J Francho

Because you're doing it wrong, lol.

I agree, and one of my biggest northern pike came on a medium/moderate cranking stick - a little over 16 lbs. I wouldn't use that rod if I was targeting pike regularly.

Medium power rods are a little underpowered for pike in my neck of the woods.

Mine is an actual crate from the storage section of Home Depot with some rod and tool holders bolted to it. Same thing I've been using for over a decade.

Meh, we don't have any preconceived gender roles in our house. She's just as capable at mudding drywall as I am folding laundry. It's all got to get done, so we all pitch in.

They're likely all spawning. You can pretty much fish anywhere in 5-12 FOW and catch. These are from Cayuga:

I have a couple rods that are over 7', but my favorite for finesse are probably considered really short at 6'3".

These will serve you real well - my all time favorite DS bait. Nose rig them, flat side up. Get bit.

It probably had the Tournament Edition package add on for $2600.

Definitely a happens to most baits that use a rubber collar. Buy wire tied baits from Siebert Outdoors, and this problem goes away.

I use 20 lb. CXX for these baits.

It looks like a vulnerable meal. Same as any other bait that gets bit.

I'm not sure I understand the problem. Why use a leader at all?

Since you can get a graphite rod with the same taper as clunky old fiberglass, glass rods seem more like a novelty to me.

I've only ever had one rod arrive broken, and that was sent by UPS. I don't think you can make much basis on one shipper being better or worse. They all seem to have problems, at times. Most often though, my stuff arrives just fine.

I don't think mono vs. fluoro is why he kicks your butt, but I would say I have a better time detecting bites using fluoro. Remember, I have been using a drop shot rig since before it was called that. 6# Tatsu gets the job done:

6# Tatsu. It lasts forever, works better than most other lines, and it's product I trust.

If I'm on the water, I'll sharpen them. Once I'm off the water, they get tossed. I buy baits that have good hooks, so if they're toast, they were well used. I don't care for sharpening Cutting Point hooks, though I know you can, so unless it's an emergency, I toss them when they dull out.

These are, and the point is still valid. Spinning rod smallie: Flipping stick smallie:

I just needed to buy a few seconds to take aim, lol.

I had squirrels get into the soffit through a gutter. Luckily they didn't get all the way into the attic before resolving the issue. I sealed the hole with expanding foam while they were out, and then waited for them to return to give them lead pellet treats.

Supply chain issues, I'm sure.

The baits I buy usually have very good hooks. When the hooks dull and can't be sharpened, I replace them with either Owner ST-36 or VMC Vanadium Inlines.

Tatsu and Invisx user for years and years.

It depends on depth, speed, and profile of presentation, type of bottom, and any cover present. The answers to the riddle could be as diverse a bait as a top water, a T-rigged worm, a lipless trap style bait, spinnerbait, square bill crank.... and on and on... All baits to me are "search baits." There is not a time I'm not searching for a bite if I'm casting.