J Francho

Old WWs are legendary. New, meh. If you've messed around with a lot of these, the ones that don't "work right" are the ones you want. If they have a perfect wobble, they're not as desirable.

It has a wide head, so it deflects off rocks better. The faster you reel, the lower the head angle, keeping the hooks from hanging. They transmit a distinctive wiggle. So much so, that I swear I can feel the difference when there is a fish in close pursuit. I've called it so many times, I'm not imagining it. Also, it catches. If they don't look like this after a few hours, you're doing it wrong. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-s4fmHNk/0/X3/i-s4fmHNk-X3.jpg

Rapala is owned by Sofina. They also own Dannon yogurt, along with many other things.

That's a great video - good ideas. I know I joke around on this thread, but with a chin up bar, and a yoga pad, that video adds plenty of stuff to keep fit. Seems like it's getting more and more important with many of us WFH. Daily exercise was already bad, working in an office. Sitting at home has made it more important to get moving.

Here's where I have to diverge from the "one brand is best" diatribe, I just made, and I can make a pretty good point about variety. When it comes to lipless baits, I cannot find a better bait than the Aruku Shad for the way, and where I fish lipless baits. It does what no other bait in the category can do, and it works right out of the package as well. Another category is poppers. A Megabass Popmax is about all I'll ever use in this category anymore. It's my most productive bait, over everything else. I'm sure I could sub in a G-Splash or similar LC bait for it, but I love my Popmax. Hopefully, this demonstrates to the OP that it's DIFFICULT to ONLY pick one brand. There's usually a few baits from other companies that are in the mix. Can you stick to just Rapala or Boo-Yah, Berkley, Lucky Craft, OSI, MB, or Bandit? Yep. They all have baits in just about every category.

I'm probably almost 80% Lucky Craft already. This is what I'd recommend. I think a bait should be perfect, straight out of the package. No messing with hooks and split rings. Ever change out hooks and split rings on any more than a half dozen baits? It's not easy. I don't think it's weird to want that. Anything else is a compromise - good baits for the price, but... I also want baits that run consistently, from bait to bait. A northern eats my lucky jerkbait, and I want to be able to get another one just like it - just as "lucky." Lucky Craft has done that for me.

I don't use micro guides with a leader.

I took one of those chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches, and dipped it in warm peanut butter as my dessert last night. I didn't really feel the extra weight of the peanut butter.

Better? It just is. Gear ratio determines how fast the reel picks up line. 6-7 to 1 covers most bases, and those are fine for almost all bass fishing. I like a slower reel for cranks. For things like frogs, a faster reel works better for me. Some baits, it doesn't matter, I get used to whatever speed reel I'm using. Just 20 years ago, 5 to 1 was a "high speed reel." Think about that! Does your reel feel too slow for what you're using it for? If not, keep it.

No need to worry about it, fishing line is meant to get wet.

Tilt the motor down and make sure the livewells are empty.

Glad you're back!

I see OJ!

I'd say the bodies of water commonly encountered would dictate what boat, along with sponsorship dollars, and maybe influence the design of that handful of boats. If all tournaments were held on the Great Lakes and similar waters, those pros would be fishing out completely different boats.

Who is they? There is no curfew, or lock down, only a suggestion to stay in and limit activities.

This seems so long ago!

20 holes? That shows intent. Sorry, man. That really stinks!

Peet's. I did stock up on several pounds of it.

They sell live trout as bait?!? There's be mobs with pitchforks and shovels up here if they did that! I was talking more about a 6" swimbait, like a Hudd.

Cold temps will affect your fingers more than any knot. I struggle tying knots in cold temps.

You should see a 3# smallie smoke a 6" trout.

You have to quarantine that mower for two weeks.

Spawn is typically mid to late May. Depends on temps. Prespawn is ice out until them. You don't have to go far, if you launch from Oneida Shores. Fish from Muskrat Bay to Long Point or out to Frenchman for smallies. For green fish, look up in Bug Bay. None of this is a secret - on good days, you'll see plenty of boats out there following the bent rod pattern. The rest of FLs are about the same, some a little slower, some faster because they're shallower. Honeoye seems first to heat up. Conesus is where I spend pre-spawn.

Can't plant anything for at least two months, and even then it won't be until late July before the very first crops would harvested. Cash? I'm not touching anything I don't know where it's been. About the only thing I stocked up on was a few extra pounds of coffee beans. Have enough meat in the freezer for a month. Last time I was out, there were some weird things absent from the shelves: cake mix garbage bags laundry detergent eggs milk basic pain killers and cold medicine carpet deodorizer flour tortillas I can sort of see why some of these might be in demand, but some are more perplexing than hoarding TP or PT. I mean, milk? Milk spoils pretty quickly, and I imagine thawed frozen milk is probably pretty gross. Garbage bags? Maybe laundry detergent, since you want to wash things if you've been out. Cake mix? Just bored at home? Something for the kids to make? I suppose people will want to hide any symptoms, so there's your cold meds. Does everyone's carpet stink, or did I just have bad luck? I thought it was pretty funny that all the flushable wet wipes were gone, too. Looks like more than a few have resorted to the "dark side" of personal hygiene. Septic cleaning should be big business by fall, lol. Anyway, it's been day four of working remotely, and that's fine. I've been self quarantined for a few days longer, since I had the sniffles since last week. My queen is to return this weekend. Been skateboarding in the basement, and completely took apart my Dyson and cleaned it. I'm sure I can find things to keep me busy.

I had an H18, and I really liked the port side rod locker. Made more sense with the single console. I put a deck extension with storage for tackle below on mine. I miss that boat.