Marty

Last year I bought a spool of 10# and used it on a spinning reel, a Daiwa 2500 size. I have no complaints, I'm just not yet sure if it's worth the higher price.

I usually use pumpkinseed in clear water and bright skies, otherwise black, except each color seems to work just as well in the other conditions too.

You want to try and cancel out the twist from line going on the reel with an opposite twist from line coming off the supply spool. Every spinning reel I've ever seen puts line on clockwise (when looking at the reel from the front), so the line should come off the supply spool counterclockwise. Ignore the label position. It has nothing to do with the physics of the process and label position varies from brand to brand, and sometimes varies within a brand. As was mentioned earlier, spool it on with tension, like running the line through your fingertips or some other method. Some reels with anti-twist line rollers instruct you to spool like a baitcaster, with the supply spool in an up-and-down position with a pencil run through the center hole. My personal experience with these reels is that the baitcaster method works OK, but so does the spool laying flat.

My personal experience would contradict both theories.

As far as Texas rigging, I use a 3/0 extra-wide-gap with a 3 1/2" thin-walled tube. With jigheads, I use the internal heads with a hook size that seems right for the bait. I don't know offhand exactly what it is, but the hook size is probably close to 2/0.

Actually, my subject line is a little misleading, because that's not my recommendation. In fact, I use only about five lures on that list. But the other day, I picked up a Field and Stream in a doctor's office. Their fishing editor came up with a list of "must-have" lures for bass, crappie and trout. A bare bones minimum. This was his bass list. Rattling Chug Bug Rapala X-Rap Yozuri Crystal Minnow Zara Spook Rapala DT Crankbaits Snagproof Frog Senko Trick Worm Super Fluke Rat-L-Trap White spinnerbait Jawbreaker spoon Jig'n'Pig Booyah Pond Buzz Buzzbait

I doubt there's such a thing as an invisible leader. I use short, inexpensive leaders in pike and pickerel waters, but they wouldn't do for large muskies. Here's an excerpt from an article. You can try a search for musky leaders. "Leaders - There are numerous manufacturers of musky leaders on the market. Many produce top notch products, and yet others produce a liability. I am a borderline fanatic on my leader selection. I never purchase leaders with crimps on them, since crimps can and will fail. As pointed out in the beginning of this article, a hard battle by a musky is often all it takes to expose a poorly crimped leader. I personally buy leaders made by Bucher Tackle, since these hand tied leaders are proven not to fail at the moment of truth. I am somewhat biased since I worked for that company for six and one half years. However, I can honestly say the neither myself, or anyone else I know, has ever had one of Joe's leaders fail them! I have seen and heard of horror stories about crimped leaders coming apart. Unfortunately, all of the titanium leaders I am aware of are crimped, so I will never try them. This doesn't mean that they are all bad of course, but one runs the risk of having one with a poor crimp on it. I know that it would be my luck to have a defective crimp on my leader when the biggest fish of my life strikes, so I simply avoid that possibility all together! Another product I personally won't use is Fluorocarbon leaders. Many of you will argue that these are the best things since sliced bread, but I know a prominent guide friend of mine who had a huge fish inhale his crankbait at boatside and bit through his 100 lb. test like a warm knife through butter. They won't do that with steel. Leaders are an important cog in your arsenal. Make a wise choice when purchasing them, and don't skimp when it comes to quality! After all, you are investing literally hundreds of dollars in your rod and reel and lure purchases."

I'd use both in the pads and don't think one is better than the other, as they are two different lures. I'd use a hollow body when I want to slowly and erratically work a floating lure and a solid body for fishing faster like a buzzbait. As to slop, if it's really solid, I don't know if it matters what lure is used, since they don't see it but sense the motion.

It certainly works, but who knows if it works any better than other stuff. I suspect not. All advertising is overblown, but their statement is an insult to one's intelligence, in my humble opinion. "YUM starts a feeding frenzy because it's the only fish attractant with natural shad enzymes plus salt impregnation for even more fish attracting power." If that were true, it'd be the only brand people would use.

I've used the Baby 1- for years and it's an excellent lure. I haven't used the particular color that you mentioned, but I've caught bass on a wide range of colors and I'm sure yours will be OK. When you complete a retrieve, check the lure before casting again because the hooks frequently get tangled.

I don't think they "need" either the sound or the bright color. My opinion is based on extensive fishing in a section of the Erie Canal that is murky green and has about 18" of visibility at its clearest. All sorts of lures have succeeded there, such as quiet grubs on jigheads and a wide variety of crankbaits. In fact, my #1 crank has been the rattleless Shad Rap, often in non-bright colors. They certainly take loud, colorful lures too. The opposite has also occurred often, taking fish in clear water on loud lures and non-natural colors. I've seen so many fish taken on lures that are the opposite of what is recommended for various waters, that I wonder about the so-called conventional wisdom.

On a personal basis it doesn't matter to me because I don't keep fish and don't fish tournaments. DNRs don't always get things perfect, but I'd give yours the benefit of the doubt and assume that the rule benefits the fishery.

The Jitterbug has been my favorite topwater for about 10 years now. I use black only, so I don't know what colors work best, but I feel confident that more colors wouldn't increase my catch. I also use both regular and jointed and haven't noticed any significant difference between the two as far as number of strikes.

booyah interjection an exclamation used to express extreme pleasure, approval, etc.

I believe the Boogee has better components. On the original Rads, the hook rusts and the trailer discolors, much more so than the Boogee. The latter also has a barb to keep the trailer in place. However, I had no personal evidence that one draws more strikes than the other.

I use a trailer hook on the original Chatterbait, but don't use one on the Booyah Boogee Bait.

I used some 10# on a Daiwa 2500 size reel last year as a general-purpose line and it performed well enough. I'm not sure that I was able to see anything to justify the much higher price.

All of the aforementioned lures should work well, as should various small crankbaits.

Your "bent" hooks are probably Excaliburs. I like 'em, they're quality hooks.

I also use Fiskars Kids Scissors, which were on sale for $1. But there are many companies that put out special scissors for superlines and they will probably all work well.

I'd try a loop knot or a small snap just to see if that fixes it before I'd start monkeying around with the lure. Otherwise, try bending the line tie like boondocks said. If you can't fix it, send it back to Rapala for a replacement.

If I could predict markets, I'd be rich. Nobody likes a 400-point drop, but I'm not gonna read too much into a one-day performance.

My partner uses Horny Toads and I use Sizmics and Ribbits, but we both use black almost exclusively, although I'm sure a wide variety of colors will do just fine. For the Horny, I'd use a 5/0 extra-wide-gap hook. We both use our toads in fairly thick weeds, as well as more open water. These toads sink and are generally used when we want to work our baits fast, like a buzzbait. Hollow-bodied floating frogs seem more suitable for slower, stop-and-go type retrieves, when you're fishing targets and don't need to cover water fast.

I use a shoulder bag. As far as spinnerbaits, I use a little Flambeau box which holds six of them. As to buzzbaits, I just carry two and they go in one compartment of a 3600 utility box which is otherwise used for soft plastics.

On one of my Baby 1- lures, I took off the rear hook and put a #2 treble on the belly. However, I haven't hooked a large enough sample of fish yet to conclude anything.