Jig Man

For the cork----rod wraps or soap and water For the reels---monthly break down: clean the grease off and regrease, clean oil out of the bearings with naptha and reoil.

Have you poured your own plastics? That toxic smell is melted plastisol. My garage smells like that a lot. I can make my own tubes but don't want the bother. I usually buy my tubes from Ztackle.com and they aren't all cut either. If you want a different smell, spray something on them. It might make you feel better but the fish won't care one way or the other.

There are too many variables to do mpg in a boat. You use gallons per hour. A 200 or so engine will use close to 30 gallons per hour at wide open throttle. If it runs 70 mph that is about 2.3 mpg. Backing off the throttle the mileage improves, especially for direct injection and four stroke engines. Then there is the oil which is now $26 per gallon for my motor and the carbon guard which is $15 per pint. WOT is a thing of the past for me.

Flaten out some sinkers and tape them to the butt of the rod. You will be done and it is basically free. I have some sheet lead and cut strips to balance my FnF rods.

If you google Float n Fly you will find the answers to your questions.

The reel is already purchased. If it is too much, I can put a 1000 symmetry on it. I have several of them. Thanks again for the info on the rod.

She would be using it for 1/8 oz buzz baits, 1/8 tubes and 1/4 craw jigs. She likes 8-10# line. Is the 783 too much rod for that stuff. I only have experience with 843s and they are way too much for what she likes to do.

Maybe something here will work for you. http://cgi.ebay.com/50-Fin-Strike-Black-Nickel-Swivels-90Lb-Test_W0QQitemZ180177698862QQihZ008QQcategoryZ31705QQcmdZViewItem http://www.usangler.com/product.cfm?model=Ball%20Bearing%20Swivels&manufacturer=Penn&type=Snaps%20%26%20Swivels http://seatackle.co.uk/Default.aspx?go=ProductFilter&CategoryID=3883

I plan to get one or the other for my wife. It will be paired up with a Stradic 2500. If anyone on here owns either rod, I would like to ask you some questions.

I don't really keep track of it. My boat holds 55 gallons of gasoline and I have topped it off 10-12 times so I guess around 400 gallons in the boat and it takes more than that to get to and from the lake.

Jigs and tubes work for me. The last time out we caught 40 bass largemouth and spots mostly on black/blue jigs and smallmouth on melon pepper 4" tubes. I use both of those all year long.

A little more info would help. What do you need to know? Do you have molds or are you buying stuff and assembling them?

I just tied some 8# fluro to my 8/1 braid on my FnF rods using the modified Albright. If it goes through the eyelets on them as well as it did on my other rods it will really be a good thing.

A few years ago I invested in a couple of FnF setups hoping for winter smallmouth. So far I have caught largemouth, spots, whites, carp, catfish, and 3 species of crappie but not one smallmouth. 3 days ago I got 10 smallmouth on top of a shelf while fishing for largemouth. I got to thinking that they might have hit a FnF jig. Since the weather is still warm and the water is 60° would it be better for me to make some larger FnF jigs instead of the little ones I have been using? If so what color combinations would you recommend for clear water? Here are some of the colors I have on hand.

Like catt my craw jigs are basic. I make them myself and uses several styles but I mostly fish black, black/blue, and brown. I do throw an occasional white/blue during the summer at night during the full of the moon. My vertical and swim bucktails are made in 5 sizes and 20+ color combinations. That is mostly for the fun of having a color that the guy in the back of the boat has to ask to use.

mav you might be well served to spend a little time reading about sonar units. Lowrance has a very good tutorial on their website. It would be time well spent. As stated the typical cone angle is 20° but there are different ones available. I just sold my LMS480DF which had a dual of 12° and 50°.

I fish clear lakes in the lower half where the water sometimes is like gin. A couple of years ago 6 of us did an experiment with some using braid and others using mono. Those of us with braid got a good old fashion butt kickin'. Since then I use a fluro leader on my braid unless I am fishing 30' deep. I use the yellow Power Pro because it is easier to see in the wind and my fav. lake is windy.

I tried that knot yesterday and it did not fail. Everytime I had to break off it broke below then line to line knot. Mike I don't know how bad your tremors are but it is as easy as any line to line knot I have used.

I can get my wife to go if it isn't too early. She really likes to fish buzz baits and tubes but only if she is getting bites. She spends more time doing puzzles or reading than she does fishing, but that's ok.

What you should do is totally an individual useage thing. Around here most people have one up front with the transducer on the trolling motor and one on the console with a transducer on the transom or in the bilge.

You might try taking the top off and repositioning the arrow.

The modified Albright knot was flawless today. Not once did the line break at the line to line knot. Also it is so nice to have the knot slide through the eyelets without the clicky clack of the glued knot. Thanks again. BTW: We had a pretty good day today. We were in post cold front conditions with a blue bird sky. We caught 40 bass on tubes and jigs.

My fluro is .015 and the braid is .011. I just might have to buy some different fluro since I have braid on 10 reels already. I am going out in 1/2 hour just waiting on Tommy to get here. I went out and tied this knot with a rock hanging jig. It should only take a cast or two to get the results. Thanks for the link avid.

I also wet the San Diego Jam knot that is used to hold the bait. I'd think it should be the one that is the weakest since it is being pulled through metal but I rarely come back with leader. I come back with a braid knot and a dab of fluro. I am beginning to wonder if this fluro is any good for this type of job.

I haven't used that particular Shimano rod but do have 7 HMGs. They are sensitive but a little heavy.