desmobob

Next thing that will probably happen is you'll fish them more. And then you'll notice the size of the fish you catch on jigs tends to be larger than on other baits. And then you'll fish them even more again! Tight lines, Bob

They also have a product for high RPM applications: SpeedX. Sounds like it might be good for reel bearings.... Tight lines, Bob

Not many people seem to be familiar with this product. It is fantastic! One of my other hobbies is R/C aircraft. I fly some float plane models, and found out right away that sensitive electronics and water don't mix. If I soak a receiver or electronic speed control in CorrosionX overnight, not only is it no longer prone to malfunction, failure or ruin if it gets wet, it will actually still function perfectly while totally submerged in water. And this treatment lasts for the whole season. It's a good lubricant that penetrates very well, too. I don't know why they don't market the stuff in stores. Well, maybe they do, but I can't find it around here; I have to mail-order it directly from the manufacturer. It's worth the trouble, in my opinion. Tight lines, Bob

I was satisfied with the way my MHF rod fished jigs this past season, but I bought a HF rod and a MHF "Finesse" rod for next season. I think I'll have the bases covered for various kinds of jig fishing. Tight lines, Bob

I just ordered my second Daiwa Tatula (~$93 if you look around). You could buy TWO of these wonderful reels and still be under budget! Tight lines, Bob

I just cleaned and lubed my reels for the season and put them away. After handling the new TatuIa I bought this summer, I remembered how impressed I am with it. I ordered another one today! :-) Since the season ended for me, I've bought a new Lew's Tournament Pro and a new Daiwa Tatula. After recovering from Christmas shopping, I'll pick out a new Shimano. Tight lines, Bob

I wish they made left-hand retrieve models. If so, I'd probably try one. Tight lines, Bob

Suffix 832 is the good stuff. It's a little pricey, but if you keep your reel spool half-filled with mono and add the braid on top, you'll get a lot more mileage out of the spool of braid. If you want to go cheaper, regular Power Pro is a safe choice. I would be satisfied if it was the only braid I could get; it's good stuff. I use 30lb. braid on all my reels, but if you're used to, and want to maintain, the depths your crank baits run with your mono, you'd have to use braid that was 50-65 lb. test... it would have a similar diameter to 16 lb. test mono. If you used, 30 lb. braid, your crank baits would run considerably deeper than you're used to, as 30 lb. braid has about the same diameter as 8 lb. mono. Tight lines, Bob

The answer to that and a lot of other questions are right here in the resource guide.... http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/clean-reel.html Tight lines, Bob

My favorite cheap solvent for clean-up and degreasing work is 91% Isopropyl Alcohol from the local drug store. If I need something a little stronger, I have Acetone, or carb or brake cleaner aerosols. Tight lines, Bob

Hot Sauce lube and grease. Tight lines, Bob

That's a weird looking break. No splinters! I'd think it was a defect.... Good luck with your warranty service. I hope all goes well. Tight lines, Bob

You can get a top of the line White's, Garrett, Fisher, or Minelab with all the accessories you need for around $2k or less.... Tight lines, Bob

I caught the most big fish on 3/8 or 1/2 oz jigs with 4" Pit Boss trailers. I caught the greatest numbers of fish on wacky-rigged 5" Senkos. I had the most fun catching fish on ScumFrogs. As far as specific hard baits, I did very well with the Bill Norman N and Big N in bull bream color, the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap in Chartruese Crawfish, and chatter baits. Tight lines, Bob

I'm not familiar with any in that price range. The White's Spectra V3i or TDI Pro are pretty much their top of the line machines, and sell for about $1800. My Garret ACE 250 was about $225 and my DFX was about $1K. Tight lines, Bob

Lew's Tournament Pro Speed Spool... you can find 'em on the auction site for $150. Small, light, versatile braking system, strong drag, aluminum frame, Duralumin gears, 10 bearings. Tight lines, Bob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHvLKNjTwIM He seems like a nice fella.... Tight lines, Bob

I have one of the Temple Forks Outfitters (TFO) Gary Loomis Signature Series UL spinning rods and like it a lot. Mine is 6' ULM, but they make a 6' ULF and a 6'6" ULF two-piece as well. $99. Tight lines, Bob

Check out the Kistler Carbon Steel "All Day Power Tool." It's a 7'6" HF that is probably a touch on the medium-heavy side. It's very light, sensitive, and casts well. I just got one last week. I've only had it out on the water once, but I knew immediately that I liked the way that rod felt, considering the price. About $140, IIRC. Tight lines, Bob

That's a beautiful stringer of perch! Years ago, I was in a bait shop in maybe Schroon Lake, NY? and they had a stringer of really huge yellow perch hanging on the wall that some taxidermist did an excellent job on. I've caught some whoppers in Lake George over the years while fishing for smallies. Tight lines, Bob

I chose the Garret Ace 250 as my first detector and would recommend it to anyone. A year later, I bought a White's DFX which is an AMAZING tool. But it's complicated and takes a long time to learn how to really get the most out of its features. When I want to do some causal detecting, I still use the Ace 250. I would imagine the Ace 350 is a great machine as well. Tight lines, Bob

I have two of the Tournament Pros and really like the dual braking system. I would choose the Tournament MB. I think the Tournament Pro might be the best buy in the Lew's lineup and would save a little longer to get that one. You can find them on eBay for about $150. Tight lines, Bob

Lime or dynamite will usually let you know what's down there.... ;-) I'm amazed at how inaccurate the DEC/DNR listings sometimes are for fish species present in a body of water. Tight lines, Bob

When I'm not using a 9-wt. fly rod for inshore stripers, I use a Fenwick HMX 7' MXF spinning rod. I've caught lots of stripers in the 20-30lb. range with it and never felt under gunned. I think any quality medium power rod will do the job. I haven't looked, but I'm guessing there will be slim pickings in the 6' length, with most being 6' 6" or 7'. Tight lines, Bob

I can't say too much about the rod as I have not actually caught a fish on it yet (and just winterized the boat). I CAN say that it will throw an unweighted 5" Senko as far as you would want, and will throw a 3/8 oz. floating original Rapala without trouble... and that's without a "finesse" reel; I was using a Daiwa Tatula with 30lb. Power Pro. And it does it without the tip feeling too soft at all, if you can imagine a rod that loads up well with 3/8 oz. and still feels sharp and responsive. I also am a bit curious about the lure weight rating of the rod. It sounds a little optimistic, but I think with a proper reel, you could throw 1/4 oz. just fine.... Anyway, I'm really impressed with the rod and wish I could get some more time in with it before ice-up. Keep in mind that my only other experience with a decent bait casting rod is with the 7' MHF St. Croix Premier, which has a reputation as being on the heavy side of medium-heavy. That rod feels like a club compared to any of the four Kistlers I bought; including the 7'6" HF "All Day Power Tool." I have a feeling that maybe Kistlers could be on the lighter side of their ratings; the opposite of the St. Croix. Tight lines, Bob