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LOL....aint that the truth....good thing my lures can't talk back to me....I can just imagine what mine would say when it gets back to the boat: "WTH are you doing??? You sent me 3 yards to the right of that OBVIOUS stump that had a beast camping alongside....and then pulled me WAY too fast TWO FEET off the bottom and missed three humps and two culverts....why are we even out here if you don't want to catch the dang fish!!!!!"

When mine get in that condition, I take my scissors and snip about a 1/4" off the head of the worm. Clean head, worm a little shorter, and continue using it. Hootie

I like big fish water.

I think it's interesting how simply because production rod companies have decided that we should all have "Micro" sized guides, we've had to come up with all kinds of new smaller / slimmer braid to leader knots to accommodate the reduction in guide size. I'm not totally convinced that any actual "weight reduction" & / or increased sensitivity realized with this change is worth the complications it brings. At No Point do I ever remember thinking "Man, the guides on this rod are just too heavy". Did we change just for the sake of change ? A-Jay

" A Lure You Were Disappointed In After Using It" I'll admit to having a few baits that fall into this category. But I bet it pales in comparison to the number of baits in my box that are routinely disappointed in ME. A-Jay

I actually skipped Hillsdale both times... Put me in a tight points race for the top... Worth it??, totally. lol.

Kevin VanDam and the production Rod makers do not drive custom builder innovation. Quite the opposite. The appropriate guide for any build is the smallest, lightest THAT WiIl DO The JOB which includes passing knots and connections. Micro guides are not a cure all any more than anything else. Please don't project the misapplied theory and exaggerated claims of mass producers and their pitchmen onto true custom rod builders. The lightest possible guide train on a rod helps retain the blanks inherent properties resulting in a crisp and sensitive Rod. Also, "micro" covers a range of sizes and I shy away from the term and just choose by application. For reference a 4.5 size guide will pass an Albright knot joining 50# PP & 15# fluoro no problem. Some off the shelf rods are using as small as 3s I believe. The advantages of properly applied micro guides are subtle but real much like higher modulus blanks etc

Good thread.. A local builder who just replaced a rod tip for me with larger diameter eye and I were just talking about this fiasco. According to him this change was brought on by none other than Kevin Van Dam. Rod builders jumped on the micro wagon because it would have us all replacing our rods. That's marketing.. I do not own a rod with micro guides. I saw the issues they would cause for me. I never liked them.

Finally finished up a reel I have been working on modifying for a while now. Just picked up an SV spool for it and it may just be one of the most impressive reels I have used. Paired with a DX 703.

Sometimes I think it would be cheaper to throw a few rolls of quarters into the lake than any of my lures.

I feel the problem people have with micros is they're trying to use the wrong tool for the job. Using a screwdriver instead of a hammer. 3mm guides aren't appropriate for 60# braid with a 20# leader. For that you need to step it up to a 5mm guide. The manufacturers don't tell you that though. They just say micros are great. They are, but not for all applications. Currently working on a SCV 7'4" heavy. I will NOT be using tiny guides. They will be 5mm, to allow for connection passing and any other crap that may gum up the works. Once again, right tool for the job.

Wading a river for smallmouths is absolutely my favorite way to fish! First question (might be a silly one but I have to ask…) Are you sure there are smallmouth in the creeks and streams you are fishing? OK, that’s out of the way. For depth I’ve been catching fish in a foot of water while wading up to 20 feet deep when fishing from the shore. Areas I would generally concentrate on are fast moving water, the deeper pool that forms below the fast moving water, anything that breaks the current (big rocks, logs, rock ledges), shaded water along the bank. Try every type of water until you find some fish. I personally don’t fish topwater or treble-hook baits so take the following bait advice with a grain of salt, for me it’s soft plastics. Tubes, curly-tail grubs, stickbaits (“Senko-type” baits), finesse worms, small jigs w/ trailer, small craw imitators (like the Baby Rage Craw), small paddle-tail swimbaits. If I could only use one bait it’s hard to beat a 4” YUM Dinger in watermelon red flake. Good luck!

