The Rooster

Well the ones I am using are the Shimano Compre MH with F tip. I've thought about the XF tip thinking it would be just a little stiffer feeling overall and might improve sensitivity even further, but I also thought it would cut down on the loading ability of the rod under the same weight bait as well so I didn't want to do that since it would make it harder to get the same distance on the cast. Also I saw where someone specifically suggested to use a medium Compre rod for my worming instead of a MH rod. Specifically the CPCX66MB, which is a M rod with XF tip. Why do you think I should use a M instead of a MH here?? I'm curious.

They're not supposed to be loose. What model reel is it?? I've read recently that a lot of BPS Extreme reels have this trouble. As a user of the Extreme, I have yet to see this in any of mine, but it seems to be a very common occurrence in them for others.

id also suggest an xf for your soft plastic rod. Why XF tip instead of just fast for plastics?? In using the MH/F rod I have for plastics I've so far loved it's feeling it provides as well as casting ability.

Not for a long time but I have in the past. Used to see little places in the line that looked like highlights where the light would catch, looked almost like the line was kinked in that place even though it was not. I first noticed it after repeated breakoffs while fishing several years ago. It was so bad that I switched to Stren for a long time. Only bought one roll of Trilene since then cause they were out of Stren and I needed line.

That last post is along the lines of what I was saying on how the color of sexy shad took off. But....in the interest of having a good time here on this site and learning a thing or two new about bass fishing to help me out on the water, I think I'll go ahead and grab a couple cranks in that color and give them a whirl. I'm not so closed minded that I can't try something new.

Well I may try one sometime. This is how I have thought about that color until now. I just figured that KVD got that color in the spotlight, and there's no denying he's good at what he does so when he used it, it naturally works. Then a lot of others went out and bought those by the gobs based on that and were successful using them as well (if enough people do the same thing, you're bound to get some results). So the word spread and more and more people started getting them, and then with so many people using them you're bound to have a lot of fish caught on them and hense the creation of the mentality that this bait is great cause it catches so many fish. And to further fuel this fire, I started seeing it showing up in every type of bait available. Not only crankbaits, but lipless baits, spinnerbaits, jigs, topwaters, plastics, swimbaits. And then every company out there has their own "knock off" version of it now too, plus they are starting to make variations of the same color also, like sexy shad chrome, or charteuse sexy shad. How many ways can they think of to make it?? It's like a giant fishing bandwagon. So I formed the opinion that it was a lot of hype instead of the real deal. And of course, this was without any side by side comparisons on my part, but that's just the way "I" perceive it for my own self is all. I haven't bought one yet cause it didn't appeal to me. I also typically will go the other way when reading about a bait that worked like magic for a pro. I stay away from it instead of getting one. Otherwise I may buy baits based on thinking this has to work for me as well as it did for him, giving no thought to his skill level making most of the difference instead of the bait. These are only my opinions, and I may be missing out. It isn't that much to pick up at least one bait in that color to try, and if it didn't work for me then it would definitely not be the first time I bought a bait that failed. So I may grab one before long. Bandit makes a bait in that color and that's my favorite crankbait so what the h-ll, I'll just pick one up next time out and give it a try. Hopefully, I'll find out I was wrong.

Read this in a magazine, looked good so I wanna build one.... Use a 3/8 or 1/2 oz. chartreuse or chartreuse/white spinnerbait, change lead blade to a bright fluorescent red #3 colorado blade, and trailing blade to a #7 indiana blade in gold. Use a 4" or 5" white grub for trailer to add bulk. This is supposed to be bright, very bulky for profile, and have a lot of thump to it, and the red blade is supposed to really help out with visibility (not totally sure how but it was in the magazine, either Bassmaster or Bassin' earlier this year). This was just what I read, and I remember it cause it sounded good at the time. I think I'm gonna get a Booyah spinnerbait to try this with since they have such brightly colored skirts. I have not made one yet but I will.

Garcia round reels?? Do they s t i l l make those!?!? Kidding. I used to love them for bass fishing. I always used the 5600 sizes though. Then I started with low profile reels and I think it was a vast improvement to my fishing if for no other reason than comfort.

Is there a braid out there that's smoother than the current Power Pro??

I can see advantages to having different setups though. And since I love new gear......

Priceless. ;D

KVD made it famous. That's the big deal. Give it a few more years and the fish will have seen it so many times in various forms and in different bait types that they will recognize it instantly. I have yet to purchase any lure in the sexy/foxy or otherwise imitation color of this. I don't really see that it looks all that similar to any baitfish swimming. I think they could have matched a shad pattern better than they did with it. This is just my opinion only, but it's the reason I have not bought one yet.

