JediAmoeba

So I got my new calipers and the Rick Clunn jerkbait. I also pulled out the others...I didnt know there was so much discrepancy between them. Whoa. I can see why some people would like them and others would not like them. I am going to finish measuring and typing this up but initial appearance is pretty shocking.

Sieberts. That's all you need to know. https://siebertoutdoors.com/

I would like to follow up that there are very few 5.1:1 gear casting reels these days - the Tatula 150 and 100 have this option which is great for cranking. I got one of the 150's just for cranking. It's a great deal.

Any floating topwater- just get the best. You never lose them and they work better. Never buy a cheap spook.

If they are going shallow, they are looking for places that are warmest. Look for those legs sticking out of the water, places out of the wind, muddy bottoms - places hit with sun, somewhere that may have warmercwater flowing in... I always took a castable thermometer because it's hard to tell what the temps are below the surface. Also, until the water hits 50 it can be a tough bite on the best days. The windows of opportunity seem to be short. I always had luck with slow 1/4 oz spinnerbaits with a willow/colorado combination going slow. Grubs on a jighead or a nedhead work well too for me.

Same.

I suppose - but I see a lot of kayaks and very few are Hobies.

Hobie needs to figure out their price points because that much for a yak is just ridiculous without any of the fishing essentials.

Every spring when the weeds are at their minimum and you can see all the garbage laying around I make sure my kids pay it forward to mother nature. I know there are a lot of good fishermen out there that also pick up refuse when they see it, but I think it is one of the most important lessons we can teach our young future anglers about fishing. Today I took my 3 kids around our local 8 acre lake and collected garbage for 2 hours. My kids patrolled the woods and shore areas while I wore hip waders and checked the edges of the water. I just thought I would share this, to get more people out into nature since it seems out country is on a forced lockdown and we are stuck at home! Overall we collected 4 bags of trash, some metal thingie in the lake and a grill cover.

You can see how beat up it is, has been bent into shape many times but still is going strong. I think they are 7 bucks.

I was always a fan of the Titanium spinnerbait but over time they changed them and they just aren't as good. Last year I bought some booyah and they are great - the one pictured has landed over 75 pickerel and 20 or more bass.

I am seriously failing at not buying tackle.

I got one off ebay for 10 bucks. Suspending model, made in USA. In the package

I have tried so many times with Keitechs from the 3.3 to the 4.8 and bigger on swimbait heads, underspins and jigheads, in all colors imaginable and every brand imaginable. They are the worst producing bait, BY FAR for me. I catch more on everything else. I creep them, I burn them, I jig them...they just dont do it for me. And they look so good in the water just don't catch fish. They do make great trailers though.

Its going to be tough to fit the bill for the techniques you mentioned but I would look into a 6'6" - 6'10" that's a mh with fast action. It won't be perfect for any of the applications but will be pretty good for all of them.

The reel test guy is a total Shimano fan boy through and through - which is fine BTW. My beef is, he doesn't know how to properly cast a reel and bases all of his decisions entirely on how far a reel can cast by his standards in an open field. Also, he doesnt know how to properly tear down a reel and obviously has no engineering background. Plus, he is very annoying.

I see the biggest problem for small companies is that 100 dollar target. Every company tries to put out a pretty good rod that comes in at that 100 dollar price point. To do that they have very little margin on those. When you start hitting that 200 dollar rang, that's where you see the handmade and smaller companies that have great, if not superior products, compared to the mass produced ones.

I haven't seen anyone mention these. Get yourself some owner twistlock 5/0 hooks and a couple packs of the Rage Tail Shads, or Rage tail toads. It's an often looked over too water bait that is fantastic. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_Rage_Tail_Shad_5pk/descpage-SKRS.html