MassYak85

If I use a snap it stays with the bait and is used instead of a split ring.

Decoy Egg snaps size 2, 3 and 4 depending on the bait.

I haven't been out yet. Not as motivated to brave the wind and the cold this year haha. I think in a week or two I'll start getting out there.

I am cursed with tying PBs. For a loooong time I was stuck at 5.40 on the dot. I caught 3 fish at that weight on: 1) Green Pumpkin Wacky Rigged BPS Stickbait 2) Lethal Weapon Swim Jig 3) 9" Trout MS Slammer I broke it on at 5-11 on a Bl8nkt Red Spinnerbait Then I broke it again with a 6-4 using a brown 3pc PB Rat....only to tie it at 6-4 again, with a black 1pc Monka Crawler

For the price point I prefer the Daiwa Fuego CT but the Lews Speed Spool LFS was my first baitcaster alongside an old Johnny Morris hand-me-down from my dad. It was a solid reel.

Uggggh I didn't think I needed anything before spring

Calling them for parts is extremely easy and quick I will say.

I feel like I have the opposite problem where I can usually figure out a pattern but it's all 2lbers 🤣. I need some of your big fish magic haha.

The newer model Tatula. They've been super solid reels for me and easy to work on it was totally my fault for putting it away wet and waiting too long to service it.

Jigs, lipless (jigged off bottom), or jerkbait if they're still holding on the deeper breaks. Once they start getting shallow I am usually just covering water with a spinnerbait or bladed jig and hitting key areas with jigs.

Destroyed the levelwind on my oldest Tatula reel during it's annual cleaning (bearings were rusted beyond saving) so I "had to" order a brand new one 😄

I would pop open the gears at least and see what those looks like. If everything still turns smoothly you're probably in the clear. If you feel any grittiness there's probably some rusted bearings somewhere in the reel.

SV3 is my current go-to.

Pulled the trigger on a new Tatula. I had an 8 year old one that was my workhorse reel and finally had to retire it lol. I pulled it apart and the two levelwnd bearings were not just rusted, but somehow fused to the worm gear. I destroyed both bearings, the worm gear itself, and the plastic housing trying to get it apart. Oh well, it had a good life and I've got other tatulas and fuegos I can use the parts on. Called Daiwa and unfortunately they don't make that specific worm gear anymore.

They're super fun, the wings can be finicky sometimes though. MDC makes a perch crankdown that I really like and I have a Cl8 possum I'll sometimes pull out but that thing is big lol. I've caught a few good ones but I have to be in the mood to commit to it.

The last couple years the Monka Crawler has been my favorite. Unfortunately it only works well with no or very light wind but man that is such a fun bait to fish. More wind I tend to go to crankdowns or bigger wakes like Slammers or the Gill/Trout.

I picked up a Psycho Trout last year only got to use it once before winter set in. Excited to try it out more this year. My Psycho Gill is pretty old and beat up haha. But sometimes those baits work even better it seems.

I'm from MA and have definitely noticed an uptick in quality fish since I started throwing swimbaits. I don't throw anything huge, usually 9" and below, but things like MS Slammers, Rats, Crawlers, and Gill baits get crushed. You're also around a lot of Pike so that is also a factor. I like titanium leaders but luckily don't need them too often up here.

I could definitely use some of these for the fall fishing above those shallow weed patches that haven't pulled back yet.

Was gonna order through their site. I agree the Foxboro store leaves a lot to be desired.

Been sitting on a bass pro card for a long time I might just stock up on some 110s before ice-out to be prepared.

Looking like a more traditional New England Winter. I've been doing some winter hikes and haven't been on the ice much, but with the weather this year I can't see getting out before April on open water. Which will break my streak of going out the first week in march the last 3 years.

My dad got talked into getting a Douglas XMatrix Swimbait rod at last year's show along with a 300 sized Lew's. I've been pretty impressed by the rod it's got a solid backbone but the tip section is really nice and doesn't make it feel like a pool queue but doesn't load the whole rod either. It's a nice in-between balance.

Seems like a slow day all over the state yesterday. We went out for 4 hours and only had 1 flag to save the skunk. Couldn't even jig up any perch. The groups next to us didn't fair much better.

Yes I agree with the premise of the law. One of my local lakes now has a nesting Loon population in the last several years which has bene cool to see. I think the main concern are things like lead split shot and smaller lead weights that mix in easily with the rocks. I don't see a Loon accidentally eating a whole bass jig.