OkobojiEagle

As long as this discussion is personal preference only I'll add mine. Spinning rods I prefer split grip and length of the handle behind the reel stem to be consistent among all of my spinning rods. The bulbous butt of the rod is my left hand positioning point providing easier/better consistency in casting accuracy (and maybe distance). Positioning of my hands differs with baitcasting reels and I prefer buying full cork grips which I sand down to a concave shape but leave cork covering the entire handle. oe

Plenty of explanation above concerning baitcasting... the same concept with spinning, though the line needs to be "cupped" several inches in-front of the reel (with the hand not holding the rod) and gradually choked (squeezed) during the cast. Using this technique will help control "tumbling" of lures such as jerk baits also. oe

Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 110SP oe

Put on a jacket. oe

The only thing I'm sure about a bigger sized reel vs. a smaller sized reel is: the larger sized reel will hold more line and it will weigh more than the smaller reel. The rod length and action, as well as the choker guide size and position on the rod will have a significant influence on casting. I'd be concerned about how well the reel will balance your rod and ultimately how comfortable the rod/reel combination is for you to hold. The last two concerns will contribute greatly to your sense of the outfit's sensitivity. oe

Perhaps you would give us a synopsis of the article. oe

OP... please know there is a size difference in hooks between the Brewer Spider heads. The CLASSIC spider head uses a 3/0 bronze hook as opposed to the Spider head which uses a 2/0 bronze hook. The Classic Spider head's longer shank and greater gap will help your hook-up problem. As mentioned above, baits that are thicker than 1/2 of the hook's gap are going to be more difficult to set well into a bass. When rigging the bait, bringing the hook point completely through the bait then backing the hook into the bait makes it easier to set into the bass. Also, lubricating the hook with liquid scent will help the hook slide through the plastic bait and clear the hook gap more easily. Saliva will work to a degree if you don't have a liquid scent product. Work the scent/saliva well into the plastic. oe

Should you hook a truly large fish, musky, pike, carp, catfish..., you will appreciate having a full spool of line. oe

Bingo oe

OP as you surely would know, measuring a thin diameter line is very inaccurate when depth perception is so limited... oe

Thought maybe better material might transmit vibration better. I have changed stainless steel tip tops for ceramic rings. Leader knots were getting caught on the stainless steel tip during retrieve. Thanks for you opinions. oe

any merit to the idea of changing a rods tip guide (without changing the rest of the guides) to the best available to increase sensitivity? oe

... my thoughts also, but not until next season. oe

... with such popularity, I'm surprised they're still on the market. oe

Those that have used them, give us a review of Culprit's Skinny Jerkbait including how it behaves differently than other soft jerkbaits you've fished. Thanks oe

3 1/2" green pumpkin boot-tail grub

...neither is my response. oe

Well Dodge, what I don't get is bass anglers handicapping themselves with 50 lb test PE lines. oe

I buy plain hoodies and have my elementary aged grandkids design "grandpa's fishing team" jerseys with permanent markers. They usually spark a conversation at the loading ramp... oe

In my experience, Fireline is the most "mono-filament-esque" braid available. If anglers would keep this in mind and use it where they would use a limp mono-filament I think there would be far less criticism of it. oe

Important point that is not often made in rod length discussions. oe

most likely all 9 strands of this line are gel-spun polyethylene (PE). oe

3 zip-lock bags... green pumpkin, junebug and pearl, baits are mixed by color. oe

I brought one to the boat from the bottom of a 65' drop-off, the eyes looked as if they were going to explode from the head. I released it to swim back down, but considered that a killed smallie. I won't fish deeper than 40' anymore! oe

SpiderWire Ultra-Cast is pretty good handling line oe