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I've felt this way for a long time, too. I don't think which knot one chooses is nearly as important as the level of comfort the angler has in tying that knot, and more specifically, knowing if and when their knot isn't coming together incorrectly. For that reason, I choose the improved clinch. It's super easy to tie, and it's incredibly easy to recognize when it's not tied correctly and needs to be re-tied.

All-around: Yo Zuri Hybrid. 6 for spinning, and 10-12 for casting. Fluorocarbon: Seaguar Tatsu. 20 for casting. You can get more than one season out of Tatsu and it's no worse for wear. Braid: Daiwa Samurai. 15 for spinning. 30-55 for casting.

How about a 6.3 ratio Shimano Citica with upgraded spool bearings from HP Bearings. This will give you excellent value and performance. The bearing upgrade will help with those lighter baits, especially if you keep them clean and lightly oiled. You don't need to spend a ton on a reaction-bait reel. You're just chunking and winding. You could even go cheaper than that, but get the bearings.

I just stuff them into Plano boxes, categorized by type and/or size. If they get tangled, I just shake the bait I want until it's free. Sometimes it takes a few seconds. Sure, the baits might get a few minor scratches and scuff from this method of storage, but they still catch fish like they did when I bought them, and the hooks are still just as sharp.

I'm kind of surprised at the lack of love for JJ's Magic on this thread. Did JJ's fall out of favor with Bass Resource while I was gone? It used to be wildly popular just a few years ago.

If it tracks to the right side, throw it to the left side of cover, especially docks, and run it into or underneath the cover. Turn that lemon into lemonade!

3M Marine Cleaner and Wax is for light to moderate oxidation. This sound like your case. 3M Fiberglass Restorer and Wax is for moderate to heavy oxidation. 3M Finesse-It II is a glaze that fills in micro abrasions and such when applied with a buffer. Great stuff! Personally, what I do every other year is a light once-over with the Cleaner and Wax, then a run with the Finesse-It II, and then a layer of wax, all applied with a rotary buffer. That's like a mini-restoration that keeps the gel coat looking great. On the year that I don't do that, I just do wax in the spring All year, I use Bow to Stern (cleaner) about once a week.

Good mod! Someone could easily sit on that if need be.

MinnKota MK 315. 4-plus years of flawless operation and still going strong. Takes about 4-5 hours for a full charge after a long day of fishing. Onboard battery chargers are known for their short lifespan, so I'm happy with getting this long out of mine. Also, my Interstates seem to be holding up really well. A lot better than when I manually charged the batteries with a portable 10/2amp charger. You could just hear them sizzle with that.

I'm surprised by that. It's good to know!

I call them "frog-rockets", and I've bounced more than a few off my body and my boat!

Keitech Swing Impact FAT are the best swimbait I've ever used in that size. On the other hand, they're not cheap and are arguably the least durable plastic bait I've used. You'll catch fish, but you're looking a only getting 1-2 fish per bait, regardless of size. Maybe you can get 2-3 fish if you use Mend-It, but often, the tail gets torn off, and it won't fix that.

Another vote for the St. Croix panfish series. I'd say bang-for-your-buck-wise, St. Croix is equal to G. Loomis as a whole, not just for panfish. You'll get what you pay for with each company. I've used an ultra-light from the Panfish series, but I cannot recall which one. I think it may have been the aforementioned 6' 8" UL/F, and I liked it, but wanted a little more backbone. I purchased two of the St. Croix Panfish 7' L/XF this winter and have been using them for panfishing this spring. I'm very happy with it thus far. It'll be useful for finesse-fishing bass, too, with 1/8 oz. dropshots, 1/16 oz darterheads, and 1/15 oz Ned rigs, yet I can cast even tiny crappie jigs quite far and still have fun fighting them.

I don't see why homeowner's insurance would be liable to cover the accidental loss of something that occurred far away from the home. That would really jack up the cost of insurance! This is from Allstate insurance. "You are headed on vacation to the Caribbean and realize two hours into your flight that you left your camera under a chair in the airport. When you land, you call the airport and the airline, but your camera is nowhere to be found. That may leave you wondering whether your homeowners or renters insurance will cover the loss. You'll likely find that a standard policy for a home, condo or rental property doesn't provide coverage for lost items. Instead, those policies typically cover specific risks, known as perils. So while a camera or other items you own may be covered if they are stolen or damaged in a fire, that coverage typically won't extend to belongings that you lose or misplace."

I've used the single hook for stream trout with a tiny piece of nightcrawler, and the hook-up ratio was terrible, with or without the 'crawler.

7' light-power, fast-action is a good place to start. You can cast some light jigs with these, say 1/32 oz jig (or 4-5mm tungsten ice-fishing jig) with bait or plastic. Some of those ultra lights are really whippy and have zero backbone for when even a 9" crappie dives for cover.

That's the idea people have when they catch a carp and toss it in the bushes, that there are only a small number of these 'invasives,' when in fact, there are many, many more that go unseen. Now all they did was stink up their fishing hole.

I know this sounds like a BS fish tale, but I once lost a 1/8 oz buzz bait in a 12" river smallmouth who jumped and jumped and shook and shook after sawing my line off on the rocks. I kid you not, I watched the bait fly out of it's mouth and onto the shore, 15' away, where I went and picked it up. As you can imagine, I think these fish are pretty insistant about getting that lure out of their mouth after a break-off. They're going to try to shake it out, or die trying. Hopefully a few of those crank bait hooks were exposed, because if they get caught in some weeds, it'll give the bass some leverage to shake the lure free.

While all these plugs are annoying, I respect the fact that a guy has to make a living. My favorite show/magazine is by the Minnesota guys of In-Fisherman because it's geared towards the northern lakes in this area, although the show is chock full of plugs which can take up some time in the show.

How many people fish it, and do they keep the bass?

The drinking water is cleaned before it gets to you, while the fish are straight out of the 'unclean' water

That's designed as a cranking stick. Good buy!

If you've never tried braid on a jigging rod, it's well worth a shot. Some people love it. Some don't. You be the judge.

I have that same exact rod. It's an unusually stout spinning rod, so I have trouble finding use for it since I prefer baitcasters for anything other than very light finesse baits. Frankly, it sits in my boat locker 90% of the time, although it's a quality rod. However, it shines in one certain area: skipping wacky-rigged 5" Senkos under docks. I use an O-ring to attach a 1/0 Gammy wacky-rig hook to the bait to limit ripped baits. It's perfect for this, and it also works well as a multi-purpose rod for guests who cannot use a baitcaster.

The only scent that I've seen make a difference is JJ's Magic dip and the implanted scent of Berkley Powerbait and Gulp plastics. I haven't had any additional luck with the greasy spreads and gels, and I've spent about $75 on them.