Sk8man

Frogger......careful man....I won't be able to get my head out the door to fish

A number of manufacturers make the duo lok type snaps and they label the sizes slightly differently (e.g. the numbers) Depending on where you get them I would look to see that the # test is appropriate (if labeled) and that they aren't the flimsier wire.. I have mentioned above the Spro #8 barrel swivel between the main line and fluoro leader. That is what I use for many things as it fits through the eyes of rods OK The #10 is smaller and fine for light mono but the eyelet is very small so it is clumsy at best and impossible at worst to tie knots with heavier lines.

Frogger has it right as he is another of us "old school dinosaurs" but in a younger body. A couple additional thoughts to consider: Snaps and swivels are not all the same, and they give different results as well. Note the snap swivels in your package pic for example. They are basically coast lock type snap swivels with a very slight "V" at the front of the snap. Other swivels can also have a much more pronounced V at the snap. That particular thing influences the action of the lure (especially stick baits) by tightening or restricting the back and forth "wobble" of the lure. At very fast speeds it may also allow solid body sticks to turn on their side. If you go the snap route a Duo Lock snap with a very rounded snap face is a better choice as it allows the lure to wobble back and forth without as much constriction. A Spro #8 barrel swivel (55 lb test but very small and will go through most rod eyes) can be added as Frogger mentioned and it helps keep line twist to a minimum and sometimes may head off debris from forming on the lure itself. Another aspect to the tying straight of the leader to the lure is the use of a loop at the knot so that the stickbait (especially) can freely move back and forth and which can give it a different action than tying and cinching up the knot tight. These things mentioned may seem minor byt they can sometimes make a large difference in results. A lot of time jointed stick baits will run fine with swivel snaps but solid body ones seem more affected by both speed and the use of a snap. While on the subject of swivels it is a good idea to always use SOLID ring swivels NOT the split ring type as the line knot can nest in the separation area and with a large heavy fish potentially cut the line. Hope this helps in your quest P.S. Duo lock type snaps have various manufacturers and some use softer wire than others and are not as strong and can open up easier leading to potential lure loss. The hard wire ones are best and try to use the smallest but strongest that you can get away with for the lure used.

I believe that perhaps we may be misunderstanding each other. I agree with your last post but I did not interpret the article the same way you did.I saw what he was saying as a caution regarding snap judgment to isolate based on unclear development of situations based on emotional reaction rather than data based decisions. It was an appeal to reason over emotion, high anxiety or panic reactions without clear data to base it on and I agree with that. The current trajectory of this situation does demand that we closely monitor, isolate where possible, and use common sense about being in crowd situations etc. The school closings are more complex than that and it isn't just some "sappy" emotional connection to feeding children it is a very real set of complicated circumstances requiring good judgement at the locus of the school. For example it may be very premature for a school in the hills of Montana to close up at this point when there isn't a clear and present threat at this point in the particular area.

I thought for once I was in agreement with you at least regarding prepping. Your response to that letter makes little sense, but hospitals and medical personnel will be severely overwhelmed as they were already dealing with high levels of flu etc. The closing of schools is a highly complicated multi-dimensional problem because of the need for supervision at home, and for many especially in poor urban or rural areas the children's meals are provided in the schools. Not everyone in our society is able to afford, purchase or stock up on necessities of life or perhaps feed their children at home. The specific creation of shortages of appropriate masks for medical personnel through hoarding or in some cases stealing from supplies severely adds to the problem. People react to stress in very different ways and some not with reason or calmness looking at data or facts. A lot of this is a high anxiety or panic reaction to things on top of a valid problem that in all probability will get worse before getting better.Viruses, epidemics, and pandemics have acted that way in the past and this situation is probably no different. I think that was the main thrust of that letter not someone begging about holding events. This situation however should be a "wake up call" to the US in particular, in terms of allowing the Chinese to manufacture the majority of our medications just - from a national security standpoint alone. It also points up the need to personally prepare to the degree possible for these sorts of situations ahead of time because other things even more pervasive can occur such as a shutting down of the electric grid for example. Being prepared as much as possible is a personal and community responsibility and it shouldn't have taken this situation to have initiated it. Unfortunately we as a society are pretty much reactionary rather than proactive and it has been just a matter of time before it came home to bite us in the butt. Hopefully when this situation attenuates folks will have a little fire under their butts to prevent the panic response next time. .....but I doubt it....something called "human nature" I guess. This current situation does point up the federal government's incompetence, and lack of preparedness for a large scale emergency situation, (also witness the previous hurricanes too). Bureaucrasies are the last vestiges of society to change so don't look for solutions anytime soon. Ultimately it is up to us to prepare, help others, cooperate, and not be part of the problem, and do what we can to minimize adverse effects in our immediate area of control. I have been expecting something like this for the past ten years and have prepared along the way for it. I didn't have to empty any store shelves, store up on water and necessities because I already have done so gradually in anticipation and expectation of just such an event (or worse). Hopefully it will be a learning event for most people and folks will realize that preparedness of (various types) significantly reduces anxiety and panic.

Thanks for posting. The lamprey situation is pretty grim though.

Wonderful summary Thanks for posting it

Basic preparation for emergency situations is a rational process and this situation shouldn't be the mechanism for starting to think about it. You can't count on the government at any level to cover your butt if the crap hits the fan.

Mine probably would say " But look at tall the money you saved by not going dear"

I know it is disappointing but it is the responsible thing to do given the current circumstances

It is a good idea anytime with any size boat actually. I lost a good friend (also was a charter captain) during a summer when he was fishing alone and apparently went to take a wizz and fell overboard striking his head (no life jacket on). They found him the next day in about 8 ft of water. Boating can be some serious stuff and taking precautions is important and there is even less room for error in cold weather.

WTG Bill and the look on your kids faces says it all

Must have felt great to be out there.....I can hear my boat crying in the barn

something that shouldn't be ignored when looking is the amount of floatation and weight capacities as well as max. motor horse power as not all same sized boats are the same (especially for offshore use)