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I don't know with certainty of course, anything could be happening under the surface, but holding a rod in my hand for over 40 years, and filling coolers with fish that I know are much lighter biters than LMBs under conditions that most recreational anglers would consider unfishable just gives me a degree of confidence that it might be the case.

I think a lot of guys have this irrational fear of not detecting bites. To each his own.

Yeah, I like a sensitive rod for pitching and flipping, but I also want one that I'm not afraid to rear back on and really yank. I find that detecting bites isn't really a problem with most rods for me, YMMV.

"Professor Robinson, I'll just take the rover and your oldest daughter beyond that ridge to "look for neutronium". We should be back in a couple of hours, oh and I wouldn't leave Will alone with Smith..."

No might about it, the best fluorocarbon knot is fluorcarbon not, and I do, I mean don't....

Oh well, if we're telling everyone, I leave the old ties on the popper, which keeps me from having to slide the knot down every few casts... %$##$ InterWeb®

I have 2 of that series flipping sticks that I use for inshore salt water fishing, and wouldn't sell. I don't love the hump thing, but the action and durability have been perfect for that. I've caught and fought some fish that in all fairness should have turned them into 2 piece rods, and other than replacing a couple of guides and tips, they've never missed a beat.

We know how fish see the same way we know most things, (except maybe FISA courts). By the results of scientific research in the subject. There is a bunch of academic papers on fish anatomy, and all their sensory systems.

Direct, unimproved clinch knot, tag end facing down, cut flush with bottom lip, each time, every time. Goes for all poppers.

At this rate I'll soon be able to spool my reels with one turn of the handle (I'm guessing right after ICAST)....

That's gotta a typo, a 24" pickerel, even with a couple of crappies in its stomach is going to be well short of most state record weights.

Older reels were slower, but not by how much the numbers would suggest, spool diameters (as well as widths) were generally larger.

Fishing while not standing just doesn't sit well with me. I find it hinders my mechanics both casting and working lures to varying degrees. Anything I fish rod tip down (poppers, JBs, etc) would drive me to take up golf.

I don't know about Big Bill, but I can tell you first hand that pickerel that size swim in NJ, MD and VA, and I'd be willing to bet they do in surrounding states as well. I have a small spot 15 minutes from me that is loaded with big pickerel, and no one will ever hear about that one (or the other good ones around me really). Larger lures (and I mean larger) will catch the real ones.

I can't get the picture of Peter Pan falling flat on his (her) face after the flourocarbon fails...

Not exactly, but I get what you mean. I tie the "blood" knot by tying the ends together, and then tying a dropper loop, which I can tie in like 10 seconds.

Get with me in the spring. we'll catch a couple and I can show you how I tie the mod albright, its really easy and fast, but trying to explain it will just make it seem hard and confusing.

I started out as a surf rat, so they are all plugs as far as I'm concerned. crank baits, jerk baits, lipless, wake baits, and even chuggers and poppers, whether they float, suspend or sink are just variations of the same thing. #nottechniquespecific

I don't know why, but most of my older Jackall lures that came straight from Japan were labeled Jackall/Lake Police or just Lake Police. I guess we'll have to Aska someone else...

I know I'm going to get a lot of push back from bass guys, and I'm not looking to change anyone's mind about fishing (or anything else really) but this frame of mind is the biggest deterrence to LMB guys catching more fish. fish will school, pod, or cluster by behavior or a result of the math (trust me or get a really big white erase board for the latter). The only thing we can deduce from catching fish in a given place is that there are (were) fish there. Every thing else is conjecture.

I find that jigs, spinnerbaits and certain top waters catch bigger fish for me on average, but I've caught some of my biggest fish on a 3" senko, swim jig and minus 1 of all things. Those who mentioned that when and where you fish are as if not more important than the bait itself are dead on.

It's right next to the roll your eyes and shake your head while making a face one

This ^. Most any wax will work. Old surf guy trick. Most everyone has a birthday candle in the house somewhere. If you are sure you want to make it permanent (semi anyway) calking adhesive will work well, as will a very light coating of corn syrup, or blue loctite, or latex paint, or maybe just the wax...

That would make a sweet set up to cast frogs with either hand for those who are amphi(bian) dextrose...

Soft water, thank the Christ! No bass but couldn't keep large pickerel off a large JB and swim jig with a subtle paddle tail trailer.