webertime

It's a bulky, light bait with 50lb braid. It's not going to cast super far unless you have a fairly light/low power rod. What rod are you using it with?

Full sized spook in bone/orange belly. I saw (was net boy for) a 20lb bag of smallies all on that spook. They'll hit them. The weather was nasty (2-3' waves , gusty winds and sideways rain). Look at the Jackall Boil-Trigger too. Think of it as the love child of a Pop-R and a Jointed Rapala, it's loud, casts a mile, without being huge.

My predictions: Complaints, doubts, rants, excitement... You can take that to the bank.

normal reaction, don't schedule the amputation... yet. It's your left arm, do you lean on your left elbow when you sit in a chair or are on the phone? It's that sort of thing that stresses nerves sometimes. Add a new stimulus (holding a fishing rod for a while) and that might be a tipping point. Pay attention to what you do with your elbow and wrist on both arms and you'd be surprised to see the strains you put on that nerve. Do you give the rod/reel a "Vulcan death grip"? I catch myself getting so amped up that I am squezing the heck out of my reel. Try different grips on the combo. go spend a few $ on some tape to build up the grip Ice Stretch relax your grip a bit. Then amputate...

Bama55 nailed it, sore wrist and tingling ring & pinkie fingers are your ulnar nerve. I have similar damage from Mountain Biking and Weight Training. Lots and lots of ice and stretching. Make sure the grip on the rod (where you put your hand) isn't putting too much pressure on the "fat part" of the outside of your palm... The nerve ends there and just holding a set up that puts the grip against it "Just so" OR a grip that is too thin will set it off (my experience). I used Handle bar tape from a bike shop to build up grips that I found caused this reaction and it helped a lot.

Drop shot a 3" senko or 4" roboworm.

Put the frog on such that frog bows down a bit between the line tie and where you insert the hook. Use a heavy gauge (gammy superline) hook too. I use floating white ribbits exclusively, they fish the same regardless.

Go to a bike shop and check out the bar tape selection. The variety is amazing, from cork to vinyl to leather to foam to carbon. Durability is on par the tennis racket grip, lighter too.

I wouldn't bothering. They're reaction baits so stealth is sort of a moot point. It's just another knot to fail.

As far as tag length I personally leave ~3/8" and that's mostly out of habit. I fish with a guy (multiple time AOY in the club and on the Federation State Team yearly) that leaves 3-6" regularly, even on his tiny shakyheads. He also swears by Vanish but that's another story.

Mono and braid = Trilene Knot it has nearly no waste. Fuoro = San Diego Jam maybe an inch of waste.

I use 17lb Siege as a Carolina Rig leader, that stuff is tough! Coming through/over rocks with neary a wimper!

So the smallies are going nuts up here and my lucky crafts are feeling their rath. I've got 3 Pointers and a Flash Minnow either missing hooks or have hooks so mangled it's comical. For Pointer 100's, what trebles are you folks using as replacements?

There are a couple new Daiwa Zillions on that auction site in the range you are looking to spend. I'd go that route.

Rebel Redneck. Kind of a fatter bodied Rage Anaconda with a red skirt slid on to it. Meant to mimic a Hellbender.

To catch a bowfin: Find swampy backwater area. Tie on most expensive lure you have (add reciept to hook for extra attraction). Cast. Set hook. Land fish, release it. Take broken bait and throw it in the bottom of the boat. Repeat. My buddy and I were flipping a weed bed on Champ. He was on the front left and was in the rear on the right. We both hooked into 11lb+ bowfin at the same time. It was nuts... "You get the net! No! You get it I'm busy! Dude!!!! Dude, what!?!?!?! I'm going through the same thing you are!"

Great deal there!

Put the Advantage on the rod to try it. I have Zillions and Advantages/Tierras. The Advantage is somewhat wide and some feel it's hard to palm. I think you have to figure in the reel seat too to make that decision, on some Minima-type seats they are perfectly fine. I like the Advantage a lot, but a Zillion/Fuego/Alphas is in a different league. Now an Advantage compared to a Curado E... In my opinion is an equal preformer, with a better feel. If it was me though look at a used Zillion/Fuego/Sol. I got a Zillion with Orange Seals and Smooth Drag upgrade for $150, the thing was basically new. Deals like this do pop up.

Orivs Mirage (should be at most any fly shop) 0x sized Fluoro leader. The stuff is bomber in rocks and wood. Holds knots very well too. Tiny spools won't clutter up your bag too.

Had it before. Ketoconozole works well. To prevent it you need to allow air to easily pass over your skin. People get it on spots that their clothes often have constant contact with their skin. Go shirtless (or commando or barefoot) when you can, baggy fishing shirts with good venting are great at preventing it from coming back too often.

Did you catch anything? Looks nice and subtle

Forget Rednecks .... If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work ...there, you live in New England . If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in New England. If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you live in New England. If Vacation means going anywhere south of New York City for the weekend, you live in New England . If you measure distance in hours, you live in New England . If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in New England . If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day and back again, you live in New England . If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in New England . If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both unlocked, you live in New England. If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you live in New England . If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in New England . If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph you're going 80 and everybody is passing you, you live in New England . If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in New England . If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you live in New England . If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in New England . If you find 10 degrees 'a little chilly', you live in New England . If there's a Dunkin Donuts on every corner, you live in New England . If you think everyone else has a funny accent, you live in New England . If you actually understand these jokes, and forward them to all your New England friends, you live or have lived in New England.

I have a mantra I repeat to myself that causes me to slow down and go at it's pace. Runners, Cyclists, skiers all use this method to not go out 100% and blow up too early in a race and keep a good pace. It works, pick a song or a saying, anything that works for you and just keep singing/saying it to yourself. Helped me a lot!

PM Chris at Tech. I have that same reel (as well as Saharas, Sedonas, sonoras). The Tierra is a better reel.

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