OnthePotomac

Yep, have four of them.

Don't have the reel, but I do have three 2.0 medium spinning rods (two are 7' and one is 7'2".) Older Carbonlite spinning rods were just fine the same size just wanted the 2.0 rods, so made the trade in last year. I still have an older 7' medium Carbonlite spinning rod with a 4000 Stradic FE on it.

Use Shimano ACT2 (or Cal's) drag grease on the gears and "geary" feel goes away.

Welcome to Shimano, where they have always gotten maximum performance with a minimum number of bearings.

Actually, those SK Rage Tail craws belong on the end of your line with a right slip sinker weight for where you are fishing reeled in with those craws going to town.

Watch out Potomac bass. I have one coming with a 1/2 oz swim jig in the same color.

On the Potomac when the beds get so thick you feel you could walk on them you have to go to popping big worms across the top, or paddle leg toads, or plain frogs. If an opening can be found it is a big creature bait with a 1/2oz pegged slip sinker in to the opening. With a nice edge on the bed, any thing popped in plastic to the edge and then let it drop down and wait. In a weedy pond like yours use a paddle tail large worm with a slip sinker and just throw it out and reel in the worm through the weeds with that tail making a ruckus. Zoom makes a nice one and so does Strike King.

Save your self grief and do what DVT said.

Made to order for the spring tidal Potomac River.

I wish, but this old soldier will be 86 this fall and I am thinking of selling the boat and standing on the bank somewhere. I am going to try one more summer on the mighty Potomac.

I agree on the line weight. I have three 70's and all have 12llb Invizx on them. I use two brakes on and the outside dial on "2". Or a 10lb will work, which I have used on my 70's, but now have 12lb Invizx on them. I never had a problem with 10lb flouro.

I read an interesting article years ago about a bass pro who tested rod sensitivity dragging weights over his carpets at home. I guess if you had hardwood floors it would not work. LOL Why wouldn't a weight dragged over a lawn work? When I test some of my reels after a cleaning I throw a weight out on the lawn and I am not looking for rod sensitivity, but the tip is sure jumping around on the retrieve.

I also got 9 years out of my Interstate wet cell starting battery for my 60 Yammie. I did pull it from the boat each winter and kept it on a battery tender with a desulfinator. I also kept the wet cells at the right level. Even the battery sales was surprised when I took it in for a new one. He commented that it was really unusual for one to last that long.

I am lovin' that big engine A-Jay, but the trusty G3 could never handle it LOL

And that means they are not too large.

I think the Shimano 200K is well worth $180 from dealers and less if you browse around. An incredible reel. I also think my Curado 100B's I bought 15 years ago for $130 each were well worth the money. That is $8.67 a year for a great reel to date and they are still like new. I am a BPS Carbonlite rod fan and always wait for the $20 off sale. I have some 9 years old and they still are just fine. Being retired I fish on a budget, but catch bass in the Potomac. I finally retired my 8' bamboo pole and string with a bobber last year.....just kidding.

When the YoZuri crystal minnows first appeared years ago I bought 8 in various sizes and colors and they were $2.50. Look at them now...wow! Some going for $11.00

I had one for 8 years and gave it to my grandson when he was 16. He is now a 25 year old Army lieutenant and somewhere along the line it was traded in for a new reel, but at the time it was traded there was not a thing wrong with it.

Have used 8lb BPS Excel 8lb mono on my spinning reels for 20 years this year.

I recommend butt connectors over solder. Will neve come apart and good connections. Use the right size

I use these and depending on the size of you bait you can use a 4/0, or 5/0. Very, very effective in hook ups and no toad roll. https://www.cabelas.com/browse.cmd?categoryId=734095080&CQ_search=toad+hooks&CQ_zstype=REG

I have not seen the need to change the hooks on my brat. Remember, hooks too large can change lure performance.

Leeslyvania State Park right off Route 1. Turn left at the big WAWA. It is $17 a park and launch, or unlimited if you store your boat there. I have been in the storage yard since 2001 and when I moved in it was $750 a year storage and launch for there and good for any state park in Virginia. Three years later it started to go up and was only good for Leesylvania Park. It is painful to pay the bill every Dec 1, but no boats are allowed sitting out in our housing area unless it is for over night and I prefer to keep the vehicles in the garage. There are two massive concrete ramps and floating tidal docks. Each ramp has a floating dock on each side of the ramp, so four launches/retrieves could occur at the same time if need be, but that only happens in the summer when the weekenders arrive at around 1100 AM. The yard is secured with a gate chain and lock which can only be opened by those who store there. If the Rangers see the gate open they check to see if a vehicle in there has the security placard hanging from the rear view mirror. I am not aware of any problems since I have been in the yard. There is also a snack store with cold drinks and lounging porch at the docks.

I looked into an enclosed storage bay when I bought my boat in 2001 and it was cost prohibitive, but then we are in a burb of D.C. and everything is three times as much as normal. Fortunately, I am only 5 miles from a state park and they have a secured storage yard, the fee for which includes parking and launching for a year. You pay by the foot, so I get nailed for an 18' (mine is 17'6") and $900 a year. As I recall, a storage bay was $200 a month. Lots of 20 and 21' bass boats in our yard and often wonder how much there bill must be. Ah, the joys of boat ownership and fishing.

To what size motor are you referring. Two strokes cared for are like the energizer bunny, they just keep running.