tholmes

Another vote for the Pflueger Trion. I have an ultralight Trion that has seen pretty heavy use over the last 7 years and it just keeps going. Tom

I tie hair and feather jigs in sizes from 1/80 to 1oz. I pour all of my heads and get most of my materials from Barlow's, Jann's Netcraft and Lure Parts Online. If you're going to buy your jigheads, pay attention to the hooks that are used. Cheap jigheads often have crappy hooks. Tom

Back to the OP's original question - AFAIK, the crank was on the right-hand side on the earliest baitcasters. I've heard several theories as to why this was the case, the most convincing one is that the early reels had no drag system, therefore the fish was controlled with the crank (by back-reeling) and the crank should be in the strong hand. Since most people are right-handed, that's the way the reels were designed. I know from experience that you don't want to let go of the crank on those old timers when there's a fish of any size on the line. I'm pretty sure that's where the term "knucklebuster" originated. Tom

Baitcasters have been around for a long time, for sure. The early ones weren't nearly as sophisticated as today's reels. My first baitcaster was a Shakespeare 1920 Wondereel made sometime in the early '50s. No free spool, zero bearings, retrieve ratio of about 2.4:1, all this on a 5' steel rod, but I still caught fish with it. Today's baitcasters are mechanical marvels in comparison. Tom

Life is easier when you're nice to people, even the ones who aren't nice to you. Tom

It's not over for me, but it's slowed way down, at least as far as LMB are concerned. The end of Daylight Savings Time really puts an end to my evening fishing, and the holiday-related activities take up a lot of weekend time. I still go out when I can, though. I've been catching a few wipers, and got into some pretty good crappie last week. But as the weather gets colder, I won't be doing much fishing. Time to service reels, pour some jigs and blade baits and re-stock my tackle supply. Spring will be here before you know it! Tom

This, along with the Bandit square bill in splatter-back. Tom

My personal favorite is an ABU 4600C3 w/12# Big Game or a 5500C3 w/15# Big Game. Yeah, I'm old school. Or just plain old. Tom

The obvious answer is...but all 3! Got all your bases covered that way. Tom

I use the $20 ones that Wally World sells. They have side shields and brow shields, 100% UVa and UVB protection and are cheap enough that I don't lose any sleep over dropping them in the water. They make me look like some kind of alien insect overlord but, at my age, I don't really care. Tom

I like the ceramic tube bobbins as they won't fray the thread as easily as the steel tube ones. I use this one http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/fly-tying-bobbins/042044500009.aspx To save yourself a little aggravation, get a bobbin threader if you don't already have one. Tom

I've used size D rod wrapping thread to tie everything from 1/80 oz. feather jigs to 1 oz. bucktail jigs for stripers for years. It works just fine. Visit Jann's Netcraft to find tools and materials. If you don't already have one, a high quality pair of scissors is essential. I use embroidery scissors. Invest in a good bobbin also. And, like islandbass said, whip finishing is way easier to do by hand. Have fun! Tom

I avoid anything sweet. Even most granola bars have too much sugar. I usually snack on salted peanuts, jerky, crackers, and Powerade Zero. Tom

So many unanswered questions... Is the propane tank full or empty? That's one toiugh rod, but is it sensitive? Inquiring minds want to know. Tom

My test for fishing rod sensitivity is simple. Does it cry when you say mean things about it? Tom

Here in fly-over country, we're just getting on the back side of the first big cold front of the fall. It should warm up and clear off tomorrow and stay clear for a few days with beautiful fall weather. I'll be hittin' the local community lake as often as possible. The bass should be chasing shad in the shallows and I'll be all over them. I LOVE fall fishing! Tom

Thanks guys! I'll get the O.D. measurements and go from there. If it's a mm off one way or the other, that won't matter much. The rod is one that I carry in my truck for lunch break fishing, so it's not a showpiece by any means. Function over form and all of that. Tom

I have an old Lightning Rod that's missing a guide, the one right below the tip. I can handle the replacement, but how do I know what ring size to buy? Do I measure I.D., O.D. or something else? The I.D. of the guide measures 4mm. The guides on the rod are Berkeley SS304. Thanks! Tom

I have a few reels that do that and I just take them out and throw a bunch of long casts. It will level out. Tom

If the AR works fine under your normal drag setting, don't worry about it. You can remove the excess lube the next time you service the reel. Tom

I have a Berkeley digital scale that my niece gave me for Christmas several years ago. It's accurate (yes, Ive checked it against a certified scale) and I've only had to replace the batteries once. I don't weigh very many of the fish that I catch. I don't really care most of the time. Tom

I'm primarily a bass fisherman, but I'll target whatever is biting. I love catfishing on warm summer nights, spring crappie fishing and catching bluegills with my great-grandson. The small (50 acre) community lake that I fish the most is stocked with wipers, and they're a blast! A double digit wiper is a pretty good fight on light spinning tackle! Tom

I've done this on spinning reel spools. 800 grit wet sanding > Automotive rubbing compound w/Dremel > jeweler's rouge w/Dremel. The process removed a small spot of the anodized finish on the spool, but it worked great. Tom

Way to go, Catt! Right at lunchtime too. I'm hungry! Tom

Just curious, why would you avoid 3 in 1 oil? I've been using the Zoom turbine oil on bearings and level winds for about a year with no issues. It is a pretty light oil, but I service my reels monthly during the season and don't worry about how long it stays in the bearings. Tom