CWB

I'm confused. First you say brakes have everything to do with pitching distance. You say you use your thumb to slow the spool down and you keep your spool free. Where do the magnetic brakes come into play? I always thought mag brakes slowed the spool down at faster speeds so you don't get a birds nest. Pitchin is a slower spool speed method. Again, I could be wrong. Everyone has their preferences and whatever works for an individual is what he (or she) should continue using. Pitchin is not a real big part of my arsenal but I do do it when conditions call for it. I use reels with cent. brakes so maybe I'm wrong to comment about mag brakes for pitchin.

I prefer the 5"... Super Spook.

According to a recent episode of "The Bass Pro's", you are doing it right according to KVD. He set his brakes higher and the spool tension looser. Of course, he was using a Quantum with external adjustable centrifugal brakes. Only you can decide which way is best for you. I don't think mag. brakes do alot when pitchin. I could be wrong. P.S. No one really answered the OP's question about distance.

Good points and that is why I use a stone and not a file to keep as much of the integrity of the hook intact without removing too much material. Sharpened hooks suck? Strong statement but all are entitled to their opinion. I haven't had any issues with any of the hooks I have sharpened but you are correct that there is a limit after which it is counterproductive. Keep throwing a spinnerbait. Sooner or later you will latch onto a hawg Chris!

Just re-spooled my crankin rig with 12 lb. ultra-soft and it seems to cast a bit farther and handle better with no other noticeable difference.

Curado problems? Blasphemy!

Gimme a Rage Shad and some slop, it can be 1 foot, 5 feet, whatever. I'll be a happy camper.

That's the way to spend Mother's day! The second pic says it all.

I use a tapered Medium India oilstone used by moldmakers. I usually try to get a triangle shaped point, working on 3 sides of the hook. If it sticks in my thumbnail, it's good to go. I actually sharpened one too good and it went through my thumbnail, drawing blood. This is not the actual stone but the same type. I find a file removes too much material. I keep one with me at all times. Quick touchups are simple if you throw a crankbait on the rocks like I often do or after snagging in rocks or such. Always check new hooks too. For the most part you will be O.K. with the name brands but you'd be surprised how often you find a dull or damaged point hook.

I remember you said you hate ledge fishing. That's why I said Grass! You'll figure 'em out and put a hurtin' on 'em. Keep us posted!

The beauty of flippin' this rig is it looks like something has just fallen in or got knocked of whatever you are flippin' to and it will fall naturally, not nosedive. If you don't get bit, you can fish it back like a T-rig also.

Yum Vibra King BPS tubes that had a head shaped like a minnow and eyes. Still have several 50 packs. Tiki Tubes. Similar to Vibra King but ribs aren't as pronounced.

Clear water. Docks. Spinning gear. Hmmm.... Where did I hear that before? Anyway, great job. Get 'em next time. Two words. GRASS GRASS

Went home at lunch and my Vendetta was there, all in one piece, guides good and in line Etc. Etc. Must be lucky.

"Weedguards" seem to be most effective in brush or wood, around docks and such, and in reeds, pads, cabbage weeds and other weeds that do not grow so thick together and accumulate moss and other gunk amongst them. In clumpy weeds and slop, they help but are not as effective. The head design helps, but there is some stuff that nothing will make it through. I'd rather have a guard on the jig than not.

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You're asking for touble if you let her get into your stuff dude. This might be only the beginning. Will be G-Woman jigs pretty soon.

Waiting for post on day one results.

X2. Rosco or Sampo.

Consider yourself lucky that your wife puts up with you... no I meant that she enjoys something you do and you can spend more time with her. That's a good thing, right?? I used to go fishing with my future wife all the time. Then she said "I Do". Guess what? She don't any more.

Figure a tad over 4 hrs. without traffic. Real time more like 6. Or we could meet up at Muskegon Lake for a little fishin' too! I'm already on Jackie's good side. When you weren't listening, I told her she was a much better fisherperson than you.

I'll take 2 this time. Med. Send them UPS next day air. I'll P.M. my UPS #. Back to the topic- organize! There are more voices from fisherman than homeowners. Numbers (votes) usually will prevail. As you stated, most homeowners are ignorant to what a fisherman thinks are in his best interest and fisherman, not the stringer fillers, are usually more knowledgeable. I though Michigan was pretty progressive in their wildlife and habitat management, unlike Illinois here. There needs to be some type of control without total eradication. Homeowners need to be aware there are other options. What is used on my lake is not permanent and only one section of the lake is done each year on a rotating basis. My lake is considered Private as there are actually 2 lakes joined by a small semi navigable channel, and no public "free" ramps. 1/2 of the launch fee does go to the lake management association and so do part of my taxes. The association must have any action approved by the DNR. I recall a few years back I received a letter in the mail that the county wanted to implement a small tax increase to the entire township with the revenue going toward the lake management. There was a meeting scheduled in December to vote on approval. I made the hour drive and was shocked to see only about 30 people in attendance. Most were fishermen. The measure was approved. If there are any clubs in the area, they would be a good place to start. Might be too selective to let a Jensen in but..... Next topic- Zebra Mussels.

Being a @#$%&^ property owner and fisherman, I can see both sides of this issue. There are usually limits to the amount of vegetation that can be deleted (or should be). On my lake the weeds are reduced using 2 harvesters that cut the weeds down to 4-6 feet below the surface. Not too practical on bigger waters though. I'm not a fan of chemicals but the DNR wanted to spray our lake and sent a letter to every homeowner. There was a meeting and all were informed of the options and consequences. I was against it but the associations chose a chemical and a section to try it on. It actually worked pretty decent. There was also an agreement that no more than 1 section a year would be sprayed. The lake is shallow and becomes weed choked out to the 12' drop level. Imagine if you bought a nice house on a nice lake, pay higher than normal taxes, and couldn't get your boat away from your dock due to the weed thickness. What the associations do is take turns with the weed harvesters and cut paths from the deep water to every house's dock. I was pretty ticked a few years back when 2 houses sold that had beachfront with a huge reedbed right in front of them. This lake has a restriction on harvesting or spraying "emergent" vegetation like reeds and pads. The next spring my favorite spot was gone and hasn't recovered. This is really a tough issue as most homeowners do not seem to be fisherman and only a few seem to be sympathetic to the views of fishermen. There needs to be some compromise as fishing pumps alot of money into the local economies. P.S. When's the next cookout?

There are tournaments on the Illinois river where they actually shoot the ugly things in mid-air. Video was scary stupid but hilarious! We should have those boys patrolling our borders. Not many invasive species would get past them.

By no means a "GEEK" but my daughter has a Sony and my son has a HP. Both have Core I5 processors and 4G mem. The HP has a bigger hard drive at 7200 rpm. Both seem to serve them well. Sidenote on Sony- My daughters locked up and wouldn't start for whatever reason. A call to Sony and some diagnostics resulted in them sending a new hard drive for free and after the 5 minute install, good as new. Best Buy wanted $200.00 to even look at it even though it was still in warranty and they are a supposed service center. By the way, neither of them seem to be as fast as my $399.99 Compaq PC at home.