Marty

My experience is just about any lure in 50-60, with the possible exception of topwaters, and any lure when it's 60+.

That's a much more likely scenario than people not wanting to help.

I've used Yum Dingers successfully, but it's impossible (at least for me) to say whether they're better or worse than any of the million other similar baits. However, you should be able to make them last for more than 1 or 2 fish. For example, using a 5" bait, after the nose tears, cut off 1/4" and rerig. You can do this four times and still end up with a 4" bait. You can also rig from the other end of the bait.

E-mail them if you don't get an answer. http://www.berkley-fishing.com/about_contactinfo.php

All lures catch fish and few, if any, work as well as they're claimed to. There are no magic baits. When you watch Bill, you're watching hours of fishing edited into a half-hour and you'll see loads of big ones regardless of what lure he's using.

A few thoughts: 1) They're the most widely distributed gamefish in North America, Mexico, Canada and 49 of our 50 states. 2) They fight reasonably well (LM) or very well (SM). 3) They (especially largemouth) tolerate a wide range of conditions. 4) They take any type of artificial lure imaginable. 5) They (LM) inhabit shallow water where most fishermen are most comfortable fishing, plus they're also available to shore anglers.

Yes. But some people slip the rubber over the trailer hook's eye and stick the main hook through that. But I prefer a free-swinging hook and that is also recommended by many pros.

Sunny days can be surprisingly good for topwaters, so don't rule them out just because of the weather.

My trout fishing has been confined to fishing Lake Ontario piers in the spring, but I haven't cracked the 10# barrier, but topped out at 9-6. For the last 10 years or so, crankbaits have been my favorites, although spoons are good too. The baits I've used most are lipless cranks, followed by Countdown Rapalas. I've also caught a few on hard jerkbaits, but don't use them often. The same baits also catch cohos and lakers.

Another vote for spinnerbaits, along with crankbaits and Chatterbaits, they've all worked for me in that temperature range.

It doesn't matter. Some guys don't tie and just tape it to the spool. That spool, depending on size and line size, will hold loads more line than your longest cast. And should you hook up with some monster that takes out line all the way down, the knot wouldn't matter, it's going to break, period.

I use trailer hooks on my spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and Chatterbait-style lures. With all three lures, the majority of the fish have the main hook, but there are just enough caught on the trailer hook for me to want to use them. Without them I lack confidence.

I agree with Catt's comments. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that what your cousin was doing was superior to what you were doing, because there weren't enough fish caught to suggest a difference. He caught two, you none. But you had one slam it, so that's a fish you attracted and a caught fish if the fish had hit it in a way to get hooked. Differences like 2-1 might mean something, but until you have more evidence, it can be attributed to random distribution.

I suggest you go back to their site and check carefully, but from what I can see, T = Trigger, S = Spinning, C= Casting. Other manufacturers use those letters as well.

I'm not the most patient guy, so I'll change faster than many others do. But a major factor is whether I'm covering water or fishing a specific area. If I'm covering water, I'll generally stick with the lure for one full pass, barring extenuating circumstances. I usually don't change colors with the same lure because of my (unproven) belief that most of the time if they won't take it, they won't take another color either. But you have to go with your gut and what your degree of confidence is in what you're doing.

Is this the bait? I would think the jighead depends on the depth you'll be fishing. Hook size, I'd go with one with at least as much gap as the illustration. You want that hook above the bait's body enough for an unimpeded hookset. I'd use a hook with relatively light wire since the rod is an ML. You say you want to use this as a swimbait; I've never used a swim bait, but does it involve swimming the bait at a fairly constant depth? If yes, the heavier the jighead, of course, the faster you'd have to retrieve to keep the bait at your desired running depth. One bait I've used successfully is a grub on a jighead with a jig spinner added. The lift provided by the blade will help maintain the depth at a lower retrieving speed, as well as offering vibration and flash. Some people are not familiar with jig spinners. Just in case, this is one:

I think that spinning rod you described would be excellent for soft plastics. The only questions are if the 12# line is strong enough for the cover you'll fish. The other question is the line and its compatibility with the reel, which you didn't specify. Bigger lines don't work as well on spinning as baitcasting, and you'd need a good size reel to handle 12# mono. You could also consider braid, which works very well on spinning gear. Good luck. P.S. Welcome to the forum.

I don't know about heavier lines, but they cut through 15# superlines like a hot knife through butter. I wouldn't trust any fiber; metal leaders do the job for me. I don't see a lot of changed action while using metal leaders; I suppose you can say that the action must change to some degree, but not to a degree that messes up your fishing. And I've caught plenty of bass with a leader. You should try leaders, catch a few fish and you will gain confidence in using them. I've been fishing pike and pickerel waters for almost 40 years and I don't like losing expensive lures and I don't like being responsible for a fish swimming around with a mouthful of crankbait.

Probably when you signed something and didn't read all the fine print.

I haven't had problems with line that's years old, I don't know many years, though. But don't store it where it's exposed to the elements.

I don't know if there is a definitive answer on the braid visibility. I fish a lot of clear water and don't bother with a leader. Of course, that doesn't prove anything other than I personally have confidence that it doesn't make a difference.

The Speed Worms are very productive on the surface used like a buzzbait. The Super Fluke (or similar soft jerkbait) is a staple and you can let it sink, then twitch, pause, twitch, etc. and it will dart erratically. You can also walk the dog with it on top. The Baby Brush Hog is one of a zillion soft plastics that can be Texas-rigged and fished like a plastic worm. Whether I use it or another plastic is a decision made arbitrarily; I don't know why I'd use it in place of a worm, tube, lizard, creature bait, etc. Maybe others have some better criteria.

Various mono lines work very well and superlines also do well on spinning gear. I've used mostly braid the last couple of years but did fine with mono for many years.

See if this helps. I'm sure there is much more available on the subject. http://www.ontariofishing.net/news/june2005-1.html

Two years ago I decided I'd gone long enough without being able to identify anything beyond a basic few plants. What I really wanted was a book entitled "Field Guide to Aquatic Vegetation of Western New York." Unfortunately, no such book exists that I could find and I had to put together my own guide by spending lots of time on the computer. It all starts with searching for "aquatic vegetation." There are some good sites, although they may not cover your area very well. I found something about the plants of Michigan which I used as a base, on the theory that we have similar plants, both being northern states. I also found something about invasive species in New York. I managed to cobble together some text and pictures and put it into a Word document which I printed out and it proved to be very helpful, although not complete. One good site to take a look at at the start is: http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/database/index.htm Good luck. There's definitely a degree of satisfaction in knowing exactly what it is that's constantly fouling things up.