ww2farmer

Significant...........not really, yes there is a slight increase in sensitvity, and you get the nicer finish. I think the biggest differance in feel, to me at least, between the Avid and LT is the action. A fast action LT is faster than an Avid of the same power/action. I switch back and forth all daylong from LT's to Avid's and never feel much differance. Now all my LT's are the pre-2008 w/full rear grips, and I bought them when they were on sale, so they were a good deal to me, also my Avids are all the pre-2008 non IPC Avids, also bought on sale. I really don't know for sure how the IPC Avids fish, but I can't imagine they went backwards, if you know what I mean.

If you add drop shotting to that list, thats exactly what I do with my spinning rods. I think if you found the ML Avid to be too light the M would suit you just fine. I own several Legend T's and Avids and for my money I'd stick with the Avid, one of the best 'bang for the buck" rods out there.

If you needed advice on a rod/reel combo for bass fishing you should have asked BEFORE you bought it. Even on a budget you would have been directed to a much better combo than what you chose. Since YOU asked, I'll be blunt............no it's not a good combo for bass fishing. I know nothing of the reel/rod, so I'll let some one else comment on that I am speaking more about your line choice. I would have gone with line no smaller than 12lb test. Leave the 8lb line for spinning gear.

I use 1/8 oz. in shallow water, 3/16 if the wind is blowing. For deeper presentations I go with 1/4 oz. I like the Strike King heads, both the round and football. The finish is tough and durable, they use excellant Gamakatsu hooks, and the large barb type "keeper" is far better than any spring type lock jig head I have used. Yeah it can be tough on tiny delicate worms, but I have had much more success with this type of jig head.

I use Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon and have ZERO issues with it on both spinning and casting gear. And I don't do anything special with it either, spool it on the reels and go fish. Other than frogging and flipping heavy weeds (braid) and top water (mono) I use it for everything. I have just the opposite experience and opinion of , what seems to be, the line every one wets there pants over around here.........Yo-Zuri Hybrid, it's the worst line I have ever used.

I have welded on aluminum tanks used for hauling manure on our farm, it is painstakingly precise work and I avoid it at all cost's. It cost us over $10,000 to get set up to do and I don't think it was worth it as none of us can weld aluminum to save our lives. I would never have the confidence in my abilitys to weld on my boat. I learned there are a few stages to alum. welding #1 make a pretty weld that holds nothing #2 melt everything you touch #3 weld something that holds but looks like crap, and turns all the the alum. around the weld black, a black that won't come off #4 get a professional to do it. I would rather weld the nastiest, rustiest, gunked up steel anyday than alum. Heck I would rather weld galvinized steel (those of you that weld know how fun that is) that alum. In short, unless your a pro, walk away.

Rapala Fat Raps

I am begining to give up on the X-rap in cold water, I have had far better success on Husky Jerks. The X-rap IMHO doesn't excell in the sweep, long pause, sweep, that seems the trigger the fish where I fish in water 38-45 degrees like the Husky Jerk. Once the water warms up and I can pick up the pace, the X-rap takes over. I know this year I am going back to Husky jerks for my cold water jerkbaits after 2 years of rather dismal results with the X-rap.

Most of the time (absolutes like never and always don't belong in my fishing vocabulary) I drag the weight on the bottom, keeping contact with the bottom as much as possable. I do this with the reel, and with sweeping motions with the rod. EVEN in thick grass, I just use a longer leader and smaller tungsten bullet sinker, slides through fairly well. I did not begin to have success with a C-rig untill I fished it this way. Hopping the sinker off the bottom produces poor results for me. [

At the pro level most all of the anglers "have it", the "it" beeing something I don't think a single one of us could type out and describe. Sure some skills are learned, mainly the mechanics, but the instincts and mental awarness of what's going on around you and knowing when and where to apply your "learned" talents is part of what having "it" is all about. Go to any local tournament, there will always be a few guys with "it" as well. Most will be clueless. It's far easier to spot the clueless guys. The ones who always blame something other than themselves for poor results, the ones who always ask the wrong questions. rather than ask when/where/why, they are fixated on things like lure color, and running over over they lake after 10mins of not getting bit.

Back seat is open most of the time, and I am 10 miles from Geneseo

I fish docks alot. Never have I had an incident. I got hung up on a dock some people were sitting on once and they helped me out. It goes both ways, if I see people fishing, swimming, or active on/around there docks I just go by slowly, wave and be nice....plenty of docks to fish. I fished with a real jerk once out of the back of his boat as a co-angler, and these same people who have always been nice to me were not so warm to him, his "I own the lake attitude" and disrespect for people who are using there docks projected it self rather clearly and he was just not welcomed.