A Jay, allow me to attempt to convince you. I have two Setyr rods. I bought the first at a local tackle shop, and really liked it, so I got several more in different lengths, actions and powers. The one I'll talk about is a 7' medium power, fast action, split grip, no foregrip design with small Recoil guides. This is one of my favorite rods. One popped up in the flea market a couple of years ago, and I bought it, thinking it would be nice to have another favorite rod. The second rod had was almost identical to the first; the difference being the guide set. This one has "normal" sized Alps guides. Nothing wrong with that. They are fine guides. Never had one crack, break, pop a ring or bend. They are heavier than Recoils, by quite a bit. Bottom line is, the first rod is one of my favorites, and the second has been sitting, unused, in my rod rack for almost as long as I've had it. I have several other rods I like better. There is a very noticeable difference. I emailed Setyr about it, asking if these were two different blanks. They are not. I initially thought, well, I just got a dud. A rod builder friend of mine corrected that initial thought. The difference is the weight delta between the large "regular' guides and the small Recoils. Without that experience, I too would have a hard time believing there would be such a noticeable difference. I can also say that all the rods I"ve built for myself have small guides; SICs, Alconites and Recoils.

The Rapala Scatter raps. I know they catch fish I just don't believe there is a real efficient way to fish them. When I am cranking I am usually targeting a certain depth range. With the Scatter rap it seems like there is not consistent means to get your bait into that range and for it to stay there. Sometimes it dives left, sometimes it dives right, and sometimes it dives down, there is just no telling.

Ya got that ass backwards. Custom builders were using the so called micro guides at least 5 years before the major manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon. Same with split grips, but it took them longer to make it to mainstream.

My wife is always pretty easy to convince. Granted, it costs me my credit card and the fear knowing that she has 16 hours of unsupervised shopping possible. Just drives me that much harder on the water. Oh well, it's just money... so technically it's hers anyways right?

I will probably regret extending the life of this thread, but.... Why? Do trout see line differently than bass? See it the same, but process and assess the 'threat' differently? Approach potential food sources differently? Are they the same, but the waters are simply different? It probably isn't important in the least to bass fisherman....but then again, if the folks above who are serious about making their line as unobtrusive as possible to bass are correct...well, maybe it would be instructive to know what a trout sees or thinks??

I couldn't have said it better. If the results from "micro" guides are only "micro" improvements, then it isn't worth it. I would like to see the actual statistics to make a comparison.

Over thinking, can take all the fun out of fishing. Hootie

Crazy. On my friends lake we are fortunate and catch big bass on buzzbaits all day long.

You can swap 6:8:1 px-r gears into the alphas. It only takes you from 24" ipt to 26" ipt though. You need the following parts... Px-r Main gear Px-r Pinion gear Daiwa #1 carbontex drag kit Not really needed but you can also pick up the px-r 6:8:1 worm gear and the worm gear bearing upgrade. It's only money,right. There are no gear swaps available for the px-r that I'm aware of. Which means there aren't any available for the alphas except px-r gears.

Pro-V bass sounds like an oxymoron to me. they look nice, but I think I like your Lund Predator better

Check out Mend-It soft plastics glue. Save the "Repairable" baits, glue them up & reuse. It works Wicked Good. A-Jay

The LTBs are great. For what you described I would get the 7'1" MH/F. FWIW, I think the Legend Elite/Extreme is a more direct comparison to the GLX/NRX line ups though...Not that'd you'd be disappointed with the LTB's, I have several along with some Elites and I love them all. Any St Croix Legend series is well worth the price tag IMO.

Pick one in a similar color and style to what has already worked for you and give it a shot. If you like it and it works, you'll know whether to continue down the rabbit hole. That's how I started, bought one Vision 110 to try out during a good jerkbait bite and I loved it...Now I own a bunch more MB products. The Vision 110 is probably the #1 gateway bait to the higher dollar stuff!

I can't think of anything better than a Lightning Rod Shock for the intended use you desire, or for the $$.

