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ok guys this was meant to be a pleasant exchange of ideas..this is not a Chevy vs Ford.I worked in the automotive industry for almost 30 years until i got hurt badly.( i have the Brooklyn bridge in my neck).. I have yet to put line on it..i am going to ask about that here real soon..as someone said for 'ME' i could never justify a 600.00 dollar reel,BUT fate and love has put one in my hand and im going to fish with it and think of him every time im out with it.

I'm not rich. LOL My family is warm, happy and well fed. If I have a few bucks left over to buy something of value, so be it. As long as I'm not throwing the price in your face or saying you are less of a person because you choose not to purchase those things, then what does it really matter? I appreciate the time and effort that swimbait makers put into their product. In my eyes, they are dedicating their effort to help me catch bigger fish. Are they making a buck? Sure, you would want to make some money in that situation too. Don't get it twisted though. Break it down into hourly rate, taking into consideration all the R&D, carving, pouring, fine tuning and you'll see that it's probably comparable to what you make hourly or more likely less. The guys who REALLY know what they are doing (perfect example is the guy a couple posts above me) can honestly command a higher price than they are currently charging. Have you ever seen the second-hand swimbait market, affectionately known to most of us as the Black Market? I'll agree that it's ridiculous what some people will pay for a hard to get bait. If manufacturers based their pricing on what people would really pay for a bait, THEN you'd see some craziness. Fish what you want and what makes you happy.

Went out with Gambler yesterday in the afternoon. We were fishing for 5+ hours and it was rather slow. Though my last catch of the day was a nice fat mama! Probably in the 6lbs range; short and fat! M>

You never know until you try something whether you like it or not. Don't rely on opinions of others, decide for yourself.

The guys who use those expensive swimbaits are hunting big bass. My biggest bass before I started using swimbaits was 8lbs 10 oz. On a plastic worm. I caught hundreds of bass over 5 lbs and had lost a couple bigger then the 8.10. After I started using swimbaits I started catching bigger bass. I now hove probably caught 300 over 7lbs and probably 40 over 10lbs with my biggest at 17lbs 2oz cought on a swimbait all on highly pressured public lakes. The guys who know what they are doing, who fish these expensive swimbaits know they are worth every penny when they consistently catch bigger bass then they have ever caught before. You can argue that you once caught a big bass on a crank or spinner bait etc. My argument is that the seasoned swimbaits catch big bass consistently. If a tool (expensive bait) produces bigger bass consistently then its worth a lot more then an ordinary bait that catches ordinary bass. Sometimes big bass prefer cheaper baits like big worms or jigs. I will throw them when I think I should. But other times I think they want a swimbait so I will throw them. Different tools for different situations. comparing a $5 crank bait to a $100 swimbait is like comparing a screw driver to a hammer.

Came back a little while ago from my neighborhood canal. At first glance you would think it was dead. Upon closer inpection, (thank goodness for Costa's!!) I saw several large bass staging to spawn. I caught one, 2lb buck off a very deep flat. Other than that, they were in that skittish stage. I was trying to go after 6lb+ pig, but she wasn't having it. She would come and go. When they get to the defending their territory phase, then it should be interesting.

Cl8 clacker swimbait or a hudd 68 weedless or two or the bbz are a few good starter lures or a 7-9" ms slammer will get your feet wet in the swimbait game

First things first. I'm pretty sure he NEEDS the new Curado!

I fish for Cobia during the summer months and this thing is HUGE! http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/excursions/post/enormous-cobia-speared-off-brazil-is-nearly-30-pounds-heavier-than-world-record/

I wouldn't spend $600.00 on a reel, but who cares. You would rather fish with a $100.00 reel, who cares. No reason to get torqued. I haven't heard anyone on this topic yet, offer to buy you, or I one, so we probably wont have deal with the torture of fishing with one....lol. Hootie

try a toothpick/piece of paperclip through the body like it this picture... (red dot)

It's not about catching more fish. It's about getting the most enjoyable experience as you can out on the water. Some people get a sense of excitement knowing they're using the best reel. The refinement, and smoothness, and all of that makes it a better experience for them. If it was solely about catching fish, everyone would be fine with ugly stiks and zebco 33s.

I think guys forget that most of these high end baits are made by self employed, skilled craftsmen, not some faceless, massive corporation.

You can catch a fish on a string tied to a stick, not the point. I don't know if it's ***, or what, but it always seems people with the strongest opinions have never even used the reel.

Zip it buddy.....LOL Substitute the Berkley twitchtail minnow for the GYCB shad shape worm, and we pretty much think the same.

Do you know Raider Nation Fisher?

I had that exact model rod with a 51e on it. Its one of those rods that can do everything but the handle was way too short for my liking. I sold it immediately. Heres a pic to show how short the handle is. Handle was so short that it made the rod feel so ttip heavy. Id go for the next model up with longer handle.

