J Francho

Their marketing actually turns me off of trying anything they make.

This guy and his father had a lot to do with it.

No bananas on the boat.

I have looked a long time ago. I'll have to check again.

I didn't forget, sorry I couldn't get online. Miss you guys!

No one owns the water, and asking someone to leave is wrong. Any tournaments I've been in such behavior would be considered unsportsmanlike and grounds for disqualification.

Yes, line roller bearing.

Yes, for both reasons: the reel felt rougher and there was no benefit when changing the main rotor support bearing to a ceramic hybrid bearing (ABEC 7). Most reels are ABEC 3 or equivalent from the factory, though it's highly unlikely they're using rated bearings. That doesn't mean they are inferior to a rated bearing. In fact they may be better in that application. I've also heard customer complaints when converting baitcasters to certain bearings, though performance was increased. The reels felt "not as smooth." Some prefer "buttery" operation. Often the fix was to use a more viscous lubricant. My own personal preference shows in my technique of packing knob bearings with grease because I do not want the knobs spinning freely. Faster and freer doesn't always equate to better. I have no idea about comparing "standard" rollerblade bearings to rated bearings, though I have no doubt upgraded bearings spin better. For skateboards, there's cheap crap bearings and there's quality bearings. They all spin well out of the box. Again, I don't see any relevance to a spinning reel. Bottom line: If your spinning reel operates smoothly, silently, with little effort, what is there to improve upon? The only bearing that really needs special care and attention is the roller bearing. I have replaced failed bearings with upgraded bearings, and it does improve operation because, well the old one failed. The benefit here is in durability and resistance to corrosion. Also, mostly because the upgraded bearings were less expensive to source than OEM parts.

I've never needed to upgrade a bearing in a spinning reel. I have replaced bearings that failed. Usually that's the roller bearing. The higher ABEC rated bearings are for higher precision at very high RPM - nothing that is seen in a spinning reel. The important part was already mentioned: shields or seals. Shields are easier to maintain since a drop of oil now and then as needed is all it takes to keep them running smoothly. As said they keep the lubricant in and the dirt out. I don't see the comparison to rollerblade bearings, and in fact as a skateboarder, I see touting ABEC ratings as marketing hype, and irrelevant to the forces exerted on bearings in wheel sports such as rollerblades, quads, scooters and skateboards. Bearings for these must withstand impact and torque more than RPM. That's said, a higher ABEC rated bearing or ceramic (I use Bones Ceramics) does have a certain feel over SS bearings, so there's that aspect. In a fishing application, that feel might actually be a drawback where smoothness is often preferred.

I believe so. Charlie became ill over a year ago, and asked Steve to cover some things while he recovered.

He's been playing with them for over a year.

No trailer tie downs either.

And then some, lol. On XM Real Jazz, they've been doing some features on his music as well as artists he likes, which means lots of Ellington and Bird, but he was also a big Elvin Jones fan, so I get to hear a lot of my favorite - Coltrane.

Very sad to hear. I was not a fan of his work with the Rolling Stones (nor am I a fan of them) but I love any of side work in the jazz arena. Speaking of jazz, his replacement drummer, Steve Jordan has played with many greats including John Mayer Trio. He toured with Sonny Rollins in the 70s opening for the Stones, which is where the connection to them starts. Old Charlie would be pleased to see them carry on with Steve.

If you're married to YZ, use 6#, but I've been using 6# Tatsu for several years now for smallmouth with excellent results. It's better, smaller diameter, and it's in your screen name, so...

This past Saturday. It's been way more than cut in half since the baby came last year, but we're boat shopping soon.

If they open up on you, they were never really closed in the first place. I had issues learning to get them closed when I first got mine, but it's not an issue now.

We did a thing.

I leave mine on, and it hasn't hurt anything.

Could this have simply been a bit of marketing to promote using forward facing sonar?

Locally, Conesus Lake has a tournament on it every day of the week from June to December, sometimes more than one. That lake has plenty of other angling pressure as well. Yet it churns out near 20# bags regularly, and lunkers in the 6-8# class as well. If tournament pressure were going to negatively affect a fishery, it would happen here. I do not feel tournaments have any lasting negative effects on a healthy fishery.

I agree. Sometimes it just doesn't feel like what I'm used to it feeling like. A lot of times I'm right - but it isn't always a fish. I've done a lot of cranking as well, and I swear I can sometimes feel a follow before it strikes. Something throws the wiggle off, and I know I'm getting bit before it happens.

TFO was founded and is chaired by Rick Pope. You're thinking of North Fork Composites. Gary has consulted for TFO, though.

I tried eating squirrel. It wasn't something I'd ever try again.