Riazuli

ya, I was saying in my first post that I made my decision based off of using braid. I think with fluoro and added stretch, you could get away with using a MH and not run the risk of ripping the lure out too quickly.

See above comment on tuning. Heck, just about anything will wobble if you want it to I'm a dinger guy - I'll find em on sale for 1.99 a pack and then buy in bulk. Would much rather do that than spend three to four times as much on senkos when dingers catch bass for me just fine. That cost difference widens even more when you consider the durability of dingers vs senkos. I should add, that I also try my best to avoid using plastics altogether, because I enjoy using hard baits/spinners/chatterbaits/frogs, etc. more; although, it inevitably will happen during an outing especially if the bite is tough.

I just say I'm going fishing. Taking time to yourself is healthy for you and your marriage. Early on, I communicated fishing as more of a necessity than leisure - it helps me refresh for work and school and keeps me in a better mood, which is good for our relationship. With everything, there should be a balance too - so, as long as you're spending time with her and the kids, there is no reason you shouldn't spend time for yourself. To rephrase that - you should spend some time for yourself for the sake of harmony in yourself, obligations, home, and things in general.

I feel lucky - my wife has never gotten too upset over tackle... And I have enough tackle to last me a decade (apart from hard baits that I might consistently lose). She knows I love fishing and that it helps refresh me for work and school, and it keeps me more relaxed around her too. I also compared my tackle to her makeup and shoes, etc., and she gets it. I also mentioned, in regard to stocking up so much since this last winter that I was taking advantage of sales and coupons, which is true. For the stuff I bought, I can't see prices going lower than what I got most of my stuff for, so I bought a lot of stuff in bulk (apart from rods/reels/fish finder - just referring to lures and terminal tackle).

I've had senkos pretty much completely dissolve when mixed with KVD dream shots - there may have also been yum dinger residue in there.

I love my Curado K with M/F Curado rod combo. I can cast lighter stuff (weightless fluke) just fine. If you want to go much lighter, a spinning rod/reel might be better suited for that.

Yep, pretty sure it was just senkos and kvd dream shots. It is possible that some yum dinger residue was in there.

I wait until they have sales or I have a coupon for them that makes it worth my while, compared to other places online. I'll either order from bps online or go to the store if I need to. During their spring sale, I must have saved at least a couple hundred bucks on rods and reels with trade-ins. No other places could beat it. Whenever I want something, I'll compare between the likes of bps, cabelas (the two run sales separately of each other probably to maximize sales between the two), academy, tackle warehouse, eBay, and anywhere else that beats the others. As far as lure selection, I've rarely had issues with finding what I want and in the color and size I want it in. As far as finding lures, nothing a little walking and looking around can't handle.

I've mixed kvd dream shots with senkos and the senkos basically dissolved.

Nothing much, just your typical ritual sacrifice to the bass gods. If you go, don't forget to wear your hooded cape and make sure you smear the chartreuse dip under just the left eye. Also, the bluegill necklaces have 3 bluegill on them, no more no less.

Are you using wacky rings? The rings could be too tight, or if you're not using rings, the hook could be creating a weak point in the middle for anything really to rip it in half.

You've made some good points - I'm going to point back to someone who mentioned that the manufacturer would also probably like to know about things like this. Could point them to a faulty line in the process or something of that nature. Also, it seems like z-man and other "brand-name" companies make a decent profit over their products when considering the price of a homemade jig and pre-made blades, which you can buy in bulk for around the same price as a single chatterbait. If this were a homemade jig, I wouldn't consider it that big of a deal, and definitely not big enough to have them send me a new one, when they're already struggling to make a profit in comparison to a brand name company. Also, out of principle, if the jig is going to have a large portion of chipped paint, I'd rather it be me/rocks/fish doing the chipping and not that way fresh out of the box - just doesn't sit right, again when you're already likely paying more than a few bucks over what the actual cost of making the item is.

So, if you pay more for a product for its said quality and then don't receive that level of quality, you just let it go? What's to keep you buying that product in the future? Most people like to get their money's worth - it's not just about a sub $10 lure - it's about buying 100 of those lures over time and having confidence in your purchase.

You pay a premium for what is supposed to be a quality product, so it is reasonable to complain when it doesn't meet that standard.

Second on a telescopic lure retriever. There are many options available. A lure retriever that uses a weight and line can also work (I carry both on my kayak just in case I happen to get one stuck too deep for the pole).