tholmes

I use a pole barn nail through the spool and clamped in my bench vise. It's worked for decades, never wears out and cheap. Tom

I'd get something white, something black and catalpa. That should cover almost any situation. Tom

That color is called catalpa/black stripe. Almost perfectly mimics a catalpa worm, a favorite food of all kinds of gamefish. Tom

Beetle Spin. Tom

Buy it all! You'll sort it out sooner or later. Tom

I've been carrying a Gerber for 15 years. I own other brands of multi-tools, but none can match the quality of Gerber. Tom

I clean them regularly using a Q-tip and Reel Magic. Tom

Just a rough estimate, 75% baitcasting, 25% spinning. Tom

When I'm taking inexperienced anglers fishing, I set them up with a Beetle Spin. They're great for catching numbers, and they'll hook a good one occasionally too. Tom

I have a yellow Lazy Ike that's been doin' the same thing. Tom

This^ Exactly. Tom

I wear the $20 Solar Shield fit-overs from Wal-Mart (Walgreens sells them too) because I'm way too cheap to lay down $400 or more for prescription sunglasses. They have 100% UV block, brow and side shields and impact-resistant lenses. They also look kinda dorky, but I'm way past caring about that. Tom

The advantages of living in a sparsely populated area. I know all of the KDWP officers around here and they all know that if I'm fishin', I have a license. Tom

It also could be as simple as disassembling the levelwind and cleaning any gunk out of the worm gear. Tom

if the line guide is stopping or hesitating on one side or the other, you may have a worn line guide pawl and/or worm gear. Also, check to be sure that the line guide pawl cap has not loosened up enough to let the pawl drop out of contact with the worm gear. Tom

I know what they are! Those things have been catching bass for years, but seemed to fall out of favor for some reason. Lunker City makes several soft plastics that fly under the radar for a lot of bass fishermen, but are great products. My vote for the most underutilized bass lure is the Johnson Silver Minnow spoon. Tom

Especially the Rebel Wee Craw! I've caught a LOT of smallmouth on both the shallow and deep versions. They're also a killer bait for bull bluegill. Tom

I'd have to go with a 7.5" ribbon-tail worm, with a 6" straight-tail worm a close second. Tom

^This, exactly. Won't fit in the bed of my pickup, won't fit in my rod rack. I guess I'm stuck with 7' and under rods. Tom

Catt's post above should be required reading for anyone considering a rod purchase. Modulus numbers have zero relevance to rod quality. Just like bearing count has zero relevance to reel quality. It's all marketing hype. 99% of anglers have no idea what those numbers even mean (myself included). The only way to judge the quality of a rod is to get it in your hands and go fishing. Tom

I fish 1/4 oz. lipless cranks quite a bit. The 1/8 oz. are great for small pond bass, crappie and bluegill. I've even caught quite a few trout on them. Tom

I agree that the President 35 will be just fine. I would get an extra spool to make swapping lines much easier and you're good to go. Tom

Nice find! Those will make great "man-cave" decor! I can't resist picking up old reels when I find them at antique shops, flea markets, yard sales, etc. I'll clean them up and repair them, if needed, and parts are available. My wife always asks me why I need another old reel. I tell her it's better than spending my money on liquor and wild women. Tom

^ Yep! I still catch more bass on a T-rigged worm than anything else, and it ain't even close. Following the plastic worm, at least for me, would be in-line spinners, jigs and spoons. Tom

7' MH/fast casting rod 6.3:1 reel T-rig, spinnerbait, and lipless crank. Tom