Use the rubber bobber stoppers, one above the weight and one below. Slide them up and down the line as you want. With the two of them, go from T-rig to C-rig and back again in just an instant.

Easiest way to do it. Nice thing is that if you change sinkers you can just push them up the line, retie, then slide them back in place. Even if I switch to a jig I'll just push them down to right above the knot. Doesn't bother the fish, acts as a buffer for my knot from sharp objects, and I don't have to break out a new one next time I put on a T-rig. Of course if you're not a cheapskate like I am you can always just replace it instead.

The rubber bobber stoppers work great.

My training is also going well. I still have another 20 pounds to shed to be as tight as A-Jay, but a man needs a goal to shoot for...

Training continues to go quite well. My #$%^ is Tight ! A-Jay

Pay your brother in law back. Go out and enjoy the reel, take care of it, and don't feel guilty. The one thing your brother in law wanted to do was to make you happy. Be happy and thankful and go have a lot of fun. (be sure to tell him thanks and relay stories about the fish you catch with it.)

For the same money the regular Berkley Lightning Rod is going to be a much better rod than the Ugly stik for bass fishing. No, it won't be as "tough" as an Ugly Stik, but they are pretty durable if that's a consideration for you. Personally, I'd spend $10 more and get a Berkley Lightning Rod Shock, or Abu Garcia Vengeance, they are great bangs for the buck at only $49...........cheaper at some places if you shop around,

Here's some of my collection. Deps, 316, MattLures, ect...

Mattlures Hardgill, Got em Coach Gill, or a Spro Bbz1 6".

Corny, but the fact that your brother-in-law thinks so highly of you to spend roughly 600 dollars on what he was probably told was the best reel on the market (assuming he doesn't know fishing and either asked or was told which was the "best" reel) ...to me, THAT makes it worth 600 bucks. I say keep it, keep a reel cover on it at all times when not fishing, and enjoy it. Plus, now you have a splendid opportunity to go out and purchase a high end rod to match!

All I want to know is.... Does your wife have a sister? I would like to be his brother in law too.

My physical appearance & abilities have always been directly related to my entire life style. It helps me to try not to walk if I can run, not to sit if I can stand and not to ride if I can bike. Also if you're a dog owner, there's a very good chance that if your dog is over weight & / or out of shape, so are you. A-Jay

I don't know how anyone could say it's the line that made a fish avoid a bait. How could you know that? I have no doubt that fish may be able to see the line, I just question whether they can determine that something is wrong because they see it. There are many other factors in a bait that are un-natural. There are hooks, metal blades, wood, plastic, why is it the line that would make the bass turn away? If they are smart enough to figure out line is bad, how come they aren't smart enough to figure out the bait is not real food?

Agreed. Not a stiff enough tip for hard jerk baits.

Don't worry about it..........Abu M power rods are fairly stout. I have a similar rod, the 7' M Vendetta, that they also list as "moderate fast"...........nothing modrate about it, it's fast if not XF in action.

I have that same rod and I use it for the same thing as rmcguirk does. It would be too whippy imo for that. I'd go for the XF for jerk baits. It is ok for soft jerkbaits though, will use a super fluke occassionaly in a pinch.

I am about to start week 3 of p90x and have done pretty well so far with the diet and workouts but this weekend was a little bit of a drop off as far as diet goes...i tend to eat more carbs than i should on the weekend but during the week i limit them pretty well. I am really looking forward to it warming up enough to get the ice off the road so i can get on my bike without fear of killing myself

I have the 6'10" M/F. I like it well enough. It is light and pretty sensitive. A fairly all-purpose rod for lighter presentations. IMO, though you could use it in a pinch, and it does have a nice short handle, it does not have enough tip for hard jerk baits. In fact, I do like it as a back-up cranking rod for just that reason. You're in my neighborhood. If you'd like the chance to try the rod out, I'd be happy to meet you and let you try it out. PM me if interested.

Yeah I wiped out 2 months of work in about 8 hours today, went to county fair today.. Elephant Ears CHECK Carmel Apple CHECK Smoked Turkey Leg CHECK Sprite CHECK Lemonade CHECK Cotton Candy CHECK Ice Cream CHECK Fried Pork Rinds CHECK

I fished with a guy that had the 69mxf he used for topwaters and jerkbaits. No idea what the top end weight is but he was throwing 1/4oz yellow magic poppers and sammy 100s on a 50 size shimano a good distance. I only held the rod for a minute. The handle is short but seemed perfect as perfect could be for working topwaters/jerkbaits. Not sure if you ever used the st croix 68mxf but it was noticeably shorter than the st croix. Guy seemed to love the rod. The material they use on the grip(forgot what its specifically called) was extremely comfortable.

That is the very best piece of advice I have read throughout this thread. Very well put and that is what your BIL intended.

