K_Mac

It is your garden variety brown water snake. Serves a purpose in the ecosystem and no threat to anyone. A copperhead has a heavier body, a thicker tail, and a bigger head with eyes that set it apart.

You would have a very tough time convincing my wife that she does not need cake from time to time. A-Jay the way you represent the Coast Guard is a credit to all who wear the uniform. Enjoy the cake and the day!

I've used both. CXX is far better for a C-rig IMO. It is stronger, has better abrasion resistance, and much less stretch. 15lb would also be my choice.

I am not sure if you are just rattling our chain or are serious about taking the line back having cut it and then decided you had bought the wrong size. My answer in either case is no it would not be ok.

OE this discussion just shows once again that there are few absolutes when it comes to fishing. I sometimes fish with a guy that never fills his reels beyond 60-70%. This has always been a mystery to me. It takes more energy to get equivalent distance and would drive me crazy. It works for him. I think the majority of us would agree that full is better though.

Definitely half empty! Life is too short to use a half empty reel. Mark it up to experience and re-spool.

I have 4 PQs that are all very well used. Not enough drag has never been an issue even in the heaviest of cover. A little cleaning may help if it proves to be a problem.

Stevie Nicks was a favorite back in the day. I was in love with her for years before I realized she could really sing...

Dwight that is the funniest quote I've seen in a long time. You should add it to your signature line!

I do like Martina, esp on the old ballads. My favorite woman is a tough choice, but I think Emmylou Harris gets my vote. I love her voice, and she can sing a harmony line better than anyone. Choosing a man is even tougher. From Hank Sr. to John Denver to Michael Crawford to Steven Tyler. My top choice today would be Luciano Pavarotti. What a powerful instrument.

I don't always eat bass, but when I do I eat 12"-14" ones. Stay hungry my friends. I am told those above 15# are really good but I have never been able to catch one...

My advice is work harder! Then you won't need to play...

I have a 12 gauge with 00 close at hand, but what I will reach for first inside the house is my 9mm SR9c. I too may have other handguns stashed...I am far more comfortable with a handgun in any close-in fast moving situation.

I am not advocating banning. I am more of public caning advocate.

MB you make an argument based on what you believe to be true, and fault mine drawing conclusions that are not supportable. I don't believe that the evidence supports your claims that lead from fishermen is a serious threat to the environment. Yes, added to your morning cereal or inhaled while making weights in an improperly vented garage is a problem. And yes, high levels in water are dangerous, but the conclusion that the tiny relative amounts of lead added by fishermen make any real difference is not supportable based on what I have read. The argument, "Lead is a dangerous element and therefore we must take action to protect ourselves from it being used in fishing weights" is a classic knee-jerk reaction. I am all in favor of protecting the environment and believe we all are responsible for doing so. Using emotion and half-baked scientific "facts" is a very popular tactic used by those how would protect us from all dangers real and imagined. Now I am off to throw some aluminum cans in the local pond...

Like Catt I am not convinced that the small amounts of lead by fishermen added to the environment make a great deal of difference. It may, and when I see real scientific evidence to support it I will quit using it and become an advocate for change. I am also not convinced that aggressive criticism in the guise of honesty is of any value at all. What is your purpose? If you want to make a case against using lead, then do it. If you want to show everyone how much smarter and more righteous you are than the rest of us, then you can expect to be called on it.

Roger with the exception of my wife and family I have found love to be a fleeting thing. I am still in the early "infatuation" stage of my relationship with fluoro. One thing is certain: When it comes to fluorocarbon, love it or hate it, the topic always makes for interesting discussion.

Yes.

Roger I think it always comes up because in order to take advantage of the great characteristics of fluorocarbon the knot is key. It is not a deal breaker for me. I know that if I tie a San Diego jam knot, wet it properly, and cinch it down carefully it is not an issue. For those who are not conscientious about getting the knot right every time fluorocarbon is unacceptable. It is like punching with a light wire hook using heavy braid and blaming the line when the hook fails.

I think the answer to your question is yes. They are designed to deflect off of wood without snagging. They will catch fish in rock and grass very effectively at times. Rattling them through wood is where they really shine though in my experience.

I am still using some that I stocked up on when Walmart clearanced SK tungsten. I like the everything about them but the price. I have also come to the decision that for most of my fishing they have become too expensive for my budget. I will keep them on hand for limited use when money or pride is on the line!

A Medium power, Fast or Extra Fast action rod is fine place to start IMO in that particular rod. Your rod is rated in the range that most of your fishing will be done with. That rating is comparable to MH in most other line-ups. I would use it with confidence. With good technique you can fish all but the very heaviest stuff or bigger baits where you have to drive home a heavy hook. When you get there you will want to add another rod anyway! Enjoy!

I would recommend reading a few of the many threads on site regarding line. As you can see there are many opinions. I think XT is a decent mono and have it on a couple of my combos. While mono does have some limitations, we caught fish on it for a lot of years before all of the new and improved lines were available. I would agree that a good copoly would be a better choice for one all purpose combo for the reasons mentioned above. I am not a fan of braid, but many use the braid and leader approach with very good success. I would use what you have and see how it works. If you have problems then you can try something else. Enjoy the process. It won't be long and you can argue the benefits of fluorocarbon versus copoly versus mono with the rest of us. Enjoy!

SirSnook I will edit my earlier post by saying I am also talking about good quality fish. I could catch more fish at times on other baits. Most of the time I am not really interested in catching a lot of small fish unless one of the grandkids is along. A small t-rigged worm, a light jig and 2-3" grub, or a 4-5" wacky Senko would probably be my choice if just catching any bass was the mission.

Like others I do not have the discipline or patience to measure and weigh most fish. The bait that catches the most fish is the one you get in front of the most fish. As simple as that sounds, I believe it to be absolutely true. This year my go-to bait is a t-rigged smallie beaver pitched to grass. Last year it was a chatterbait. The year before it was a wacky rigged Senko/knock-off. The year before...maybe a jig. The key is finding fish. What is far less important than where.