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Stop that! I'm still mad we traded away a lot of talent. LET'S GO RANGERS! Oh, and on the reel (and over all tackle selection) thing. For bass fishing, I still prefer my 10-20 year old Korean made reels to a lot of the newer stuff. Most of it is just that I'm used to them, they work, and mostly I like the way a larger reel (than most of the current ones) fit my hand better, and I like the old cent. pin brake system. I'm sure, that I would be perfectly happy with most of the current reels, if for some reason the 30 or so I own would suddenly disappear, and I had to make a change. I think for a lot of folks, its about owning high end items, and for others, they believe that a particular reel will offer some advantage. To my thinking, reels (and most other sporting goods equipment) is not the limiting factor in performance.

Ah, Yeah! Original floating Rapala, Bomber long a, Redfin, and a few others. you can barely twitch them to create a ring, or wiggle them a few inches down, and alternate cranking them down deeper as required. What's not to like.

The 3 lakes there are good. I was stationed in Lakehurst, and my brother lives in Old Bridge, so I've hit most spots between the two. There is some very good fishing there, but its kept close to the vest by the locals. The pickerel fishing on the southern portion is very very good.

I don't build rods, but I fix a bunch, and I have 6 words for ya'll, one part water soluble rod finish...

Jerk bait and square bill bite has been good last 2 days. I lost them for a bit when it turned cold last couple of weeks, but I found a couple of good pockets. I like wind, but a little less might be nice. Maybe I'll hit Ca$h tomorrow, were they good cranks?

X4

Inline spinners, pike ones mostly, but a bit of everything.

If you cut corrugated cardboard against the grain, and fold over, it makes great hook guards. I may have to join the swap, I can't stop bending wire!

Should have thrown that trailer and some cream in there and made it a bisque...

The monkey got me for $2 fat albert grubs, $4 Husky Jerks, and a couple of Syclops spoons.

2 Newton Meters. I like aligning the cap screw hole better than Candy Crush...

As far as I can tell, it happens with different production runs, and when they changed countries of manufacturing, and to a lesser degree colors. I will say that the newer ones (like last 4-5 years) are more uniform. I own over a hundred. They catch a lot of fish for me, I just wish they would cast better.

HJs are great, but no 2 are the same. I have some that flat out float, some that sink, and some that (almost) suspend, and that's not a bad thing.

Why would anyone want anything to "last a life time" Avocado fridge from the 70s anyone? Who is still watching their tv from the 80s? PC 386? flip phone?

So all that tackle under the tree isn't put there by a jolly, red clad, whiskered, rotund gentleman who circumnavigates the earth making billions of deliveries in one day? please say it ain't so, I'm not done with my list...

If someone can't cast any 12-15 mono without backlashing, a set of Taylormades® might be a better option, but then again, he'd probably find every bunker...

As someone who did a short stint with CitiCorp® in the 80s, I'll say a little prayer for you, but I would pack the (really, really) warm water species lures if I were you...

I want to have sympathy for my brethren in and around the 43rd parallel, but I have a cabin for a week first week of June in the St. Lawrence, so I need it to stay unusually cold for a while, so dress warm, and put extra marsh mellows in the hot chocolate...

One of my best patterns (I'm not admitting there is such a thing) is to junk fish structure along a contour...

That's exactly what it is. Originally they were used with metal or plastic rings that just slid up the reel foot, but most folks tape the reel on.

Yes. There aren't a whole lot of them being marketed, but they work well. I like that you can perfectly balance the reel on the rod, and there is no threaded plastic/graphite under your fingers on the reel seat. I take off the rings and tape the reel on. Most good custom surf rods are still being made with just cork tape, even some conventional casting ones.

For the same reason any company does anything. $$$. The reason conglomerates can buy small cottage businesses on the cheap, is because often the acquired business is operated with an "enthusiast" frame of mind, and find themselves unprofitable or insolvent at some point. So why wouldn't they now use the brand(s) acquired to market a larger volume of product to a wider consumer base? I'm not suggesting this is a good thing, just that it makes good financial sense.

Sounds like you are already doing a good job of utilizing information and data. I will say this, and it applies to pretty much everything we do, not just fishing. Do it the way it makes sense to YOU. I know very good and successful anglers who stress every detail, maintain multiple spreadsheets, consult all kinds of tech aides as well as equally good and successful anglers who just grab a rod and go fishing. It has to to with the psychology, human nature (and game theory, causality, and probability). But ultimately, you need to find the balance. Also keep in mind that in practice, every body of water fishes differently, so all that information can be pared down considerably. Of course that requires the most important factor to becoming a good angler, time on the water.

5". I don't wacky rig a 4" much, but I do dead stick a t-rigged 4" at times.