huZZah

Sometimes but I try not to.

Correct. Tighter the spool knob the less freely it spins = less casting distance. But way less chance of backlash. Also the brakes under the side plate affect distance at the end of the cast. They slow the spool as well while the line is coming off. I just always think of it as spool tension is for start of cast, and the brakes are for end. It’s more complicated than that but it works for me. Your thumb does most of the work. Better you get with it, less tension and less brake you need. But I’m constantly adjusting it. Wind being my main antagonist. No, not normal. Could be any number of things, like you have a loop at the first eye or something. But it should be smooth not hard to reel.

I use a Berkeley shock rod 7’ MH moderate fast casting. I’ve seen people use spinning for top water but the physics aren’t on your side. All the weight of the beast and crap is pulling down against your eyes. I tried it a few times and had no issues, but I also work the bait better “from the top” of the rod rather than underneath. And I was just nervous eyes would break off the whole time. That being said, I use 65lb braid mostly. Top water is my frog stuff as well. If I have fouling issues with wind or current I’ll tie on a mono leader, but it’s rare. But I really like the shock rod for it. Takes getting used to with light stuff like dragonflies and such, but I like it.

I agree. However, I have an slx and if you turn on all the brakes and go pretty tight on your spool it’s impossible to backlash. Only casts 20 feet but it won’t bird nest ?. Great for learning. Then just ease off the spool tension first. Then start turning off brakes 2 at a time.

I have a Laguna reel on a laguna rod for my 10 year old son. He throws Neds on it and it’s great. The reel is awesome for the price point and his uses. The drag is ok, but that’s my only “complaint.”

In line spinners are easy and multi-species. Just throw and reel. Only have to worry if there’s stuff to get hung on cause they will. Wacky rigging a worm (Google it) is safe and easy. Texas rig (Google it) is easy. Texas rig also gives you several different ways to fish it without changing anything. Good luck!

Most of my swimbait success is full sun mid day. I prefer paddle tails for swimming. And I usually go as small as I can get away with, but not necessarily as light. I really like 1/4 oz swimbaits. But I also like 1/8 T rig paddle tail worms or flukes that I throw and swim back to me.

Now is a hard time due to the superconductor shortages. My district can’t replace 15 year old computers just because everything is back ordered and in such short supply. That being said, I’m a fan of intel, I say i7 so you get more years before obsolete, and I have onboard graphics but also a separate a Nvidia chip for anything serious. I prefer it for power consumption/heat. Your budget is also gonna be a problem for quite some time. Not sure what specs you wanna go with, but even the RAM itself is astronomical at the moment. $70-$100 for a 16gb chip set. Crazy. Solid state drives are insane right now as well, but even 7200 rpm disk drives are going up due to shortages of other options. (I prefer solid state.) I’ve been told there’s a serious motherboard shortage coming as well. Like grind the industry to a halt serious. We’ll see. Good luck to you.

I saw a guy run into his own cow with his little Jon boat in a tank once. He was digging in his cooler for beer and not paying attention…

The science that they do pulse/move water is empirical. You can see it, feel it, hear it…and you’re not even a fish with special receptors for it. That’s gotta be a misread or something.

This. I found I prefer 7.1ish overall cause I’m just way better at managing my retrieve. To each their own. I started with a 6.2…it’s now my crankbait rig. But I never lost a fish cause I couldn’t crank it fast enough. The higher speed reel comes in when you’re having to work up that slack every cast. Moving baits it’s not such a big deal, although my spinner/swimbait rig is 7.2 cause I throw top waters on it too. Took practice to slow down my turns but it’s muscle memory now.

I don’t change my boxers until I get skunked. Literally ?? But yeah, I’m a routine guy. I’d be easy to assassinate. Not so much ritual for me as just things I always do in the same order. I feel weird/lost if I mix them up. Always affects my confidence fishing.

Lost like when you went to grab it? Or earlier? I’ve never had this problem with spinners. For me it’s freaking light wire jigs.

It just depends. I find braid lasts longer for me in rocks than mono as long as I keep an eye on it for fraying. I have 10lb braid to leader on my spinning setups and I love it. My jig rod is 20lb straight braid. Never been a problem.

If I’m familiar with the water I usually throw a spinner just to kinda break the ice. If I’ve never fished it, I usually do a Trig worm just to feel it out. If I lose a hook and worm no big deal.

?

Ok so tonight I was fishing. Flipping into some grass. Perfect flip right where I wanted…and I look down and have a little bird nest I had to work out. No big.

I imagine they say no cause once someone sees one person doing it…and catching something…well, then it’s outta control. Or members don’t wanna see someone fishing the hazard. probably just ask you to leave, but I bet only if someone complains. Worst you could get a trespassing ticket I guess if you’re not a member. But I doubt they would want the trouble.

Was fishing 5-7pm and it was stupid hot. Getting tired and frustrated I put on a green pumpkin red flake football jig with a 6th sense purple and black bug. Got a nice 3lber. I never used to mix colors. Got me thinking: what worked for you today that was a longshot?

^^ this has been my experience. Any line.

The problem with smoking was and is that you aren’t making the decision for yourself. The rest of us have to breathe it. And then the rest of us have to pay for your mistake any time you use your healthcare that “you’re paying for.” I smoked for several years before turning 18 and losing interest since I was no longer being rebellious. But I shudder at my own stupidity then. I had 2 grandparents that nearly bankrupted my mom due to their healthcare that they absolutely didn’t give a crap she had to cover. Used her retirement, savings, loans, etc. Thankfully they both died in their 70s from cancer due to smoking. My mom loved her parents, but that is simply some selfish BS right there. We are intended to leave our kids inheritance, not burdens. That has always ticked me off that they did that to their daughter with a total lack of understanding or remorse about it. Health insurance is the biggest legal Ponzi scheme ever. You’re not paying for all that extra care yourself. You would never agree to pay for damage to my house if I just decided to burn part of it multiple times a day at great expense to myself simply because “I can.” That is the most selfish part of smoking: the delusion that it’s all about you.

So I have the opposite. I won’t go below 12# floro. I tried floro in 6 for my light rig and it was disastrous. Stuff simply would not straighten out after being on the spool a day. Line conditioner helped but I refuse to use a more expensive line that requires an add on to use effectively. Just wasn’t worth it for me. I love the 12lb with cranks and Trig worms. Not because I think fish can’t see it; I love the abrasion resistance, the castability, and the sensitivity.

Zoom trick worm in bubblegum or green pumpkin red flake.

The Folgers 1850 is very good. I especially like the black gold. Tastes more on a level to Major Dickason to me.

I use 12lb on one rig (T rigs/cranks), and I use that same 12lb to make leaders. I like it better for leaders than mono, but I prefer the mono or braid with or without leader for just about everything else. I don’t see the big deal, but to each their own.