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OK, this might resemble me, @Paul Roberts, @fissure_man... to name a few

All finished up and back together.

Here ya go.

Latest pickups

Ok - and I hear you about the bills - So any you have lying around that you Just Hate, can totally be mailed directly to TW for me - just write "Towards A-Jay's Bill" on the envelope - they'll know what to do. A-Jay

I don't even have THAT spinning gear use concern! When decided to get serious about bass fishing I gave up my Zebco 404, and decided to get good with one type of reel. A baitcaster just seemed right. Never looked back or anywhere else. I can throw everything from unweighted soft-plastics to 3 oz swim-baits. Yea, they are higher maintenance, but I like that too... Karl

It's pretty funny. I use spinning gear about once or twice or year, mainly because I own it so I might as well use it. Spinning gear offers nothing that I can't do better with baitcasting gear, including ultra light fishing. I hate spinning gear and don't care if I ever use it. My point is, use what works for you but don't limit yourself to one thing without at least seeing what the other has to offer.

All depends on who you ask. I personally prefer the older Bagley Bs with the brass hardware and lead in the lip. Have sunk a small fortune into them (see pic of just a few of them) That said, I have to admit, I have some of the newer version that have produced just as well as the olds, so it's probably a combination of confidence, and like most wood baits, finding the ones with that "magic" combination of factors that just make them produce better.

It's something often put into your honey hole.

This last season was my first time with a bc. I don’t know if it’s necessary others can tell you the pros better then I can. I’m glad I did it though it feels more efficient in certain things and it’s deffinitly more comfortable for me then a spinning set up. If you go a couple times a week it’s a real short learning curve. The way you hold it definitely feels more powerful with allot more leverage. Grab yourself some decent quality gear and go for it, I don’t think you’ll regret it. If you don’t like it you can sell it and get another spinning set up.

That goes to show you how old I am getting. It never even entered my mind that what I posted was a double entendre. Not too many years ago that would have been my first thought. Guess I've got to tell my urologist to increase my testosterone prescription.

I like to find steep , south facing banks . Hit them in the afternoon when the sun has been on them for awhile . Parallel cast crawdad colored crankbaits on said banks . Retrieve super slow . A good way to catch a big one . I use an Arbogast Mudbug but any crank will probably work . It doesnt have to be a flat side , tight action lure . A Bomber Model A should be a good choice .

Just the opposite. Four strand is better for heavy weeds & cover & eight strand is better for open water casting.

In case you were wondering how big an eagle foot is. Yup ~ It's that big. African Crowned Eagle. A-Jay

Swim jigs I made to sell at the local Boonsboro show. Allen

A few new toys. Reel to come soon. Boy I love buying stuff.

Use an MH or heavy spinning rod, which is what I used for every one of these things before I started using a baitcaster. The limitations of spinning for these things are more about awkwardness than power. The places I usually fish are probably much more similar to yours than they are to a typical smallmouth lake.

Looks great dude. About how many hours did the entire process take? Last year the rain robbed me of wade-fishing opportunties and I am already champing at the bit to get out there. It's a Loomis SJR6400 IMX with a Stradic FJ1000 on it. I want to get into making and fishing hairjigs in a bunch of the small suburban streams around where I live and I think this might be the perfect rod for it. The low end of it's rating seems way way off, 1/64oz does not even come close to loading the tip. But once the lure weight gets up to around 1/8oz it really shines. It will cast well up to around 3/16oz and the power/taper is about perfect for MWF and Slider fishing as well. Right now I have 6lb Supernatural mono on it but I cannot get it to feel like I have it spooled on correctly, it might still be a little thick for the small spool. If it doesn't work out I am going to try a few of the fancy JDM monos before I give up and use braid/leader.

WAKE UP ! A-Jay

Talk about needing a new rule....

I'm a big fan of the Rapala Fat Rap . All of mine work but one works better . Its a little heavier , cast a little better and has a stronger and tighter vibration .

My two cents: 1. Baitcasters are more suitable for heavier line 2. Baitcasters are more comfortable for retrieving "moving lures" I use spinning tackle exclusiively for finesse presentations

I grew up on spinning. Never used a baitcaster until age 60. I now have 5 spinning and about 12 baitcasters. In my opinion, they are all needed, based on the time of the year, conditions of the day, wind etc., the mood of the fish. Each has advantages and disadvantages as listed above. It's fun to have options.

Necessary? Absolutely not. Will it make you more versatile or enable you to greater access to techniques more suited to a bc reel? Absolutely yes. Because it’s a given that you’re a life long spinning gear guy, you’re going to have to be willing to reprogram yourself to the timing of the mechanics of the cast. I highly recommend you read and research all of the threads related to anglers coming from a spinning background learning to use a bc reel here. Many, including me, have repeated posted on this topic every time it surfaces. This will shave a ton of time off of your learning curve. Also, the bc reel is one tool you CANNOT afford to skimp on in quality. Higher quality bc reels not only perform better and last longer, the also make learning to use a bc reel much easier. Trust me. No, you don’t need $300 reel, but don’t make things more difficult for you by learning on junk. I too come from a spinning background. If you put in your due diligence and start off with a decent bc reel, I can guarantee that you will kick yourself in the rear and ask why you didn’t do this earlier. Good luck and keep us posted on your journey.