Yeah, picked up some things last week with the red tags on them. A nice SK crankbait and finesses jig for under $3.

those and keitech swing impacts Dicks sporting goods had a clearance sale so I made it rain on Saturday...bought some lucky crafts and various other baits

Could you see us all in a room together discussing this. We would have to wear boxing headgear and cups...lol. Hootie

Keep Reading Mr. Perry's Book there young man! U are on the right track... When U finish it, let me recommend his expanded series, 9 volumes of 'workbook like' versions to better help U understand Everything Buck is saying. As U can see, some of the replies here are from those who don't know who Buck is/was, nor his contributions to fishing. There is more to fishing, even Bass Fishing, than just Tournaments... your personal satisfaction or putting family members on fish is another. Quite a funny reply on here that there are better techniques when U look at his signature comments about "Ignorance can be corrected. Stupid lasts a lifetime", we can see how it lasts a lifetime. Or another that comments he was bored, he wasn't really trolling, just dragging a lure behing the boat. It is OK, however, 'cause U don't know what U don't know, But now U have the Single greatest source of Fishing Knowledge in front of U, so U will know the Who, What, When, Where, Why, & How if U 'Study' Spoonplugging. I mean it is more than a 1 Time Read... re-read it, study, & apply it, then more of it will make sense, when U read it again! Trolling was made illegal in Tounament Fishing to prevent the Spoonpluggers from winning all the Tournaments, since they had already shown this to be the case, & the numbers of entries declined especially if they knew Spoonpluggers were attending. Trolling is our Teacher, as Buck Says... but understand Buck's definition of Trolling vs. just dragging a lure thru the water behind the boat. A couple others here have the right idea, locate the fish trolling, then stop & cast to catch more, but only if the Depth & Speed can be duplicated to make the fish Strike. Some Situations, the Depth & Speed required cannot be achieved on the cast, & Trolling is the only way to make the Catch. What we must do to put the fish on the Stringer/in the Boat is our concern... I would definitely read what Tom has to say on here... he undertands that successful Trolling can be more difficult that just casting one's arm off all day long at whatever can be seen. The Commercialism side of the industry drives many to things they just don't need... fish don't care how fast your boat is, how much your rod cost, or how many lures/rods, Big Screen sized depth finders is on your boat. Most will not want to put in the time & effort to become a successful Spoonplugger... they still believe that Success can be purchased w/this years new hot lure or device, etc.etc. They will never know the Thrill & Satisfaction of Catching 10, 20, 30, 50 or more fish (any Game Fish) on Consecutive Cast or Trolling Passes... which is just one of our goals. Knowledge is the Key to Success, & U are well on your way... So as Buck would say, Good Fishing Always

No truer words have ever been spoken!

My story is similar to Geo g's. I was fishing with my BIL, last year in the Everglades on the Miami Canal. We were out on my boat which is a 16 ft Tracker. I was in the front my BIL was in the back. We were surrounded by gators and having a good time catching nice fish. My BIL, had to reach for something on the lower deck, and for what ever reason lost his balance. From that point forward everything moved in slow motion. My BIL, fell backwards into the deep water and was completely submerged. He shot up like a rocket, but the next challenge was getting him back into the the boat without me falling into the water as well. I lowered my self flat across the deck and helped pull and get his leg over the side and back into the boat. Once I realized the ordeal was over and my BIL besides being soaked was ok, I almost pee'd in my pants laughing. I have never seen my BIL, move so fast and see his eyes so big when he shot up out of the water. The gators didn't even flinch. They just sat there looking at us, and thinking " did that really just happen" LOL....

Many, many bass lures are designed to catch the fisherman, not the fish. Keep buying expensive lures, and I guarantee they will keep making them. Which is why I won't. And I still catch plenty. The bass have no idea what I spent.

Good luck Felix77! Let us know your progress.

I agree. I'll be purchasing KVD's Pure Insanity Core-Blaster Aerobic "Twerk-out" when StrikeMaster releases it on Blu-Ray this spring. Kevin will have me burning fat and toning my abs and buns while teaching me how to twerk to the latest dance grooves. Can't wait!!

My resolution this time last year. Went from 254# all the way down to180#. Still there. I am 6' tall. Believe me, fishing was a WHOLE LOT easier after losing 74#. Hootie

they look nice, but i would add more strands to them, bulk them up a bit. just my 2 cents

I'll be interested about what the ladies have to say, But this is how I kept my daughter interested: CATCH A BUNCH OF FISH! My partner, Speedy, and I set up on white bass and let her reel them in. After a hundred or so, she decided to sunbathe, then came back for more! Most importantly, a few hours were plenty and I had her back in time for a date with her boyfriend. Bottom line: Cast & crank; catch some fish; make it short. p.s. Some girls will like to fish, most won't. Get over it. 8-)