The Rooster

haha, my thoughts exactly. I love my Shimano Compres but I like Ugly Stiks equally as well, but for completely different reasons and uses. Sorry, didn't mean to detract from the original theme of this thread. I can see where EVA would be a comfort factor for long periods of usage where sesitivity might be deemed less important such as with crankbaits or spinnerbaits. However I want all the sensitivity I can find for ALL baits cause I want to feel that bait bumping into a stump or dragging the bottom and feel the bottom composition (rocky, sandy, muddy). So for that reason I stick with the cork handled rods for bass fishing. Since I catfish with the rod propped up in a fork, handle in the dirt, the handle doesn't matter but since I want Ugly Stiks for that then EVA it is.

Sam, your advice was awesome. I too use 8# on my spinning rods, rarely 10# but never any heavier.

If I like the rod for what I'm buying it for then the handle doesn't matter. But for bass fishing I want cork only (that's just me, so I voted cork). For catfishing I use foam since Ugly Stiks have foam and are great rods for this, however I discovered that catfish slime on a handle will leave places where the surface of the foam has been removed. Don't know why, maybe it's an acidity of the slime?? Either way, after fishing a pond for cats and getting slime on my hands, cleaning off as best I can, and then gripping the rod again, I found it removed the surface of the EVA in several places where the slime touched it. It's purely cosmetic damage, doesn't effect the rod, and since it's just my cheap catfishing rod then it doesn't bother me.

I just got the 2010 catalog and this was on page one of the lure section. At first glance I thought it would be a great thing, and was all set to order one of the XXX shad color, but then I thought about how they rig up and decided to wait on some reviews instead. They rig up by passing the line thru the front lure, out the back and then tying onto the rear lure at the nose. The front lure is a floater, the rear lure is a sinker. What if you get a strike on the front lure?? How do you set the hook since it's essentially a slip floater in design?? Seems to me you'd have to reel in the rear lure until it made contact with the front lure before you'd get a good hook set. I could be wrong though. Being a treble hook and the way I set hooks it might be better if the line slips some as I drive it home. Keep from pulling out the hook maybe?? Mostly though, I don't like how the front lure slides up and down on the line. Seems this would fray up the line or possibly weaken it. So I figured if I get into the double lure rigging that I'll find another way to rig it up instead.

There's no such thing as a bad Rapala lure.

You might think about changing hook sizes to change the angle of float also. Larger front hook to make it nose down, even add solder. Larger or dressed (or both) rear hook to make it nose up.

Burn it, slow roll it, all speeds in between, let it sink and pop it back, steady retrieve, stop go stop go, bump it into limbs, rocks, stumps, helicopter it down beside cover (falling with blades twirling), wake it with blades spinning just beneath the surface leaving a trail in the water's surface, pretty much anything I can think to try until I get a hit. I use spinnerbaits when there is a chop on the water to diffuse it's image underwater so the bass don't get a real good look at it. This is in clearer waters and on windy, breezy days. Muddy waters I don't worry so much about the chop cause bass can't see as well so it's more about vibration of the blades and bulk of the body for water displacement instead, also very bright or dark colors such as chartreuse or black for muddy waters. I like more natural colors in clearer water, such as something resembling a baitfish like shad, bluegill, crappie, or even trout. If I'm slowrolling it on the bottom I may use a brownish color to resemble a crawfish, and use a crawfish trailer such as the Netbait baby paca craw. I use silver blades in clear waters and gold blades for murky stained, or muddy waters. Even black or brightly painted blades for muddy water as well, or when I fish at night. Longer, skinnier blades (willow leaf) for more flash, shorter, wider blades (colorado) for more thump and vibration. Indiana blades are a hybrid of the two for the best of both worlds.

Saw a video here on this site where Glenn said that lumaflex skirts were awesome. I plan to use both personally.

That was still cool to see a human doing that on pavement. He could have wiped out a bunch of times but narrowly missed it.

Chew all over someone's teeth and lips looks so nasty I can't hardly stand to see it and always feel very sorry for those who seem totally unaware they look that bad to other people. Carrying around a bottle of spit is equally as disgusting and since the two go together, you can imagine how gross that I think it is. Smoking however, I'd have to say I hate worse. My stepdaughter smokes, after being raised and preached to about the dangers, horrors, disgust of, and anything else that goes with it. She smells sooooo bad when she comes into a room, and when she talks to me I have to turn my head. It makes me want to vomit when I catch a whiff of her breath, that's theee most disgusting smell I have ever had to endure. I'd rather sniff a dog's *** after a fresh dump. I do not smoke, I do not chew, I have never done either one (except experimented with cigarettes as a kid for about 1/2 a pack before swearing off permanently). I do not understand how anyone would ever start on such a nasty habit and stick with it long enough for it to become a habit. There are those who think it tastes good, but is this something you have to learn?? How can smoke taste good?? It stinks so bad it could not possibly taste good. I have personally tasted it, and it's as nasty as I'm making it sound right now. I can see chew tasting good with all the flavors and mints available, but it's so strong that it can't truely be that enjoyable. Either one you do, they cost so much money that I would be put off just by that alone. And the risks of cancer, that's another "alone" put off factor. I not only find it disgusting and smelly, risky, and costly, but I am mostly personally offended even being around people who smoke. They stink so bad I can't stand it, and it's a smell that doesn't wash out, it's in your body whether you are currently smoking or not. I can tell if you smoke just by standing near you even if you have freshly showered and are still wet, dressed in only a towel and not smokey clothes (my stepdaughter comes out of the shower wrapped in only towels and she still wreaks of the nasty filth). I think chewing is disgusting but smoking I just plain dispise.

