desmobob

The sizes of these and many other terminal tackle doo-dads are also an issue for me... I don't have any big tackle stores nearby where I can look at a lot of things. On the mail-order websites, they often list just the manufacturer's size designation, not the actual size or pound-test information. Sorry... just a pet peeve I had to throw out there! Tight lines, Bob

I was a loyal Havoc Pit Boss user until I tried the Missile D-Bomb. It's now my favorite. It's also my favorite plastic bait to sneak out of the package and toss to an unsuspecting women in the boat (on the rare times I have an unsuspecting woman in the boat). They usually start screaming the second they catch it. Tight lines, Bob

Keep plugging and learn the FG knot. Its super-slimness more than makes up for the additional effort to learn it. In any knot strength tests I've seen on braid-to-leader knots, the FG is tops, followed next by the Alberto/Modified Albright and then the Uni-to-Uni. In my experience, I've had several Uni-to-Uni knots fail before the leader broke. That's when I switched to the Alberto. That solved that problem. But when I saw how wonderfully slim the FG knot was, I fell for it (almost all my rods have micro guides). If you have trouble tying the FG, search for video tutorials. There are a couple of ways to go at it, and one may prove easier for you. There's one video I enjoy where the guy talks about how easy the FG really is to tie. He proves his point by doing it with heavy leather gloves on! Tight lines (and strong knots), Bob

Thanks Tom. Before I chose the rod, I did read that they fished a little heavy; that's why I bought the Medium. Does your rod have the micro or standard eyes? Do you like it? Tight lines, Bob

Thank you for your service! As we get older, lots of things change... except for our love of fishing! Tight lines, Bob

Thanks; that's reassuring. I treat my rods pretty well. They always have a rod sock on them when not being used and they ride in a carpeted rod locker in my boat. I've never lost a guide insert on any of my rods and I hope my luck holds out! Tight lines, Bob

Funny how that works, isn't it? Same thing happens to me... Tight lines, Bob

I'm usually a hard-core researcher when it comes to buying new gear. But today I found a great deal on an Abu Garcia Veritas 2.0 7' MF casting rod; the micro guide version ($48). Now that I'm finally doing a little research on the rod, I'm finding a disturbing number of reports of guide failures on that rod series; inserts breaking and falling out, etc. The vast majority of my rods are Kistlers and I've been extremely happy with them, but I wanted to pick up a low-priced rod for a new low-priced reel. Did I make a mistake choosing the Veritas? Tight lines, Bob

It seems like I lose lures to pike almost every time I fish and it sometimes keeps me from using presentations I'd like. But there is nothing like the way a pike can do a high-speed broadside slam on a topwater or buzz bait! Or nothing that will snap you out of a crank-and-wind-induced daze like having a big pike explode on your bait just as you're lifting it out of the water to cast. I've had the latter happen so violently I actually yelled in surprise. (Don't ask if I screamed like a girl. There were no witnesses, so my story is that I let out a manly cuss.) Water wolf, indeed. Tight lines, Bob

Do they hold a lot of water? I casted a sand eel pattern of what looked like similar materials a few years ago for Cape Cod stripers. It casted like a wet washcloth. I disliked casting it enough that I never really found out if it was effective. Tight lines, Bob

What? Ike being overly dramatic? Come on... Tight lines, Bob

No problems standing and fishing in the boat. Standing and fishing in ANY boat with an 8-year-old can be a hazard, for various reasons... That price seems kind of high to me, but I'm not up on that kind of thing. If it includes a trailer; I guess, but for just the boat and trolling motor? I've seen similarly-sized boats with trailers and working outboard engines for sale for that price range... Tight lines, Bob

Yup... you can accidentally back-cast a small bluegill with an 8-wt. That sure is a nice fish! Tight lines, Bob

I have that same Meyers Laker (re-branded as a "Gamefisher") and I love its extremely light weight. I bought it so I could handle getting it to the water alone at small lakes and ponds with no real boat ramp. I have a 15HP outboard on mine. That's the max for this boat and probably a bit too much, really. One thing to be aware of: because of the rounded hull shape at the bow, the boat can do strange and startling things if you try to do some really aggressive steering at speed. Other than that little quirk, I love mine. Also, be aware that the light weight was achieved by using light-gauge aluminum for the hull, so it's not as resistant to abuse as some other similar boats. Tight lines, Bob

Good point about the drag always being enabled regardless of the anti-reverse being on or off. I still prefer to keep the AR engaged. Bad things can happen if it's not and you lose your grip on the reel handle. =:-0 Tight lines, Bob

Like any other hobby, once you get past the initial learning curve, it gets better and better. Your own experience on your local water will be a big part of learning. Depend on it as much as you depend on what you hear or read. Start with quality equipment that you will enjoy using. Have fun. Take photos. And, have fun. And be sure to have lots of fun. Tight lines, Bob

It is hugely helpful to get casting help from the local Orvis shop, etc., or from a real fly fisherman. I use the term "real" because I've met a lot of self-proclaimed "fly fishermen" who couldn't cast at all and were pretty much clueless on the mechanics/theory. With good instruction, it's easy to learn to cast effectively. Fly casting is not intuitive; getting instruction will insure your success. I continue to watch casting videos from the experts. Fly casting is kind of like golfing... you will always be looking for ways to improve and ways to identify faults in your casting. I've been fly fishing most of my life and I don't consider myself to be a excellent caster. Some guys are amazing. I'm just not one of them... Tight lines, Bob

Daiwa still sells them, right? When I look at mine, it has a dated look... it reminds me of the styling of something from the past, but I can't put my finger on it. The Tournament SS is a great reel, for sure. Tight lines, Bob

I read somewhere that the new-fangled spinning reels have an adjustable drag on them so you no longer have to back-reel. What will they think of next?! Tight lines, Bob

Here's a shot of a Hex I took back in the '90s with old school macro gear and slide film: Tight lines, Bob

I remember reading that mayfly nymphs make up an impressive percentage of Walleyes' food intake, too. I suppose it was referring to younger age classes... Anyway, it's a fun time to fish for several species when the Hex hatch is on! Tight lines, Bob

95% I live in a rural area. It's 25 miles to the nearest places that have tackle, and they are almost all big chain stores I prefer not to do business with. Tight lines, Bob

And I forgot to mention what is probably my best option: roll my own. At some point, I'll talk to the folks at Mudhole about picking a blank that will fit my preference. Tight lines, Bob

Thanks. Rare as hen's teeth, apparently, and very pricey. There must be something out there! I need to take a trip to the Asian countries and hit all the big tackle shops! (But I'll need to hit the lottery first...) So, I guess I have my Major Craft Volkey/Daiwa PX-R for BFS and the new Kuying Teton/Tsurinoya XF50 for ultralight baitcasting. I'll have to experiment with other rods, possibly the Kuying rods mentioned, to find something that's sort of in between. Tight lines, Bob

Thanks for the information! I haven't fished the Teton yet, but I get the feeling I'm going to be looking for a decent rod that falls in between the Teton and the Volkey... Tight lines, Bob