"Lake George is, without comparison, the most beautiful water I ever saw; formed by a contour of mountains into a basin... finely interspersed with islands, its water limpid as crystal, and the mountain sides covered with rich groves down to the water-edge: here and there precipices of rock to checker the scene and save it from monotony." -- Thomas Jefferson, May 31, 1791 I grew up fishing this lake, for 25+ years, but hadn't until this summer spent serious time on it the entire season. I ice-fished a few times in Feb-March, and went out a few days after ice-out, then over the next 3 months made about 25 trips, about 300 hrs on it this summer... mostly dawn-dusk trips, a few overnights, and two very grueling 24 hour marathons. I mainly fished for SMB/LMB, catch and release but did keep bunches of rock bass and pumpkinseed for eating a few times, they were everywhere. Perch were here and there, a few jacks but nothing consistently, probably because I wasn't jigging much. A couple trips I targeted either Northern Pike or Lake Trout but had very little success. Overall what I learned is: - LMB and SMB populations are doing great here - Most people I see out in boats fishing seem to fish way too shallow - Shallow water (<20 ft)- any time, any day, any weather- is never productive for LMB/SMB >12" here in July or August. Period. - The key with both species is finding structure where the thermocline (30-32') and bottom intersect- humps, submerged points, sunken islands, drop-offs, or even just flats- at 28-38' deep and near deeper water. - Locating and fishing around "cover" (fallen timber, weedbeds, docks, et) is not very helpful on this lake in the summer - Best baits are the ones that stay at the target depth (20-30') the longest - jigs, drop shot rigs, texas rigs, etc. - ...But the most efficient methods (catch the most fish in the least time) keep the baits at target depth while also covering the largest area in the least time. For me this was speed trolling (3-4mph) deep diving crankbaits and weighted plugs. Honestly, the bigger the better. StrikeKing 10XD, 2-3oz Matzuo Kinchou plugs, etc. The boat: Pants: Fjallraven Vidda Pros. There are inserts for foam knee pands so they were great for a canoe or small boat where you can be on your knees a lot. Also plenty of pockets, and reinforced seat because, well, you're sitting a lot. Some of the routes and fish: I covered a lot of the South Basin, mainly around the major islands and open water structure. Humps and reefs. Only parts I didn't get to were Diamond Island, Dunhams Bay or any of the very southern end. Since I was in a canoe I didn't just jump spot to spot, I trolled along everywhere I went and found some fish in very strange places. Dink SMB will suspened 10-15 ft down almost anywhere in the lake, but esp over structure 30-40 ft deep. And the larger SMB and LMB will also suspend 20-35 feet down sometimes in up to 60 fow. Didn't really weight or measure any of the fish this year but I think largest of each species was around 20" and 4-5 lbs, not necessarily pictured. Storm approaching: Got caught between 2 thunderstorm cells north and south of me on the lake, this one to the north dumping huge amounts of rain. Wind and waves got a little sketchy. I headed into a small bay and some people offered to tie up to their docks. It passed and I survived. 1. Northwest Bay at sunset, 2. Moonrise in Harris Bay, July 3. This was an awesome night. Full moon, calm waters, tons of people at the lake but not much boat traffic since it was at night. When I first got there around 6-7pm the entire bay smelled like grilled steak. Fishing was great until around 11pm when it slowed down a little. Even though it was early in the season and at night topwater wasn't producing. Shallow crankbaits over 15-20 ft weedbeds on sunken humps worked best. 3. Sagamore Hotel at night. Lac Du St Sacrament - largest of one of the cruise ships on the lake. Snuck up on me one time while anchored at a mid-lake hump when the wind was from the opposite direction. It came within about 100 yds. Dome Island about 10mi down the lake. I did fish Dome quite a bit and it does have prolific numbers of SMB around it and the extensive reef structure to its north. The drop-offs to the south seem hold the bigger fish, but overall I found Dome Island to essentially be just a big dink sanctuary... tiny smallmouth after tiny smallmouth. It was hard to fish deep enough to avoid them while still catching something. There seemed at times to be hundreds, even thousands, of 3-5" smallmouth bass around the island and the reefs and it became a real hassle compared to other places. I have not once caught a LMB around or near this island. SMB have taken over, and I've started to think the lake is overpopulated with smallmouth. Most productive lure of the season and the year by far. Perch were there but I wasn't able to target them specifically. I plan on focusing more on them in the fall. Small cottage on the lake... Owned by Red Sox owner John Henry. No one was ever really there until August when the Sox were 15+ games back. One of many very nice SMB. It was very hard to fish for SMB and LMB separately. Toward the end of the summer SMB have been a bit harder to find. Beat up bass. I have been noticing a lot of jaw and mouth wounds in various stages of healing on basses mouths as the summer has gone on. This LMB actually had the entire lower jaw bone broken in the middle, bones no longer connected. It looked like it was healing though and the fish looked well fed. If anyone is interested I have 4-5 very specific spots that always produce big fish, PM me. I trade info for fluorocarbon line.

I own the full grip H3 7'1 MHXF. Power wise they are close. St. Croixs XF is one of the fastest tips made. The H3 is what I would consider a Fast taper. Sensitivity wise it's on par /w the Dobyns Champion Extreme. Balance is good not great. I usually throw weightless senkos around cover /w it as well as swing heads in the 1/2oz range in rock. If you want an open water rod, get the M.

