Steelhead fishermen here in Oregon use a slip bobber. I tried it on bass one time in the John Day River and caught a few.

Your already concerned with the swivel and your thinking of hanging that power clip off of it? I used a regular swivel and tie lines directly to it. I haven't fished with much in the way of lure's and plugs in years but when I did I used those swivels in your picture without a problem. For jig head I just ties the line to them.

I really like the palomar also, probably the only one I can remember the name of! But I think I know what that cinch is and 5 or 6 turns just not quite enough. I always use 8 turns. Another thing and very important. When you cut off the tag end don't cut to short. Leave at least about 1/8th inch sticking out. You don't and it easily slips loose with a fish on. happens again look at the end of the line. If it slipped loose it will be curled a bit. Don't ask how I know!

Carefully applied Liquid Steel should fix it right up!

That is probably true!

What is better, this or that? Just depends on who you ask! Guy that's never caught fish on anything other than worms will tell you they work best, best used live! Guy that has tried it all simply has found what he likes best. Watched a couple catfish videos by couple guy's that swear by cut bait. They both decided to show cut bait is better than chicken. Both had chicken out fish their cut bait that day. So the problem you have here is your asking but you haven't a clue who you asking. You want to know which is better? Try them out and decide for yourself!

One you might want to try is free. Night crawlers! :-)

I hear ya. I don't normally suggest anyone used anything I haven't tried But seems we are seeing a lot of new stuff and some of it looks pretty good and for the price it's worth a try!

If you talk to enough people you'll hear horror story's about all of them! The reason I got my Rover 40 was because some guy was trashing it so bad I couldn't believe anything could be that bad. For $45 I found out myself. Only two years now so something could still go wrong but I didn't have to mortgage the house to get it.. for all I know it could go ten toes up tomorrow. So could one of my ABU's though!

I was stationed in Lakeside, Mont for three years, 1970-73. Used to do a lot of fishing on Flathead but never been out on a boat on it. Used to fish from land and catch Kokanee and those Bull Trout. Was up there maybe 15 yrs ago and looked up a guy I was stationed with there that retired there. He said the fishing on the lake at that time was in the tank! If I was to go back up today I'd avoid the lakes around Kalispell. Never fished the whitefish Lake but sure it's been hit hard too. I'd go up toward Polebridge and fish the North Fork of the flathead. Use to be lots of nice water up there. Nice lake was also Seeley lake south of Lakeside. That last trip up there convinced me that the Kalispell area is an area I don't want to go back to. It was over run with yuppies! But get away from there and I doubt it changed a lot. Come to think of it. Up a ways behind the Lower site in Lakeside, way up to top site, used to be a little beaver pond that was over run with Brookies all fishing from shore but got lot of fish out of it! Then again the pond could be gone these days.

I hesitate to recommend equipment. They are opinion's that are worth what you pay for them. But I have three Kastkings. A Rover 40, a light spinning reel and recently got a low profile casting reel, a Royal Legend. The Royal Legend was about $40 and have used it one time on an Ocuma Kokanee rod, UL action. Worked very well. Have one other low profile a Daiwa RG that seems to to be better than what it cost. I say that because I seldom spend a lot of money on any reel. I have been tempted to get one of those Piscun reels but haven't done it yet. Hard to go wrong with a Schmano or an ABU but also hard to find one for $40!

I got one of those things and couldn't figure it out. Lucky I only tie a few knots but only sure of the name of one, Palomar.

I stuck my thumb in the first Channel cats mouth I caught. That will never happen again, I don't have gloves! Never tried it on anything other than bullheads but here goes. Slide your hand up the cats back running that top fin between the middle of your fingers, then with the fingers on each side hook those sharp fins with the fingers and pull back. You then somehow have complete control of the fish and won't get stuck. Better yet after putting a thumb in that first cats mouth I got home and ordered one of those tools that you hook the fish's jaw with And use it to pick them up now!

Sometimes I really miss Montana, this is one of them! Tell me, that last photo of a fish, it's hooked on the outside of it's mouth! How did that happen?

Well I made an UL casting set up hopefully to use on crappie if I can ever get to the lake again. Got done with it and liked it enough I bought another new low profile reel and rod. Of course one is for crappie and the other is my bullhead rod, we do need both! Well now I'm thinking, what if I forget one at home? Need a second of both, just in case! Had 6# mono on my ABU 2500 for a light channel cat rod but think I'll boost it to 8# and find another small round reel and rod for just in case. You guy's know what I'm talking about! I only have about 8 channel cat rods, guy can't be to careful! And the handles they are putting on these new rod I absolutely hate the looks of! handle should be full cork at best or at lest full what ever that black stuff is at worst!

Fortunately My wife died several years ago. She felt I had enough rods and reels then to last me about 200+ yrs. There's an obstacle out of the way!:-) She was a pretty good cook.