ww2farmer

I was in the same position, and I went with the M/xf Fenwick... But FWIW, I have yet to fish it. It's one of the many things I am looking forward to when I can get back on the water when the ice melts.

Can't go wrong with junebug, and the green pumpkins/watermelons with or without your choice of metal flake. Also don't ever fish a bubble gum one subsurface over grass, that dosen't work at all.

12" is the min. keeper length here. So less than 12" = dink. But that dosen't mean I consider a 12" fish anything special...........it's just a small keeper, they don't get "decent one" status untill they are over 2.5 lbs, and "big" is refrained from until they are 4+.

They are fine. Over the last 10 year the two brands I have probably used the most are Booyah and Strike King, never had a problem with either.

I would like to know how often, and how close I have come to being a single man again because of fishing...........not that it would change anything LOL.

Too much as far as my wife's concerned, and not enough if you ask me.

Sounds like an exciting ride at least.

I hate to break the news to you.............but................ummm..

I have mine on a 7' MH/F Veritas, and it's spooled with 30lb braid. It's my "do-all" combo. It mainly tosses swim jigs, spinnerbaits, and frogs ( in all but the heaviest slop). If I need a stiff rod for ripping traps and squarebills out of thick grass, it can do that, I can also fish texas and carolina rigs, jigs, and tons of other stuff on it. It's the one casting set up, out of the 9-10 I carry at all time that seems like is always on my deck.

The manzier holds them up nice.

I don't know about fish, but a slight pain developed between my ears after I opened this thread.

The BPS branded version of the flick shake worm is as good as the Jackall and much cheaper. In fact...........some how they managed to make them less durable than the Jackall's, thats quite a feat. And the 3.5 " Tender tubes have a cult like following among tube draggers around here.

Punching is about the only thing I will use a straight shank hook for, the big tungsten sinkers (1- 1.25 oz + stuff) often used for this have the tendency to pop the fishes mouth open wider, and I like the bigger bite of the straight shank hook. If I can get through the cover with 3/4 oz or less sinkers...I will use an offset EWG. I don't snell.....and yet fish make it to the boat....go figure.

I don't use them much, but when I do, it's with braid. Usually 30lb.

R.I. Beavers, Pit boss, Paca craw, tube, and probably more I can't even think of.

The Strike King 5xd is what I would use.

1000's................and that's all I am going to say

I will never find out. I am sure they are great. But I lose enought $8 baits to pike to even begin to think about feeding them $25 ones.

I will fish for smallmouth at ice out, if they don't want to play, I will fish for perch, crappie,and bluegills. I am not going to start largemouth fishing untill the water temps get to at least the lower 40's.

Well if Dicks is the place it has to be from, I was just at a Dicks today............and they had Citica G's on clearance for $69. All they had left, in LH was the display reel or I would have come home with one. IMHO that's a much better option than a Pro or Silver Max

Graphite.

One bait is not going to last long in NY... The toothies get their fair share. When I find a hard bait I like, I carry AT MINIMUM, three of each color/size and have a half dozen back at the house to replace the bit off or lost baits. My favorites in the category's you asked about are : Strike King KVD 2.5 Storm Wiggle Wart Strike King 5xd Strike King Red eye shad

Several summers ago, one of my go to techniques was ripping a 3/4 oz. lipless crank off the bottom on the deep weed edge (12-14 FOW) I caught some nice ones doing it, but it wore me the F out, and then I started playing around cranking the deep edge with big lipped baits and have not done it since. I really should go back to it.

Check the bay.............I just picked up two current model Daiwa Exceler's for $70 each with free shipping...a 6.3:1 and a 7.3:1. The guy I bought them from had several in both LH and RH. I have not used them yet but they have an aluminum frame so they are already a better choice than either of those Abu's. Graphite frames are fine for spinning reels, but I have never had one hold up to any "normal" use on a casting reel more than a year or two.........and really how much money are you saving if you have to replace them that often? I have yet to ware out an alum. frame reel, and when they do need service I am glad to do it, because I know, for the most part, they will last,and I'll get my $$ worth out of any service/repair work I have done on them.

In the 10 years I have owned a boat, I have been on the water as early as the second week of march, to as late as the 3rd week of april.... I am going on record as saying that this year my boat will not see water untill at least the 20th of April, due to ice, not me keeping it off the water so I can say I told you so LOL. My home lake has 15" of ice on it now, and the extended forcast for the next 45 days...FWIW..has few nights above freezing. It's subject to change, but that's the way I see it for now.