jimmyjoe

Ooooookaaaaay .... and what are those? Didn't see anything like them on TW or FishUSA. jj

I don't know this "kind" from that "kind", but I know it HAS to be down-locking. I will not tolerate all those backwards reel seats anymore. As for the best "kind", it's the Avid-X spinning setup. That one is ahead of any others I've seen. jj

You said that you have a fly rod, so I would guess you know how to use it, right? If someone gave you a 4-pc. McFarland fly rod, would you glue the joints on it .... some of them or all of them .... to increase the strength or sensitivity? No, you wouldn't. It would ruin the rod. It'll do the same thing on any other rod, too. If you have a rod that has so much of a problem that you are seriously considering gluing it together, just throw it away and buy a new rod. jj

They say you never forget the first time. I always figured they were talking about bass. At least I HOPE they were! jj

Same here. I don't eat the bars, either. Nor the cigars. jj

You too, huh? Try twitching spoons. It gets even worse. ? jj

You didn't say whether your "all around stuiff" includes spinning gear or not. If it does, Stren is the choice. If you only use casting gear, then I vote for Big Game. jj

Black Hula Popper, 1963. Caught on my older brother's Heddon fiberglass rod and green Heddon reel, black nylon braid. Farm pond. jj

Yup. And IMO, that applies to all other subsurface lures, too. jj p.s. Both of my spinnerbait rods have been MH/F.

^^^^^ Bingo! Applies to more people than they want to admit. And that includes me! jj

I think it's the wrong lure or the wrong speed. Here's why: On the very, very precious few days I fished clearer water in the Mississippi, I saw bass follow and bump, or follow and turn away from a lure at the last split second. This was with spinners, spoons or crankbaits. So 1) They were there. 2) They could sense the lure. 3) They were interested. Interested enough to seek the lure out from a distance. 4) They found the lure attractive enough to follow. BUT ..... at extreme close quarters, they saw something they didn't like. Probably a case of wrong lure. The reason I say that it might also be wrong speed is that cranks and spinnerbaits can get fish by speeding up the retrieve ..... sometimes. And that works for buzzbaits, too. If they short strike, speed up the lure. Then the fish have less time to decide, and they commit. jj

Ho ......... ly ....... cow. I had no idea that those big rigs were set like that! jj

A couple years ago, I wanted to know how strong my knot was on 4 lb. Trilene XL (The old XL, not the new stuff). So I put the reel with its line on my M/F Fenwick, and tied it to a gallon milk jug. Then I tried to add sand until the line broke. I thought it would surely break easily that way. What I found out is that the rod bent almost double before the line broke. I have since always set the drag according to the rod, and not according to the drag on the reel or the line. And no, it didn't change my ideas about which line to use on which rod, either .... not much, anyway. ? jj

Gerber's version of the Leatherman, a nail clippers ..... and a side cutter for use as a hook cutter, just in case jj

I feel for ya, brother. 1993 taught me a lesson. I moved inland a mile ... and up 40 feet. Hope everyone comes out OK. jj

Dang. Just saw the title. Thought it was about the Army Air Forces. Nope. Oh, well .... jj

Sorry. Can't help you. I'm up North. My idea of bass fishing on foot today would involve walking out onto 8-12" of ice and drilling holes. Can you spell e-n-v-i-o-u-s or j-e-a-l-o-u-s? ?? ?? jj

If I can make a fire to melt the ice on the guides (and my frozen fingers) I'll fish. One year or another, I've fished open water every month of the year. I do NOT ice fish, though. I'm crazy, but not that crazy. jj

I've heard that the ceramic balls in ceramic ball bearings are brittle and prone to breakage or cracking. Have you found that to be true or not? jj

For fresh water, are there any negatives associated with removing the shields from Boca SS spool bearings and running them "naked"? Those shields are heck to put back on. Thnx. jj

If my reels get REALLY dirty while I'm away from home, I use it as a cleaner. Then I spray with contact cleaner, then re-lube. That's the only thing I use it for .... a cleaner. jj

Stained water? Red shad. Definitely red shad. jj

Who are you? What did you do with Glenn? Bring him back! Bring him back! ?? JJ

Don't confuse stiffness and power with robust construction. I had a Premier, and now have 3 Avids and 2 Mojo rods. They're different, that's all I can say. Every one fishes up to rating. Personally, I stop there. jj

That's been the key from what I've found. Size doesn't change, or at least not significantly . Just gotta slooooow ...... iiiittttt ....... doooowwwwwn. jj