webertime

8 minutes to the closest launch on Champlain, 8 minutes to the closest "bass" water. 45-50 minutes to the ole trailer park pond (set PB there 3 times).

So I MAY be wrong but you may want to check and see if the gearset from the CORE 50/51 would fit. I seem to recall reading this somewhere.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Chronarch E stays at the ~$200 range and then they offer the Ci4 model at ~$275, like they did with the Stradic models. Just guess on my part.

Phenix has some new models coming.

From what I've heard, smallies are transitioning from spawning areas there. Larry's are up in the junk (flooded stuff, docks, boats) . Weeds are a bit behind normal due to the massive rains and cold snap a month ago.

Regarding what the definition of Made in America is... I come from a pretty long history in the cycling/ski/snowboard industry. You want your bike to say Made in America. Send plans to frame builder in Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc. Frame gets sent to your warehouse. But components from Japanese/Chinese companies. Put the frame in a jig to make sure it's aligned (align it if need be) and paint it. Assemble the bike. By just aligning and painting it you now have a bike you can legally say was Made in America, and boy did people eat that up. I am sure many companies do this with MANY products. Regarding Loons: They pick up pebbles and swallow them to aid in digestion. They would pick up sinkers, thinking they are pebbles and eat them and die of lead poisoning. Problem with banning lead (NY, VT, NH, Mass, Maine, etc.) is that these are G.D. MIGRATORY BIRDS!!!! They can eat a sinker in Georgia and die in Massachusetts.

May I suggest a Biffle-head with a swimbait or creature bait? Gets deep, puts out "thump", retrieve it right and it'll bang around and deflect like a crank. Works for me.

Symetre at ALFC is sold out. TFO "Loomis" rods have his name on it, that's as far as that relationship goes(went).

Shimano Sonora 2500 and a Denali Jadewood 7' M Spinning rod OR Shimano Sahara 2500 and a Power Diesel Spinning rod Both at or less than $150

It's a clearwater lake and with the messed up weather we've had up here, the fish could be a bit picky. Try some Fat Ika's or Keitech Salty Core tubes.

Are you using EWG or Offset worm hooks? That choice can make a huge difference.

Top Prop and MS Mini Slammer.

Not at all, some tapes don't have adhesive on the back at all. The adhesive is usually a thin (width) strip of what seems like double stick tape you'd use to seal plastic around your windows for the winter. Some rubbing alcohol will get any gunk off.

Be aware that a 9 footer is a long rod, if you are getting up in the Smokies you may find it a bit too big for the tight quarters. I learned on an 8' 6wt Orvis Green Mountain (the Clearwater replaced that model) and I have caught fish from 3-4" brookies to 4.5lb Smallies on it. A 5-6 wt 8' rod is a very versitile set up and serve you well until you have the $$ to diversify (if you even want too). I love my Sage SPL 893 ($$$$) and my grand father's 8' 8wt Berkley Fiberglass from 1960 (think ugly stick) you can catch fish on anything as long as you get comfortable with it.

Riggin' is a way of life up here. Braid to a Mono leader is standard, the mono leader is 2-6 feet. Such a short length of mono isn't going to have a noticible change in sensitivity, especially with a big sinker ahead of it banging around anyway.

Handlebar tape for a road bike. Choices of colors are basically infinite, materials are Vinyl, Leather, Cork, Synthetic Cork, and carbon. TONS of bike shops in Pittsburgh too.

WWW.tinboats.net has a really good tutorial on how to make one. In canoe though... that's not a good idea.

Absolutely no way that was a Lamprey. Various parasites can cause circular wounds. Bacteria and other microbes on up to leaches.

The love silver, white and yellow. (Grubs, tiny spinnerbaits, castmasters, drop shots). Chum with clams (catch you own or a can of them.) Put whole clams shell and all in a nylon laundry bag (the type women wash their bras in) with a few fist sized stones. Close it up attach a cord and drop it in. Pick it up off the bottom and let it crash down a few times it'll crack them and the juices will start to leak out. Canned clams... punch a couple tiny holes in the can and throw in the bag with stones. Fantastic method for sheephead too.

South Africa and Mozambique are producing giants. I'd go with Japan though.

(golf clap)

As it turns out Felix and I fished basically right next to eachother and had the same anti-depressant prescribed to us afterwards...

If Felix had the same weather for the pervious 2 weeks that we had up here on Champlain (I think he did) there's a bit more too it. 2 Weeks ago the fish were up and spawning, water was mid to high sixties, we had a full moon. Then the epic rain and COLD nights came through. Then it got really hot and rained some more. The water temps dropped back into the high 40's to mid 50's, the water levels rose about a foot and the moon was gone this weekend. Yesterday we had a tournament, the water was exactly the same as Felix stated, we were fishing an area that sounds just like Felix's. We fished the same area last year on the same date the water was slightly warmer last year and we all pounded them. This year it was a grind and when asked what guys got them on it was "Senko" "Carolina" "Lucky Craft" "Popper" "shakyhead" "Spook" "Crankbait" in other words there was no rhyme or reason to it. It may just be a case of all the weather craziness, first run of spawners had come through and moon phases just screwing up the fish in N. New York/VT/NH and they are starting to settle down after being put through a roller coaster of conditions in the area.

PM me, I'll get you sorted.

Pure is Abu's parent company (Berkley, Stren, Sebile, Spiderwire, Penn, Fenwick, Johnson, and Pflueger as well). Yeah that's a lot of grease in there.