ww2farmer

20lb braid for both. Tied direct to the bait for topwater, and with a fluoro leader (usually 10lb, but sometimes 8, and sometimes 12 or 15lb test) for jerkbaits.

Same...........but just fluoro leader material for me.

Pick a lake in WNY, and you can bet that on any nice weekend from Memorial day to Labor day it will be a zoo. BUT, it really dosen't bother the fish, some of my best days in the summer are during insane boat traffic. Now does it bother me....................yes, but there is nothing I can do about it, so I just deal with it.

I have had my butt handed to me more than once by wnybassman when it comes to his way of smallmouth fishing. I too once questioned him and his use of ML rods for 3/4 oz stuff....I don't anymore. I can be doing the same exaxct thing, with the same exact bait, WITH HIS GEAR, in his boat, with him, and get outfished when the name of the game is dragging. The rod choice is not all of it..............obviously, but it's part of it, and I am not going to question it anymore.

I fish in the rain A LOT. Which is one reason my next boat will not have any carpet or wood.

I have never been an expensive sunglasses guy, I have lost/broke too many pairs in the past, and that's always kept me buying the $20 Berkley and Strike King glasses from Wal-Mart. Last year I "upgraded" to the $40 Strike King S11 glasses and they were worlds better than the $20 ones. I had several partners last year who wear much more expensive glasses try them, while I tried their's (Wiley X, and Oakley IIRC off the top of my head) And we all agreed that for $40 you can't beat the SK. They hang right up there in performance with glasses that cost $100+ for a fraction of the price.

As someone who runs tournaments, I will give you my take on each of your questions. Be mindful that other tournament directors might do things differently. #1... I don't care where your boat came from, it could have been dropped on the water via helicopter..... Once you've signed up, your livewell gets checked and you start from the same place as everyone else that's in the tournament. #2...... If the tournament I am running ends at 3pm (or whatever time really) that means you better be back in the staging/launch area with your rods down by 3. That's been the way it is at other people's tournaments I go to as well. The protocol is usually be back by the set time, then get in line. #3..... As long as the fish come to the scales in a proper, timely fashion, I don't care if you put the boat on the trailer before you bring them to me, or or you stay on the water. But... Be mindful of the situation. If it's a hot day and 10 guys are waiting in line.... I hate that. I would rather the fish go from the livewell to the bag, to the scale and back into the water quickly... But that's just me.

Power Pro braid Seaguar Red Label fluorocarbon I don't use mono

As I have said before... Any bass resource member is welcome in my boat..... As long as you can keep your mouth shut LOL....

Same as always : Don't drown Don't sink the boat Don't break anything expensive Fish as much as I can with my kids The catching will take care of itself..... It always does.

A pad crasher walks fine, and so does a KVD Strike King frog, if your looking for another option. Those are the only two frogs I use.

I also use them as swim jig trailers. Last year I pitched them around on a t-rig with an 1/8th oz tugsten sinker pegged to the nose, and fished it like a worm quite a bit too........results were impressive

I like a single tail grub, or a skinny dipper type swim bait.

Mh.... Unless I am punching mats, or flipping really think cover.... Then a H.

Pics would help....or at least I can't see them.

I might be talking out me rear end, because I have not used mine yet. But I have the 6'9" M/XF....and it feels like it should be. It almost feels like a clone to the St Croix 6'8" M/XF rods I have used in the past (except it's got a shorter handle) and those were fantastic plastic, and finesse jig rods. I was talked OUT of the M/F by several people who have it for the reason your asking about. But.....every one has diff. opinions.

I like my jigs cheap...........because I lose them by the gross, and available locally. So Strike King and Booyah get the nod for me.

I am going to give you one of my most guarded secrets.............or just a tip.........you be the judge. Use a REGULAR Pace craw, not the chunk. The "baby" size mates up with the 1/2 oz. Bitsy Flip well. Cut the "tail" off where it meets the "torso" of the craw....it's hollow. Put a little Megastrike on the lead blob on the hook shank, and thread the hollow part of the paca craw on it. It stays put, and gives you a nice compact package...................Brrrrrp......................your welcome.

No.............in fact I'm pretty sure that on Jan 1st some one thought that about something I said.

It bugs the crap out of me that people who graduated high school, and who claim to be gainfully employable, can fail to comprehend St Croixs warranty. What do you want them to do? You want the CEO of the company to personally build you a new one and hand deliver it? Do you want them to take an ad out in the local newspaper saying how sorry they are to have committed such an injustice to you? God almighty..... Give me a break. Is it the best warranty in the business.... Probably not, but it's one of the better ones. I don't know what is so hard about sending a broken rod in, and paying for the shipping on a new one..... But I guess some people like to complain.

Not directed at me? But it proves your point? And what is that point? That guys with low end stuff should just get out of the way and let the "adults " talk? You started this nonsense thread..... Personally, I think, to back handed shots at peoplewith lesser stuff than you, but that's just my opinion. If you take offense to my last statement in my previous post.... Well that's your problem. Obviously you.... #1 don't know me well enough to know that I like to kid around and say silly things like that, and #2, your making it seem fairly obvious that you need a giant pat on the back in public for buying such nice stuff.... Sooooo here is an atta' boy from me..... Enjoy your stuff, but maybe you should put a little extra in the fishing budget for a box of tampons.

I am all for saving money, but don't get too "cheap" when it comes to casting reels. I have always fished Curados, Citicas, and Revos.... Last year I thought, what the heck, let's try some cheap Abu Garcia Black Max reels.... And at first they were fine, but after six months use of the kind of use I put on reels... They were garbage, and needed to be replaced. I have never.... NEVER, had to replace a Curado... Just saying....

I won one a year ago, it cost me nothing, it didn't break , and I fished several months with it, so this is as unbiased as I can get. I had one of the $100 ones.... A 7' M casting. It was as good as any other rod I had in it's price point (Mojos, veritas's, etc...) but it was the odd ball in my collection, so I sold it. So obviously, it didn't blow me away enough to make me keep it.

I have always stuck up for the little guy who can't afford the expensive toys because...... Well.... I am one of those guys. Any time I speak up on this subject, it's just to say that you can be very successful with modest equipment if you know what you're doing. Also... No ill will towards guys with more than me.... You can bet your backside, that if I had the means, there would be a $70,000 ranger in my driveway, but I don't, so there's no sense in worrying about it. The way I look at it is, you win the bank account game, I'll win on the water.

Rub it in. I got a bunch of them myself this winter that , unless I want to take ice fishing, are going to just sit here for a while yet.