K_Mac

Who is Zona?

I know RW speaks for a big percentage of good, experienced fishermen regarding FC as a leader using braid. On one hand it, probably does offer the best of each. On the other, it does not solve the handling issues of braid especially in windy conditions and it doesn't give the benefit of transferring vibration that makes FC desirable in my humble opinion. It also adds a knot to the mix. Knots are always the weakest link and less is better. Of course these are only my opinions and your milage may vary.

I agree the Cubs have a great team on paper. They are the prohibitive favorite in their division, but the Cards and Pirates will not go easy. It is what makes baseball such a great sport that it is impossible to know how a team will perform regardless of talent. The Cubs have a long history...

Livemusic I had a similar experience a number of years ago. I thought I knew how to pitch until I fished with a guy who grew up fishing a river system. It was a very humbling experience. Since then we have spent countless hours fishing together. I am much better now, but I will never be as good as he is getting a bait to nearly impossible spots. Like throwing darts or shooting a gun, focus is the key. Laser-like focus on the exact spot is key. Too often we throw to an area. This won't work. I know that sounds a simplistic, but it is the most important component IMO. Being able to generate enough speed to get to your spot while keeping the bait close to the water takes a lot of practice. It is not a simple movement. Most of the power is generated by your wrist. Dropping the rod tip, and follow though, and spool control take time to learn. Spend as much time with your friend as you can, and do what he does! Good luck.

Braid or fluorocarbon both take some getting used to. They each have good and bad characteristics. I am not a fan of braid, but there are times when I use it. Most of the time though, even in heavier cover I will use fluorocarbon for contact baits. When it comes to what is best, the only way to answer the question is to try both. Line preference can only be determined on the water. It also changes over time for most of us. I continue to experiment with different lines just because I can! Trying different gear and tackle is part of the fun of fishing. Enjoy!

I spent half a day yesterday organizing tackle, most of it plastics. I was happy to find most of what I have is colors and styles I still use. I do have several pounds of stuff that I will give away though. With that said, I certainly could go for years without buying anything although replacement of whatever is used most still has to be done regularly. A man can't have too many Senkos, worms, trick/finess worms, Beavers, cut tails, grubs, craws, paddletails, lizards, creatures...

Hey Slone I'm a little late but I just saw this thread. I have an LCP that I really like. I added a Houge grip for ~$10.00 that doesn't add much to the grip, but makes the gun more controllable and fun to shoot. It has hundreds of rounds through it without a hiccup. Enjoy!

OK guys. I spooled a spinnerbait/chatterbait combo with the line. I will have plenty of opportunity to check it out next week. I will report back then. I am so looking forward to spending a few days on the water! It has been a long winter...

Nice work. The wet testing really shows the real world results. Catt has caught more fish on Big Game than most of will ever catch, but that he does is more of a testament to his abilities than the line in my opinion. I don't like the cost of fluorocarbon and would not use it if I wasn't convinced of its value based on my empirical evidence. For some techniques it is much better than copolymer or monofilament ( and yes, I know that technically copoly is one filament made of two or more polymers) in my experience. How a line "feels" or transmits vibration if you prefer, is a critical measure of its value to me in some applications. For those I will always choose fluorocarbon.

So much of this depends on the fluorocarbon. I like Red Label for the money, but it does not have good abrasion resistance. Abrasx is not quite as manageable but has much better abrasion resistance. Invisx is between those two. What I use depends on the application. These are my observations, based on my experience. To sum up: Yes, fluorocarbon is "worth it" to me, but all fluorocarbon is not equal. You can read all the analysis you want, but you until try it on the water you cannot know whether it is worth it to you.

I wonder the same Senile1. 5.99 for 300 yards of 12# Sufix copolymer was so cheap for a name brand that I couldn't resist. I am going to spend all of next week at Kentucky Lake. I may have a chance to try it just for grins. I have spent 6.00 on far sillier fishing gear...

I was doing some spring shopping yesterday and found Sufix ProMix at Cabelas. I've not seen or heard of it before. It is a very inexpensive copolymer. It was so cheap I bought a 300 yard spool to try. I don't need it now, and was just curious if any of you have any experience with it. Thanks guys.

I have caught some of my better fish fishing a chatterbait over grass, occasionally clipping and ripping through the grass. If the grass is all the way to the surface other tactics are better. A weightless wacky Senko in openings in the grass is always worth a try. Good luck.

Nice pictures Slone. I love Chicago...to visit. I love the shore, the food, the museums, and that everyone and everything is going full speed at full volume! The cost of living there is higher than I can afford, and you don't have to get far off the beaten path to get into real trouble. Of course I live near St.Louis which is much the same. Enjoy the view.

I also agree that life is too short to worry about such things. This knothead posting pictures of your fish does nothing long-term for him, and costs you nothing. Move on.

He's not dead. Just on his way to being the most interesting man in the Solar System. Don't mess with Flo. I think she's hot!

I will add one more thing to my one thing! A-Jay and Senile1 both mention good fish for good reason. The big girls are more vulnerable to being caught between now and the end of the spawn than any other time of year. You may not catch a boat full (you might) but the odds of catching the biggest bass around are in your favor. Now I am fired up! I have a trip scheduled for Kentucky Lake in two weeks. I think I'll go organize some tackle...

I agree with A-Jay. I would add one thing: Pay close attention to water temperature. Stained/muddy water warms faster. Banks with exposure to afternoon sun will warm faster. Shallow water will warm faster. Warmer, shallow water close to deep water is where I would start. A couple of degree difference this time of year is important. Good luck and enjoy the day. Fish are a bonus!

Yep. I think a weightless wacky rigged 5" Senko is a better choice than 4" most of the time. I also like that the larger ones perform better when a little weight is added. As A-Jay said bigger is sometimes better. I rarely use a Senko t-rigged. There are many other plastics that I have more confidence in. Differences in profile can matter. I would keep some of each on hand.

I'm with Blue on this. With those consistently warm temps, I would put on my rain gear and go fish. Those temps mean the big girls are active. Enjoy!

I have several PQs. I have used them for years with no issues. Three or four brakes is usually plenty. I generally use from one to three depending on bait and conditions. How are you adjusting the spool tension? If that is set correctly then what's left is the magnetic braking. It should take little mag breaking if everything else is right, but don't be afraid to play with it.

A two pound trout is a decent trout, but a MH rod is more than needed, even in fast moving water with some cover. Throwing light baits for trout with a MH rod of any manufacturer will be a pain. If you have to have only one, a M will be more versatile. It is a compromise that may not be perfect for most of what you use though. If you insist on MH I would get a ML for lighter tackle. You don't have to break the bank, but there is no one rod that will work well for small trout and using a frog in the junk for bass.

I think you can assume a difference in power, but even that varies greatly between manufacturers. You can't assume a difference in action though. Some heavier power rods have soft tips and very fast action, others are slower with a stiffer tip. Again it varies among manufacturers.

I think M or even ML would be far better for most trout fishing that I'm familiar with and perfectly fine for much bass fishing. It really depends on the baits you generally throw. A Med spinning rod would be fine for plastics or jigs providing the weights were correct and lighter hooks used. It wouldn't work well for bigger baits or heavier cover though. There really isn't one rod that can do it all. Pick the one that is closest to what you use most, and add as needed. Good luck.

You are right. Carry on.