.ghoti.

Funny. I've never seen a fluorocarbon line with the brand name braid. Where are you guys finding this stuff?

That's what they say about us.

Some food for thought. Several have suggested a crankbait. If you decide to go that route, take a measurement or two first. How long are her arms? Add that to the rod length and add three to four feet for line out. Be 13 - 14 feet. Unless you can stay that far away from her at all times, do not give her a crankbait. This is a very painful lesson to learn.

One these works nicely. Useful for other cutting tasks as well. http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/CISH2114/cas-hanwei-sh2114-zatoichi-sticksword-folded-high-carbon-blade-rosewood-handle

You gotta try linguine with spam sauce. Or try this. Strain out all the spam juice from the can. Pour into an ice filled shaker and add 3 ounces of gin. Shake well and strain into a glass. Spamtini baby!

Nope; Tony the Tiger binge munching again.

A MH Avid is equivalent to most other heavy power rods. If you live in an area with a lot of heavy vegetation in the water, that would be a good choice, except for crankbaits. Otherwise, a medium Avid would be a better choice.

I haven't used my yak as much as I would like so far. When I first got it, I used whatever rods I thought right for the day. I now tend use the rods I have with shorter handles. They're easier for me to use, probably due to my dickey-do disease.

I've heard some say an ultra-light rod is more sensitive. I've heard others say the heaviest power rods are more sensitive. They're probably both correct, and I don't believe either one. Sensitivity is the most over-hyped, over-marketed, over-propagandized term in this industry. and we've all drunk that koolaid to a certain extent. Being a completely subjective property; it is virtually meaningless. For every person who claims "this" rod is most sensitive, there are some who will claim "that" rod is the one,, and some more who go for the "other" rod. Again, they're probably all correct, and I don't believe any of them. I do believe that all other things being equal, a lighter rod is more sensitive. Starting with the same blank, build one to match a factory rod, and build the second with a lighter reel seat / handle assembly, and smaller, lighter and fewer guides(most rods have too many guides), and the second rod will out-perform the first. I believe that because I've done that. And last, I think part of the differences of opinions on which is the most sensitive, other than fanboy adoration, is the way each person holds the rod while fishing. Which is in part a personal preference, to some extent dictated by the reel mounted at that time. to the OP, these dyas, if you spend $100+ you're going to get a rod that will do the job nicely. Buy waht feels good to you, with the reel mounted. Then it's up to you to get the most out of it. Sorry folks, I don't know what happened with that post. I had sectioned out in paragraphs, and it posted as one block. weird

Outstanding post, Clayton.

My SOP is to ride a new reel like I stole it. I want any warranty issues to show up quickly. As soon as I'm satisfied the reel is OK, I will do a complete tear down, and lube to my specs. A positive improvement is almost always obvious.

Go with the YZ you have on hand. 6lb YZ is actually about 12lb strength so 8 would be around 14 or 15 pounds breaking strength. More than enough for bass fishing, and a lot easier to learn on, not to mention a lot cheaper when you backlash bad enough to require a knife.

If you need to spend that much, and want your name on it, why not contact Mike at Delaware Valley Tackle, and have him build you precisely what you want? Look to right of the page at the list of sponsors. DVT is who you want.

The only question I have is: once you've figured out which knot to use, learned how to tie it, and actually have such a setup on your rod; how do you fish a senko?

I vaguely remember the owner telling us to not use cotton when spooling line though a wet rag. Use a synthetic material instead. I do not remember why. He gave an explanation; I just don't recall what it was. If you're applying it and not getting any benefit from it, you used cotton, or you probably did not let it dry and bond to the line. This is essential. You can't just spray it on and go fishing. If you ever try it, you'll quit using real magic. But don't throw the reel magic away. It's great to spray on the weather stripping around you car doors. Keeps them easy to open in icy weather.

I hear you, brother. I have some stories; which shall never be told.

There are three kinds of lies; lies, damned lies, and statistics. - Mark Twain

I always say in the water when asked that question. Depending on who is asking there may or may not be another word before water.

You're a kind man for saying so. LOL

Raider, I learned PLC programming 30+ years ago. Haven't been out of job since. Never been fired, laid off, or let go. The only time I changed jobs was when I wanted to. I'm not breaking my arm patting myself on the back. I'm telling you there is job security in this skill set. You've said more than once you like heavy industrial. That's cool.You're a big, strong, young guy. So was I. The operative word being "was". You want some advice? Well, I'm gonna give you some anyway. Find a community college near you that offers PLC programming courses. Sign up, and make the time commitment required to learn the subject matter. You will thank yourself. This is a very portable skill set. You've been around industry in your area. See what's being used in your area. I covered a large portion of the middle of the country, and in that area Allen-Bradley is king. They have about 95% of the market. I suspect your area is no different. RSLOGIX5, RSLOGIX500, and RSLOGIX5000. Learn those, and you can go anywhere. And you can make a lot more money. And, what the flip are working for? Fame? Go for the cash, amigo.

A couple of years back I was on the way to Trophy Country for a four day trip. Got most of the way there when I realized I had forgotten something. I had more fishing tackle than i was going to use or need because,,, well just because. Had a cooler stocked with enough food for four guys for four days; another cooler full of adult beverages; rain gear, portable depth finder, spare trolling motor, first aid kit,, etc, etc, etc. everyhting except clothing had to backtrack to Hannibal to buy clothes and toiletries.

Growing up, the men in my family fished; so I did. I still do. Genetically predisposed? Beats me. You have however opened an entirely new version of the old nature vs nurture debate.

I thought you were gonna say you'd caught a screaming eagle. LOL

I went out on my dock a few days ago to test out a new rod, newly tuned reel and some new line. I posted about this previously, so i won't go into detail. Realized today that I do not have a current fishing license. In Illinois, our fishing lecense expires at the end of March. For at least 50 years I've bought a new license sometime in March. Not this year for some dumb reason. Besides being scatter-brained, this tells you how much I've been able to fish this year. to date, this year has been my poorest year of fishing. Had too much other stuff going on. And, I just retired at the end of 2015. What's up with that?

If you use a rotary tool often, a Foredom is worth it. The flex hose alone is worth it; for the precision. It's so much easier to control than a Dremel, and so smooth.