corn-on-the-rob

Uni-uni and Alberto are about the same difficulty/time to tie if you are familiar with both. I used the uni-uni for about a year and a half before I switched to Alberto. The Alberto is definitely a bit stronger, but the uni is acceptable to many anglers. The biggest thing about the Alberto is that it is crucial that the tag end leaves the leader loop the same way it enters as the final step, or it will fail. The good news is that as long as you cinch hard/properly, it will fail in your hands as you are finishing tying, so you know you did it wrong.

Set your drag lighter.

Like others said, that is due to line memory, which is more prevalent in thicker, heavier lines - mono, and FC even more so. You can try to make 12lb work, but I would highly recommend 8lb test. It is strong enough to be out of the lite line category for me (4lb-6lb) but also very manageable on spinning reels if you are spooling completely with FC. 10lb is certainly doable, but once you jump over 8lb, you start losing a bit of that manageability. If you want/need heavier line go with braid mainline, then attach however heavy FC you want because when there is only 2 to 5 feet of it, there isn't enough to cause memory/coiling problems most of the time, even if you use heavier FC. I use 30lb hi-vis braid on my spinning reels, then attach a short leader of 12lb or even 20lb when the lake erie rocks are giving me problems. Your current method doesn't particularly take advantage of either of the lines' strengths as much as spooling straight, or using main braid with a short FC leader does.

Yep, I throw a 4/0 flipping hook on an 8'' worm, and even then the hook is only about an inch and a half of the length, doesn't cause me any concern, particularly because bass typically like to eat things head first, where the hook is.

Are the ingots 1 lb?

I fished for my school, we competed against each other at our local lakes, and did the FLW college fishing each season too. Any particular questions or direction for advice?

I have fished it maybe 5 times, but I did place and qualify two years in a row for college fishing. It is one of the places where unless you find something unique offshore, you have to beat the docks just like everyone else is, so you have to find small advantages since everyone does the same thing. It is one of my favorite lakes to fish for sure.

Anyone going down? Seneca, South Carolina - Lake Keowee The pros will be right next door at hartwell!

Sounds like you have it covered. Only thing I can think of is a small rattle trap or blade bait yo-yo'd on the bottom if the situation calls for it.

If you google "campgrounds near Chautauqua" you will find I think 2 good campgrounds. I have heard good things about both and it is honestly way cheaper if you can handle the heat at night. Just make sure you get the sites with electric and ample room for the boat. Have you fished there a lot?

I grew up a Rat-L-Trap kid from my dad, now we both love the strike king red eye shads. Great action, great finishes/selection. A lot of guys on here like using multiple brands due to subtle differences than seem to make a difference sometimes.

What reservoir?

I believe the most common leader lengths are anywhere as short as 1 foot, and as long as, like you said, where the connection knot isn't reeled into the spool. Like pretty much everything else, it comes down to preference; I prefer 2.5ft to 5ft 99% of the time. Medium/heavy cover whether it is wood or vegetation, does two things for you: 1. Between all of the strands of grass, branches, and small spaces you are working the lure through, your thin piece of braid would rarely be detected among them. 2. There is a reason the application calls for heavy braid, by tying a 20lb or even 25lb leader, you have only 1/3 the breaking strength you originally tied on heavy braid for in the first place. Tie direct.

I had to realllly think about that... took me way longer than it should have lol

I am not superstitious, but some of what we fisherman have "confidence" in is definitely borderline superstition. My most common ritual is to go to bed early, get virtually no sleep, then yawn all day on the water.

I get it. I do, but I have a couple of points. 1. A leader is often made to be the weak link in the chain when it comes to breaking strength. It is often used as the breaking point to save and conserve the mainline braid and also due to the difficulty and strain on your equipment from breaking braid (unless very light braid). It is important to note that this is intentional breaking, like when your lure is stuck. Otherwise, you set your drag and understand that if you have 20lb braid with a 10lb leader, you assume everything is the 10lb strength and act accordingly. A properly selected and carefully tied knot virtually eliminates the possibility of connection knot failure. 2. I have also caught fish out of gin clear water with bright yellow braid and no leader, but I have also seen (anecdotally) a leader matter greatly. It is a classic case of: Will it always matter? No. Can it matter? Yes. Visibility aside, the number one use for many of us who religiously use FC leaders is abrasion resistance. Braid, especially lower diameter braid, has poor abrasion resistance. Sometimes in wood, but primarily in rock. Thicker braid tends to do better but that is not always the case when compared to equivalent diameter mono or fluoro. It is also important to note that not all rocks are created equal, some play nicer than others, and the mean ones, well, they make it to where a leader is essential. If, and when, you experience these rocks, I promise you will understand the need. I fish a good amount of these mean rocks on lake erie where I have broken off newly tied 30lb braid by only putting the amount of pressure to lift a 3/8oz tube jig off of the bottom numerous times. Slight lift, and suddenly your line is weightless. I literally cannot fish those type of rocks with a bottom bait with braid alone. I do agree with your philosophy of keeping it simple, because a lot of things us fisherman do are quite unnecessary. But I do believe this is a case where your experience may not reflect or represent the big picture, though your experience and wisdom is valued and certainly appreciated.

Yea, on Erie, the jigging drum bite is very distinctive, either you get hit on the lift, or one very large thump when it's on the bottom. It's cool to know why now, thanks!

trokar weedless widegap wacky. Have a huge bite on them, sharp, and strong, and not terribly expensive like most of their hooks.

If you like the veritas, the veracity is right up your alley. It does have micro guides which I like but it comes down to preference.

I would take the company's word on it, they are probably pretty silent. Chances are that these "mixed" reviews are people shaking the bait with out holding the hooks and split rings tight and that's what they hear. There is no rattle in the chamber. I think the silent version can definitely excel in: 1. Clear Water and/or 2. Pressured Water and/or 3. Alternating between rattle and no rattle can produce more fish from the same area than just one option alone Don't worry about buying in person, order away!

A gentle wind blew near their headquarters and their entire rod inventory snapped in half.

A new boat!

I have thrown full 8in or 10in worms on the back of a jig before because I wanted to throw something goofy, to my surprise both times resulted in large fish, talk about a big profile, especially in Ohio... But if you are looking to trim them anyways, try a 5'' fat grub which also is a bit thicker which creates a great profile. All in all, take a shot in the dark and experiment, you might find something that works for you.

I understand that most of fishing is preference/opinion but, man, there are a lot of absolutes being tossed around in this thread...

It seems when these buy outs happen, that most of the time they let the brand roll. They bought it due to its own unique designs/innovation/recognition so not much should change in the broad picture, only whose name gets to be the cherry on top. I know this isn't the perfect example (mainly due to wiggle warts and other pre-Rapala molds) but Rapala has owned Storm lures for over 20 years now. Storm had been doing their own thing for close to 30 years before they sold. Storm still retained their own identity and continues to create new lures/designs, I doubt most average fisherman know that Rapala owns storm, because they stay relatively hands off and let the brand continue to fill its niche. That being said, price changes can happen, manufacturing standards can change, causing different than expected value and quality. Like others said competition is great. No matter how large these parent companies are, they will never have total control of the market and will be challenged constantly to keep up, or lose money.