Thanks. The Predator is by far the best boat I've owned and one of the nicest fishing boats I've been in. I think Lund's issue with Predator sales stemmed from 2 issues. Marketing a boat to the musky fisherman with inadequate rod storage and their marketing plan in general. A musky boat that doesn't hold 8ft or larger rods is a bass boat. Depending on motor selection and options, the Predator 2010 started at 35k with a 150 and could be outfitted to over 60k with a 225 Verado and a 9.9 kicker I believe most fishermen spending 50k+ on a bass boat would choose a glass boat. Now, to the marketing plan in general. The Pro V is their flagship boat. They market that boat more than any of their line. When people hear Lund, they think Pro V. The rest of their fleet is just that...the rest of their fleet. Lund's are extremely popular up north with little acknowledgement in the south. Ranger and Tracker on the other hand, are popular brands nationwide. So, now comes the Pro V Bass. The IPS2 hull is the hull design the Pro V shares with the Predator, the Alaskan, and I believe a couple other models. It's more of a cross between a modified v and a deep v. (A true deep v would be the Baron or Tyee) This hull design is not similar to either the Tracker or Ranger aluminum. It's in a completely different class. Now, If I were a betting man, I'd say the vast majority of bass boats, both glass and aluminum are sold in the south. The same south where fisherman think Lund is just an expensive aluminum boat, and lets just face it, aluminum boats are for entry level boaters with limited funds. So, how do they market it? My educated guess thinks the 1875 ProV Bass with a 200 well equipped will be around the 35-37k price point. This is roughly 10k more than the Ranger RT188 and the new Tracker 195TX Again, I stress this boat is in a different class. Not only is the hull different, but the Ranger is rated for a 115 and the Tracker a 150. Brunswick already markets a boat to compete with these boats, the Crestliner VT19. So, how do they convince southerners that this boat is superior tin option than the Ranger. I'm not sure. I think they need to really push the rough water capability. I know the larger southern impoundments get pretty rough. I've been on KY Lake in some nasty stuff in a deep v and wouldn't have attempted it in a mod v. They need to convince the buyer that they are getting more of an aluminum boat for less than a glass. If they can't do this, I believe it will disappear just like the Predator. BTW This not Lund's first go at a Pro V bass boat.

I really like the LTBs. In fact I'm still debating if I want to replace all my Dobyns Champions with them. They are a little tip heavy but to me it really isn't that bad.

I have the 6'9" MH MF Crank Rip Twitch KLX, and have only used it so far for cranks and top waters, nothing where I'm really testing sensitivity. But for what you can and want to feel with moving baits I'm more then pleased the blank definitely has sensitivity. I really love the taper and feel on the cast, it loads well and predictably and is closer to fast then moderate to me, very similar to my Orochi Spinnerbait Special but not quite as crisp and maybe a bit less powerful. But in a pinch I think it's fast enough to throw a light trig, a Senko, or even a finess jig. I'm really pleased with how the rod loads and unloads on the cast, very controlled and predictable. I wanted a shorter rod for target casting top waters and cranks at close cover, lay downs, docks, overhangs, etc and this rod is doing it perfectly for me. I can pitch a crank to cover if I need to. I'm very pleased with the build quality, materials, and components of the KLX, I was surprised to find I really like the Kigan guides on it, they seem quality and I feel they help with the casting. Love the sort of shimmery sharkskin look of the raw carbon blank. I'd be curious if anyone with hands on with the Helium 3, especially the 7'1" MH/XF could compare its taper and casting characteristics to any Orochi or St Croix rods.

I wouldn't assume the Jerkbait Special is a casting version of the Ronin, the taper is Regular for the JS vs Fast for the Ronin. I have the JS and love it, very versatile rod for a variety of moving bait presentations, and I've even thrown finesse jigs on it with success. But it is more of a parabolic taper well suited to trebles. I use it primarily for jerkbaits, top waters, smaller cranks, but I know if I need it to its got the power for lighter soft plastics.

I'm definitely leaning more towards the Orochi XX Ronin. Hate to not getting another Dobyns, but I want to definitely try this rod out. Does anyone know what the true difference of the megabass casting vs spinning of this specific rod? I see they call it Jerkbait Special for the casting rod.

