justtracytrolling

Sunday's tournament on Otisco had 3 bags over 20lbs...including a few fish in the 6 and a half pound range....all on plastics in the weeds and docks

The only place the pros use straight braid to lure that I know of is frogging/top water/punching and many use mono. Flouro is used as mainline on most pros baitcasters for most anything. Spinning setups use braid and flouro. This isn't to say there aren't a few guys with other approaches. This is first hand info from fishing directly with many pros on their boats. The curado is a great choice Tman. One thing I will say is the spinnerbait doesn't play to big a role in tournaments in the Northeast.... flipping, pitching, skipping for largies wins nearly every event...

Nothing wrong with your frogging setup...no flouro leader for top water...use mono if you want a shock leader...flouro sinks and the nose of your frog will hang...the leader flouro is really for toothy fish...if you stay on bass you can use line instead of leader. Fletcher Shryock for example uses an extra long 8-10 foot seaguar invisx line tied to his braid with a double Albright knot. He casts the knot and prefers flouro to fight the fish close to the boat and for boat flipping fish. Lots of options but other than frogging use flouro somehow with your braid

I started using the terminators in the mid nineties and have some older than Tman that work fine! If you aren't hanging them to store them that causes corrosion any place 2 wet wires touch...maybe that is causing weak spots?

Braid is tough on tackle because you tend to have drags tighter and there is no stretch...most fishermen have there drags way too tight...I've caught quite a few big tigers and countless small mouths and havent broke one yet...had skirts and blades get damaged but thats it.

I'm a big fan of the terminator titaniums. Switch to a flouro leader with braid and tie EVERYTHING direct. You will foul far less and you will get better action. No need for a steel leader.... Seaguar blue label 30lb if you are targeting Mr toothy and 15lb for most bass/walleye applications and lighter yet for finesse drop shotting. Honestly straight flouro 12 seaguar abrazx on a bait caster is a common tournament setup...I'm a braid spinning guy myself.

I wish we had a feel good stocking program! Those stocked fish are making a huge difference. Are the fry exposed to oxytetracycline so the fish could be studied later as to whether they were stocked or natural? We get 50,000 every other year and have poor natural reproduction. I have worked for years trying to muster support for more fish here and instead they cut our fish stocking in half...what id like to know is how come Oneida needs so many stocked...it's over populated already...We need a statewide walleye association to really pressure the DEC to spread the wealth and take walleye more seriously!

There is blame to go around, but most of the guides I know are very conservation minded and I take offense to your statement as a guide. Let's blame the successful anglers...the state makes the rules and we follow them. Furthermore, it's the customers decision on whether to keep the fish not the guides. What's done is done and pointing fingers at other sportsman after the fact isn't going to help. Let's not blame each other....

Nice work and great fish!