Honeoye is ice free as well.

I was thinking that myself.

I like gulp just fine

I have a 2007 PT170 w/ a 4 stroke 25hp on it. Works great for me. I can go any where with it except Lake Erie on very rough days. And I also can get WAYYY back in some places bigger glass boats just can not. I don't need a big truck to tow it, and the 25 is great on gas, and when you fish over 100 days in the spring/summer/fall like I do that really helps. I fish by myself most of the time on the smaller western Finger Lakes, and with me, and all my gear it moves along just fine. No I can't get from one end of Conesus to the other in 10 mins. but when I do decide to make a run I know I am not lighting money on fire via the gas tank. It's been a very good boat and I do not feel the need to upsize anytime soon. It was also enexpensive enough that I could walk in and pay for it.........no payments, afterall it is just a hobby and If I had to fork a couple $100 bucks over to the bank every month I would have far less $$ to fish with. Now when I fish a tx. I can put the $$ I win in my pocket insted of the gas tank and to the bank. And up hear the boat sits in the barn froml ate Nov-late March, I would rather heat my house and feed my kids than pay the bank for a toy thats not getting used. There are alot of advantages to having a smaller boat, and if those reasons make sense to you and you also realize the things a small boat/motor will not do before you buy it you'll be happy with it. It may just be the little "bad attitude" I have in me, but it puts smile on my face to show up to an open tx. with my "little" boat that a lot of the guys turn there nose at and take there money home with me at the end of the day. As far as the quality of the Tracker, I have had ZERO issues, and I use it probably alot more than most, and I don't beat it, but I don't treat it with kid gloves either. Any thing that is broke/worn out is my fault. And that's a small list at that.

this will not be a popular opinion, but I liked this line LESS than Vanish. I would have gone to another store that had Trilene 100%, it's a much better line IMHO.

I don't have one favorite, but I do have favorites based on techniques, brand, and type. Craws: Paca craw Creature: Sweet Beaver Stick bait: Senko Ribbon tail worm: 10" Berkley Power worm Stright tail worm: Zoom trick worm Drop shot worm: Robo worm Shakey head worm: Berkley Shakey worm Flipping jig Trailer: Paca chunk Finess jig trailer: Yum craw bug and baby yum craw bug Frog: Zoom horny toad Flipping Tube: 4" Venom Finesse tube: 3" Venom Swinbait: Berkley Hollow belly Jerkbait: Zoom Super fluke Drop shot minnow: Zoom tiny fluke Lizard: 6" Zoom Misc Drop shot baits: 3" Gulp fry, and 3" gulp leech

The best pike (or any toothy) lure is the bait the bass are tearing up at the moment and you only have 1 of in the boat.

My "at the moment" favorite is the Outkast RT jig, 1/2 oz Black and Blue, but I bought a bunch of Davis Paca Jigs to try this year, we'll see how I like them.

1/2 oz. Strike King Red Eye Shad in Orange Craw, or Chrome Sexy Shad

I like short spinning rods for dock work. My rod for this is a St Croix Avid 6' med. power, fast action. I use 8lb fluorocarbon in ultra clear water, and 20lb braid in stained water, or around docks that have alot of weeds under/around them. The medium power Avid is a pretty powerfull little rod and works perfectly for flukes, tubes, senkos, and smaller jigs. The rod has just enough "tip" to really get a good fling to the bait and skip way way back under a dock, and like I said plenty of power to move a bass away from the dock and the hazzards of posts, boat props, and the junk around the docks I fish.

Trilene 100% for me. I liked it so much I quit trying to find a "better" fluorocabon. Like mentioned before it offers the the right mix, IMHO, of abbrasion resistance and sensitivity. Like Randall mentioned it is thicker in diameter than other lines in the same lb test, but I have had no problems dropping down one line size, I used to use 8lb fluoro. for drop shoting, and now use 6lb Trilene.

When flipping and pitching I texas-rig, and peg. When casting or dragging I use an tube jig head that slips inside the tube with the hook exposed.

The Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver 4.20 is my favorite by far, and I am well stocked on them in my go to colors of Black/Blue Flake, Junebug, Greenpumpkin, and Sprayed Grass.