else. Also, check out the Wikipedia page on “eternal return”. Interesting philosophical concept, seems relevant here.

Great idea. Even a wiki would be helpful - imagine each hook model has a page with data (gap size, length, etc) that people upload based on their own measurements. Might have to crowdsource if the manufacturers won't share the info.

Great ideas, all. Thanks! The typical donkey rig (with two flukes) never produced well for me. It would be interesting to change the presentation or maybe downsize

That's a great rig! I met quite a few folks who used that approach with walleye, too (back when I lived in MI). I guess what I'm asking about, specifically, is weightless rigs. I often find a slow fall is a key trigger for bass on the lakes/rivers that I fish.

Recently, I had a very successful day fishing for bream with an dropper rig. The top bait was a weightless Zman micro-TRD, and the bottom bait was a small (size 14) rubberleg nymph fly. Caught multiple species around cypress trees on both components of the rig. Has anyone used a similar rig for bass? Any thoughts on combinations? Maybe a streamer rigged behind a senko? Thinking about giving it a try...

I've fished there (from shore) a handful of times. Agree with @FLSTYak that the water can be very green. Fishing was OK, I had the most luck dragging trick worms across shallow shell beds. What I remember most was the wildlife, especially the big gators and constant, dinosaur-like calls of limpkins. It's a very fertile system that supports a lot of life.

I've had issues with old nylon on reels, but only after a year or so (likely from water absorption and UV exposure). That said, most of my mainlines are braid I've read that fluorocarbon is UV transparent and does not absorb water. It's basically pure PFAS--they call them "forever chemicals" for a reason. Should have much longer shelf/reel life.

I have a similar product made by Smiths and love it. Originally bought it for sharpening serrated knives (it has a pointed end and a flat end), but it sees much more use for fishing.

Ahh, bummer. The ring idea looks pretty cool, then.

I use the handle of my fish gripper (rubberized) for pulling out snags, seating FG knots etc. Just wrap the line around a few times and it's easy to grip. The same thing would work with any rubber-handled tool (pliers, a small wrench, etc).

I concur. Often, I'll wait to set the hook until I can feel the fish reposition the bait or start moving away, which really increases my hook-up rate on slow days.

Hi there, Just joined the site recently. I occasionally check BR for thoughts on techniques and gear—seems like a great community! A little about me: I live in Florida, but spent half my life in Michigan. Thanks to my folks, I started fishing before I could read and made it a regular habit since then. I mostly fish from a kayak on natural lakes, small rivers and tidal marshes, typically using finesse techniques. I target LMB most often, but consider myself a multi-species angler. No matter what the target species is, a diverse bycatch always makes my day. Bowfin are a particular favorite. Looking forward to learning from y’all and sharing my experience with the community. -Doc