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hard baits get rash and loose paint when you use them, specially when worked erratically like a jerk bait, and you catch a bunch of fish.

Yup, when they first came out, they all seemed to run true, then it became more and more of a problem. I think it has to do with the BBs getting stuck to the plastic or glue, but not sure. I've gone back to my old sugar shads, and they do just as good. They should just rebrand them Norman® at this point....

Is it normal for a reel to not feel right after cleaning and lubing?..... No. Is it normal for a reel not to work properly after someone who doesn't know what they are doing takes it apart and puts it back together?..... Yup.

about 1" in the mouth, I've snagged some that were maybe 3/8".

Having an extra spool is a good idea if you only have one rod in case you have a fatal backlash or the like, or for different lines on different outings. But changing out during the day for different presentations, while possible, will get old in a hurry, and it's more of a hassle than it's worth. IMNSHO.

Yeah, but he'll probably give him some candy....

Beginner and casual anglers often mishandle and injure or kill fish, but they on average don't catch as many fish, so it's a wash. Maybe Flair or Jon B can shoot a video....

Crazy is fishing with a handle you are unhappy with.

The albright special knot, often referred to as just the albright knot has wraps in only one direction, with an overlap where the line changes direction toward the end of the loop formed by the leader. It is (was) popular for joining mono to wire, or wire to mono where the wire forms the loop, and the mono wraps around it. The modified albright (no knied to use the other name) uses an equal (or near equal) number of wraps in both directions, and was developed to join braid to mono and flouro leaders, originally by tuna and other salt water guys (out west, not in LI). The mod albright is just as easy to tie as the albright, and is a better choice for bass fishing applications IMNSHO.

I use those for wacky rigging. My nieces hide them when I come over.... As far as trebles go, I just grab and shake. Having all those lures sitting there just playing nice would freak me out a bit. But I've always had trouble with organization, I think its a rebellious thing, and at this point, too late to change. But I guess if I lived where i couldn't fish for 3.4 of the year, I'd find something to do too...

I don't wake spinnerbaits nearly as much as I used to, but a single colorado, Indiana or wide willow blade on a short arm with heavy mono makes it almost automatic. These days, a swim jig with a somewhat aggressive tail works as well or better for me, but I gotta admit, sometimes that bulge, gurgle, gurgle thing with a surface breaking splish every so often thrown in is money.

Older Abu bearings are notorious for gumming up. I'd skip changing the bearings, and just have them flushed and properly lubed (along with having the whole reel cleaned as others suggested). Oh, and worrying about a reel getting scratched is as silly as, well...worrying about a reel getting scratched. Battle scars=street cred.

Assuming we are talking about a BC reel, 12-15 lb mono would make a better backing, though anything will work I guess. While "recovery" or IPT isn't a constant, it can be calculated for a given "fill" of a spool IPT= the diameter of the spool (as filled) times pi times gear ration.

Lew's holdings being bought by a private equity firm is old news. One private equity firm selling it to another is new.

Lie, and cheat and get ahead, I was wondering where the hipster learned it....

For hammer handles 15-20 lb mono will do. For big ones I'd go 30 -50. I fish frogs with 40lb mono leader, and hardly ever loose them to pike or snakeheads (and bass don't care). Straight braid will part if it comes into contact with pike teeth when under tension.

Yeah, I haven't been out in a while either. I just got back from NYC and Fleet Week. I tied on a frog and popper, and gonna try somewhere for a bit this evening. I'm swamped with work for the next 2 weeks before I can hit anywhere seriously. I'm feeling like a crackhead needing a fix.

Favorite, a popper and spinnerbait. Most productive, plastic something or other. Totally agree with above that where and when is going to determine what I start with and what's most productive.

-The average live span of a rooster is 6 years... -Most "fried chicken" is actually fried roosters. -The term hackle head refers to the female of the species. -I was sore for a week after my first c o c k f i g h t, should have brought a rooster, who knew?... Revive threads at your own risk...

Are you sure it was a musky? In the water, pike, pickerel and musky camouflage extremely well, and can be mistaken for one another, or even other fish.

I like where your head is at, but I prefer bicycle gear cable and two dowels, works great (hypothetically of course)...

Fish don't know how much your tackle costs. As long as it's functional, it will catch as well as "higher end" gear.

You must have watched that "The US is only 1/2 the size they tell us" YouTube video...

Of all the things mentioned above, braking a rod when stuck is really the only thing that one is likely to see on a regular basis. If braid gets caught in a prop (or anything with a sharp edge) it will part with little effort. Sure freakish things can happen, but you could also get hit by lightning.

Once the friction rings failed on reels without replacement parts, I took them off, then disabled the bail trip mechanism.