T H A T ' S a N I C E F I S H!!

Well, one reason it was in the box for so long was that I was very busy this year and was not able to fish more than 15 times total. Not sure if it was that many even. So I never got a rod for it. I spent most of the year gutting and remodeling a house for my parents, changed jobs twice, and also became a grandpappy at age 35 (stepdaughter 22 had a little one), so there was a lot going on here. Didn't have too much time to fish. But next year......IT'S ON!!! You guys talked me into it, and I must say it was not hard cause I really wanted another rod. ;D I'm gonna get another Shimano Compre MH/F rod for that 7.1:1 reel and make it my jig/worm rod with use as a spinnerbait/buzzbait burning rod as well. I'll probably even use it to burn lipless cranks also, even though it's a MH and NOT a crankbait rod. I like multi-use rods in my arsenal.

Someone said put different line on one also. I thought about that. Use hybrid on one for spinnerbaits and whatever else I use, then use braid on one for jigs and worms for low stretch and sensitivity as well as fishing deep water and still getting good hooksets. I may just do that. I really wanted to anyway, but couldn't justify the extra $100 for the rod when I already had one that will do the same job. The other one will only do that job just a little better is all. It's more for convenience of not having to cut and retie all the time I think. Maybe I'll spoil myself some and get it anyway.

And I suppose I should address the "give away" comment I made earlier before it gets out of hand. I don't mean I'm really gonna give it away. I meant is as a figurative statement of how frustrated I have been with that model of reel. I just keep it around as a loaner reel now, or only use it when I need a spinning reel to just throw and retrieve a bait that doesn't require any sensitivity to what's going on below the water that a grinding reel would keep me from feeling. I'll probably sell it cheap to just get something out of it and then get something else to replace it with later. It won't bring much though since they're only $60 brand new so I haven't ever tried to sell it before now. I figured no one would have any interest.

This sounds like you're talking about the President baitcast reels instead of the spinning reels cause spinning reels don't have any internal resistance to hinder casting ability, it's just line flowing off of the reel only. I'm also sure the company would probably fix it cause it was a warranty issue. I just didn't want to exchange it cause I figured I'd get another one just like it again. I've seen so many this way, not just the ones I bought, but new ones at the tackle shop here also, ones still for sale behind the glass. I don't have any confidence in them anymore. The Trion I bought was smooth though, just the bail parts wear too quickly from use.

I fish from shore occasionally, but mostly from a boat. I've thought about 7' rods a hundred times but they seem too long for me to use comfortably. That's all my brother in law uses though, but when I hold one of his it seems overly long and in my way as I fish, the tip hits everything, limbs, boat equipment, then it's in the water as I hold the rod down and crank. I love the 6'6" lengths, and even the 6' lengths for just general use such as with small crankbaits. I have a 6 foot rod I can't seem to get rid of cause I love it so well and all I use it for are 1/4 oz. crankbaits and spinnerbaits, 90% cranks though. That 6' rod is the one I am holding in my avatar that I threw that 1/4 oz. crankbait with and caught that fish on. I know it's not the largest fish ever but it is my biggest largemouth bass and it was a load of fun on that rod.

I already have a 6'6" MH/F Shimano Compre rod with a 6.4:1 ratio reel I use for spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, jigs and worming. This is a great feeling all around rod for any of these tasks, does them all quite well. I also have a brand new 7.1:1 reel here that I need a rod for, and am thinking about getting another 6'6" MH Compre for it. I was thinking I'd use the 7.1:1 reel for jigs and worms, having the faster ratio for quick line take up, and also occasionally burning spinnerbaits and buzzbaits if I want to. I see this rod setup as ideal for worms and jigs, but I see the 6.4:1 more ideal for spinnerbaits and buzzers and would be "fast enough" for worms and jigs otherwise. It would be nice, though unnecessary, to have a spinnerbait tied on one, and a jig on the other (the perfect world). But I'd have $150 in one extra combo just to keep from retying between lures. Only difference between these two reels is 28" IPT vs. 31" IPT. I'm thinking since they are so close I may as well just resell the 7.1:1 instead of using it at all. I bought it on a whim since it was on sale last spring but it's been in the box for 9 months now, never used. Of course I've considered other uses for it also, such as on a 7'+ frog rod but I don't really have a need for that on the lakes I fish. There's no real slop here. So I seem to have a reel that I love but don't need, or can use but it needs another rod which would cost money I could use for other fishing related stuff instead.