Spinning can do anything. Spinning gear catches marlin and tuna. It depends what you want, what you like, and what you expect. 1) Heavy-duty spinning gear is usually physically heavier than the same casting gear. The recently-introduced long fiber carbon spinning reels may change this, though. 2) With weightless presentations, spinning gear lets the bait sink vertically. Big advantage in my book. 3) Spinning gear is used by your strong side. This is a big advantage in high-torque presentations, like twitching, snapping and jerking. 4) Casting gear puts its weight closer to the fulcrum point of your hold, so it causes less fatigue with a high-resistance retrieve. Spinning gear can partially overcome this simply by aiming the rod at the lure and retrieving straight-line. You sacrifice the rod's shock absorption abilities, though. 5) Into the wind. This is the big one for me. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, soft plastic .... it makes no difference. You never have to worry about a backlash with spinning gear. You may have to worry about wind knots, but that's another matter. 6) It's easier to design drag capacity into a spinner than a caster. For higher priced reels, there's not any appreciable difference. But on the cheap end, spinner drag is usually smoother. I don't know about you, but I appreciate a smooth drag that's low poundage much more than a strong drag that's erratic. 7) The one huge advantage casting gear has over spinning gear is handling large diameter mono/copolymer line. There are people on this site who religiously use braided line. They more or less have the opinion that mono is outmoded. For better or for worse, I'm not one of those people. I love monofilament line for situations that need "give". I also hate the abrasion characteristics of braid. So for heavier line, I use baitcasters only, and they're spooled with mono. You can use spinning gear for large-diameter mono, but see #1, above. Lots of people will tell you to give it a try, and they're right. Try it. But your original question was, "Am I missing out by just using these?" If you're talking about limiting yourself to 1/2 oz. lures, then YES. If you're talking about using spinning gear, then NO. jj

What's a senko?

Like you I used a spinning setup exclusively for years and never thought twice about getting a baitcaster. Then one day I was in Dick's Sporting Goods and I had $10 in Dick's cash to spend plus Dick's also had a promotion they were running for a few hours that day that gave me $20 off if I spent $50 or more. And on top of that they had some combos on sale so there was no better time to buy a new rod and reel. I ended up buying a Lew's American Hero baitcaster combo that cost me around $25 after the sales and incentives. That was one of the best fishing purchases I ever made because it got me into using baitcasters and I've never looked back. I still throw spinning gear now and then, but I prefer the baitcaster and I've purchased a few more since then. I like everything about them although initially I had a hard time getting the cadence down with a right hand retrieve. But I overcame that in a day or two. I bird's nest a little now and then but that's usually because I forgot to reset the tension after changing baits or because I get a little too whippy with my casts. Is it necessary? Not for the average bank angler. But I can tell you that for me it seems easier to fish than a spinning reel especially working different presentations with the right hand retrieve (although it feel feel awkward at first). I guess the best way to describe it is that it "feels right", especially when your fishing a frog or a walking bait. Maybe that's just me. Go ahead and give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

They generally come with a size 6 VMC. I have only replaced a few over the years and I like Owners Stinger Treble hook just a little bit better, same size. They are just a bit thicker and more durable but they don't seem heavier. They are definitely sharper (like bone crushing sharp).

Haha thanks guys! And... Done! Love it.

The 'front' blade is closest to the lead head and the 'back' blade will be one the end of the wire. Here's a small Colorado blade on the front with a larger willow leaf blade on the back . A-Jay

Alvin Sussman, a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, is assisted by a 3rd Infantry Regiment soldier in laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to commemorate the anniversary of the battle. (Photo, 3rd Infantry Regiment)

late winter, late Feb/early March, swt in the mid/upper 40’s, main lake and secondary points, deep brush piles. but i’ve also found them quite shallow during a warming trend. i like afternoons.

that kinda sounds perverted.

The Russians have used Siberia for both criminal and political incarceration. What are you guys living up north charged with?

Academy has one heck of a Clearance event going on online and in store. I scooped up the Shimano Chronarch for $99. I didnt need a new reel but I couldn't pass it up. I would have bought a few more for that price. Lots of hard baits for $1.98 as well.

@Gundog, insert "I was told there would be no math " meme here.....

Ran this same analysis and wrote about it over a dozen years ago (2006), back when the data set had a little over 400 bass recorded and got the exact same answer. Glad to see nothing has changed over the years ?

I´ve been known for enjoying fishing the occasional grub... Now on a more serious note, i have said it before and i´ll say it again... when everything else fails a grub is my savior! It´s probably my number one confidence lure, i´ve caught bass, zander, pike, wels catfish, barbel, carp etc etc... on them, i´ve caught small fish, medium fish and big fish with them, i´ve caught fish on winter, spring, summer and fall with them... you get the idea. If you´re not fishing a curly tail grub you don´t now what you´re missing...

The truth right here gentleman!