David P

I don't do the leader to braid deal much anymore.. I used to do it exclusively but now I have quite an arsenal of reels. I did the braid to leader for a year or so exclusively though, and found this to be the best way to figure out leader length (it will be determined by the length of your rod). I like the bait to come down to reel and the knot be about 3 inches from going into tip guide.

Really not going to get into this or make it more than it needs to be. Jail time for being on vacation and casually fishing? Sounds extreme when I have witnessed people caught without a license and being let off entirely. All I was saying was taking illegal limits of fish is different than the original posters question. The worst I have ever heard is taking the rod and reel you're using, not jail or seizing a vehicle. As for your last sentence... Scoff all "YOU" want...Sure seemed it was aimed in response to someone's comment, not a blanket statement. "If you cross my path" ... Not trying to argue by any means. I for one buy my license wherever I go. And if it wasn't a statement from francho toward me, than it's entirely my mistake and a misunderstanding.

Assuming this is towards me... Seems you went a little far to threaten me on a forum when no where in my post did I say I fish without a license, or that I would. I for one have never fished without a license... I was just saying your "story" of jail time and truck/camper being seized is a little far fetched and not typically what happens to someone caught simply fishing without a license.

I've had hooks tied on with the same knot for the past 1-2 months without retying.. Never had a single issue with breaking a knot... I wouldn't buy into that one bit.. Can't imagine a knot gets weaker in 12 hours...

I fish Northern California (Delta, Clear Lake, Berryessa, Folsom, Oroville, and quite a few others), but you're lucky, you've got the bigger bass down your way!

Just making sure! We have BIG fish out here in California... While some may say the jig is too big and long, we have BIG crawdads and BIG fish that eat those crawdads. Don't hesitate to try the whole thing.. On heavier pressured lakes, I do scale down sometimes, but I usually use a different trailer when I do that. When I use a beaver, I use the entire beaver! If you're worried about pressured lakes, a simple Twin Tail Grub can work wonders!

This is for keeping illegal limits of STEELHEAD. Two big no-nos, the illegal limits and of a popular sport fish. Certainly they do not go to these measures for being from out of state and casually dipping your line in the water while on vacation. I do not condone any illegal activities whatsoever, but I would be SHOCKED if a ranger would go to any such extremes, assuming you provide proof of being from another state, and even better, proof of having a license in that state. California has some of the stiffest penalties and fines, and I have seen people busted without a license countless times with frequently being let go with no fine, or at the worst a ticket.

Not sure if you can zoom in on my profile picture at all, but surely enough that's a jig with a sweet beaver trailer hanging out of her mouth. If the water is clear though, might want to try a lighter color this time of year!

It's certainly not the "drag" that is the issue... Spinning reels have good drags, and you're right about the handles, leverage isn't an issue... Spinning reels do feel flimsier though, there's more play in the parts, and they don't "feel" as solid... This is all just my opinion and how it ties into my confidence in the rod and reel I'm holding. What is not opinion and is fact however.. Is the fact that there are FAR less spinning rod models to choose from, and there's many techniques and baits that cannot be effectively fished... Swimbaits, Frogs, Umbrella Rigs, Punching... There's tons of baits in which you want a stout, yet still sensitive rod.. There's not many offered in a spinning setup. 12-20lb Fluorocarbon doesn't sit well on spinning setups... Casting distance and control isn't quite the same either. There's a reason no one in the Elite Series or FLW uses a spinning rod for flipping...

You got second dibs, throwing the SAME bait is the wrong approach if the guy up front is good and knows what he's casting at.

What my bait looks like / what it's doing down there. When throwing topwater I just visualize a fish absolutely crushing it.