Smallmouth are fantastic watch out for the sand bar and the lake will be heavily used on weekends. Loon + Pot island has always worked for me and also Sandy point might bring in some also. last time I was there I was able to order pizza to the sand bar for lunch.

you don't have to pay $170 for that Tatula. Shop around, brother.

Sigh. I need more Keitechs. I swear they melt when exposed to water. I'll probably buy more swim jigs too, because I have a problem.

It's interesting how many people have said they fish reaction baits on bridge pilings. I always pitch a jig or T-rig right up to the concrete and let it fall vertically. Maybe I'll have to try cranks sometime

I had the LTB Sweeper Spinnerbait rod. So far the best I've ever owned and I regret selling it. It's a fine rod for sure! I have the E6X Loomis now and love it as well. Awesome rod. I don't own an NRX or GLX rods. I want the Megabass spinnerbait rod next....it's on the list.

Man every time my favorite plastics go on sale I buy a bunch of bags. BPS had a dump bin with their brand baits in colors you can't find (or that I've never seen anyways), like their 7" Stick O in solid black. I just can't help myself in that situation.

Good luck!

Been using an offset round bend all year on my stick baits and havent had a problem. Ewg is a lot of hook imo for weightless stick baits. Hookup rate is also not a problem with the roundbend for me

You might want to look into the hull weights of the boats you're looking at, if you have lifting issues. The Old Town is over 100 lbs. the NuCanoe is pretty heavy too, as is the Lure. A Hobie is out of the question. I'm not sure a TM is straight forward for the Lure. You might consider a Wilderness Systems Commander. The 140 is only 65 lbs. Hookup for a TM is straight forward, and two seating positions, plus a stable platform that even a big guy can stand in makes it ideal.

I hesitated to reply only because you're looking for someone with warranty experience during the last year or so. My experience with Kistler was more than a year ago, but I feel that I owe it to Trey to respond. Around 5 years back I had a Loomis rod that snapped near the butt. Although I've broken several rods, this was the first rod failure that I felt sure was not due to fault of my own. As a result, it was the first rod in which I actually pursued the warranty. Long story short, I sent the blank to Loomis who told me it was MY fault. They even added fake stress marks to my blank to support their claim (that's stooping mighty low). Since that time I've purchased maybe 15 rods, and though I came close, I never bought another Loomis rod. Then about a year later, (about 4 years ago) I was fishing with a Kistler Helium rod that snapped. Out of curiosity, I phoned Kistler regarding the warranty, and about 3 days later I had a brand new Kistler rod. That's the big difference in companies, and none of this is hearsay. Roger

I stopped buying plastics two-three years ago. To embarressed to count them. Exampled by 300-400 Berkley 10" Power worms. I don't want to know how many Smithwick Rogues I have. Wiggle Warts Aah !

Its been a couple of decades since I've been to Lake of the Ozarks and do some serious dock fishing. I bet what i had success with then would still work today. A blue Manns Jelly worm fished on all sides and underneath was highly effective .

Because you don't make visual contact with other fish species or crawdads doesn't eliminate them from being there. Do you see the bass swimming around? Take some oat meal and broadcast it out on the water and watch for baitfish. Set a crawdads trap over night with bacon and check it for a few days. Tom

I started investing in Simms Sungear and gloves to avoid that whole sunburn issue. Being covered up may not be the most comfortable thing in 100 degree weather, but when I get home I don't have that same red color as my crankbait. Sorry about the sunburn. Witch Hazel and lotion help though.

My tip for you. Look up this guy in Sturgeon Bay http://wackywalleye.com/about-us/captain-dale-stroschein/ He fishes out of a Nitro ZV21 and knows Sturgeon Bay better than anyone. Real nice guy too.

No question here- Long Lake, in the Adirondacks. IMO it's the ideal summer getaway...remote but still has one boat ramp access site at the southern end. There is a lot of state owned shoreline but some summer cottages as well, only reachable by boat. May be pricey to rent. It is deepest, and best to fish, in the northern end which is an 8 mile boat/paddle up the lake. I have caught some great smallmouth there, a lot on a fly. Never even caught one dink LMB there, but they apparently exist, too. It's a very good pike fishery, and has some brook trout and yellow perch as well. One of the most beautiful, well preserved and enjoyable lakes I have found in NY. My alternatives would be Indian, Sacandaga, Lake George, Saranac chain, Tupper, Cranberry. I like Hemlock and Canadice too but 100% of their shoreline is state owned.

Theres some confusion here. I read it top five in one day tournament and non tournament .