I got one I'm about ready to GIVE away to get rid of it. Owned 2 now, both grinded gears out of the package and got worse as time went on. Since then I've looked at new ones in the stores around here and can feel the grind in them as well. Also own a Trion which is a lesser version of the President and have had ZERO issues with its gearing grinding, although I have noticed that the Trion, as well as both Presidents, have the bail parts working loose as time goes on as well. I think this is from wear from opening the bail to cast. I never crank it closed either, always flip by hand. I have only owned them for less than 2 years and hardly fished them at all this year so they don't have more than one solid season of use on any of them. Anyway, the Trion is a cheaper reel but had the smoother gears between the two models.......now explain that. : I can't. Overall though I was disappointed in them not holding up and feeling new any longer than they did. They all still work but I don't enjoy using them anymore due to these problems. Don't know if I just happened to run into some bad ones but I will not be buying anymore Pflueger spinning reels for some time. I liked the designs of them but they don't seem to last for me.

It was available in left handed models. 5601 C4 Elite is your left handed model. It only came in 6.3:1 ratio but you could convert it if you wanted to. I had a 5.3:1 ratio reel here that I was going to do just that to........however I boneheaded mine up and got the pinion gears mixed up as I took them apart so I ended up putting the reels together with mismatched gears and when I cranked it I immediately felt the grind. Too late, damage done, so take care NOT to do what I did when you swap out the gears. If I had not messed it up I'd have a nice 5.3:1 ratio reel with the smaller spool I wanted and with a baitclicker as well right now. I sold them in a yard sale later. They both still worked well and were solid when I sold them (I switched the gearing back the right way) but you could feel the sandy gear meshing due to the "accident" they had. That grinding feeling is something which I cannot stand in a reel but apparently others can, they sold quickly. I got good money for them used. Sold one for $20 and one for $25. The Elite was 8 years old when I sold it. When it comes to reel repairs and maintenance I had nobody to teach me so I learned on my own. Made some mistakes but got it right finally. Costed me 2 good reels back then, but you live and learn. :

Sherlock 60, BPS crankin' sticks are on sale for $39 in the Christmas catalog I just got. I tossed it out though, don't plan to order anymore fishing tackle this year. I thumbed through it before tossing it though and saw that. Still selling for more on the website though....go figure.

Yes, and specifically the Worden's Roostertail in size 1/8 or 1/6 oz. I cannot count the number of times I've pulled in quality bass on a 1/8 oz. Rooster that's more inline with catching bluegills than bass. I never, repeat, NEVER go bass fishing without one tied on and ready to throw.

Only ones I've tried are Lunker City Slug-gos and Zoom flukes and super flukes. Super fluke have yet to catch anything on though, I haven't fished them enough. Flukes though, nosehooked and let sink slowly in spring will work great, but really there's no wrong way to fish these that I've found. I do well with both Zoom Flukes and Lunker City Slug-gos.

Sanother siteBASSER, I can believe the rod has and effect on action you try to give the bait. If I want to move the bait and have a soft wiggly rod doing it then I'd have to put more effort and movement into it to get the same job done that a stiffer rod could do otherwise. I'd find it easier to make the bait move left or right or pop suddenly on a jerk with a stiffer rod. I fish jerkbaits on medium and medium heavy graphite rods for this reason. I fish all treble hook lures on rods that are not "crankbait rods" at all. I was debating getting a crankbait rod for trebles to keep from tearing the hooks out on a hookset or while fighting the fish but it means I'd have to modify the way I fish the bait too, of which I am unwilling to do so I modified the way I fight them and set hooks instead. Stiffer rods give me more ability to add the desired action to my baits. The only way I'd use a crankbait rod would be for bait action reasons as well (not hook choices), which brings me to my next comment..... JlScott (original poster), I also can see where having a softer rod on a straight retrieve will allow a bait to have more freedom of movement as well. Even though the line is by far the most flexible element in the chain it's pulled fairly tightly during retrieve due to resistance of the lure to water and also the pull of the reel cranking it in (opposing forces), so it isn't flexing as much. The bait is wobbling back and forth on the end of a tight line and with a rod that will allow for more movement against this resistance then I'd feel that the bait would wobble a bit more as well. That extra little movement of the bait allowed by a softer tipped rod might make the difference in "getting schooled" each weekend. As we have all seen, bass are funny creatures and the smallest most minute detail can make all the difference in the world at times.