OK, I know this might be the dumbest reply yet but once this happened to me and after an hour of panicing that my computer was having a major problem I suddenly found that the speaker wires were unplugged from the back of the tower, so check there as well. Right now I'm having another issue with IE not working right, keeps freezing and not responding, and this computer is only 4 months old and has AVG virus protection on it that I purchased for it. Seems as of lately there are a lot who have visited this site and are now having computer problems.

This is true. Walmart is good for some things, but anymore when it comes to fishing gear I don't think they even compete. Lures are ok but lacking in selection, just the bare basics only and only have half of those. Rods and reels are mostly sub par but once in a while you'll find something fair, decent, or even good.

Well you were probably looking for something more custom looking but these should work also... http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_96597____SearchResults They make them in oversized as well for power cranking.

Between the two, I like the Pinnacle Inertia best. Don't know how they will hold up in the long run though, nor do I know about the Silver Max either. The Pinnacle just feels best to me in hand at the store.

Got some Rapala Countdown minnows for Christmas, size 9, and dad got the size 7. I was wondering with two different sizes and weights, do you still count them down at "one foot per second"?? Won't one sink faster than the other being different weights and sizes?? :-?

Rapala Shad Rap SR-05, baby bass Rapala Jointed Shad Rap JSR-05, baby bass Rapala Glass Shad Rap GSR-07, glass black back Rapala Shallow Shad Rap SSR-07, shad Rapala X-Rap Deep XRD-08, clown Rapala X-Rap XR-10, clown Rapala Countdown CD-09, silver/black back Rapala Countdown CD-09, firetiger Rapala Skitterpop SK-07, silver/black back XCalibur Rattlebait XR75, chrome black back XCalibur Rattlebait XR75, foxy shad XCalibur Rattlebait XR75, oxbow (chartreuse blue)

I used to use a piece of tape like they sell in a pharmacy for taping up wounds, it's sort of like a cloth tape, one strip around the spool with very minimal overlap of the ends was enough to stop all slipping.

And if you like the Clarus, wait till you sample the Compre. Honestly though I'm torn between them. Save money or go for even lighter weight and more sensitivity. :-/

that made me lol. i agree with hammer , my gear is only a fraction of what some of you guys have. i have my rods against the wall. ive been meaning to put together a rack for them but ive been procrastinating. will the rods warp or something? They say they'll warp or twist but I've never had one do this yet in 14 years of wall leaning. However I'm gonna build a rod rack just for display purposes anyway. What's up with the jail cell pic?? Did somebody go to the bighouse that I don't know about?? :-?

I used to rig those little 3" ones on a 1/0 gold light wire hook. I believe it was called an Aberdeen hook. Never missed any fish on it but never caught anything larger than 13" with them either.

This was suggested in the other thread where we have been posting pics of rods and reels so I thought I'd start it out. Maybe it'll get 200+ posts like the last one did. Here's some of my stuff... Roostertails!!! Believe it or not these are not just for crappie. These catch lots of bass for me. Granted, none too big, but some decent ones and some keepers too. Some crankbaits Buzzbaits, chatterbaits, and jigs All Bandit crankbaits, still building this box, these are one of my favorites A mix of jerkbaits, topwaters, and a couple of Magic Swimmer swimbaits A box especially for spinnerbaits only I didn't bother to lay out the 20+ bags of plastics I have here, or the hooks, sinkers, and other various things. Also I have another box of just inline spinners as well, Blue Fox Vibrax spinners, but I mostly use them for fishing the river here so I didn't lay them out, every single one is the same color, chrome with white tail. After Christmas I'll have a bit more to add to this. Mostly Rapala and Excalibur hardbaits. Maybe I'll update the pics then. Sure seems like I used to have more stuff than this. :-/ I've given a lot away, guess I gave more away than I thought?? :-? If you see anything good here that I ought to be using a lot, let me know. If you see anything MISSING that I ought to have, let me know please.

The new Abu Garcia Orra SX has the lube port on the bottom of the gearbox like the Pro Qualifier and Extreme does. But I think that reel has graphite sideplates too.

I got a few of the Z-man baits in the 3/8 size. Haven't caught anything on them yet but I haven't used them a lot. I know they have a very heavy vibration to them, at least twice what a tandem bladed spinnerbait has. I'd imagine they would be useful as night fishing lures or as muddy water baits based on level of vibration.

I disagree that BPS reels are disposable. You're kidding, right?? None of mine fall in that category.

If Shimano says no discounted sales then how is my Walmart getting away with selling the Citica E for $90?? :-?