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Wait, the Zoom factory is near Richmond? How did I miss this?....

Nope, got that fancy remote controlled stick in the mud thing down. That is a legitimate question. Listen to the fish over folks, even multi Bass Master Classic winning folk...

So you are catching fish shallow but you want to fish deep because you read that's where they should be?

Yes, that would work for someone starting out. Some us old guys have too much muscle memory to make that work without relearning the motions, specially with poppers, where less is more.

I don't think that is meant to be used near water...

I was just thinking (besides that a dedicated pitching reel with no level-wind might make sense) That if one rotated a straight eye on a drop shot hook 90º, that would allow to tie the main line and sinker dropper with 2 knots and it would sit perfectly.

This is what you do. Take out all the GP plastics out of the bag and put the Watermelon Red ones in there. Problem solved.

Yes. That is a rebranded Pinnacle Extant. 6 pin centrifugal made in Korea by Silstar. I have a bunch of it's big brother (all metal, more bearings) and I've had zero issues with them. It has one of the free floatiest (technical term) waffle spool there is.

I think the cold and almost a foot of snow we just got is having a much greater effect on fishing than where the moon and sun happen to be.

Baby Ruth

I'm a big fan of my older round Abus. Most of the newer ones are ok at best. Get the Calcutta, you won't regret it. I have some from when they first came out that are still going strong.

I like 12 for poppers and 15 for spooks. The rod sounds good.

That's how I do it. Actually small bodies of water are less thermically stable than larger ones, so react quicker to warming and cooling trends. A couple of warm sunny days, and voila!

For anything other than small things (like feathered trebles for poppers and the like) I use a needle nose vise grip in a vise. Learned it from a Saltwater lure manufacturer. For small things I have a couple of vises I got a while back, don't ask me the maker or model.

So great, great grandma bass is sitting down the fry and telling them the story of her first bau who fell for the Arbogast? This makes no sense.

LOL. I caught one on a Pop-R about 1/2 the size of the Pop-R, and a maybe 1/4" minnow on a treble through the eyes.

How do I make a "we are not worthy, while holding out a thumbs up" icon thingy? Awesome.

They all played James Bond.

Use or freeze by 15SEP.

What? Cause it sounds like you returned a rod from 1985 AND they took you seriously.Awesome. I'm abusing the next guy that comes in to buy a bike, just in case...

Of course, usually when I face conditions not adequately handled by the arsenal, or when something becomes available that outperforms what I already use. Keep in mind that I've been doing this a long time, and I am always tinkering and modifying as conditions dictate, so it's fine tuned by evolution. I'm sure that if I moved to an area where the conditions and bodies of water were very different, I'd recalibrate and make more changes. As far as the latest and greatest lure de jeure? I keep an eye out for them and throw them when they intrigue me, but more times than not they are no better (and often no worse) than what I'm already using. I view lures as tools, they either work for the job at hand or they don't.

Yes, and yes. They are now called BPS XTS.

A time limit on a lure that I never catch fish with? Yeah, zero. All the lures I use are ones that have proven themselves over time, so I have confidence in them.

X2. Fish don't want it, I don't throw it.

I don't think the MLF format and rules make winning any "easier". We may see some anglers who previously haven't done as well do better or even dominate, but the cream always rises to the top, and the best of the best will adapt and find a way. Ever see the guy on the foul line, or about to kick a field goal with 2 seconds on the clock with the game on the line? They could probably make them non shalantly over and over in practice, when it counts? whole different kettle of fish.